Technology in Social Studies Instruction

Session Six

EDT 612

Social Studies

Focuses on the interconnections of people and the earth

Information about the world is changing constantly and dramatically

Fortunately, the same technologies that created this more complex world can also help teach about it.

Social StudiesInstruction Standards Ten major themes Address overall curriculum design and

comprehensive student performance expectations

Use the standards to create the overall framework and then fill in the detail using the discipline standards.

Ten Major Themes of Standards Culture: what is common among us? How

do belief systems influence us? Time, continuity, and change: The past

gives us clues as to who we are and how we are connected to the past.

People, places, environment: helps people create spatial views and geographic perspectives of the world beyond their personal locations

Ten Major Themes of Standards

Individual development and identity: personal identity is shaped by culture, groups, and institutional influences

Individuals, groups, and institutions: play an integrated role in our lives

Power, authority, and governance: essential for developing civic competence and individual rights

Ten Major Themes of Standards

Production, distribution, and consumption: people often have wants that exceed available resources

Science, technology, and society: modern life would be impossible without technology and the science that supports it; raises the question if new technology is always better than the old

Ten Major Themes of Standards

Global connections: must understand the increasingly important and diverse global connections among world societies and the frequent tension between national interests and global priorities

Civic ideals and practices: critical to full participation in society and is a central purpose of social studies

Issues and Problems

Depth versus Breadth Perils of the “Information Explosion”:

may alter the traditional relationship between teacher and student because the teacher is no longer the primary source of facts or opinions

The “History Wars”: battle over world and American history standards

How is Technology Integrated into Social Studies Education? Simulations Map Utilities Global Positioning Systems The Internet (of course) Spreadsheets Databases Multimedia and Hypermedia

Useful Web Sites forSocial Studies Instruction National Council for Social Studies

http://www.ncss.org Smithsonian Institute http://www.si.edu Library of Congress http://lcweb.loc.gov/ Edsitement http://edsitement.neh.gov/

Useful Web Sites forSocial Studies Instruction The History Channel

http://historychannel.com Census Bureau Data Maps

http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/statab Current Events CNN Interactive

http://www.cnn.com National Weather Service

http://www.noaa.gov