Games and activities (to be done *before and after* the October 7 class)

Before class:

Please read TSSFFAP Chapter 5 (Gluing Students to Their Seats and Other Fun Social Science Games and Activities) and do the on-line quiz. Also, look through the games on the “Gluing Students to Their Seats” blog:

http://socialstudiesgames.blogspot.com/

Prepare a learning game on any social studies topic of your choice.  Play the game with the class on Tuesday, September 7.

After class:

Return to this post and comment on the games.  Of all the games presented, which did you enjoy most?  Which do you think would be the most useful in terms of helping students master social studies content?  How did your own game go?  What (if anything) would you do differently the next time you use that game?
 

As if by magic (to be done before the October 7 class)

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 the Chapter IV of TSSFFAP (Schtick and Tricks: The Easy Road to Teaching Stardom).

Which of these positive-environment-building factors mentioned in TSSFFAP do you think you are/will be particularly good at? Which do you think will be more of a struggle for you?

What about the "schtick and tricks" angle?  Can you think of examples of schtick and tricks that you've seen work well in a high school or college classroom and that you might use in your own teaching?  Do you see any dangers to the schtick and tricks approach?

Planning and organizing (to be done during and after class Tuesday, September 30)

Few things are more important to classroom success than good planning, and a well-thought-out overall sense of where you are going with your class helps a lot--especially if students also have a good sense of what they are supposed to be doing in your class.

State standards and Special Professional Association (SPA) standards should be exceptionally useful, but, often, they're not nearly as helpful as they might be. 

Please take a close look at the South Dakota State Social Studies Standards and the National Council of Social Studies Teachers standards in any *one* (1) social studies area of your choice.  You should find the standards at the links here:

http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/documents/SocialStudies_9-12.pdf

http://www.socialstudies.org/standards

After class today, please read TSSFFAP Chapter 3 (Once Around the Race Course: Developing Effective Social Sciences Curriculum) and do the on-line quiz. Then please come back to this post and comment. 

Do the state and SPA standards tie in well with the TSSFFAP suggestions on curriculum planning?  If so, how?  If not, why not?  Do you think familiarity with the state and SPA standards will help you become a more effective teacher?  Do you think that they explain well to parents, school board members, etc. what students should be getting in their social studies classes?  Would you want to be evaluated in terms of how well your students do in matching up to these particular standards?
 

Are you smarter than a 9th grader? (To be done in class, Tuesday, September 30)

As schools across the nation adopt the Common Core standards, standardized tests are changing rapidly too. Most states are using either the PARC tests or (as here in South Dakota) the Smarter Balanced tests.  The Common Core curriculum calls for readings in social studies and history as part of the English/Language Arts (ELA) test. 

Please take the sample test at this link:

https://login4.cloud1.tds.airast.org/student/V42/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=SBAC_PT

If the link doesn't take you directly to the sample test, start at the SBAC portal and navigate to the high school ELA test.  After finishing the test (or as much as we have time for), add your comments here.

How does this test compare to the standardized tests you took in high school (for most of you the STEP test)?  Do you see any particular strengths or weaknesses to the test?

Are you smarter than a Harvard student? (To be done in class, Tuesday, September 30)

As our social science for teachers major is being phased out, it looks like we won't need an assessment exam in the social sciences.  Still, I'd like to get a sense of where your students stand in disciplines other than history.

In 2008, More than 14,000 college students took a "Civil Literacy" test sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. According to ISI, students didn't do so well. The average college freshman got about 50% of the questions right. Seniors did only a bit better, averaging 54% on the quiz. Harvard seniors were the nation's best, averaging 69% on the survey. Can you do better? Take the quiz at the link below and find out! Did you do better than the average freshman? Better than the average senior? Better than the average Harvard student? Better than Harry the talking hand? (Harry got 58/60 right, as did Professor Jon Schaff). What do you think of the quiz? Is this stuff students should really know, or does it seem like trivial pursuit?  You can post your score here along with your comments on the exam or you can e-mail me you score separately.

http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx

Some of you might find amusing the video here:

http://www.country1011.com/2013/11/18/are-you-smarter-than-a-harvard-student/

Classrooms Full of Stars (to be done after class, Tuesday, September 23)

Based on the Tuesday 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?

Days to Remember

On Wednesday, September 17, please attend either Dr. Jon Schaff's Constitution Day presentation in the NSU library or the Constitution Day speech in Krikac (8:00 p.m.).  When you get a chance, look through the material on the Constitution Day and National History Day web sites.

How would events like Constitution Day and National History Day enrich the curriculum and stimulate increased student interest in history and government? Did you find the Constitution Day presentations at Northern valuable?  Any of the other Constitution Day activities worthwhile?

What kind of activities would *you* be most likely to use for a Constitution Day celebration?  What would be the advantages/disadvantages of having your students prepare History Day projects?
 

 

Ghosts on the machines (for the end of class, Tuesday, September 16)

I love what technology can do for education, but generally I prefer to see it used outside the regular classroom.  Technology glitches (still!) end up costing lots of time. Also, computer-based sessions tend to be way too quiet for me. Nothing but the click, click, click of keyboards--but maybe some good learning. Or maybe not. Well how about it?  Was today's session or not? Add here some more pluses 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?

The return of--the blog

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. Please go to blogger and create on blog on a social science topic of your choice.  Please add a comment here giving the URL of your blog.

After you have finished creating your "dummy" blog, check out some of the resources listed as part of your technology assignment.  Which of these resources are you most likely to use in the classroom?

Molders of Dreams

I've heard it said that good teachers, like good actors, are thieves--constantly taking good ideas from other teachers. But, like Robin Hood, good teachers pass on what they "steal" to others. What ideas in the Molder of Dreams video might a teacher find particularly worth "stealing" and passing on? What do you like about Guy Doud's approach to education? If you were someday chosen "national teacher of the year" which of your past teachers do you think you would mention as having passed on to you something you think should be passed on to others?