Technology in the social studies curriculum

By Derek Owens

Virtual Warrensburg: Using Cooperative Learning and the Internet in the Social Studies Classroom

Capitalizing on Web 2.0 in the Social Studies Context

Learning History in Middle School by Designing Multimedia in a Project-Based Learning Experience

Reflections Conclusion Bibliography

“The Internet, utilizing cooperative learning structures, offers a promising method to motivate high school students to become connected with their peers and learn the content in the social studies curriculum. In my opinion, if cooperative learning structures are organized properly in conjunction with the Internet, they can provide the framework to help a generation of technology-hungry students become more skilled at interacting with others.” This is a quote taken from the above article, which I feel defines the article well. Warrensburg refers to the high school where the study was conducted, and the purpose of the experiment was to create a lesson plan that, through the use of technology, would help students develop “positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation, and simultaneous interaction among group members.”

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The lesson plan created put students into groups and had them collectively research local historical findings. Once they had gathered their research, the students then created a Web page to display their findings not only to classmates, but to the general public via the internet. The belief is that the Web-based project would be fast-paced enough to keep students attention, but the group research aspect would help facilitate cooperative learning and personal accountability.

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This article discusses the variety of tools available for teachers to use in the classroom with Web 2.0, a Web-based program with such interactive formats as blogs and wikis. The vast amount of tools and affordable cost of Web 2.0 have made it a necessity for teachers looking to incorporate technology into their curriculum. From the article, “Through the use of Web 2.0, new learning opportunities and venues are created. Web 2.0 tools have the ability to break down barriers associated with cultural and economic status. The little or no-cost software and tools enable schools, teachers, and students to utilize emerging technologies despite location and budgetary status.”

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The article also discusses a few specific Web 2.0 tools for the classroom: VoiceThread, CommunityWalk, and Gliffy.VoiceThread is a “collaborative, multimedia software that allows the interactive sharing of images, video, and documents.”CommunityWalk is an “online platform for creating informational, interactive, and engaging maps.”Gliffy is a “web-based diagram and concept mapping software.” It enables you to create flowcharts, diagrams, and technical drawings.

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This article discussed an experiment that involved 8th grade students at two different middle schools. The students being studied were given a 6-week period to create short multimedia documentaries relative to 19th century U.S. history. After the projects were finished and graded, the results were compared to a group of 8th grade students who received a more traditional, less technological lesson. According to the article, the “results from content knowledge measures showed significant gains for students in the project-based learning condition as compared to students in the comparison school. Students' work in the intervention condition also revealed growth in their historical thinking skills, as many were able to grasp a fundamental understanding that history is more than presenting facts.”

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If there is one quote I whole-heartedly agree with from the article, it would be: “A distinct benefit of contemporary technologies such as Web sites, digital video, interactive programs, and hypermedia software is that they are uniquely capable of supporting rich, complex, and nonlinear representations of knowledge and understanding.” This is not just a matter of opinion, either. I found in the statistics of the article that stated that “evidence that students' attitudes toward learning history and social studies, and toward working with others, were significantly more positively affected by the PBL (project-based learning) experience compared to students in the comparison group. In addition, intervention school students rated the experience quite favorably, agreeing that the project helped their learning, that they enjoyed working on it, and that they felt they could apply the skills learned to future projects. This type of affective or emotional benefits to students from participation in PBL experiences.” So the numbers are there to prove it: technology-integrated classrooms produce better students.

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In response to the article about Virtual Warrensburg, I found it to be rather insightful. Students of all ages are very familiar with technology from outside of school. In fact, the article states that by age 21, students have spent over 10,000 hours in front of a video game or computer, a number I thought was pretty significant. Since today’s technology is obviously what can keep students interested and motivated, it’s making more sense for teachers of all subjects to incorporate technology-based lessons into their curriculum. This article not only reinforces that idea, but it gives a great example of a way we teachers can do just that.

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In response to the article about Web 2.0, I found it to also be a useful piece of information about different ways to use technology in the classroom. The article listed several different pieces of software that were both affordable and effective with students. It is also appealing because of internet affiliation. According to the article, over 93% of teens use the internet on a daily basis (wow!). Again, if it is obviously appealing to young students, we should almost be obligated to incorporate into lessons, since it truly appears to be effective.

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This article really just reiterates what the previous two articles already proved: technology in the classroom makes learning more conducive to students. I liked how this article actually had statistics from an experiment to back it up. It makes it hard to argue against your point when there are numbers to prove it right. The driving point, to me, came when the students were given a state-wide social studies content exam two months after the project had been finished. The students scored above the state average. This time it was on a standardized test, however, which just proves that their exposure to technology improved their ability to retain the content associated with it.

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In conclusion, incorporating technology into the classroom is a must for present and future educators. Technology gives teachers the ability to make lessons more interactive, which is incredibly helpful when it comes to retaining students’ attention. The great thing about technology is there is so much out there right now, there is a myriad of ways that we can incorporate it into the classroom. These three articles were just the tip of the iceberg, really. Although some students view any type of homework as still being homework, using technology makes subjects more appealing and fun to learn. I know that I will personally be using a variety of technology in my classroom when I become a teacher.

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Scheuerell, Scott. “Virtual Warrensburg: Using Cooperative Learning and the Internet in the Social Studies Classroom”. The Social Studies. Washington, 2010. Vol. 101 Iss. 5. Pg 194-199.

Beal, Candy M. and Lori B. Holcomb. “Capitalizing on Web 2.0 in the Social Studies Context”. TechTrends. July, 2010. Vol. 54 Iss. 4. Pg 28-32.

Hernandez-Ramos, Pedro and Susan De La Paz. “Learning History in Middle School by Designing Multimedia in a Project-Based Learning Experience”. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Eugene, 2010. Vol. 42 Iss. 2 Pg 151-173.

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