Essential questions ask students to consider the “big picture” of a topic. Answering an essential question is not easy, or quick, but these questions encourage students to explore wider and deeper. Information must be gathered, analyzed, and synthesized to construct quality answers. Therefore, students must also be able to answer the “just the fact” questions.
In these changing times, what are some of the social studies best-practices that we can apply in a remote learning environment?
Popular culture is the culture of the majority or the masses of people in a society—what a large part of a population believes or does, and objects representing beliefs or activities within that society. In the modern world, popular culture is spread and advertised by mass media through the internet and social media; television, movies, and radio; and printed books, magazines, and newspapers.
School and district closures are rippling across the nation and the world as our communities join together to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In times like these, it’s more important than ever for educators and students to discover the power of digital learning.
The Industrial Revolution of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries transformed technology, the economy, and daily life. Today, we are living in the midst of a technological and internet revolution. While the terms for this modern transformation vary somewhat (information technology revolution, fourth industrial revolution, globalization, social media revolution), the impact on our daily lives is undeniable. The impact of our modern revolution may seem unique in the span of human history. However, many of these seemingly new trends are part of a much longer story of change. The following three examples can be useful in connecting the past to the present.
This year has already proven to be a whirlwind for many schools and districts across the nation. Between educational strikes resulting in negotiations between lawmakers and teachers and a global pandemic causing schools to scramble for alternative learning methods, there are many trends and changes in the field of education to watch this year.
A few years ago, I “splashed” into the blended learning scene only to abandon it several months in. There were a few reasons why, and you can read about them in my blog post here. But I don't say this to scare you off! If I knew then what I know now, I would have definitely made some changes to my approach. I’ve learned many things that I can now share from my experience.
Going viral is the rapid spread of information, not diseases. The phrase entered the English language in the late 1980s and is usually associated with the internet, email, or social media but can also refer to information spread by word of mouth.
Has your district made the shift to using digital resources and technology in the classroom? Some have and many more are in the process of doing so. This change raises the question: what digital skills do teachers need? Primarily, teachers need training on digital pedagogy, the devices that students will be using, and issues that may arise as a result of going paperless.
Many teachers struggle to motivate their elementary students to learn, especially when teaching social studies. Students struggle to understand why learning historical facts and figures matter and find the subject content boring. In an age when connecting with history matters more than ever, how do we make our K-8 social studies classrooms challenging and exploratory?
