Teaching Social Studies Topics using Technology

The basis for any serious discussion begins with and ends with what ideas, concepts or relationships are you as a teacher trying to relate? Implicit, explicit or null content and in which content area and by who's standards based curriculum and through which instructional strategy or combination are you trying to relay this knowledge to your students. Unless we specifically are teaching a course on technology in content area Geography and show changes in surveying equipment over time or more specifically are we training to locate our exact spot on the earth using a handheld Global Positioning Satellite device. Can we teach navigation of roads and roadways via a Garmen GPS system? This would be Direct Instruction on how to utilize the physical equipment.

But technology in the classroom is more that how to use a tool. It is how can you as an instructor use cutting edge technology to impart and impact learning. Will your lessons encourage classroom participation? Will your students understand the important matters. Example: A student can be taught how to utilize the latest and greatest technology but if they are never presented and learn the components of a compelling story they will never be a filmmaker regardless of how impressive the computer, the software, the number of pixels in the flat screen monitor are in their classroom. It is most important if you can use technology to convey the lessons you want to impart and then have technology: encourage student interest, hold the students attention, which then results in learning, thinking and retention.

Social Studies, American Government, High School students.
The Smart Board technology software suites allows for many different uses for layering of words and pictures. In Geography we would have learned the concept of a physical map and a political map. In Government we would have brainstormed as many different political subdivisions as we could come up with. Starting with national boundaries, state boundaries, then county's, townships, cities, villages, school districts, zip codes, political districts-state and federal, courts and representatives both. Utility service territory's would be examined as well. Students would create a list and then in diverse groups would research definitions, office holders and search for maps. The smart board allows teachers to ask questions and the handheld devices allow real time feedback of each students understanding of the information presented. The student would be asked for instance to rank the political districts from smallest number of people to largest. These maps would also be scanned and overlaid in PDF format so we could pinpoint our schools location and then create an X-marks the spot presentation to start small and build up or reverse starting with a world map and moving down. I believe this exercise would build research skills and understanding and prove to students the wider world in which others have inputs into our individual lives.