This week's class will focus on using History Day projects as a teaching tool. Comment her on the value of having students create History Day projects. Do the benefits seem to you to justify the extra time necessary to help students prepare such projects?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Kirsten Saunders
ReplyDeleteThe benefits of history day completely justify the time spent on these projects for several reasons. The most valuable of which being student research. I think it's incredibly important for students to learn how to write and think, and both of these are covered during history day. Also, this integrates cohesive and cooperative learning techniques. If the projects are done well and are executed well on both the teachers and students, then I think it would be beneficial. I have seen some history day projects fail miserably as a history day judge. Whether it was poor student preparation or lack of resources, it makes the end result seem almost useless. Inevitably, the student would have learned some sort of lesson, but maybe nothing they could have learned in a lecture. I completely believe that a well integrated history day is worth the time and the effort.
I agree with Kirsten. National History Day projects do take a lot of time in the classroom, and a lot of effort on both the students and teachers behalf. However, I think that the students would benefit tremendously from doing a project like this. Not only do the kids learn the significant of the area of history they chose for their project, but they learn how to do a research project. I feel like I didn't do enough of these in high school and wasn't fully prepared for the amount of research certain courses in college require. Overall, I think the outcomes of the majority of these NHD projects are successful, and think it is time well spent in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI too think National History Day is time well spent.
ReplyDeleteIt gets them excited about a history topic that they pick out themselves, showing them a practical use for history. It also helps refine research and presentation skills.
Another positive of National History Day is the hands on, project-based nature of it. I also like the group dynamic that some projects would encompass. Throw in the competitive element and I think National History Day is a big hit.
If I end up teaching in a school that doesn't participate, it soon will.
It's an excellent combination of making history come to life for the students while curriculum mapping with other subjects, and more than adequately addressing the content standards. I would definitey say that NHD is a solid justification for the time put into it.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, many students take pride in their interests, there are sports activities, plays, choir concerts, debate meets,art festivals, and science fairs. Why not a history day? It encourages a healthy balance for students as it expands 5 areas of interest instead of simply doing one thing.
I'm gung-ho about the whole idea!
-Amber Eich
Anytime we can encourage students to go above and beyond normal classroom work, I think, its a good thing. This history day project allows them to learn skills that they can use in every class, but really improve their social studies skills. They learn to research and discover new things for themselves, and can help us as teachers learn new material to teach to all of our students. History day also gives them a great reward, and a sense of pride in their work that grades can never measure. I am all for history day projects.
ReplyDeleteZach Anderson
I think this would be a good tool to motivate students who are not getting challenged enough in the classroom. They will easily be able to get excited about an assignment that they will research and produce themselves. It will also allow them to explore a part of history that interests them. It would be great if you could have all students participate in an event like this. It would probably unfeasible to do unless you had help in running it and resources to help the students. I do not remember being offered anything like this in my small school. I am not sure if it was because the school was not able to handle the work involved or if my teacher did not know or any number of other factors. I think that it is a good project to at least offer kids. It may be good for some of those students who are otherwise not involved with many activities. History may be their social outlet. If that be the case you being their teacher are the leader of their club. You might as well make their experience with it a good one.
ReplyDelete