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James Leslie

CITE Journal - Social Studies - 1 views

www.citejournal.org/...article1.cfm

social studies technology teaching

shared by James Leslie on 18 Sep 09 - Cached
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • New technologies are disseminated into our nation's schools at a rapid rate. To utilize these technologies effectively, teachers need not only to be proficient in technology but also well versed in the effective integration of technology into their instruction. The key in meeting this expectation is the teacher preparation methods class. In the methods class, students see their teachers modeling the use (or lack of use) of technology, and these students are likely to go on to do likewise in their future teaching (Cooper & Bull, 1997; Handler, 1993).
  • To achieve the desired gains with technology, social studies methods courses must not focus only on making preservice teachers proficient at using technology, but must promote strategies to integrate technology to enhance teaching and learning (Cantu, 2000). Technology rich instruction models effective use, explores the barriers and benefits of technology integration (Keiper, Harwood, & Larson, 2000), and thereby surmounts the traditional absence of technology in methods courses (Rose & Winterfeldt, 1998).
  • To achieve the desired gains with technology, social studies methods courses must not focus only on making preservice teachers proficient at using technology, but must promote strategies to integrate technology to enhance teaching and learning (Cantu, 2000). Technology rich instruction models effective use, explores the barriers and benefits of technology integration (Keiper, Harwood, & Larson, 2000), and thereby surmounts the traditional absence of technology in methods courses (Rose & Winterfeldt, 1998).
  • James Leslie on 18 Sep 09
     
    Since more and more schools are using smart and promethean boards, teachers should be trained to use them.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • James Leslie on 18 Sep 09
     
    This amount of computer literacy, is not enough for today's classrooms.
  • James Leslie on 18 Sep 09
     
    Teachers should have more course work that deals with how to use computers to enhance the learning experience of their students.
  • James Leslie on 18 Sep 09
     
    To achieve the desired gains with technology, social studies methods courses must not focus only on making preservice teachers proficient at using technology, but must promote strategies to integrate technology to enhance teaching and learning (Cantu, 2000). Technology rich instruction models effective use, explores the barriers and benefits of technology integration (Keiper, Harwood, & Larson, 2000), and thereby surmounts the traditional absence of technology in methods courses (Rose & Winterfeldt, 1998).
James Leslie

Ideas about becoming a social studies teacher - 0 views

www.adprima.com/socialteach.htm

shared by James Leslie on 02 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Sadly, much too often, social studies courses are regarded as relatively unimportant subject matter, whether in elementary school, middle school, or high school. This perception leads to diminished attention paid to social studies as a serious subject area, yet in the overall development of the intellect of students, no other subject matter content holds as much promise.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Social studies is more importan than many people think.
  • "I think we include social studies in the curriculum for the wrong reasons. It doesn't help us avoid the mistakes of the past, and if voting turnout is an indicator of good citizenship, it doesn't have much to do with that either. Social studies is probably best understood as an organized way of helping students develop understandings and appreciations that have long-term staying power, and that will influence them in positive ways to do the right thing when doing the right thing is hard to do."
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Can we find ways to enhance the use of what we may teach to students.
  • First, you must understand the content of the social studies at a level appropriate to that which you intend to teach. To understand content means more than mere memorization of facts. To understand content for a teacher means that you can explain it in more than one way to others, whether the content concerns facts, generalizations, principles, themes, and so on.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Second, you must be able to translate the content you so understand to make it learnable, interesting, and challenging for students at the age and grade level you are teaching. It requires rearranging what you know. This applies to social studies more than any other content area simply because social studies as a discipline lacks any widely agreed-upon structure.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Interesting to note that teaching the same subject at different levels can look different.
  • Third, you must consider pedagogy. This means that you not only understand the content in more than one way, can translate it into a form understandable, learnable, challenging, and interesting to your students, but that you also have the skills to actually teach the content. Pedagogy without subject matter content isn't worth very much. Simply "knowing about" teaching methods won't do.
  • There is probably no more important skill required in teaching social studies than the ability to explain events, ideas, principles, and social interrelationships. In some ways, good social studies teaching rests on the ability to tell stories well. For social studies, this story telling ability is grounded in the depth and awareness of the connective possibilities of the content. Helping students make new connections, to find challenge and meaning in social studies content is what excellent social studies teachers do every day.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      There is a great need to make teaching history reletive to students today.
  • James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
     
    This is an interesting site that shares reasons why social studies is important and how a person can effectively teach it. It also has a link to the role of values that should be expressed in social studies.
Lindsay Andreas

National Governors Association - 0 views

www.nga.org/...58ec82f5b198d18a278110501010a0

state education policy secondary postsecondary NGA National Governors Association

