Kristi+Lippert+-+Resources


 * Resource 1: ** Holcomb, L. & Beal, C. (2010). Capitalizing on Web 2.0 in the Social Studies Context. //TechTrends//, 54(4), 28-33.

This article focuses on how the integration of technology and the web can enhance teaching and learning in the social studies. It talks about how history has become more hands on and interactive in the past few years due mainly to technology. Technology has the ability to allow students to have more active inquiry into the subject matter. The article discusses technology methods and software that can be used regardless of barriers such as location or budget.

This document really explains how technology is revolutionizing the social studies as well as other subjects. Instead of just talking or reading about a historical place, my students can get online and we can visit it, virtually, through a tool like Google Earth. There are often recreations of major battles and events, as well as online virtual museums we can visit with historical artifacts. These technological tools bring social studies alive for students and challenge many of the traditional methodologies of teaching.     This article followed two secondary education social studies teachers and their technology use as educators as they went from their teacher preparation programs into the real world of teaching full-time. They found that teachers will use the technology they know; for example what they have learned or been trained on in the past, and that continuing professional development for technology is critical for educators to become aware of, and learn how to use, new innovations in technology in their teaching. The study indicated that often times, the technology training provided in their teacher preparation programs is not enough and discussed the TPCK framework we have learned about in this course. Both teachers who were trained in technology continued their use of it in their classrooms, though they both stated that availability of technology, support in their buildings for the use of technology, and school finances are major limitations.   I think this article reinforces to me that I believe technology is an important part of educating in the social studies because I was also trained in the importance of technology in education. I too have been in two different districts where the level of administrative support and finances differ, but my commitment to technology integration into my classroom remains, just as it did with the two educators from the study. I also completely agree with the part in the article about continuing training for teachers on current technology methods is critical, since technology is an ever-changing field of study. Many teachers feel intimidated or out of touch because they cannot keep up with all of the new methods and changes.     <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This article brings up the fact that social studies often has a reputation of being “boring” and that using technology in the social studies classroom is one way that teachers can motivate more students to learn. By using technology, more students can be engaged in the material and feel more value in what they are doing in class. The author discusses motivational theory and how a student will avoid doing a classroom task if they perceive that it is too boring or too difficult. Students want to feel successful and so they will engage in activities where they believe they can achieve success. In some of the examples given in the study, students who were given the task of using technology to create their own projects for learning were more engaged in the material and took more ownership in their assignments because the use of technology allowed them to be more creative and individual in their assignments. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">This article reinforces the fact that teaching social studies should not be “sit-and get” and that it should involve a more creative, integrated technology approach. It makes sense to me that more students would take ownership in the material when given the technological tools to make it their own. The part I sometimes struggle with, however, is that I am an educator who likes structure and chaos makes me crazy. I often feel that when given a project, students are often off task and not productive because they are too free and the structure does not exist as much as with a more guided approach. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resource 2: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Wright, V. & Wilson, E. (2009). Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom: The Journey of Two Teachers. //The Journal of Social Studies Research//, 33(2).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Resource 3: **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Heafner, T. (2004). Using technology to motivate students to learn social studies. //Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4//(1), 42-53.