Everybody's Favorite Subject 2009

New Trends in Education

2009-12-01T14:35:00.001-08:00

Of the trends discussed in this week's class, which seem to you the most positive? Which the most negative? Why? Note that one of your potential final exam questions asks you to comment on "new trends" in education. TSSFFAP is over 15 years old now, and some of its "new" trends aren't new anymore. Still, you should be familiar with outcome-based education, multiculturalism, etc. as well as the trends Mrs. Gehrts talks about in class today.

What Your Education Teachers Didn't Tell You

2009-11-24T09:40:00.001-08:00

This week's class is called, "What Your Education Teachers Didn't Tell You." Did the content justify the title? Did you find today's session helpful as you prepare for your own teaching career?

History Day Projects

2009-11-16T15:10:00.001-08:00

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?

Leading Good Discussions

2009-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Unless the schedule has been changed, Mark Murph ey should be talking to you today about leading good discussions. Please comment here on what you did in class, and note what you think is the most important thing you learned from the class.

Before the semester ends, add to the blog here a lesson plan for a good discussion.

Effective Lectures

2009-11-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Keith Wilkinson (an illustrious NSU graduate) will be talking to you this week about leading a good lecture. Post here your comments on what you learned from today's class. What do you think is the most important advice Mr. Wilkinson had for you? How is lecturing at the high school level different from college lectures?

Before the semester ends, please post here a lesson plan for a lecture you might give to a high school history class. Use one of the formats recommended in your general methods class.

Shut Down System and Reboot Immediately

2009-10-27T08:50:00.001-07:00

Mr. Kevin Rook is scheduled to talk to the class today about how technology affects the teaching of social studies at Central. I think you will find some differences in perspective when you talk to someone of the front lines of teaching with technology at the high school level. Please comment on what Mr. Rook's advice. Are there any technology-related innovations at Central that seem to you likely to lead to improved social studies education? Any technology-related items you really hope you have when you are teaching? Did you learn about any potential problems related to educational technology?

Gluing students to their seats and other fun activities

2009-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I believe today's class (October 20) will be devoted to a presentation of your history/social studies games. Please post your game here. I plan on adding some of your games to my Gluing Students to Their Seats, so I'd appreciate it if you would post your game in a format that will make it easy for me to post on that site.

By the way, I I think you will find the games and activies on the "Gluing" blog very useful when you're actually teaching and need an occasional change of pace.

As if by magic....

2009-10-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

One of the most important keys to good teaching is the ability to create a classroom environment conducive to learning. Consider the learning-environment factors discussed in class today and in the assigned chapter of TSSFFAP. Which of these positive-environment-building factors do you think you are/will be particularly good at? Which do you think will be more of a struggle for you?

Once Around the Race Course

2009-10-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Few things are more important to classroom success than good planning. What did you learn from today's class session (10/6) and/or the reading assignment that you think is particularly important to remember when attempting to plan effective classes/courses?

Molder of Dreams

2009-10-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

How did you like the Guy Doud video? What did you think particularly useful in his advice/comments on teaching? What about his teaching makes him an appropriate "teacher of the year?"

Theater Games

2009-09-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Based on today's class session and the clips from Chris Pirlet's class at Aberdeen Central, does it seem to you that theater games would work well as a social science teaching technique? What do you see as positives and negatives about theater games? Do you think you will use theater games yourself when you teach? Why, or why not?

Wayback, Merlot, Jing, and the Return of the Blog

2009-09-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

One more technology session. It was way too quiet for me. Nothing but the click, click, click of keyboards--but maybe some good learning. Or maybe not. Hey, there's somebody whistling--and a yawn! Well how about it? Was this a worthwhile session or not? Add here some more plusses and minuses about spending time with technology. How did you spend your time today? Will you be a better teacher or not as a result of today's session?

Blogs, Wikis, RSS Feeds, Jing--Delcious

2009-09-08T14:50:00.001-07:00

For more than 10 years, SEED 415 students put together homepages. A homepage might still be useful, but there are lots of other tools that might suit your classroom purposes better, e.g., the blogs that you started creating last week. Which of these many tools do you think you are most likely to use in the classroom? Why? Of the resources Todd talked about, which are new to you? Which seem particularly promising?

Welcome!

2007-09-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official 2009 class blog of SEED 415, Social Science Special Methods. This blog is the place to record your reflections on the class and to exchange ideas on making social studies classes what they should be--the most interesting, most exciting, most important classes your students will take.

To get us off to a good start, please share here one of things you remember best/enjoyed most in any of your high school or college history classes. Anything that particularly helped lead you to choosing history/social studies as a major?