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09 - Cached
  • increase student participation in rigorous college preparatory courses, better align expectations between high school and postsecondary education, hold these systems accountable, and ensure students graduate from high school ready for college or the workplace in the global economy.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      An important part of our mission as secondary educators is to prepare students for either post-secondary work and the workplace.
  • While states invest significant resources in education programs, governors also recognize and appreciate the federal government’s contribution to provide additional resources or assistance for those most in need.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      It is important to remember the break-down in financing, and therefore, where real power lies. If we want policy change, we need to know the most effective avenues for lobbying. We may think Obama sets the education policy agenda but the reality is, governors have a lot of power and persuasion in the field. For example, it always amazes me how different public higher education systems are, and this is because certain states have made it a priority to fund higher education greatly.
  • In this new economy and era of education reform, now is the time to reform postsecondary education by increasing relevance and rigor, accountability, and linkages with kindergarten-12th grade (K-12) education and the workplace, and by expanding financial aid to students of all ages.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Provide capacity-building incentives to states to increase teacher supply and retention, as well as education research.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      On the national level, you only seem to hear about accountability but it is refreshing to see that the NGA takes a lot more into account. I really feel like they are better in touch with the realities of education policy.
  • Authorize states to provide diverse learning options and assessment options, including the option for growth models, determined at the state level.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Again, they are concerned with other models of assessment for accountability. I think it is safe to say no one disagrees that there should be accountability but the approach varies greatly and I am more aligned with NGA approaches.
  • Congress should refrain from establishing any federal mandates to ensure maximum state and local flexibility to create aligned systems.
  • A one-size-fits all approach to high school learning is outdated and does not support the diverse needs of students. Governors encourage Congress to support state and local policies and programs that expand the availability of learning opportunities for students of all ages including, but not limited to, virtual school options, service learning, internships, apprenticeships, programs addressing out-of-school-youth, alternative learning programs, and the availability of financial aid.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Thank you! School choices and meeting diverse needs. I really like their recommendations, they want to leave room for discretion.
  • Maximum flexibility in designing state accountability systems, including testing and other indicators of achievement, is critical to preserve the unique balance involving federal funding, local control of education, and state responsibility for system-wide reform. Maximum flexibility in state testing will help improve how students are assessed for academic proficiency and postsecondary readiness. Flexibility should include the option for states to utilize growth measures to assess student performance.
  • Teachers and school leaders must receive the professional support and training needed to provide students with the skills necessary to compete in a global society, particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), literacy, and international and language studies.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I think the support issue is very relevant because of my experience at McKinley. They are in the process of introducing AP and a STEM program but the teachers are confused about how it should work, I think if they were given more support and guidance, things would run much more smoothly.
  • High schools must compete with other more highly compensated professions for teachers and school leaders, especially in the areas of mathematics and science. Congress should continue to support and expand state-administered pilot projects on performance pay, especially in critical shortage areas or hard-to-staff schools.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      There are a lot of bright young people that don't think about getting into the education profession because it doesn't pay enough and doesn't get enough respect. I really do believe we must make the profession more attractive in order to get the best pool of professionals.
  • Federal policies should encourage—not discourage—promising state efforts in dual enrollment programs that permit students to obtain high quality college-level credits or provide the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized credential while still in secondary school.
  • Congress also should support state efforts that encourage more students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework and pay for student AP testing.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I don't necessarily know if I believe in these programs, I'm undecided. I did AP in H.S. and I don't know if I get the point exactly, however, if you are going to do these programs, make sure it is clear the goal of having such programs.
  • The use of a high school graduation rate in any accountability framework must serve as an incentive to promote state and local innovation to better engage and educate every student, and count all students who graduate from high school. Congress and the Administration should work closely with governors to ensure the proper use and application of the NGA Voluntary High School Graduation Rate.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I think this is so on point, sometimes we do all this testing and numbers/stats but don't even know why we are using them. If we use them to better innovate, that seems like a good thing to me.
  • Governors believe that career and technical education programs and career and technical education teacher certification requirements should reflect the need to better integrate career and academic curriculum and integrate career professionals into the career and technical education teaching corps.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Amen! I believe in a balance between theory and practice, you need both! Let's invest in prep, it's not the most popular thing because it takes time to see the results but I think it is important and worth the wait.
  • Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
     
    This is the National Governors Association, education policy website, specifically, I have selected the policy position on High School Reform, as it is most pertinent to us, the end goes into higher education but that is for another time. The NGA is one of the best education policy sites. As we know, the states are the primary forces in setting education agendas and it is important to see what bi-partisan work they are doing. Governors are usually very influential in education politics.
Lindsay Andreas

