Last Post

This is my last post for my Social Studies blog.


Here is the link for my EDTPA lesson plan on community members.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17nOhk7L9akCF8v1T09wV0ucasCwTQ1OflckR7k1IJbE/edit?usp=sharing

I was playing around on the smart board sites that we talked about in class the other day and have been trying to learn a little more about using smart boards. I sure hope that I get to use a smart board in the classroom, because I Think that is can bring a lot of fun to the classroom, while also doing the work that is needed to get finished. I know most schools don't have them, but maybe eventually (When something better than the smart board comes out) then maybe schools will be able to afford them, that seems to be how things work in the school district.

Hmong Weddings

I decided to do my culture presentation on Hmong Weddings.  I chose this topic because it interests me a ton.  One of my good friends is Hmong and it always interests me to find out more about their culture.

Here is the link to my Prezi

http://prezi.com/qjfrsswjcvlj/hmong-weddings/#

Prezi

This week I am continuing to work on my multi cultural presentation. I have chosen to do mine on Hmong weddings. I know a lot about the Hmong culture because one of my best friends is Hmong.  She is very Americanized but they do have all their cultural traditions.  I have been to some of them, including a wedding and find it so interesting.  I ask her about her culture all the time because some of the things that they believe in just amaze me.

I have chosen to do my project in Prezi.  I like how easy Prezi is to use and I think the way it works in general is very nice. So here goes!

Weebly

Attached is my webquest that I created about the Community. http://chwebquest.weebly.com/

Weebly is a fun and easy site to use for many different things like this.  I actually recommended it to a friend just the other day who was asking if I knew of a way to make a website.

I am working on putting my web quest into the ED TPA lesson plan and am hoping to finish that this week.  I am also beginning to think about what I would like to do my multicultural project on.

I look forward to doing my project in Prezi because I also enjoy working in that program as well.

Vacation

I was on vacation this past week, so the only thing I have to Blog about is all the sunshine, alcoholic drinks, and beaches! Everything was fantastic! Now back to reality and negative 6 degrees YIPIEEEE

Weebly

These past couple weeks, I have been having a fun time playing around with making my own website in Weebly.  It is way easier than the ones we were trying to do in Google.  It's very fun to make your own and put our webquest in this way.  I think I would do other things through Weebly for the classroom, and not necessarily make them web quests. I think something I would use this for, would be a website for my parents to look at. I can put what we are doing on the website and with the easy buttons on the top or side, whichever is chosen, it will be easy for the parents to understand.  So far, I really enjoy Weebly.

Web Quests

Web Quests are pretty fun. I think I would love to incorporate these in the classroom. I love using the internet when it is for important things like learning. I really hope that I am at a school that has access to computers so that I can do WebQuests with my kiddos.

I love looking at the zunal.com website.  It offers so many different webquests so you could use them in all the subjects that you teach.  I think some days children get so tired of listening to their teachers, that this is another way to teach them and they don't realize that they are learning. I approve of the webquests!

Google

Google is so interesting to me. It's so interesting because there is a lot to learn about and a lot that many people don't know even exist. Just like any form of technology I guess!

I wish I were more skilled in Google and many other online programs but as I continue to learn about it, I find more and more things that I can use in the future in my classroom.

Using Google Power Point was very easy. There wasn't too many bells and whistles to it, but it is easy and gets the point across, so I like it.

I am also finding that I get around in Google a little more than I used to. I love all the new apps that you can find in Google and being that I am very interested in photography, it's nice to be able to find new programs to help edit and create projects.

Week 2- Blogs

There are many ways that you can use blogging in your classroom.  You can have you students use it as a journal if they set up their own blog.  By having each child set up their own blog you can keep track of them and the teacher or the students could all be able to read it.

You could also use blogs in your curriculum many different ways.  I think the ideas will come more when you have  an actual subject you are working on, but I think I would use blogs when I do book clubs in class. I could set up each different book club on their own blog and then ask questions there for the students to all answer. This way there could be a good discussion going in each of the book clubs.

As a teacher, I would also have a class blog. I could put what is going on in the classroom on the blog and then give access to all of the parents to check out the blog to see what we are up to in the classroom! It would be a great way to communicate with my students and their parents. I think one of the things blogging does is help promote communication.

First Post- Week 1

This week we were to read chapter 1 of the Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods book by John Lee. We were asked the question what is Social Studies. Is there a definite answer for this? My first thought is NO.  There isn't one accurate definition of social studies but as the book tells us, there has been many definitions throughout history that show that Social Studies has changed.

If you asked me what Social Studies is defined as today, I would say this:
Social Studies is ultimately a set of courses that enables students to understand human experiences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. (P6)

Learning about the different events that happen in the world help children make connections between school and the world around them.