Saturday, January 28, 2012
My online communities!
The two professional development communities I've chosen are History Explorers and Geographic Education. I want my project to incorporate better understanding of the connections between social studies and geography. My minor was geography in college and I chose it based upon a random class I took, which I really enjoyed without expecting to. Little by little I began to see the relationships between history and geography. History is so affected by the cultures and attitudes of people and how people relate to their own homes. Geography studies the relationships between people and the places they live. Normally, history instructors don't attempt to teach their students about these connections but I think it makes social studies much more interesting when we make it three dimensional. I'm interested to see what current teachers are saying about geography in terms of its connections to social studies and how teachers incorporate both.
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Gina,
ReplyDeleteI think these groups will really be helpful for your project. I also think you should join Online Tools for Educators because it will provide you with tools you can incorporate into your classroom. You can take the ideas you grasp from the other groups and incorporate it with an online tool that you find in the Online Tools for Educators group. I never really found an interest in history because I really wasn't interested. I think if I was exposed to virtual field trips to geographical places I would be more motivated to learn. I think you can do a lot with the connections to social studies and geography and incorporating technology. Definitely use the Online Tools for Educators- there are excellent ideas that will help you for your project!
I have a BA in history too and a cert in secondary education. I was fortunate to student teach in two different kinds of environments: a school with very limited technology and another which had the most updated technology and access for all students to have laptops and the internet at their fingertips. I think the online communities you chose would be great resources for whichever kind of teaching environment you find yourself. I’m always looking for lesson plan ideas that suit my environment and my student population. These groups seem like a fantastic place to talk to other teachers about lesson ideas, what worked, what didn’t work so well, and ultimately just a great place to throw ideas around!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina!
ReplyDeleteI was a history major too and I also love learning about geography. I agree with your statement that the two are so closely connected. I think you are on the right track with the two groups that you joined. You may want to join a network that deals with educational technology. This way you can get some feedback on the tools that you are thinking of using and how best to implement them in a classroom environment.
Gina,
ReplyDeleteI love this project you have taken on. When you talk to Social Studies teachers across the state about Geography it seems to me that you always hear that students seem geographically challenged today. If we are unable to teach it in a seperate course as we once did (which will never happen due to high stakes testing) then finding meaningful and powerful learning expreinces that clearly conenct geogrpahy with history seems a very worthwhile endeavor. I wonder if Discovery Education might be a resource that can support your work? I would love to see your project once it gets going!
Hi Gina,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa's comment that you should seriously consider joining Online Tools for Educators in Thinkfinity because it is an EXCELLENT resource for Web 2.0 tools, websites, and technologies.
I'm a little unclear as to what it is that you are planning for your MMP. I understand that it involves the combination of history and geography, which sounds fantastic, but in what format are you planning to develop this project? Are you going to create a wiki or website for your students? Are you going to use a particular Web 2.0 tool with your students and teach *them* how to use it in order to encourage and develop their technology skills? Thinkfinity has some great resources through their partnership with the National Geographic website, so I'm quite sure you'll be able to find lots of interactives that you can use with your students (like the virtual field trips that Melissa suggested).
I think you'll be able to do a LOT with this topic, and I'm looking forward to seeing how your MMP progresses throughout the semester!
Erica
Hi Gina,
ReplyDeletePlease contact me via email as soon as possible. I've written you (a week ago now) but have yet to receive a response. Perhaps I do not have an updated email address for you.
Thanks,
Erica