Renaissance Learning-Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools - 0 views

www.renlearn.com/whatkidsarereading

young readers reading lists accelerated reader book database

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 17 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Lindsay Andreas on 17 Dec 09
     
    Lists of best sellers, publisher book-sale data, and online booksellers can tell you which books are purchased most often, but they do not know, like we do, which books students actually open and read, cover to cover. It is never a bad idea to know what kids are reading in order to connect in the classroom.
jbdrury

Re-thinking Newsweek and U.S. News Rankings - 0 views

www.bethesdamagazine.com/...rethinking-rankings.php

school rankings achievement montgomery county newsweek U.S. News bethesda measuring top schools best schools

shared by jbdrury on 18 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Re-thinking the Rankings
  • B-CC had been ranked as the nation’s 64th best high school on the 2008 Newsweek list, but it was missing from U.S. News’ top 100. One parent e-mailed: “Should I be worried?”
  • In the 2009 Newsweek rankings, released in June, four county schools (Richard Montgomery, B-CC, Thomas S. Wootton and Winston Churchill) were ranked among the nation’s top 100, with two others (Walt Whitman and Walter Johnson) narrowly missing
  • ...31 more annotations...
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      Not to detract from MCPS, but I have often wondered if the fact that the designer of the index happens to live in the Bethesda is at all a coincidence?
  • Most years, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has more schools in the top 100 of both lists than any other school system in the country
  • rankings validate that the school system is “seeing the benefits of providing the academic support that allows our students to aim high and achieve at the highest levels.
  • But do the rankings really mean much?
  • I feel obliged to question the validity of the methods used to rank high schools.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      This is the basic explanation for how Newsweek ranks its schools; interesting to note that it is based almost solely on a sort of "preparation for college" mindset
  • for ignoring graduation rates and achievement gaps among socioeconomic and ethnic segments.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      The author speaks directly with the designer of Newsweek's index
  • Mathews’ goal is to improve students’ academic preparation, especially in lower-and middle-income neighborhood schools. His solution is to expose more students to challenging course work, and he unapologetically describes his purpose as “advocacy as well as evaluation.
  • He says the Challenge Index’s key attributes make it the singular best measure of a school’s quality: It can be easily understood; it points directly to implementing positive change through rigorous course offerings; and it can be applied meaningfully to all schools—unlike quality evaluations based on traditional measures such as test scores, which, he says, are inherently biased toward schools in wealthier, upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      As a side note; this is my former social studies teacher and the person I credit most with making me want to become a teacher
  • Walter Johnson Principal Christopher Garran
  • Critics
  • have attacked the Challenge Index for not effectively capturing what it purports to measure (school quality), in part because it doesn’t gauge student achievement, only the number of rigorous course exams taken.
  • Newsweek ranks schools based on the Challenge Index, which was developed by Washington Post education reporter (and Bethesda resident) Jay Mathews. A school’s Challenge Index score is the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge tests taken by all students in a school year divided by the number of graduating seniors. (AP courses are well-known; IB and Cambridge also consist of rigorous courses for which students can receive college credit. Like AP, their standardized exams are graded by outside examiners.)
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      U.S. News also uses its own "college prep" index, but includes standardized test results, and takes socio-economic and racial differences into account
  • U.S. News’ approach
  • far more computationally complex
  • a school must do significantly better on standardized state English and math tests than statistically expected given its economic makeup; be in the top half of its state (approximately) in the performance of its minority students
  • “College Readiness” formula combines two components: the percentage of 12th-graders who had taken an AP or IB exam during or before their senior year; and the percentage who passed at least one exam—equivalent to an AP test score of 3 and an IB score of 4.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      He also directly quotes the manager of the U.S. News' index
  • U.S. News project, cites three ways its methodology is superior: “We measure success [tests passed]—not just quantity of tests taken. We factor in how well schools do in serving economically disadvantaged students and minorities. And we recognize schools within their respective state.”
  • The U.S. News rankings have been attacked by education experts for intermixing highly selective “elite” schools, such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.—currently their top-ranked school in the U.S.—with schools having open admissions
  • Unlike U.S. News, Mathews eliminates some academically elite schools, setting the cutoff at the level of the highest average SAT/ACT scores of any “normal enrollment” school in the country.
  • “It would be deceptive for us to put them [schools above this threshold] on this list [because] the Challenge Index has been designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests. It does not work for schools that have no, or almost no, average students.”
  • As of 2009, schools with AP exam pass rates lower than 10 percent (schools that would have made the list in previous years) have also been eliminated from the main Newsweek ranking. Most of these schools, which are typically located in low-income neighborhoods, have recently introduced their students to academically challenging courses as a form of “shock therapy.”
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      A summary of the author's thoughts; pro's and con's of both methods
  • Just as the Challenge Index is too limited in its concept of best schools, the U.S. News procedures try to cover too much. The crux of the problem is combining three essentially different criteria (college readiness, overcoming economic disadvantage and minimizing ethnic group disparities) into one ranking. Schools that excel in one aren’t necessarily those that excel in the other(s). Some schools that do the greatest job of preparing their minority students might not have total-school achievement scores that are among the best. Other schools characterized by superlative overall college readiness might score only slightly above average relative to their economic profile. In trying to incorporate “economic disadvantage” and the reduction of ethnic group (minority) achievement gaps together with schoolwide high achievement, the U.S. News ranking risks confounding different educational objectives. Depth and breadth of performance, and exceeding expectations, should be reported separately, rather than conjoined. Separate rankings would be easier to understand, more informative and less disputable—although perhaps less likely to help sell magazines.
  • Several principals, including Whitman’s Goodwin, noted how nonacademic programs that help students succeed and are a huge part of some students’ lives (arts, music, sports, civic activities, etc.) are not examined.
  • comparing large and small schools can be misleading
  • eferring to the many qualitative features that go into making a great school, Doran says, “The rankings are measuring the brain of the school—not the heart of the school.”
  • jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
     
