My main takeaway for this section of the syllabus is that we can expect to be actively engaged in our learning during class time, rather than passive recipients of a spoonfed curriculum. Based on how our first class went, I assume this means we will be making meaning through thoughtfully designed/selected activities, group discussions and a variety of models through which we will learn both content and process. This sounds wonderful to me.
To make this model work, students should prepare for class thoroughly, participate actively and intentionally, and interact with each other respectfully and thoughtfully. In essence, we each need to do our part to contribute to a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment. This will become especially important as we cover challenging, emotionally-charged subjects such as racism, slavery, immigration, etc. Just as in the elementary classroom, our classroom will need to be a safe space for working through these issues. We must get comfortable talking about challenging material before we can expect to successfully lead students through it, as they will take their cues from us. As such, I am especially interested in learning specific strategies to help cover difficult topics — I am not afraid of digging into emotional stuff, but I want to be sure I am prepared to do so responsibly, and aware of the challenges I’ll face as the facilitator of such discussions: I want to learn how to do it right.
The other critical input for this model is our fabulous instructors, who I assume will also strive to be well-prepared, and respectful — of our ideas, as well as the time and effort we put into preparing for class and doing our best work — and will model many of the best practices that we should bring into the classroom.
I am excited to learn how make Social Studies “…come alive for children…” Despite a childhood full of boring and disconnected social studies classes, I now understand the importance and value of the perspective, context, global awareness, and useful skillset that social studies offers…if it’s taught well. I was pleased to hear about the shift from SOL-driven thinking to a more integrated, balanced approach, and I look forward to working through how that looks in an elementary classroom throughout this course.
I hate to say it, but I’d love to hear more about your boring and disconnected social studies classes. What made them boring? How were they disconnected? Disconnected from other subjects? Real life?
I can assure you it is our hope that class sessions will be meaningful and thoughtful vehicles for you to explore the teaching of social studies through model lessons and practice. We have so much to share! My only hope is that we get it all in before the semester ends.
I’m going to think on your disconnected comment and think about your area of interest-science. Having taught this class as one with science before, I know how easily the two topics can be integrated. I promise to be intentional in pointing these out, as well as where social studies may connect to other areas of the curriculum.
Yes! It was siloed, as Lynne described. Thanks for helping to point out the connections across the curriculum. I look forward to working through how to manage an integrated curriculum logistically.
What really made it boring for me, though, was that is was disconnected from my life. This, I now realize, is mostly my memory of MS and HS social studies. It didn’t seem to matter, and no one was helping me see why I should care. What I remember from SS growing up was memorizing maps, but never talking about the people who lived in those places in any meaningful way. Or, learning dates and names and places and events, etc., but not getting to the part about why those things happened, what it was like to live through that, what the other side has to say about it, or how we can see the same things happening today. We “talked” about slavery (mostly in passive voice), but never about how it continues to exist in so many ways today around the world…and what we can do about it. We learned about the parts of our government, but not about how to participate in it, or why it matters that we do. Economics was the one area in which I could see the practical application…which is probably why I enjoyed it the most.
But digging deeper into elementary memories, they were actually fairly positive. We had a great unit on Ancient Greece, which connected to the 1988 Olympics and every other part of the curriculum. We had international guests come and talk about their lives and languages. We took amazing field trips to downtown Philadelphia, to underground railroad sites, and to local museums to look at medieval or ancient egyptian collections.
So, my early experiences were good — but it changed in MS and HS when the stories disappeared in favor of textbooks and fact dumps. I didn’t know how to make connections and meaning on my own. I didn’t know I was supposed to think for myself. As an adult, I now see social studies as a way to find our connection with people across cultures and time, and to make sense of our place in the world so that we might participate more fully in it — and I think we can help kids engage with SS better, and more importantly, become better citizens (locally and globally) by making those connections evident. As such, one of my main goals will be to learn how to help students develop critical thinking skills and the habit to LOOK for connections on their own.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your thoughtful response! I can feel your excitement for the course and look forward to engaging you and your classmates with engaging and meaningful ways (skills) to teach the content. Articulating to Dr. Stohr what made history classes boring to you in the past is the first step to making sure it does not happen in your classroom! I look forward to being your instructor this semester and seeing you tomorrow afternoon, Lynne