Gibson Text Overview

A Quest for Learning in Social Studies A review of the Textbook for EDEL 335 Or “What does Dr. Sue say?

Reflective Practice Personal perceptions act as filters Beliefs needs to be examined Beliefs determine actions: instruction, materials, assessment, and more

Constructivism How people learn Learning is an active process of constructing knowledge The individual nature of learners is valued Active engagement is paramount Meaning is enhanced through interaction Facilitation - supports for learning

Basic Beliefs About Learning Process of building and revising previous knowledge Relevance - context important Collaborative - engagement with others Thoughtful reflection

Problem 1: Why is Social Studies Taught in School?

Citizenship Fundamental to democracy Informed Knowledgeable Active SS has been “assigned” the responsibility for this

Cultural Conservation Orientation Passing on societal core values “ Truths” to pass on Referred to as “passive” citizenship Tends to be dominated by teacher-centred curriculum

Disciplines Orientation Need to understand concepts and processes contained in the disciplines Each discipline has its own structure and method of inquiry Procedures are standardized and organized Viewed as “rigorous”

Inquiry Orientation Citizenship must be able to identify and solve complex, diverse problems Emphasis is on the search for knowledge Demands active involvement of students Outcome of investigations not known ahead of time.

Cultural Transformation Orientation Basis is a broad social concern for social justice Development of skills necessary to change and improve existing social practices Active involvement and student opinions are crucial Reflection on moral issues

Personal Development Orientation Development of the self is crucial to good citizenship. Positive self-concept Personal efficacy Search for own personal meaning Character-values-morals

Respect for Diversity Orientation All people/groups have value The good citizen appreciates the values of different groups “Emotional Generosity” Combating prejudice/stereotyping Interdependence of people across cultures

Global Orientation Worldwide interdependence of people “ National Citizenship” is too narrow Awareness of pluralism, and skills to cope with rapid change Sharing of finite resources Examination of broad issues (e.g. environmental problems)

The Hidden Curriculum Norms and values that are implicitly taught Unexamined beliefs can result in a hidden curriculum where practices do not match beliefs.

Problem Two: How to Select and Organize the Content for Teaching in Social Studies

Your Goals, Interests, Experiences The Program of Studies specifies what must be taught There is much room for elaboration, and other topics related to general outcomes There is a lot of freedom within the Program of Studies

Children’s Needs, Interests, Past Experiences Brain-based learning. Early. Experiential. Integrative. Challenging Developmental Levels. Maturation. Social Experience Multiple Intelligences. 8 evolving intelligences. Differences are to be taken seriously.

Curricular Requirements Provincial Documents Supporting Documents Approved Learning Materuals

Learning Outcomes Knowledge Skills Attitudes

A Sidebar About History Most controversial Widespread belief that history is not taught, or taught well Cultural Conservation - has tended to present one viewpoint Now- multiple perspectives Build on Social History “ Stories” of different groups.

The School Community and Beyond The context does matter Schools and communities are different Teachers need to be sensitive to local conditions - especially when dealing with controversial issues.

Available Resources Amount and kinds of resources differ Texts are first choices, but not enough Multiple Truths approach will use a wide variety of resources - many unique to local communities.

Organizing for Instruction Program of Studies is the legal document Text can provide an organizing structure Expanding Horizons - based on developmental levels Disciplines Concerns based Thematic/Integrated

Problem 3: How Should You Go About Locating and Selecting Resources for Social Studies?

More Personal Reflection Single authority Multiple authorities Student needs, interests, abilities, attitudes (Note Dale’s “Cone”, Learning Styles)

The Textbook Depth of coverage of topics Bias? Stereotypes? How is material presented? Does it engage students? Be cautious even with “approved” resources.

Children’s Literature Engagement Personalization Helpful in development of attitudes, development of social values Stereotypes and bias must be watched LA and SS outcomes can be achieved in an integrated fashion.

News Media Current Events is important Citizens need to be aware of what is going on around them Development of critical and creative thinking Media literacy skills must be taught Methods for using media must be varied

Technology (esp. Computers) Must be integrated - viewed as another tool Great research tool Appeals to different learning styles Gets students introduced to a technological world

Computer Software Word Processing Presentation Software (Hyperstudio, Powerpoint) Databases Spreadsheets Specialized applications (e.g., Cross Country Canada)

The Web Critical viewing skills must be taught Use of an appropriate Search Engine is important Virtual Field Trips growing Much of the utility is still dependent on appropriate hardware, and sufficient bandwidth

The Community Local museums Guest Speakers Local businesses Use of local resources help connect students to the community and help them to see relevance of concepts

Problem 4:What Approaches to Teaching Social Studies Should You Use?

General Approaches to Teaching Teacher-Directed Shared-Direction Student-Directed

Children’s Learning Needs Elaboration on previous information on Brain Research Constructivism Multiple Intelligences

Inquiry “Backbone” of Social Studies Teacher-directed inquiry. Teacher determines question, procedures, resources, and overall structure Open-Ended inquiry. Students and teachers share control, and structures can vary widely

More about Open-Ended K/W/L charts Determine questions Categorize questions Gathering information Determining “quality” of information Organizing and presenting information Sharing information

Critical Thinking Easier to do with open-ended inquiry Best when studying content “in depth” Questioning levels (Bloom)

Cooperative Learning Development of important group process skills Building of a classroom community Cooperative Learning involves structure and planning for group roles (e.g., Jigsaw, Webquests)

Participation Through the Arts Relevance to learning Integration of learning outcomes Dramatic play, role play, simulations, tableau

Problem 5: How Should Children’s Learning Be Assessed in Social Studies?

Terms Assessment: Gathering of Information about the learner in order to make decisions. Evaluation: Making a judgment about the learning Reports: Sharing the assessment information and evaluative judgment

Major Categories of Assessment Right-Answer. Teacher-designed tests. Identifiable body of knowledge. Ranking. Open-ended. How students use knowledge, Student participation. Identification of growth. Authentic tasks

Assessment Tools Diagnostic. Planning. Determination of instructtion and student needs Formative. On-going and daily. Summative. Have goals and objectives been met?

Right-Answer Tests Structured Use for classification Are limited in what they can effectively test Can tend to “narrow” the curriculum Can lead to teaching of test-taking strategies.

Open-ended Testing Can allow for higher-order thinking questions. Can involve students in development Can test a wider variety of outcomes (skills, attitudes)

Demonstrations of Learning “Performance outcomes” Models Simulations Debates Murals And many more…..

Learning Portfolio Purposeful (emphasis on purposeful) collection of student work Can represent learning over a period of time Can demonstrate growth Actively involve students in planning, developing and presenting

Self-Evaluations Independence Ownership (personal responsibility) Engagement Metacognition

Anecdotal Records Provide “rich” data Focus on individuals Organization is key - use forms, checklists to simplify the process

Program Evaluation The Reflective Teacher Success (or lack of success) of different strategies and activities Pacing Involvement Were learning needs met?

Gibson Text Overview

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Gibson Text Overview