    Having grown up in Bethesda, I am well aware of the preoccupation with the ranking of U.S. schools. This article shares some insight into how two of the more popular (or circulated) ranking systems come up with their results.
Laura Wood

What Kids Can Do - 4 views

www.whatkidscando.org/...index.html

student centered student action democracy government education projects research civics citizenship

shared by Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09 - Cached
  • stay informed
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      From the website: "Based in Providence, R.I., What Kids Can Do (WKCD) is a national nonprofit founded in January 2001 by an educator and journalist . . . they felt an urgent need to promote perceptions of young people as valued resources, not problems, and to advocate for learning that engages students as knowledge creators and not simply test takers. Just as urgent, they believed, was the need to bring youth voices to policy debates about school, society, and world affairs. Using the Internet, print, and broadcast media, WKCD presses before the broadest audience possible a dual message: the power of what young people can accomplish when given the opportunities and supports they need and what they can contribute when we take their voices and ideas seriously. The youth who concern WKCD most are those marginalized by poverty, race, and language. On this website, WKCD presents young people's lives, learning, and work, and their partnerships with adults both in and out of school. Our community of readers stretches from youth organizers in some of this country's toughest urban areas to policy makers at the national level. We believe that a good story well told crosses geographies, generations, class and race, and position. Our publishing arm, Next Generation Press, honors the power of youth as social documenters, knowledge creators, and advisors to educators, peers, and parents. WKCD is a grant maker, too, collaborating with youth on multimedia, curricula, and research that expand current views of what constitutes challenging learning and achievement. Starting in 2006, WKCD began working with youth worldwide. WKCD has become an international leader in bringing the promise of young people to the attention of the adults whose encouragement can make all the difference."
  • Youth in Policy: Civics2
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      Here they have collected various articles about how youth around the country and around the globe have been actively involved in policy making and shaping. This may be great to get teachers and students started thinking about project ideas or to inspire students (and teachers!) that students really can make a difference.
  • Want to bring public attentionto your work? WKCD invitessubmissions from youth andeducators worldwide.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      ARG! My diigo isn't working at all. Very frustrating. I have to highlight stuff four times and then add the comments in on this page. Technology is not my friend this week.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      So if you do a rad civics project with your students, students can then write an article about what they did and send it in to WKCD. They will then put it up on this cite and your students will have something to be uber proud of. This is another reason to make sure you photo document rad projects.
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      Similarly, one of the links on this page is to news articles from around the country where kids are making a difference. A teacher might assign students to check out some of the ways that students are getting things done and getting noticed in order to inspire kids, get their creative juices flowing, etc.
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    Articles on what kids in the US have done politically, with pictures! Collected by a journalist and an educator.
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    This is the organization run by the author of "Fires in the High School Bathroom." As the only permanent staff are journalists and web designers (and the staff is tiny!). I believe they just collect and make available student stories (as well as apparently offering grants!) rather than actually participating or spearheading any projects themselves. They do publish works every so often - I believe collections of the things students have done.
David Loudon

TeachNet: Lesson Plans for High School: History / Social Studies - 1 views

www.teachersnetwork.org/...high_history_american.cfm

shared by David Loudon on 04 Oct 10 - No Cached
    • David Loudon
      David Loudon on 04 Oct 10
       
      The sources for this site are other teachers around the world who post their lesson plans. This is good, because it has plans from real teachers and real classrooms so they are very knowlegable in what they are doing.
    • David Loudon
      David Loudon on 04 Oct 10
       
      However, one bad thing about the site sources is that primary sources are generally not included in the lesson plan, so you would have to find those on your own.
    • David Loudon
      David Loudon on 04 Oct 10
       
      The problem with the lesson plans is that they are not listed in any particular order and are all large plans that take a long time to complete. As such, this site could be used to find a project that you want your class to do, but it could not be used on a regular basis because you won't always have time to do the long projects as listed here.
    • David Loudon
      David Loudon on 04 Oct 10
       
      This site could be valuable for social studies teachers because it offers lesson plans written by teachers, covering a wide range of topics and suited for different couuntries. However, this diversity also means that not everything important is covered, and as such the site should only be used as an occasional supplement, not a basic source for your lesson plans.
Laura Wood

Millennium Development Goals - 0 views

www.un.org/...index.asp

United Nations millenium goals social justice World global UN hunger HIV AIDS education girls pregnant schooling food action projects 2015 gender environment

shared by Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
       
      Each button at the top stands for one of the development goals. Each page contains video clips, a short web game (very simple) and information about what that goal is, what students around the world are doing to make a difference and suggestions for actions more students can take.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
       
      The "Add your voice" portion has a place where students can send in videos that they have made about the Millenium development goals. There's also a Youth Action Guide that you can download and print for your classes!
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
       
      For each goal there is: * Information about the goal * Information on how much progress has been made towards that goal * Projects that other students have done * What still needs to be done * Links to more information This information is not particularly engaging but it is condensed in an easy to find location. It's certainly not a game or anything and kids won't be tricked into learning by any cool effects or anything.
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
       
      From the Millenium Campaign website: "*End poverty by 2015.* This is the historic promise 189 world leaders made at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 when they signed onto the Millennium Declaration and agreed to meet the "Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).":/goals The MDGs are an eight-point road map with measurable targets and clear deadlines for improving the lives of the world's poorest people. World leaders have agreed to achieve the MDGs by 2015."
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
       
      This short (3.34) youtube video is much more enticing than the webpage. http://www.youtube.com/mcampaign Perhaps a teacher could show the video and then ask students to research one of the goals using this site. The culmination could be designing an action to participate in on the date of action. This year that is Oct 16th-18th. May be a good introductory activity to get kids to see the importance of global issues before launching into global history (or concurrently :-) Website for the event: http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/
  • Laura Wood on 18 Sep 09
     
    The UN's Millennium Goals as they have constructed them for kids. It's still a ton of information and not in the easiest or most engaging format but it might be a great place for students to get started examining world issues like Hunger, HIV/AIDS or Infant Mortality and what they can do.
Erin Power

Reauthorization of ESEA: Why We Can't Wait -- Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Mo... - 1 views

www.ed.gov/...09242009.html

Education Policy Duncan

shared by Erin Power on 27 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      What a conundrum this is...
  • People want support from Washington but not interference. They want accountability but not oversight. They want national leadership but not at the expense of local control.
  • And now that I'm here I'm even more convinced that the best solutions begin with parents and teachers working together in the home and the classroom.
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Many teachers complain bitterly about NCLB's emphasis on testing. Principals hate being labeled as failures. Superintendents say it wasn't adequately funded.
  • And many parents just view it as a toxic brand that isn't helping children learn.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      I like how he/his speech writers recognize here that schooling is something that belongs to the states. It seems like he's saying that the federal government is just stepping in for a moment, until things start going well.
  • Until states develop better assessments—which we will support and fund through Race to the Top—we must rely on standardized tests to monitor progress—but this is an important area for reform and an important conversation to have.
  • it places too much emphasis on absolute test scores rather than student growth—and it is overly prescriptive in some ways while it is too blunt an instrument of reform in others.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      SUPER DUPER BINGO! NCLB encourages hig TESTING standards, but not LEARNING standards!! Good for you Arne (that's what he wants his staff to call him...in case you didn't know.)
  • NCLB is that it doesn't encourage high learning standards. In fact, it inadvertently encourages states to lower them. The net effect is that we are lying to children and parents by telling kids they are succeeding when, in fact, they are not.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      This is one of the issues in my practicum schools and one of the big debates there right now.
  • We don't believe that local educators need a prescription for success. But they do need a common definition of success—focused on student achievement, high school graduation and success and attainment in college.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      ...because the goals are and always have been, decent, but the means, are and always have been, bad (to keep it clean.)
  • In my view, we should be tight on the goals—with clear standards set by states that truly prepare young people for college and careers—but we should be loose on the means for meeting those goals.
  • They are simply not ready for college-level work when they leave high school.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      But do they really?
  • Before we do, however, we want to hear from you. We want your input.
  • We don't need another study. We must stop simply admiring the problem. We need action.
  • And so the work of reauthorizing ESEA begins in states and districts across America—among educators and policy makers, parents and community leaders. This work is as urgent as it is important.
  • And yet we are still waiting for the day when every child in America has a high quality education that prepares him or her for the future.
  • Our shared goals are clear: higher quality schools; improved student achievement; more students going to college; closing the achievement gap; and more opportunities for children to learn and succeed.
  • Let's build a law that respects the honored, noble status of educators—who should be valued as skilled professionals rather than mere practitioners and compensated accordingly.
  • Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
     
    Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's speech at the Monthly Stakeholders meeting this past week. It's a part of a series of town hall style meetings that the secretary is holding with those who have a stake in the policy they will be shaping: teachers, parents and others. The speech is interesting mostly because, what he's calling for sounds great to me, but I wonder if there's any possibility of anything this reasonable ever happening. Secretary Duncan seems like an ok guy (didn't know he is a former superintendent) but I still wonder what the next big thing is going to turn out to be and how/if it's going to help.
  • Erin Power on 05 Oct 09
     
    The Duncan speech we were talking about in class
Laura Wood

Center for Civic Education Home - 2 views

civiced.org

school violence civic education civic education citizenship history civitas Constitution citizen podcast government

shared by Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09 - Cached
  • Listen to today's podcast
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      Daily 60 second podcast!
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      Also, you can search previous podcasts to find ones that have to do with your specific lesson. Listening to the Podcasts could be a "Do now" activity or an activity at a station students rotate through.
  • Daily civics quiz
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      Daily 1 question civics quiz! These questions are not always about post Constitutional US. Some of the questions that I have seen had to do with Enlightenment thinking, the middle ages, ancient Greece, etc.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      Mission Statement From the site: The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational corporation dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. . . . The Center specializes in civic/citizenship education, law-related education, and international educational exchange programs for developing democracies. Programs focus on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; American political traditions and institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; constitutionalism; civic participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      "Resources" contains lesson plans for various grade levels, online resources, links to other organizations, etc.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
       
      The cite largely correlates to the classroom text: "We the People"
  • Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
     
    So this may be my favorite organization ever. They have an international branch, a branch in DC and a branch in California. They have a daily civics quiz on the the website and a daily 60 second civics podcast . . . I'm in <3.
  • Laura Wood on 08 Oct 09
     
    I'm just overwhelmed. I want to work at this organization . . . so many incredible incredible programs, teacher trainings, professional developments, etc. Lynn Cohen worked with Civitas in Bosnia.
Laura Wood

First In the Family - 2 views

www.firstinthefamily.org/highschool.html

high school college admissions advice counsel

shared by Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09 - Cached
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      There are videos to watch so that students can know that they are not alone and learn from the experiences of others.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
       
      There are many resources collected on this site, from financial aid and scholarship options to programs that might give students an admissions boost to checklists on what to do before you go.
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    A spin off cite of the What Kids Can Do site, this site offers advice for teens through college age students who are the first in their families to go to college. There is also a publication that you can print. There is also a portion of the site for college aged students.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    Again, the Diigo isn't working so . . . There is a "planning checklist" on the site that has printable checklists of things students can do every year starting in 9th grade to prepared themselves for college. Teachers should explain to students that these are not absolutely necessary so that kids don't hyperventilate, but for kids needing to see progress towards a goal, these might be useful
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    There is a "hard facts" tab that has some of the facts about parental income, race, and expected income. If students don't think it's important to go to college, some of these facts might shake them up and make them realize how important and how difficult it may be for them to go. This might inspire a school project where students determine how many of their classmates plan to go to college and where they want to go and why or some such thing.
  • Laura Wood on 14 Oct 09
     
    The "inspiration" tab has great quotes that teachers might consider putting up around the room and great books that teachers might consider assigning to their students.
  • Lindsay Andreas on 15 Oct 09
     
    Thanks for posting this article, it came at just the right time for me because my students need so much help and now that their counselors were fired, they are screwed. I've been thinking of ways I can help with guiding them through the college acceptance process and this website looks like a great start.
Maria Mahon

Harlem Success Academy Prepares for Tests at Queens Farm Museum - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...20farms.html

standardized test Field trip

shared by Maria Mahon on 23 Oct 09 - Cached
  • New York State’s English and math exams include several questions each year about livestock, crops and the other staples of the rural experience that some educators say flummox city children, whose knowledge of nature might begin and end at Central Park
  • Educators have long known that prior knowledge of a subject can significantly improve a child’s performance on tests.
    • Maria Mahon
      Maria Mahon on 23 Oct 09
       
