10 Strategies for Technology in Social Studies Instruction

Jill Root

• TAKE advantage of these 10 powerful strategies for using technology to ENHANCE the teaching of social studies topics

Adventure learning (AL)

opportunities to explore real world issues through authentic learning experiences

• collaborative learning environments Promotes communication, encourage

reflection, and provide a wealth of information to support students’ research

• http://www.polarhusky.com GoNorth! Addresses the National Social Studies

Standards (NCSS): All themes

Virtual Field trips

Helps students learn about other cultures

• Enriches students’ study of other lands and ways of life

• Colonial House, a tour of life in the Colonial Era: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/history/index.html

Theme 2: Time, continuity, and change

GPS devices

• send students on a geocaching treasure hunt with these devices

Gets a student to spend more time studying geographical information and techniques – Math lessons with GPS:

http://www.teacherlink.org/content/math/activities/gps.html

Theme 3: People, places, and environment

Simulated Immersion experience

Allows students to interact with simulated events or locations

Develops better problem-solving skills– Muzzy lane’s Making History:

http://www.muzzylane.com/ml/making_history • Theme 2: Time, continuity, and change, Theme 6:

Power, authority, and governance

Electronic Research

• Do webquests to learn the history behind political issues

Gives students and teachers up-to-date information they could not obtain easily from other sources

• Helps students to analyze information – U.S. Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov

• Theme 6: Power, authority, and governance, Theme 10: Civic ideals and practices

GIS and GPS Lessons

Allow individuals to view and examine the world through multiple layering of data within a spatial environment

Integrate geospatial technologies to study the earth, people and the symbiotic nature between the two– Science/geography lessons with GIS and

GPS: http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classgpslsn.html

• Theme 3: People, places, and environment

Simulation games

Easier to understand when students play the role;

ex: Students get to invest “their own” money and seeing the return over time with stock market simulation games

Electronic storytelling

Plays a key role in helping students prepare oral histories

• teach local and other history with this type of storytelling

Foster skills in analysis and critical thinking– Voice Thread: www.voicethread.com

All themes

Use software such as VoiceThread

• allow for real-time collaboration around numerous forms of content

Hands-on software Allows students to post content and

comment on each other’s work in an online learning environment– Don’t Buy It: https://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/

• Theme 8: Science, technology, and society

Digital Cameras

• Allows students to capture images from their vantage point

• Participate in the construction of knowledge

• Learn how diverse perspectives can be shaped