Technology in the Classroom

Technology is key to education, and one of my first priorities when I get to a new school is to get it into my classroom. When I took my instructional technology class, at USU, I had my eyes opened to the possibilities. There are hundreds of private grants out there for technology which are primarily untapped. What I would do is get my classroom it's own set of netbooks or laptops by writing a grant.  In preparing for this post I found that Dell has a grant program and there are others that I could probably find with a little more research.

This is how I  would justify having a set of netbooks for a social studies classroom. In previous posts I have talked about writing in my classroom, (see Gilded Age BR & Writing Literacy) and the other day I realized a better way to  do this other than notebooks, netbooks. Each day students world come into class grab their assigned netbook and do their bell ringer response. I would have them use Google Drive, all they need is a gmail to login.  The nice thing is that GD has all of the aspects of word, but it saves automatically,  and you can access your documents from any computer with the internet, including smart phones. Another aspect that is nice for me is that there is an option to share documents. I would have the student type their bell ringers  on one document and have them share it with me, with the option to comment only. I would also have them do their wrap ups on GD and have instant access to make adjustments to my lesson plans accordingly.

Another reason I would have a set of netbooks is that with the common core in math, it has become harder and harder to get into the computer lab, and not to mention end of level test. With a set of netbooks students can do research on a daily basis, and do more writing and presentations without scheduling conflict in the lab. Also most new textbooks have an online version, allowing students to leave there book at home or not to have one at all.

The best way to get grant money is to have a plan, this is my plan.  The world needs better writers and communicators, and the social studies classroom is a great place to learn and apply the fundamentals of writing.

Bell Ringers for the Gilded Age Unit

Objective: Students will share what they know and communicate reactions through writing in a Journal.

State Standards: Writing Literacy for Social Studies

Preparation/ Materials: each student should have a journal/ or history notebook. Teachers must be able to post quotes, and pictures on the board.

Instruction: Explain to the students that at the beginning of each class period they will be given about five minutes to write in their history journal a reaction from a question, quotes or photographs. On Fridays instead of a writing prompt they will need to share current events. writing should be a full paragraph with complete sentences, points will not be given for poor or incomplete sentences. The goal is improvement over the weeks and months students should show continues improvement in writing and higher level critical thinking.

Conclusion: At the end of the unit have students revisit their journal entries and see if any of their opinions have changed.Have the students write how their opinions have or not.

This is a list of Quotes, Questions and Pictures that pertain to the Gilded Age:

Indian Wars

"From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

   Nez Perce Indian Chief Joseph.

Rail Road

“If you have to pay money to have the right thing done, it is only just and fair to do it. If a man has the power to do great evil and won’t do right unless he is bribed to do it…it is a man’s duty to go up and bribe the judge.”

- Collis P. Huntington, Southern Pacific Railroad Agent

Industrial Issues

“It really seems hard when we look back upon what we have done…that we should feel compelled to fight

for our lives against political adventurers who have never done anything but pose and draw a salary.”

-Joseph Wharton, Industrialist (nickel & steel)

“Fellow workers. ... This is the Continental Congress of the working-class. We are here to confederate the workers of this country into a working-class movement that shall have for its purpose the emancipation of the working-class from the slave bondage of capitalism. ... The aims and objects of this organization shall be to put the working-class in possession of the economic power, the means of life, in control of the machinery of production and distribution, without regard to the capitalist masters.”

-“Big” Bill Haywood, IWW organizer (1905)

“ANARCHISM:--The philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as pointless.

If not for the spirit of rebellion, of the defiance on the part of the American revolutionary fathers, their posterity would still wear the King's coat. If not for the direct action of a John Brown and his comrades, America would still trade in the flesh of the black man. True, the trade in white flesh is still going on; but that, too, will have to be abolished by direct action. Trade-unionism, the economic arena of the modern gladiator, owes its existence to direct action.

Will it not lead to a revolution? Indeed, it will. No real social change has ever come about without a revolution. People are either not familiar with their history, or they have not yet learned that revolution is but thought carried into action.”

 -Emma Goldman (1910)

“Men may die but the fabrics of free institutions remain unshaken."

Chester Arthur

"So long as all the increased wealth which modern progress brings goes but to build up great fortunes, to increase luxury and make sharper the contrast between the House of Have and the House of Want, progress is not real and cannot be permanent."