      I think this factor of prior knowledge of a subject matter is one of the most difficult things to contend with in the debate about standardized tests. If students walk in to a learning experience with this lack of prior knowledge it becomes very difficult for them to ever catch up to the test's expectations.
  • The New York State Education Department runs statistical analyses of its tests to look for gender, racial or socioeconomic bias, but it does not compare the performance of rural and urban students, partly because it is hard to isolate whether a disparity is the result of a lack of familiarity with an environment or is caused by other factors like socioeconomic status or quality of classroom instruction.
    • Maria Mahon
      Maria Mahon on 23 Oct 09
       
      Some of the examples provided in this article provide clear examples in my opinion of why the department should compare the performance of rural and urban students.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Only the prekindergarten and kindergarten classes at Harlem Success schools — about 450 students — attend the farm trips, though the state exams do not begin until third grade. Students in other grades go on nature-related field trips, like camping, that help acquaint them with unfamiliar settings, Ms. Moskowitz said.
  • Maria Mahon on 23 Oct 09
     
    The Harlem Success Academny takes its students on field trips that aim to help students do better on standardized tests by taking them on fields trips to introduce them to subject matter that will be on the test, such as a farm.
Laura Wood

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence - 5 views

www.free.ed.gov

lesson plans Primary documents Social Studies Civil War resources education curriculum teaching Animations Music Art photos science lessons

shared by Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09 - Cached
  • History &amp; Soc Studies
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
       
      Okay so there isn't quite as much information on this site as I was hoping there would be. You CAN search by time period within the United States History. So if you're working through a US History text, this might be a great one stop shop to hit up and see what sorts of primary documents are available in a wealth of federal sites. For example, 1607-1763 has links to colonial documents from: the National Park Service; the Smithsonian; the National Endowment for the Humanities; History Matters; the National Archives, etc You can also search by US History topics (Government, Famous People, Wars, or Ethnic Groups . . . hmmm) or by World Studies. Each of these branch out into more subtopics. It's worth checking out.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
       
      Haha. My new web browser hates Diigo. This is supposed to say "Animations" So the animations page is super science heavy. They do have a couple of links to global warming and environmental issues and a link to a Napolean Game where you can wage wars and see how well you do at Waterloo . . .
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
       
      There are 135 Primary documents. I would recommend searching for these in a different way.
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
       
      The video section is also worth checking out. 30 links to videos, some are about science but some are clips of Roosevelt or McKinley. Again, US History stuff. The only place I've found World History stuff is specifically under the Social Studies, World History links.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
       
      This lists all of the topics contained on the site in each of the subheadings (Of particular interest: World History, US History, US Time Periods. Check it out!
  • Laura Wood on 23 Oct 09
     
    FREE is a website pool of teaching and learning resources from various branches of the federal government. From the website: "More than 1,500 federally supported teaching and learning resources are included from dozens of federal agencies. New sites are added regularly. . . . FREE is maintained by Peter Kickbush and Kirk Winters, Office of Communications and Outreach, with support from the Development Services Team in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Education."
  • Lindsay Andreas on 23 Oct 09
     
    This site is amazing, I was just playing around with it and I am definitely using some of the resources for my unit. :)
Adrea Lawrence

Spatial History Project - 3 views

www.stanford.edu/...index.php

spatial history research data_visualization geography place

shared by Adrea Lawrence on 11 Oct 09 - Cached
  • Adrea Lawrence on 11 Oct 09
     
    I learned about this site yesterday at the Western History Association meeting in Denver. These scholars are doing some very interesting data visualization and spatially oriented digital history.
Billy Campione

How to Incorporate Character Education in the Social Studies Classroom - 0 views

www.helpteaching.com/...-social-studies-classroom.html

socialstudies charactereducation

shared by Billy Campione on 30 Jul 13 - No Cached
  • Billy Campione on 30 Jul 13
     
    Schools will punish students who do not display proper behavior, but they rarely model the right behavior, rendering the punishment useless. Social studies content allows for character exploration as a reasonable tangent, making it the social studies teacher's responsibility to incorporate it when possible.
goskygo_posts

Simply Copying Nature is No Way to Succeed at Inventing - Just Ask Leonardo da Vinci (O... - 0 views

www.livescience.com/ust-ask-leonardo-da-vinci.html

social studies

shared by goskygo_posts on 01 Aug 15 - No Cached
  • goskygo_posts on 01 Aug 15
     
    Where do inventions come from? There's no magic formula, but there are ways to improve your creativity.
Lindsay Andreas

Without ready access to computers, students struggle - washingtonpost.com - 1 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009120501746.html

technology educational inequality

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 06 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Lindsay Andreas on 06 Dec 09
     
