ETEC 5303 Learning With Computers in the K - 12 Classroom
Q: Due to budgetary issues/constraints, how can I bring students to a location?
A: Virtual Field Trips through Internet display places around the world.
Students can “visit” places of the world without leaving the classroom.
Teachers can help set up “visitations” to various places to allow student to focus on particular topics that coincide with the content of the classroom.
Districts can save significant amount of funds by keeping students in school, and students avoid missing other instructional content time.
Students get a “fuller” view of the world that they live in.
Students may not have the real life experience but exposure to various cultures and countries.
Students can be familiar with parts of the world without ever leaving the classroom setting.
District/school funds can be allocated to other student activity funds.
Q: How can I have my students participate in a debate without time constraints?
A: Message boards allow students to give feedback on a topic of conversation in the classroom.
Teachers can set the time limit on a debate choosing to beyond the typical bell schedule.
Allows teachers to set parameters so that all students to participate.
Students can revisit topical debates and review material and views shared.
Increase in student participation in various assignments.
Students become familiar with argumentative writing in the Social Studies setting.
Students have digital documentation of the debate.
Q: What software can I use have students share findings of a research project?
A: Any software that can present information to an audience.
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Students can access multiple modes of presentation for particular assignments
Students can incorporate visual aids and other evidence to help describe their research findings.
Students can have a “clean & organized” finished product.
Students become familiar with relevant materials
Students can develop their own communication styles in presenting materials.
Students can enhance presentations through technical skills.
Q: Where can I get students to visualize historical events or potential outcomes
A: Websites that simulate past actions or possible future events
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Social Studies and Technology Intergration
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Tool Based Software
Instructional Software
Productivity Software
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Students can feel and/or visualize how their decisions would lead to an end result in a certain time period.
Students learn how manipulation of data and choices can effect outcomes
Allows students to predict, hypothesize, and explain potential outcomes with evidence.
Incorporates decision making into learning activities.
Incorporates prediction practices into learning activities.
Incorporates other content area skills such as math and science to the classroom.
Students can share ideas and work together to construct a project, document, or presentation not just in the classroom but beyond.
Teachers can monitor data that shows the actual amount of participation of each student in various projects.
Students learn to work together on a learning assignment to meet a deadline in a balanced way.
Students develop team building skills and responsibility.
Student learn to share their views with their team members in a respectful manner.
Q: What software can I use to have students learn about orientation and geography?
A: Global Positioning Systems (GPS) allows students to visualize where they are actually are on the Earth’s surface.
Most students can have access to GPS technology through their smartphones or own devices which allows for students to have their own familiarity while participating in finding their own physical location.
Students become familiar with distance spaces.
Students become familiar with GPS technologies and how it can apply to.
Students become familiar with activities like orientation
Q: How can I get to show the views of the students in a anonymous way?
A: Polling (Survey) websites and applications.
Students can either use their own devices or those from a school to complete a poll or survey.
Students can participate in an anonymous way and have the freedom of being scrutinized by peers.
Students can learn to interpret/analyze data from display of a poll.
Student participation rates could possibly increase.
Q: How can I have my students develop a collaborative project and monitor their participation and progress?
A: Programs like wikis that allow multiple users work together on a singular project.
It is my personal opinion that Social Studies have been one of the subject areas that has benefitted the most from technology integration. The World Wide Web [WWW] allows students to explore countries, cultures, and subcultures. Human beings are connected now more than ever in an expanding social network online. Teachers no longer have to rely on an outdated textbook to help instruction, nor do they need to rely on a morning paper that was printed the night before for a current events discussion; they can have the most updated information at their finger tips through news media computer applications that connect to the likes of USA Today or the New York Times.
Teachers at a lectern delivering only an auditory lecture are a thing of the past with presentation software that adds visual aid to help describe events in history with various productivity software programs like Power Point. A teacher could even reduce the time spent on lecturing by posting a video cast or a podcast on their website for students to download so that more time can be spent in the classroom completing learning activity.
Instructional software can be found in realm of social studies. Many computer games are developed around historical events; these games allow students to either recreate history or take on a virtual experience through digital role playing (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and Centurion) giving them the feeling of being in that part of the world or a part of an event. Keeping students engaged allows students to absord the content that the teacher is delivering
Finally, harder to describe topics in Social Studies like Economics can be presented visually through tools like spreadsheets and the functions that are associated with such programs. The internet also lends some tool software through interactive programs. Debates in civics and government classes can come alive on a digital message board, where a teacher can assure that every student can have say or role in the class. The teacher can also chime in feedback, monitor progress, (or act as a referee) to the students as they carrying on their discussions.
In addition here are a few more examples of how technology can expand Social Studies: