I really enjoyed our class last night! I thought each activity was engaging and did well to reinforce the ideas that we’ve been targeting throughout the semester. I think what resonated with me the most was when Dr. Stohr referred to history as being “his-story”. Doing the activity about her uncle during the war was an example of just that. It allowed us as the students to see into someone’s life, understand their history. As we discussed, it’s easy for students to see history as the culmination of famous people’s story. This activity allowed me to make a more personal connection to what history means and motivated me to dig deeper into mine. I think this lesson is not only engaging for students, but it was a good way to incorporate primary and secondary sources, make inferences about the information, and encourage students to unfold an unknown story. This activity could be used as a means to incorporate a variety of targeted skills across content areas. I also really liked the picture comparison activity. I enjoyed the way it looked at observational skills while giving students the opportunity to think freely and creatively. I was surprised to see the Venn Diagram at the closure of the activity. I think that it was a good way to incorporate the compare and contrast element in a fun and engaging way. Overall, really fun class!
Week 3
As I mentioned in my first blog post, my goal is to change the way that my students perceive history content. To many students, history is merely perceived as a collection of dates, facts, and events bundled into a textbook. I learned in last night’s class, that using primary sources can help to change this view. Using a wide variety of collected “artifacts” and sources, students are able to have a more hands-on experience with history. They allow students to make direct connections with the subject (people, places, events) by observing multiple sources about one topic. As we explored the Montgomery Bus Boycott through a variety of primary sources, I was able to come arrive at a better understanding of what that event was and what it meant for that time and the future. It allowed me to gain insight from personal accounts, articles, film, and legislative work. I know that the goal of our class was to learn how students can make inferences about history using primary sources. I believe that this can be accomplished through discovery and interpretation of new facts and information using these sources. I liked that this class demonstrated how students can make observations, use those observations to make inferences, and to compare student generated inferences with facts. Prior to this class discussion and reading, I did not understand the significant benefits of using primary sources in the classroom.
Week 2
On the topic of literacy this week, I think what stuck with me the most was the importance of vocabulary. This idea is not isolated to social studies alone, but generalizing that importance across all content areas. I believe Dr. Stohr mentioned that students are expected to learn 6-10 new vocabulary words each week across all curricular areas. My first reaction was that it was a small number in comparison to the amount of content they would be exposed to. After our activities in class this evening, it was demonstrated that in order for students to truly absorb those big words, a variety of reinforcing strategies must be used so that students can make the big connections that we are looking for. In this case, 6-10 words seems like a much bigger range to me now. I am curious as to how much time should be spent on vocabulary study each week. Building the vocabulary in to most lessons feels like a pretty naturally occurring instance. However, how much time do we spend on those really big words, the words that will allow students to use those connections again and again. I also learned the importance of pre-selecting those words prior to a unit plan in order to mold the lessons around that vocabulary specifically. My favorite activity was the free write. I think that this provides students with an opportunity to think more abstractly and to make personal connections to the word. To me, it breeds creativity and demonstrates what students may know or not know. I really enjoyed the four different options of word study charts that were provided. I think that giving students a choice on strategy, can help to assist with the diverse learner population and to target different learning styles. While vocabulary can be boring memorization for some students, the activities tonight were hands-on, engaging, and required deeper thinking. These strategies will assist students in generalizing that information and have experiences to remember in reflection or study of the content. Lastly, I learned that word walls are not just for elementary students! Exposure is important for all learners.
Take-away! Students should dig deep into vocabulary by exploring meaning, purpose, application, and significance using a variety of instructional techniques.
Week 1
With this course, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of the topics of study, as well as learning about a variety of instructional methods used in social studies. I hope to understand how technology can be incorporated into the subject matter as a means to keeps learner’s active and engaged throughout the content. I am eager to observe different hands-on activities that can be used to target the kinesthetic or visual learners in the classroom. Social studies/history has always been my preferred subject in school but I am aware that many students may view history as a mundane list of facts filled with memorization. My goal for this course is to obtain strategies to change that perception! In addition, my expectation for this course is that feedback will be provided as a means to observe my personal progress, understanding, and application of the coursework material throughout the semester.