    I thought this article was very interesting because it is something I have struggled with as well. The internet is such a wonderful tool for education but what if students do not have easy internet access? It really is unfair to give assignments that are internet-based.
Joellen Kriss

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation - History : The official site of Colonial Williamsburg - 0 views

www.history.org/history

American History resources making learning fun americanrevolution williamsburg socialstudies

shared by Joellen Kriss on 04 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Joellen Kriss on 04 Dec 09
     
    The website for Colonial Williamsburg is in a word, sweet. Not only do they have areas for teachers and other research but they offer a ton of multimedia items. There's a daily today in the 1770's newsletter that has selections from the Virginia Gazette and that's just the beginning of the "wealth of online resources" (there words not mine) that they provide. What makes it so great is that Colonial Williamsburg is relatively speaking, so close! Using this website when teaching about 18th century life and then taking a field trip there would be a great way to tie everything together.
Joellen Kriss

Several of Region's High-Profile Private Schools Are Changing Leadership - washingtonpo... - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009092001805.html

Independent Schools Head of School Superintendent Search

shared by Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
       
      This notes the shift and commercialization of schooling. "Heads of School" in any situation, private or public, have to be super human in their ability to do everything. They have to please everyone, and do it all with a smile.
  • In the past, school heads could luxuriate in a Mr. Chips-like existence, focusing primarily on education. Today, they have to be schmoozers who raise funds to pay for costly programs, construction titans who dream up new facilities, and managerial stars who keep students, parents, alumni and teachers mixing smoothly.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
       
      These are the people that hire the teachers that teach the chilrden. It's an interesting cause and effect kind of relationship: people are less willing to leave their old jobs because they can't hire their own kind of people in the next position, meaning the job will be harder and less of their own. It adds a whole additional dynamic.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • One of the fastest ways that heads put their mark on a school is with the people they hire,
  • making teachers slower to retire and less likely to shift jobs, and also making it harder to lead a school than in the past.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
       
      See previous Sticky Note
  • candidates who have already headed other schools remain in short supply
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
       
      This is a really interesting statement and 100% true. School culture after a while becomes a given, so when a new head of school, whether they be of a private school or the superintendent of a public school district, comes in, that hiring board (of directors or of education) needs to now put it out on the table and naturally, things are reassessed in some way. It's kind of a thought provolking idea.
  • "A lot of what has been implicit in school culture has to become explicit" when the schools start meeting candidates,
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
       
      Holy Moly.
  • Branch's total compensation from Georgetown Day, including benefits and expenses, was $442,097 for the year that ended in June 2008. At Bullis, Farquhar's total compensation including benefits and expenses was $336,222. Total compensation for public school superintendents in the Washington region, including benefits and perks, averaged $350,078 in fiscal 2007-08, according to a 2007 Washington Post analysis.
  • Joellen Kriss on 21 Sep 09
     
    This Washington Post article talks about the competative hiring market for heads of private schools in the DC area, but also raises some interesting points about school culture in the process.
Laura Wood

FBI Youth - Home - 0 views

www.fbi.gov/...6th12th.htm

Middle school High School internet safety primary documents Kansas City Massacre FBI Youth crime bureau Roosevelt Hoover detective investigate files SNCC KKK antrax

shared by Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      So clearly the coolest link on this webpage is the "History" link. This will link you to the history of the FBI which is interesting in and of itself BUT also contains some links to primary documents. For example there is a link in 1966 called "six civil rights activists murdered" that takes you to the FBI file of the murder investigation. It might be really neat to have students look at this file and look at other accounts of this incident to understand how police/FBI officers interact with communities and crime. There's another neat account under June 1933 of the Kansas City Massacre!
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      The "FBI Investigates" tab is a little like the spy museum. It takes you through two cases, what happened and how investigators solved the crime. For any CSI - philes this might be some great info.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      "FBI Adventures" is a little not as cool as I'd hoped. While they do give brief snapshots of country profiles, students don't get to actually investigate anything on their own. What they Could do is begin to see how even crime is globalized and how countries now have to work together to protect citizens - an interesting angle on globalization/global studies.
  • ...3 more annotations...
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      The "SA Challenge" is tragically lame. It's basically a cyber scavenger hunt to find the answers to questions about the website. Then you self check. If you find all the answers you get to be the director of the FBI - at least that's what the website says. Lame.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      Again, "Games" are tragically low tech and pretty lame. Word hunt, etc.
    • Laura Wood
      Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
       
      "A day in the life" would be good for any students who were thinking about becoming FBI agents. Always good to give students career choices.
  • Laura Wood on 24 Sep 09
     
    FBI's youth website. Probably designed to entice kids to want to be in, support and trust the FBI. Some very cool stuff (no lesson plans). Check out the super rad "History" link!
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