Social Studies Reflection!

Social Studies throughout the semester has been a very interesting and very enjoyable.  I started the semester dreading this class almost as the worst.  However, it has quickly grown on me.  I was always the person who thought social studies did not need to be in elementary school.  I never understood why these young children needed to memorize all of this information and never use it.  I felt that I was going to incorporate social studies with research.  I always thought that students could be just as well off if they knew how to research the material.

With all of this said, this semester has changed my mind completely.  I still do not feel that the students should have to memorize the presidents in order, or know where all the different countries are, or even know the capitals to all of the states in the U.S.  Now, I feel that the students need to be involved in active learning.  They need to participate in hands on activities to help them evaluate all of the materials we are discussing.  I want students to see the main idea of the important events in history.  I also want to get away from the politically correct versions of social studies.  I want my students to understand what really happened at the first Thanksgiving, or what Christopher Columbus really did.  I realize this is going to be very difficult in an area like this one.  Most peoples’ minds in this area are very closed, and there is only one way to be right.  However, this is where my critical voice will come in.  I want the students to not feel deprived in their education. 

I really want to have a culturally responsive classroom.  Even though in this area there is not much diversity involved, I want the students to be aware of all the different cultures that they may one day be in contact with.  I really hope to integrate social studies into all the other subjects in my classroom.  I think reading stories with the students about other cultures is the perfect way to have a culturally responsive classroom.  Art, music, science, language arts, all of these subjects will be perfectly capable of being integrated into my social studies segment of the class.  I plan to use the NCSS standards as well as the TN (or whatever state I happen to reside in) standards to make sure my students are well rounded.

Students really need social studies to make them well rounded learners.  If I do not teach them social studies, how will they ever decide to go into a history major in the future?  The love of history starts at such a young age and I don’t want to turn a student off to any type of learner.  I intend to develop classroom rules democratically and let the students help vote and create the procedures in the class.  These students need the responsibility of this and it will lead into a perfect lesson of government. 

So with all of this said, the students need social studies.  This class has definitely changed my perspective of it.  I had such a terrible experience with social studies in all of the classes I have had it in.  I want to make sure all of my students can have a fun and exciting learning time with social studies.  I think we need to get past dates and memorization and turn social studies into a much more active and fun lesson to keep the students interested and involved.  Besides, are we not teachers for the students?  If the students need social studies, it is our job to present it in a way that is beneficial to them. This only makes sense to keep it fun and active and to incorporate it into everything we do! Put social studies back into the classroom!

History jumps to life!!!!

I loved the living history museum!! I really thought that it would be dull and boring.  I thought it was one of those projects that you would just spend money on and it would be pointless.  However, once I was involved in it, I realized just how fun and great it really is!!! I never knew how many people really impacted history and yet i had no idea who they even were.  This was such a weird realization though.  I do wish that some people had done some well known people though.  I mainly thought this because, everyone came up with really unique facts that could alter your opinion of the person.  This would have been really fascinating to hear about the people that you feel like you hear about all the time and yet you really don't know the truth behind it at all.  Anyways, I really plan on doing several of these throughout my teaching.  I think it would be great to have students choose a person in the time frame that you are studying.  But this means you could do multiple throughout the year.  I really think the students would improve on their researching and be more confident in themselves by the end of the year.  I loved this and can't wait to do it in my own classroom!

FQR and Thanksgiving!

So I really enjoyed the FQR activity in class.  I remember in school when we would have to write things that we were thinking on a separate sheet of paper.  I always hated having to keep up with it when it was all separated.  I liked being able to use Post it notes.  I think I would have enjoyed the activity a lot more if I could have used the Post It notes.  I think it is a great way to make kids think about what they are reading.  This requires some thought while reading which enhances their critical thinking skills!

As Thanksgiving gets closer, I keep getting mad about what I read.  I realize that that is the way it is socially accepted.  But, I don't think it is fair to the kids who are having to learn it.  If they have to come to school, I think it is the least we can do to actually teach them what really happened.  Otherwise, what is truely the point of making them come to learn the "socially accepted" version of what happened.  But anyways, I understand that they have to pass the tests, but I think there has to be a better way of teaching the material that actually occurred and won't be on the tests.  It's only fair that we inform our children properly!

