Technology Integration

Jim Ellis

Teaching social studies…

can be

like this

or this

Technology in the social studies classroom

The first problem.

Statewide tests don’t focus on social studies.

The second problem.

Amount of material covered.

Take, for example,

A world history course.

prehistoric Barack Obama Julius Cesar Napoleon

And don’t forget this.

In one school year? I thought history repeated itself.

The third problem.

Technology.

Yes, technology itself poses problems.

What the font?

This forces educators to be more: Current Collaborative Complex Challenging

The fourth problem.

However.

Here are four.

1) Digital Storytelling: Merging images and audio to tell the story.

Images. Audio.

2) Virtual Field Trips: Visit the world from your classroom.

3) Student Telecollaborations.

4) Geographic Information Systems: A new way to map.

For example:

This:

Becomes this:

Let’s recap:

Four problems: No statewide assessments. Amount of material to cover. Technology. Funding.

But you can reach for the sky.

Jim Ellis