I'm not going to lie, having the occasional day off due to inclement weather is one of the perks of being a teacher. There are few things more satisfying then getting that alert on your phone that says that you'll get to have a relaxing day at home on a random Wednesday in February. There are also few things that annoy a non-teacher spouse more than seeing her husband still snoozing as she heads out into the frozen tundra for another day's work. Full disclosure, I do always get out of bed to clean the snow off of my wife's car, shovel the driveway, and occasionally make my wife breakfast on such days. Once she's gone however, I tend to go back to bed.
Even though I enjoy snow days as much as anyone else, the truth is that numerous snow days can reek havoc on an already tight academic schedule. After 2 or 3 days off I find myself longing to get back to work. When I return to the classroom, I usually have to review the topics we learned about before the snow fell. Our students haven't been thinking about economics or biology when they are enjoying hot chocolate and Netflix. I don't blame them, but perhaps they need to. I think this is one area where technology is radically changing the classroom. I've read of numerous districts that use learning management systems to provide work for students during snow days. While there is no guarantee that all of our students have internet access at home, the majority certainly do. By providing some sort of work during snow days, many districts are able to avoid numerous "makeup days" at the end of the school year. This is not to suggest that posting work on Edmodo is a fair substitute for time in the classroom. I am however, suggesting that if we can provide small bits of self-guided instruction that students can complete while at a home during snow days, it will prevent teachers from having to spend valuable time reviewing material that they've already taught in class when the snow melts. The next time that we have advanced warning about a possible snow day, my students can expect to have an assignment waiting for them online. They'll hate me in the moment but they'll thank me in the long run.
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In the early 1960s, the Byrds (borrowing heavily from the book of Ecclesiastes) reminded us that for everything there is a season. A time for war, a time for peace, a time to weep, a time to laugh, and so on. I would submit that this is true in education as well. For everything in the classroom there is a time and a place. If I showed a movie every day in my history class that wouldn't be a very good thing. However, if I occasionally showed a clip from a movie to help students better understand a concept then that might very well be a great thing. For every kind of instruction there is a time and a season. This is true for technology in the classroom as well.
My school is blessed to have one to one iPads and we are expected to use them during instruction. However, from time to time I tell my students that iPads need to be put away. Sometimes nothing more than a pencil, sheet of paper, and an open mind is required to fully explore a concept. When we use technology we need to make sure that we are using it in a way that enhances education and not simply as a way to check off a box during our evaluation. When I can teach a lesson, and students can better understand a lesson using technology, we'll use it. However, if we can accomplish more with less, we'll do that as well. In future blogs I'll discuss how to use technology in a meaningful way. For right now however, let me suggest that if every class period was spent with students staring at the screen of a tablet that would be no better then spending every day staring at the screen of a tv watching a movie. There is a time for a technology and a time for simplicity. Google has become so synonymous with searching the internet that the company's name has become a verb. You need to know how to tie a tie? Google it. When I need pictures for a PowerPoint lesson when teaching history, what do I do? I Google them. Google is so powerful and reliable that it has become the go to search engine for many internet users. If this is true for adults then it is certainly true for kids as well. Whether searching for fun at home or completing an assignment for school, all of us what to make sure that our kids don't stumble on something that we'd rather they not see when searching the internet. Safety is always the number one concern for parents and teachers alike. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure that your kids and/or students are using Google in a safe way. 1. Go to Google.com 2. In click the "settings" button in the bottom right hand corner. 3. A menu will appear. Click on "search settings". 4. A new page will open. Click the box under the heading "SafeSearch Filters" that says "filter explicit results." 5. Click save at the bottom of the screen. Now, all explicit material will be blocked any time you search. If you would like to lock the settings so that SafeSearch can not easily be turned off, then click "Lock SafeSearch" in Settings. You will be asked to log into your Google account. If you are using your personal computer, remain logged in so that no one, your kids included can not disable SafeSearch without logging out of your account. Here is a helpful tutorial. One of the reasons that I became a teacher is because I believe in the power of an informed public. I believe democracy works best when people are engaged, active, and informed about the world around them. I have no delusions of grandeur, but I'd like to think that in some small way I'm helping to make my community, my country, and our world a better place by teaching social studies.
Obviously, if we want students to be active and engaged citizens when they reach adulthood, then we need to develop in them a desire to be informed. Students of all ages need to, at some level, know what's going on in the world. Unfortunately, the world can be a scary and confusing place. Most news outlets do very little to change the perception; many make it worse. When one turns on a nightly news program, one is likely to find a talking head yelling, criticizing, and explaining why their opinion is right and our country is doomed. This is not productive for a young audience. How do I, a social studies teacher, teach my students about current issues without diving into the cesspool of cable news? I was pleased to discover the a news program from my youth is still on the air 20 years later: Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. A quick look at the website will reveal that Nick News covers everything from the current blizzard in the Northeast to a feature piece on Title IX. Many of the stories focus on issues important to students such as education, sports, and ways that students are making an impact on the world. However, there is still plenty of room for more hard-news such as politics, economic, environmental, and social issues. All of these however, are presented in a way that is appropriate for students ages 11 and up. As teachers, we have an obligation to teach our students about more then just the curriculum in the book. Students are curious and they are observant. They hear what adults talk about and what is on the TV. Sometimes it is best that we use our platform, when appropriate, to answer their questions and help them better understand the world in which they live. Whether we do that through a class discussion, a project, or a homework assignment, sites such as Nick News can help. I've been studying educational technology for the past year and I have to admit that I've learned an awful lot. There are brilliant and innovative educators of there doing amazing things. As someone who is trying to balance the reality of grad school, teaching 3 different classes, sponsoring several clubs, and being a dad to my 6 month old son, I wonder how these great teachers have time to be, well, so great!
