September 15, 2009
I agree that in this changing society and especially as the education front is changing it is important to keep up with the times and keep up with the best fit educational method to reach students in the 21st century. I feel as though since we are becoming an increasingly technological society we need to show students how to use what they have to gain information, analyze information, and gather it in a new presentable way. We also must teach students that the world wide web is full of false information and we must show them how to find accurate information and do the research necessary to analyze the source of that information. It is also to the benefit of the teacher to try to integrate as many areas as possible to hit all the birds with one stone, so to speak. There is already not enough time in the day and through the use of technology and theme units it makes it possible to teach required curricula as well as real world critical thinking and analyzing skills.
Another aspect of this unit that I love is that it is interactive and fun. Many times students see social studies as pure memorization of historical events, facts, and people. It is important to show them that history is about telling a story and presenting information that you have gathered in a way that tells the story you have researched. There is never one side to a story and we should not teach social studies purely from a textbook that could have biased information. Textbooks should be used as a guide and a resource but not as a pure information source or teaching tool. Through the use of the internet research and presentation it allows students to get their hands into everything pirates and do their own digging along with giving them valuable life skills in cooperation, research, and presentation skills. I also think this is a great activity/workshop because it allows for multiple expressions and ideas, it does not limit students to a box of information. I think that there definately should be a general guideline to the information they need to find, but it could be presented in any creative well organized fashion.
Making a classroom blog about the information would be a great way to check progress of the students gained information as well as allow them to see some of the ideas others have come up with and share information they have gathered. Through the classroom blogs it could also be a good discussion starter to go over information that has been found and as a building block to further an activity from something someone found in their research. Students will also benefit from using blogs by enhancing their writing skills, and to be able to look back at their information. The blogs will also serve as a hard copy evidence of student learning to share with parents are conferences. The blogs could serve for an entire year of writings to show progress in thinking skills and writing style.
I couldn’t agree more, Jocelyn. I really like how you claimed, “I feel as though since we are becoming an increasingly technological society we need to show students how to use what they have to gain information, analyze information, and gather it in a new presentable way.” I know that if sometimes I am overwhelmed by the information I receive and I’m not sure how to organize it, my students must be having the same problem.