Book Talk It Up!

So I loved the idea of the book talk! I thought it was such a great way to keep language arts in social studies! Having the class to tell us all about the books that were read was fascinating! I have always struggled to read history books, so learning about it through historical fiction makes the material so much more exciting! I feel like I have come away with so many fun and exciting books to incorporate in my classroom.  Not only can these be read to the students to study with a lesson, but having the students to do their own book talk encourages them to read for entertainment!  It would be a great way to have the students read, do Accelerated Reader, learn a history or what ever else subject is in the book, and even get them used to public speaking, since it is the most feared thing.  I am really excited to have each of my students to participate in book talks off and on.  I think it is a great thing to get other children interested in new books as well! Having their classmates state what they liked about the book is so much more exciting then just reading the back of the book for a synopsis!

Mount Everest!!

This place is insane!! I would so do this trek if I had any sort of money, or skills of climbing.  But knowing me, this would be the end of me.

But I really enjoy the studying of this region.  I would love to teach this to younger children, but the death and bodies really wouldnt be a great idea to introduce to them.  But I think older students would really get into this topic.  I loved doing story path with this.  Story path could be my new favorite way of teaching social studies.  The kids really get to be creative and get into the time and place of where they are studying.  Not only this, but it's a great way to incorporate language arts, by doing the language experience journals!!! This would even be appropriate for the struggling students.  I really hope we are not finished doing story path.  I have really gotten excited about coming up with another incident!

$GEOCACHING$ Kaching!!!!!!

Just kidding! Geocaching really isn't a good way of getting money, but it does provide hours of fun! I could really see me getting into this! I have recently tried to find several of these, but I have not actually brought any of them to the finsh.

Anyways, I think this would be an awesome way of getting the students involved in geography.  Just by having a keychain that people take around the world, is just a fantastic way for the students to have an ongoing social studies lessons.  They could learn the different cultures if it happens to go to other countries.  I really hope I can have my students to do something like this.  The possibilities are endless with this simple little scavenger hunt!!

Lilly is the master geographer!

So now, for this weeks post.  I was soo impressed by Lilly.  The way she knew where all the countries were just completely fascinated me.  I have always hated geography and never knew why I needed to know where all those countries were.  This to me seemed like such a waste of time.  But by seeing a 2 year old who knows where all of these countries are just gave me future hope and ideas for my classroom.

I know that the way they were testing Lilly on youtube was just completely against everything we have learned in teacher education.  However, it also showed what high expectations can do for your students.  By turning all of this into a game, the students can really learn how to do all of this and more.  They can really have fun and enjoy what they are learning about.  If you could get the entire school to gradually go over each of the countries and the cultures, the students would really be able to recall where the countries are and see the differences in people all over the world and even in neighboring countries. 

So when I get my classroom I do think i want Lilly to come and show my students all her knowledge so they can gain confidence.  Who else is in on having Lilly just come to our classroom and show us how to learn?!

Students and Social Studies

So this is technically the post for last week, because apparently I got too excited with all the birthday madness! So during this whole block semester, I have been adding more stress to myself by going to other schools around the counties instead of just Happy Valley Elementary.  So every Friday, I drag my butt out of bed and visit a local school instead of getting caught up on all the extra work we have from Monday and Wednesday classes and my Thursday night story telling class that I am taking because I was not able to take it at any other time. 

Anywho, while at this school, it was Washington Elementary in Kingsport city school district, they have an open classroom.  In this classroom, there is a mixture of 2nd and 3rd grade students.  They work together in everything they do.  This classroom believes in the importance of social studies.  This past week, in preparation for voting, they held their own mock election.  They each researched all of the representatives that were running.  This took place for about a month prior to the election.  On the day I was there, they each went into their "private voting booth" and voted for who they felt they believed in the most.  Then afterwards the teacher tallied all the votes and announced the class winner.