Nevertheless, one of the great ideas that I've kept hearing about again and again over the past year is the idea of podcasting in the classroom. I must say that this sounded like an odd idea to me at first. I enjoy podcasts as much as the next guy, but the time I spend listening to podcasts is usually reserved for comedy or talk shows. How in the world would I use this in the classroom. I've stumbled across some interesting ideas ranging for classroom newscasts to interviewing a historical figure. A list of other great podcasting ideas can be found here. I'm intrigued by the idea, but my concerns are the same as they are with many kinds of technology. I feel like I need to be an expert at something before I assign it to my kids. What will parents think if I simply spring a new type of assignment on their kids in the middle of the year? Perhaps this summer I'll do a little research and make my own podcast. If it's something I enjoy, then you may hear my history students in your earbuds next school year. Isn't Youtube great? Where else can one watch endless music videos and bloopers? Of course, YouTube can be a lot of fun, but it's educational value is tremendous as well. When used properly, YouTube is a treasure trove of educational content featuring everything from Presidential speeches, to newscasts, to step-by-step economics instruction. Over the past 2 years, YouTube has become this teacher's best friend. However, even when used effectively for educational purposes, teachers have to deal with reality of advertisements and suggested videos. At best, such issues are distracting, at worst they are inappropriate. Today I wanted to share with you two tricks to help you safely use and declutter YouTube. Both of these tools could be used when sharing videos with students for homework or when showing a video during class time. I hope you find them helpful. ViewPure is a great resource for removing ads and other distractions. Simply find the video you'd like to show on YouTube and the copy the URL. Paste the URL in the space provided on ViewPure and the new "purified" video will play ad-free and provide you with a new URL to share with students. The website also allows you to drag and drop a "purify" button to your bookmark bar to use when showing future videos. For more information watch this helpful video. Safeshare.tv is another wonderful tool for purifying videos. It works in a manor very similar to ViewPure, but it offers more options including the ability to customize a video by changing the name, theme, and length. In addition, Safeshare tv has an app available in the Apple App Store which would be helpful for teachers working primarily with iPads. Here is a helpful tutorial. SchoolTube is a great site for teachers and students to share original content created in the classroom. The site features videos created, edited, and uploaded by students and teachers around the country. A quick search allows the user to catch a student newscast from various broadcast journalism classes, to student projects, and how-to videos. Students can share their creations with world-wide audience, while teachers can get lesson ideas involving student media.
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Ted Ed is a wonderful site that features educational videos from most any content area. The site features TED Talks from the various TED conferences, but also features short content specific lessons shared by users. In addition to watching educational videos, the lessons allow students to respond to free response and multiple choice questions while watching. All in all, TED Ed is a great source for high-quality educational content. Pros
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SchoolTube is a great site for teachers and students to share original content created in the classroom. The site features videos created, edited, and uploaded by students and teachers around the country. A quick search allows the user to catch a student newscast from various broadcast journalism classes, to student projects, and how-to videos. Students can share their creations with world-wide audience, while teachers can get lesson ideas involving student media.
Pros
Cons
Ted Ed is a wonderful site that features educational videos from most any content area. The site features TED Talks from the various TED conferences, but also features short content specific lessons shared by users. In addition to watching educational videos, the lessons allow students to respond to free response and multiple choice questions while watching. All in all, TED Ed is a great source for high-quality educational content. Twitter is fun, don't you think? It's a great way to interact with your friends, live chat about sporting events, and share pictures of what you're eating for lunch. The same can be said about Facebook, Youtube, and any other number of social media platforms. Wouldn't it be great if we could use the mediums that we all use every day (and students use every day) to learn? Could Twitter make me a better teacher, husband, or teammate? The answer is "Yes!" A Professional Learning Network (PLN) is a series of connections that you choose to make online where you and others interested in the same topic can share ideas, resources, and learn from one another. So how does Twitter make me a better teacher? Well, I teach high school social studies and I'm interested in classroom technology. As a result I follow some of the best minds in both fields on Twitter. These individuals and organizations are always sharing articles, videos, and other bits of information that I can use in my classroom. Likewise, I have the opportunity to share what I've learned with the PLN. Additionally, I teach AP United States History. The APUSH course has been completely redesigned and many teachers out there are trying to keep up. I've learned that the best thing I can do to make sure that my students are prepared for the new exam is to connect with other teachers through discussion boards so we can share materials and stories. This is certainly easier and more enjoyable than sitting through a workshop presentation. PLNs are individualized for all people based upon their interest. I would encourage you to develop one. Find an topic you're interested in that relates to your career, hobbies, or family and see what's out there. The 5 minutes you spend looking at tweets could end up making a big impact. Plus, you'll still have time to watch a few cat videos. Recently, I've been learning about the trend of blogging in the classroom. To be honest, I was skeptical. Do teachers really have time to read dozens of blog posts? Will students actually take the time to blog? When I ask students to write a short answer in class they act as if I'm asking them to do the impossible. In the past week however, a very interesting thing has happened. Two students have come up to me at random asking me to read their blog. Not a blog that was assigned for a class, not a blog they were forced to do, but rather a blog that they decided to write because, well, they wanted to. A bit surprised I said, "Sure, send me a link."
This was eye-opening for me. Students have a desire to express themselves. They have a desire to be heard. For some of our students this means expressing themselves through writing. If kids are already engaging in this activity on their own, then we as educators should certainly capitalize on it. I'm now beginning to brainstorm about ways I could use blogging in my Social Studies classes (Economics, US History, and US Government). I welcome your ideas and comments. Maybe I was wrong about this whole blogging thing. |
Trent AshcraftI'm a Social Studies teacher in Louisville, KY. I teach AP US History, AP Government, and AP Microeconomics and I drink too much coffee. ArchivesCategories |