Final Reflection

            Social Studies has always been and continues to be my favorite subject, and this Social Studies methods course was no exception.  I learned so much through taking this course.  The most important bit of information that I learned is that I do not know everything there is to know about Social Studies.  There are so many resources that I can pull from in order to inform my instruction.  The National Council for the Social Studies is one great resource.  They provide materials for teachers as well as national standards for the teaching of Social Studies.  Professional development activities and Social Studies journals are also great resources for teachers to explore.  Teachers can also conduct Internet research to expand their knowledge about certain topics.  I also learned that it is more important to “uncover” Social Studies concepts rather than “cover” them.  Simply seeing how much material you can cover in a year does not guarantee that students are learning, but teaching students how to use their critical thinking and problem solving skills to answer questions does assure student learning.  It is important to allow students to think and discuss in the classroom.  Social Studies instruction should not consist of the teacher standing at the front of the room lecturing, but it should be a journey of discovery.

            I realize that Social Studies is one of the subjects that has been pushed aside in the current push for standardized testing.  I feel that this is the wrong move to make.  Social Studies is just as important as other subjects taught in schools today.  Students have to have a basic knowledge of their history so that they will not repeat the mistakes of past generations.  They also need basic geographic knowledge.  I feel that students need to have a general idea of where countries are located.  There are so many different countries mentioned on the news today, and I feel that students need to have a general idea of their locations.  One way to help bring Social Studies back to the forefront of the classroom is to use integration.  It is so easy to integrate Social Studies in Language Arts.  There are many great pieces of literature that have Social Studies theme.  There are lots of creative art and music projects that students can do that integrate Social Studies.  Integration of this subject is so easy, and it will help provide students with the Social Studies knowledge that they will need. 

            I feel like I have really been able to form my curriculum ideology by taking this class.  I believe that my classroom will be learner centered.  I believe that the focus of class should be on the learner.  The teacher should provide instruction that guides the student to discovering knowledge.  I also feel that active learning is a key part of making Social Studies interesting to students.  Completing projects and participating in discussions is much more effective than teacher lecture.  I also plan to start each day with a morning meeting.  These meetings help set the tone for the day, and the teachers can set goals for the day.

            To conclude, I have learned so much through this Social Studies methods course.  I have learned so much from Dr. Meier, and I plan to take much of this information to my own classroom.  This has been a great semester, and this class has been very beneficial.

Integrating Literature

There are so many great pieces of literature that are Social Studies themed. By reading literary works  students can be transported back to the time and place of famous historical events. They are able to experience the emotions and struggles of the characters and empathize with those characters. This is also a great way to integrate Social Studies and Language Arts . If  there is little time devoted to Social Studies instruction, use literature to teach it. Use a literary work to spark a discussion.  I know that Social Studies is one of the subjects that is being pushed to side in the classroom, and I think that is terrible. In my opinion, Social Studies is just as important as Mathematics and Language Arts. Despite the fact that my Social Studies classes consisted of reading and answering questions, Social Studies was always my favorite subject. I want to try to teach Social Studies everyday, and I feel that integrating Social Studies and Literature is the key to exposing students to Social Studies concepts. 

Living History Museum

I had a blast during the living history museum last week in class.  It was so much fun to hear about so many historical characters. I was introduced to several people who I had not heard of before, and I also learned some new and interesting information about people I had studied. I think this is a great teaching tool, and I plan to use it in my future classroom. This is a great way for students to learn about so many important people from the past, but it also a way for students to develop research skills. The living history museum was my favorite activity of the semester, and it was great to learn so much. I had heard of my character before, but I had no idea about the impact that J.P. Morgan had on the banking industry. This was such an enjoyable experience, and I think that elementary students would greatly enjoy participating in it.

Fact, Question, Response (FQR)

I liked the comprehension strategy that we studied in class last week.  I think that it is very important to teach comprehension strategies to students, especially for content area reading.  Students sometimes find content area reading boring, and they may read it without comprehending the material.  FQR is a great strategy to get students to think about what they are reading and to get them to respond to it.  I know that sometimes when I would read textbooks, I would read it and not remember anything about what I read.  I wish I had known about FQR then so that I could have gotten more out of my reading.  FQR is a wonderful strategy, and I plan to use it in my own classroom.

Social Studies Book Talk

I enjoyed the book talks that we did in class last week. I learned about so many books that would be great to use in my classroom, and I feel that literature is a great way to integrate Social Studies into the Language Arts curriculum.  I also feel that the book talk is a great tool to use in the classroom.  I think that having students read a piece of literature and then promote it to the rest of the class is a great idea.  I think this would interest other students in the books more than the teacher making suggestions.  It seems to me that children take the opinions of their peers more seriously than those of the teacher.  I feel like this would be an excellent way to promote reading for enjoyment and entertainment.

My Social Studies Classroom

I want to use fun and innovative techniques to teach Social Studies.  I plan to use a combination of group work, class discussions, and performance based projects.  I feel like Social Studies is essential for students, and I hope to spark their interest in the subject.  I want my students to learn about the many different types of people.  I want my classroom to be a safe place where students will feel that they are all equal and can express their beliefs without fear of persecution. 