The kids loved doing this.  They could not believe how much work it was to vote.  However, they felt so accomplished after it was all done.  Now when I first heard they were doing this, I thought this would be way to young of a class to do a project like this with.  But all the students really took charge and participated fully in it.  I loved this idea and thought it would be a great idea to do with all the classes for every election, not just the presidential ones.  Voting is so important, and by giving them these habits at such a young age it really is giving them a lifetime technique and practice. 

I just need about 10 more hours in the day..

If only there were more time in the day I would feel like there was much more time to get on her and blog.  However, there's not so I will continue to blog as much as I can. 

I love our little blocksborough.  It to me is a great idea for any classroom. I would love to start it at the beginning of the trip, and then continue it all week.  I think the opportunities are endless with ways to use it in the classroom.  I wish there was a children's book that could express the idea of blockborough.  Then it would transition perfectly.  But by participating in the town the children do not even realize that theyare learning geography and the way the society works.  I love how social studies can be fun and I do not understand how this was not happening when we were all in classes. 

So yay for activities that do make learning fun and exciting for students!!!

Where is that......Geography?!

Oh geography...this was always one of my hated subjects.  I never understood why I needed to be able to tell where a certain country was, or what country was south of it.  To me, geography seemed like a waste of time.  Why can't I just look at a map and find out where Iraq or some other country is.  With the internet now, it makes a lot of these things so easy to find so quickly. 

However, as I am seeing it now, I wish I had paid more attention to these things when it came to the Praxis and other pointless tests. 

I am hoping as we focus more on this in class, I will be able to grow and become better at seeing the point of it.  Box city is atleast turning what to me is a very boring subject, into more fun and excitement.  We will see if it continues.  I can see the importance now when it comes to directions and north, south and such.  I think if geography was turned into a much more exciting and fun type of learning then kids will be much more engaged.   I know the biggest turnoff to me in school was to have to sit and stare at a map and point out different things I saw.  It also seemed dumb to have to use a fake key to determine how many miles a continent was from another.  But I think Box city is going to make it a lot more relative and allow kids to see why it is so important to them and their future.  I think the key to getting a student excited about learning, is to get them involved and interested in the real life connections.  If we are able to do this, then I think our job is pretty successful.

Acting Out....in Social Studies!

So this week in social studies was working with absorbing and being history.  This is something that I have always felt very strongly about.  I think these two topics are very mixed.  I think kids would really learn from the plays that we put on.  It adds a fun mixture into their typical day at school.  I can honestly say, I enjoy these as well.  After sitting all morning in the first classes, looking at Powerpoints and lectures, they just get old.  I now am excited about the social studies class because there is always some kind of activity to mix up the learning.  I think I learn so much better in this environment because I am so much more engaged and not just looking around the room.

I think there is a similarity with most kids.  They really want to be engaged and the material that they learn by being active will stay with them longer and make more sense.  Now, with that said, I still think they have to have absorbing in their learning journey as well.  They have to be prepared and prepped for the hands on activities.  Otherwise they will not be able to get all of the material out of the hands on learning. 

I have really enjoyed this week in social studies.  I really think that my views and opinions of keeping social studies in the classroom maybe changing.  It is so easy to integrate with other subjects that I think it is starting to be important.

Critical voice....it's just so critical in teaching!

These articles not only made me think, but they made me angry.  As most realize, I am very loud. I speak my opinion.  Reading these articles at first I thought that these teachers may have been new.  But as I continued reading, they were not new at all.  They were just to afraid to lose their job.  I would never have dreamed that children are losing their right to a good education because some certain teachers are too afraid to speak out and do what is best for their class. 

