James Langan, Social Studies Teacher

SOCIAL STUDIES OBJECTIVES IN THE TECH INTEGRATED CLASSROOM

                As I have said, technology can be a powerful ally to the learning experience.  Below is a short list of learning objectives from the Idaho Core Standards for Social Studies.  These objectives can be easier to meet with the aid of technology integrated into the classroom.

RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.

                A classroom equipped with an internet connection can access a vast number of sources to analyze for exercises.  Placing a specific source in historical context often requires the determination of words used within the source.  Language is far from static; words fall in and out of usage and still meanings of words shift throughout their time in common vernacular.  Using the same internet connection, multiple definitions for words found in a source can be found and analyzed.  Students can be familiarized with determining meanings of word in a historical context through practice activities where I model the process of determination at first and then students gradually take the reins of the activity until they are capable of meeting the standard individually.  A potential barrier to meeting this objective could arise if students are not skilled in the searching ability to not only find sources to define words or phrases but also the critical mindset to properly vet sources for validity when using a definition.

RH.9-10.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.            

                Students will engage with multiple media types featuring the same historical topic.   For example students may view newspaper sources covering the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as archival video footage and FDR's official address to the nation.  A projector/smartboard may be utilized to showcase each medium.  The integration of technology in meeting this objective requires the means to show each medium so it can be viewed by all students.  Digital platforms are far reaching and can allow access to digital archives far beyond what a local library would possess.  There is a potential for a breakdown of the technology used to access each media that would hinder lessons designed to meet this objective.  Additionally students may not be conceptually equipped to notice the nuances between the mediums in which the media is communicated, which could make it difficult to compare and contrast the sources.