            Diversity is a major part of the Social Studies curriculum, and I definitely want to teach it in a way that fosters positive feelings toward diverse cultures.  I want my students to be ready to be a part of the global community, and the only way that they will be able to participate in that community is to have a knowledge about other cultures.  I am very excited about entering the classroom, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to have diverse students.  I am sure that I will be able to learn from them and increase my knowledge about different cultures.  I know that there is still much that I have to learn about other cultures, but I am willing to research in order to be a culturally knowledgeable educator.        

Story Path

We began story path on Monday in my Social Studies class.  This is a great activity to use in the Elementary classroom.  Students create their own characters and actively participate in problem solving.  I think that is also a great way to integrate subjects.  Students can participate in reading and writing activities while they are working on a Social Studies project.  Story path also incorporates art into the classroom.  Students have to create the landscape where their story path is taking place.  I feel like story path is a way to engage all students.  There is something that all students could find to enjoy about story path.  I hope to be able to use this activity in my classroom to help make my Social Studies classes fun and interesting.

Pumpkin Globes

In my field placement last week, the second grade classes made a very interesting craft.  All of the second graders brought in a pumpkin, and they painted them blue.  They then colored a map of the continents.  They colored each continent a different color.  They then cut out each continent and taped them to the pumpkin.  They had to place each continent in its general vicinity on the globe.  I feel like this was a great project that helped the students better understand where the continents are located in relation to one another.  I would definitely consider doing this activity in my own classroom.

Geocaching

I really enjoyed it when we were introduced to geocaching in class.  It is a very valuable tool for use in the classroom.  It could be very helpful when teaching students the concepts of latitude and longitude.  It is a fun and exciting way to teach the concept.  The students would be fully engaged while searching for the geocaches, and they would be learning how to use a GPS device.  I also liked the idea of sending out a key chain and keeping track of where it goes.  I think that this would be very exciting to the students.  I feel like they would come in and want to check the sight daily to see the progress of the key chain.  It would also be possible for teachers to set up geocaches on the school campus strictly for educational purposes.  Geocaching is a very interesting activity, and I think that it would be very beneficial in the classroom.  I also think I would enjoy looking for a geocache.

Geography

I am so excited to get to be able to teach Geography. I had a great geography teacher in 7th grade who really sparked my interest in the subject. He always made it fun and interesting. One of the activities that I remember is creating a topographic map. It was a lot of fun. I think that all of the themes of Geography are important for students to learn. The movement theme shows how people interact with one another and the different types of areas where people live. The regions theme allows students to see how the world is divided and the different countries and continents that occupy Earth.  The human-environment interaction theme show students why areas are good for settlement and how the population impacts settlement. The location theme shows students their position here on Earth. The place theme shows the physical and human characteristics. Geography is a very interesting subject, and there are lots of ways to get students engaged in the subject.

Social Studies is Important

In my field placement classroom, the students do not get any Social Studies instruction.  The main focus during the day is on Language Arts and Mathematics. I feel that Social Studies is just as important as these two subjects. Social Studies exposes students to different cultures. They can learn about the different religions, beliefs, and practices of the many diverse people around the world. Students also learn how to read maps and use the map symbols. Students learn about history including the struggles of the past generations. Learning about the mistakes of former generations can help current students make better decisions. I feel like Social Studies instruction makes well rounded students, and I feel that it should be included in all classrooms. It should never be removed completely from the curriculum. Social Studies teaches students skills that they need to know in order to be global citizens.

Critical Voice

I feel that it is essential for all educators to develop a critical voice. I feel that it is very important that all classroom teachers have choices in the curriculum that they teach. I do not feel like teaching from only the textbook is the most effective way to educate students. I feel like using the textbook and supporting materials is the best approach. I hope that I can develop a critical voice that will allow me to stand up for the education of my students.  I want to be an advocate for better education, and I hope that I will have the courage to stand up for my students and their right to a quality education. Critical voice is imperative for all teachers. I truly want to be an advocate for my students and their rights. Critical voice is an important attribute that all teachers should have, but I know that it is a difficult skill because of the problems that it could cause with administrators and fellow teachers.

Diversity in the Classroom

I think that diversity is present in every classroom in America. I hope to embrace all of the diverse students that I will have in my classroom. I feel like I could learn lots from my students who come from different areas of the country and world. They can share about their homes, families, religions, and cultural practices. I think learning about the beliefs of others is a great way to come to understand them.  When students understand each other, they become closer and form friendships. I plan to modify my instructional practices in order to meet the needs of the diverse learners that I am sure will be a part of my classroom.

I can think of several ways to incorporate different cultures in the classroom. The first being, allowing students to share about their customs and beliefs. Another being, studying the different holidays around the world. There are lots of different and interactive activities that could be utilized during this study. There are so many other activities that can be used in the classroom to help students understand diverse cultures.

Diversity in the classroom should be embraced rather than feared.

My Blogging Has Begun

My social studies blog is up and going. I am really excited about learning how to use the blog as an educational resource. I'm sure this experience is going to be fun. :)