I think as an aspiring teacher, my biggest dream is to do the best I possibly can for my students.  I want to be able to help them learn as much, but have the most fun as well.  I think to succeed in this dream, I have to have a critical voice.  Too many schools now want to "teach to the test".  They don't understand that "the test" is not everything that children need to learn in school.  It just frustrates me listening to teachers who have the goal to do as many worksheets as possible in a year (not literally, but i think everyone knows about the teachers out there that do this). I feel this is the type of teacher that was teaching with the preservice teacher.  I can't say that worksheets aren't appropriate sometimes, but as for having to test the students on everything, they can learn from fun hands on experience.  I can only hope that I do not get stuck with a teacher like this for student teaching.  The thought of that makes me miserable.

Anyways, I think that having a critical voice is one of the most important things in teaching.  You have to stand up for what is right, and the children deserve the fight that you put in for them.  You may be the best thing that has happened to them during their education.  I don't know about anyone else, but that thought means more to me than having a job that I don't look forward to going to at all.

So, in otherwords...having a critical voice is very critical in teaching!

Social Studies boring....NOT!

I loved the activity we did in social studies the other day.  It just made so many things connect and make sense.  Activities like that show that social studies can be full of fun and excitement.  I can really see so much more importance in social studies by doing the hands on learning. I love activities that can be adapted for multiple grades, it just shows how flexible learning is.  I was afraid I would not get this into social studies, because it has always been one of my least favorite of all the subjects.  But as block has been going on, it is actually one of the classes I look forward to.  There are so many different learning styles that go on during the class that just amazes me.  Anyways, it is off to work on all of these fun and exciting assignments!!!!

So we here we are

So, here we are almost 3 weeks into block.  It is already flying by for me.  I just can't seem to get over how much stuff there is to do though.  As all the teachers are throwing papers at us, it seems to be I am not even sure where to begin.  I haven't felt that there has been much guidance as to where to go in these papers.  But I guess that is apart of the growing up and being seniors in the college classroom.  I think my biggest problem so far, has been with the vague instruction.  I like clear, crisp details about the assignment.

Anyways, right now I am watching Temple Grandin.  It is a movie about her obviously.  And it just shows a girl's strruggle with autism.  It keeps showing her in the classroom, and how students would bully her and the teacher did nothing to stop or prevent it.  It really is a truely amazing movie, especially when fascinated by special needs students.  You learn not only about the disorder, but also about things you can do to help these children in the classroom.  It mainly takes place in higher education but that doesn't mean you can't see things.  She is an amazing visual thinker and it gives great ideas on how to teach to these types of learners.  I am fascinated with her determination to not give up.  That is the main reason I am writing this blog.  If she can overcome so many things, and be able to still succeed in everything she does.  She has her doctorate when everyone around her doubted her. 

This is what we need to remember during this semester.  We have great teachers who are all willing to give us as much help as possible! It just takes us taking the initiative to ask.  We will make it through, even though at times I know we are all frustrated at times.  That's why we are a class to help and support each other in everything we do.  It gives us a support system and I think these blogs are the number one way to help us succeed in helping each other.

Good luck everyone on all the homework!!

And their off...!

Congratulations all for successfully figuring out the blogging! I think it is kind of a neat thing.  I think this homework may not actually be terrible. I am finally starting to get all the emotions about actually being a teacher.  It's a mixture between scared, happy, excited, nervous and all the other emotions in between.  But I cannot imagine actually having to be the teacher in a class after being a student for so long. 

There have been several books that have assured me that everything will be okay. 

One of them is First Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg. 

It's adorable and all about the teacher's first day of school which is just precious and shows how everyone is nervous of how the first day of school will go.

Another one is called Last Day Blues it is also by Julie Danneburg. 

 This one I relate to now because of the thoughts of leaving all the fantastic (and not so fantastic) teachers we have had throughout all of our schooling.  But it is also really cute, because it can be used to think about the last day of our first year and how sad it will be after all of our students are leaving us.  I think there will always be a bond between your class especially the first year of teaching.

Anyway, I may have just posted all of this for no reason, but I just thought if anyone else had any fears or worries about what happens after this year these have really eased my mind a little! But I am looking forward to this semester! I really enjoy everyone in our class and it just makes me excited! Well off to my storytelling class!!! Hope everyone has a great day!