 "Progress and Poverty," Henry George,

Immigration

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teaming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Emma Lazarus in 1883

“Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Politics

"I want it understood that I am the grandson of nobody, I believe that every man should stand on his own merit." Benjamin Harrison

“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

―Theodore Roosevelt

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

―Theodore Roosevelt

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Writing Literacy

In the state of Utah they have implemented a writing literacy standards in Social Studies. As I looked for ways to incorporate writing, I came across an article from the Colonial  ƒoundation that gives suggestions on ways to put writing into Social Studies.

The article starts out by saying three reasons to write in a Social Studies classroom:

1. Writing is a fundamental intellectual activity. It prompts problem solving, discovery, and communication.

2. Writing helps you to learn history. Students learn best when they are actively engaged and writing is one way we can do this.

3. Writing clarifies your understanding of the subject. As students write often their questions are clarified.

The author also suggests posting these points in the classroom, and to point to them when students complain.  It goes on to have students write daily summaries, and unit wrap-ups, emphasizing that writing every day is better than long papers.

Students must be taught how to write a historical essay, compared to language arts essays: there are differences. These are suggestions from the article:

• Assume your audience knows nothing about the historical topic.
• Historical writing is based on fact.
• Chronology and sequence are important for organizing historical writing.
• Historical facts should support statements or reasons.
• Use the appropriate historical time frame.
• Make historical writing interesting to the audience by:
• Providing details from the time period.
• Organizing historical information clearly so that it makes an impact on the audience.
• Using first person, if writing as a historical figure.

Journals are also suggested. For opening bell ringers you can have questions posted or do what is called a reaction journal entry: where a quote from a historical figure of the time period being studied is shown and students must write their reaction to the quote using what they know at that time (essay questions can be pulled from these quotes for unit papers, etc). These journals can also be looked back at the end of the unit and see if opinions have changed and reactions have changed.

With writing in the classroom language arts and history can drastically change the way they view writing.

© 2011 †he Colonial  ƒoundation
Writing in the Social Studies Classroom
By Peter Pitard, Principal, Bath County High School, Hot Springs, Virginia

Department of Education Outreach

Photo Analyis: Vietnam War

Objectives: Students will analyze photographs taken from Vietnam War (primary sources), by making assumptions and putting themselves in the photograph.

State Standards:

Idaho:USII 1.1/ 5.1
Utah:USII 8.2

Put the fallowing photograph on the board:

Ask the students to:

• ž  Observe the Photo

Study the photograph for 2 minutes. Form an overall impression of the photograph and then examine individual items. Next, divide the photo into quadrants and study each section to see what new details become visible.

Create a chart to list people, objects, and activities in the photograph.

• ž  Inference

Based on what you have observed above, list three things you might infer from this photograph.

• ž  Questions

What questions does this photograph raise in your mind?

• ž  Create a caption for the photograph

Break up the class into groups of 2 or 3, then pass out these photographs. Have the students do the same thing by answering the same questions. After 10 to 20 minutes have the groups share there photographs and some of their observations, inferences, Questions, & Caption.

Notes: I gave this lesson as a long term sub for 11^th grade US History, it when OK the students had never done anything like this and took a lot of prompting. They seemed to enjoy it.

Depending on the level of the class students can take their questions and see what research can be done. This lesson can also be applied to any other topic as long as they are primary sources for the time period.

Photographs from the Library of Congress

What do you want me to do about it? Procedures for Absent and Late Work

There are always going to be students that are absent, turn in late work or have questions about their grade on an assignment. The question that teachers always think when they are asked questions are “What do you want me to do about it?” This is the system that I plan on using to help with these issues and to empower students to find out what is required of them on their one.

WORK BINDER: Each subject will have a Work Binder with a brief description of what was done in class and the assignment. This will be updated daily  at the end of the day, depending on the students the updating may be assigned out to a class leader and a copy of any notes may be included when applicable written by the students.  The Idea is that students will know where to find out what they are missing instead of lining up at the teacher’s desk.

LATE /ABSENT /CNTENDING CARD:  When a student has any late work they will be required to fill out a Late /Absent / Contending Card and attach it to their work. This card will answer the questions teachers have concerning late work by asking the fooling question; was it just late, or absent? ; When was the assignment due, and when did you turn it in? This cared is also designed to address any questions or contending a grade given to the students assignment.  There is also space provided for comments or concerns, or questions about their grade.  Here is an example it should only take a quarter of a page or less:

What do you want me to do about it?

Circle one:
 LATE / ABSENT / CONTENDING

Due Date_________________________

Today’s Date______________________

Comment/ Concerns / Questions: _____

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

This should be explained during the first day of class and again when the first assignment is given depending on the grade level more reminders may be needed.