Since social studies is the discipline that I am integrating with in my unit, I chose to read the social studies section next. I was interested in the author's assertion that social studies is not a cohesive area of study, but rather several interrelated areas of study. I think that sometimes I tend to equate social studies with history, but in reality it is so much more.
Of particular interest to me in the chapter was the notion that media literacy is the domain of the social studies. It seems to me, as an English teacher, that evaluating websites tends to fall into the domain of English Language Arts. I know that when I am teaching my research paper unit, I need to instruct many students how to evaluate a website based on "authority, currency, coverage, accuracy and objectivity" (http://www.studygs.net/evaluate.htm). While I disagree with the notion that anything is solely the domain of one particular discipline, I believe that having social studies teachers reinforce (and perhaps introduce) the idea of evaluating websites would be both valuable and profitable for my students.
Although mentioned only briefly in this chapter, plagiarism is a great concern of mine, and of many other teachers that I know. All I can say is that Google can be your friend. There have been many times in the past where I have run a sentence or two through Google and have quickly found the page from which students plagiarized. This only takes a few minutes and can really reinforce the idea of academic integrity.
I also enjoyed the part of the chapter that talked about how technology connects students to the "real world." I could immediately see uses for this in an English Language Arts classroom. One of the things that quickly popped into my mind was a possible email correspondence or virtual chat with an author. I am considering adding a new young adult novel to my Pre-AP sophomore English class next year. Wouldn't it be cool to have the kids set up a wikispace or a blog about her book and to have her correspond with and interact with them? Even a simple email from an author could change kids' perceptions about the relevancy of this piece of literature in their lives. I know that I have always been thrilled when I got a letter or email from a favorite author of mine (I've written to several and almost all have responded personally to me) and my dad treasures a handwritten note he got from Tony Hillerman. Taking it a step further, what if the actual author critiqued your essay about his/her book? Of course, this might be too much to ask, but it could be possible and it's exciting to consider.
All in all, I think I found more exciting and immediately useful ideas in this chapter than I did in the chapter on English...I'm glad I read it!
James and Charmaine just presented on the Social Studies chapter of TPCK. They had many good links about Social Studies and technology. I found that as I was looking at the links I was engaging in non-linear learning, much like the chapter talked about. That was interesting...and slightly addictive. I enjoyed going from link to link, exploring on the web and trying to find things that would work for my presentation next week. I know that I (and my kids) sometimes tend to get "lost" on the web...one link leads to another and another...the trouble is often that I forget what the original question or idea was. It's important to remember our purpose!
ReplyDeleteSo thanks to Charmaine and James...through your presentation I found some great links that will help me in my presentation!
A person can easily stray from their purpose on the web. The web is like a miniature Las Vegas which causes over stimulation of the cognitive processes. Think of all the pop ups, crawl lines running across the top and bottom of the screen, little yellow ducks bobbing across your screen, and a flashing box telling you that you have won a thousand plus dollars, check here now to get your money or you are number 123,456 to visit this site. What’s a mind to do! No wonder you get lost and forget your original quest. I can relate to how you feel. This happens to me also!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the evaluation that some of these sites can be a little over stimulating. I find that once i have found the resource that i need i bookmark that particular page so i do not have to navigate back through the entire web page.
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