Chapter 12: Technology in Social Studies Education

Jeffrey Johnson

Tukesa Jones

Sommer Statham

Freddie Odom

What is Social Studies?

• “Social Studies is the integrated study of social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence” (p. 269).

What is Social Studies?

• Made up of the following disciplines according to National Association for the Social Studies:

1. Anthropology

2. Archaeology

3. Economics

4. Geography

What is Social Studies?

5. History

6. Law

7. Philosophy

8. Political Science

9. Psychology

10. Religion

11. Sociology

Issues and Problems in Social Studies Education

• Social Studies Instruction

• Depth versus Breadth• Perils of Information

Explosion• The “History Wars”

Social Studies Instruction Standards

1. Culture: Should not be ethnocentric. Study other cultures. Usually appears in geography, history, sociology, and anthropology.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

2. Time, continuity, and change: We need to know and understand what has happened in the past. We also need to understand that the world is constantly changing. Appears in history classes.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

3. People, places, and environments: “The study of people, places, and human-environment interactions assists as they create their spatial views and geographic perspectives of the world beyond their personal locations” (p.269). Appears in geography classes.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

4. Individual development and identity: “Personal identity is shaped by culture, groups, and institutional influences” (p. 269). Appears in psychology and anthropology.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

5. Individuals, groups, and institutions: Institutions play an essential role in our lives. Students need to know about institutions. Appears in sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, and history.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

6. Power, authority, and governance: Power is a concept of government. Power can be defined as the ability to reward or punish. Political science can be defined as the study of accumulation and use of power. Appears in most social studies disciplines.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

7. Production, distribution, and consumption: People have unlimited wants but there is limited resources to meet these wants. Resources should be allocated to meet the greatest amount of wants. Appears in economics.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

8. Science, technology, and society: Technology and science makes modern life possible. Electricity, lights, and indoor plumbing did not gain wide use until after the Great Depression. Life is possible without these technology. Example: Amish.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

9. Global connections: “The realities of global interdependence require understanding the increasingly important and diverse global connections among world societies and the frequent tension between national interests and global priorities” (p. 270). Appears in geography, culture, and economics.

Social Studies Instruction Standards

10. Civic ideals and practices: The goal of social studies is an effective democratic citizen. Students should know how to participate in society. Appears in history, political science, global studies, and law.

Depth versus Breadth

• Problem in history• “Those who stress depth point out that covering

historical episodes in a thorough fashion breathes life into the past and is pivotal to development of understanding” (p. 270).

• “Others counter that the study of changes over a long chronological period remain central to students understanding of historical context” (p. 270).

Perils of the Information Explosion

• Very much information on social studies is on Internet.

• Internet may replace teacher as primary source of information for student.

• Sites can contradict what book or teacher says.

Perils of the Information Explosion

• Can get information from hate groups like KKK or Neo-Nazis.

• Information on the Internet may not be accurate.

• Can use technology to teach students how to evaluate the information.

The “History Wars”

• The American history curriculum is biased against non-European cultures. Trying to make curriculum more inclusive.

• Cultural diversity or multicultural (AKA cultural relativity, world mindedness, and global education) states that each culture has value.

The “History Wars”

• Inclusion is a extreme form of multicultural.

• Subgroups felt their participation was not acknowledged.

• In inclusion groups demand to be included in social studies books. Social studies was subject to political pressure.

• Inclusion was a trend ten years ago.

How Technology Is Integrated Into Social Studies Education?

• Technology for social studies can make more meaningful learning– Simulations– Map Utilities– Global Position Systems– Spreadsheet and Database programs– Multimedia and Hypermedia– The Internet

Simulations

• The Oregon Trail or The Oregon Trail II– Shows the problems faced by pioneers who were settling

the West.

• SimCity– Students can design a city and watch it grow.– Students decide where to put water pipes, water towers,

and water pumps.– Students decide which land to zone residential,

commercial, or industrial.– Students decide where to put roads, railroads, highways,

and subways.

Simulations

• SimCity– Students decide on using wind, coal, gas,

nuclear, or fusion power plants. They also decide where to put them.

– Students decide where to put the power lines.– Students decide where to put schools, colleges,

hospitals, and libraries.– Students decide where to police and fire

stations.

Simulations

• SimCity (Classic, 2000, and 3000)– Students decide where to locate a prison.

– Students decide where to put parks and stadiums.

– Students have to do all this without overspending or having taxes to high.

• Students can use the Internet to plan a trip to the District of Columbia or New York City.