The Blogger in Me

It's interesting that I have this opportunity to reflect on becoming a blogger. I don't think I ever explained this, but part of the reason for naming my blog Actually Aricka is because I was thinking -- I am "actually" blogging and I can hardly believe it. In general, I don't do electronic social networks. I believe that true relationships are built through personal, more intimate connections. I have read some blogs, but only when invited to do so by friends or professors. I guess I never really had a purpose to blog. The way I see it, most people don't really care about my opinion or thoughts on most subjects. And, if they do, then they are close enough to me that I can share my opinions in person, rather than on the web. I'm not saying that I'm not opinionated, because I definitely am. However, I tend to keep my opinions to myself unless or asked or encouraged to share by someone.

Anyway, despite my apprehension, blogging has helped me to think through my thoughts as they are happening. This helps me to preserve my learning to be revisited another day. I am at the age where I have already forgotten what a lot of people have yet to learn, so preserving my learning is important. Since it's on the web, hopefully somebody out there will share a common interest or connection with something I had to share. Also, though I have not had much time to do so, I hope to go back and read my classmates' blogs to understand them better, gather new ideas, etc.

I do see a connection, however between blogging and social studies. Social studies is all about people and their similarities, differences, agreements, conflicts, shared resources, and groupings around the world. Blogging on the web can serve to connect you with others that you wouldn't ordinarily have met.

I maintain that social studies is one of the broadest topics taught in schools. A teacher could view almost any subject she or he teachs through the social studies lens. It is unfortunate that the topic doesn't get its due in most schools. This course has made me more determined to teach social studies from the beginning to the end of the year and to integrate it with as many subjects as I can. It has piqued my interest and made me thirsty for more knowledge about history and geography (two of my weakest subjects). And, who knows, maybe I'll even continue to blog about what I'm learning. Me! Blogging! This is . . .

Actually,
Aricka

Teaching Despite Historical Biases and Perspectives

At some point in my adult years, I came across the following saying, and I have held on to it as it as proved true again and again. The saying goes as follows:

There are two sides to every story, and always three.

I like this saying because I think it speaks volumes about how our perspectives can sometimes cloud our judgements. When two people are having a disagreement over something, the two sides to the story are the participants' sides. The third is the side of the truth that usually lies somewhere in the middle.

So, what does this have to do with history? Well, I truly believe that all historical events, as printed in US textbooks contain a bias toward western, democratic values. Consider what the history books may say about the Iraq war in the future. Regardless of an attempt to present a realistic picture by including mistakes made by Americans during they war, the account will likely paint the picture of the United States stepping in to rescue a country from itself and its own religious practices. Whether or not we believe the Iraqis need to be rescued, we should consider their view of the situation based on their religion. In an upper elementary classroom, a factual discussion that examines the Iraqi way of life and their perceptions of the war and Americans would be very appropriate.

As a teacher, I will have students of all races and religions in my classroom. As a person with strong religious views, I will need to work very hard not to let those biases affect my ability to provide information on multiple religious views without discounting other religions.

Experiencing elementary school in the 1970s as an African American student, I had a desire for relative cultural references and historical figures in social studies. So, I do understand a little about being or feeling left out and biased against in elementary school social studies. My goal will be to create an open environment for all students, including those from widely divergent cultures or those who do not speak English.

Yes, I will still have biases, but I will be proactive in letting students share when their views are different.

Actually,
Aricka

Constructivist Social Studies Lesson

When you really think about it, the constructivist approach is the only way to really teach social studies effectively. Social studies is, by nature, a discipline of experiencing the world around you, connecting the past and present, and determining your place in the world. Lessons which teach definitions, rote facts, and information from one perspective are not true social studies.

The constructivist approach which involves exploration, concept/skill development and concept/skill application lets students experience the past, hypothesize about the future, discoveer the connections between the two.

I will say, however, that the constructivist approach requires time -- perhaps more than we think we have as educators. There needs to be time to develop the lesson, find or make the contacts with outside resources, get to know the students to make relevant connections, and allow students to explore concepts on their own. The only way to get that time is to integrate social studies with other subjects. Constructivism and integration go hand in hand.

I hope that in 10 years, when I have more experience under my belt, I will not be worn out by the daily demands of school life and be tempted to forget this important revelation.

What are the questions?

We're learning how to design social studies units -- BACKWARDS! It sounds a little odd, but it's really quite eye-opening. The reference book we are using is called Understanding by Design and it contains the following quote: If the textbook has the answers, then what are the questions?

Students come to school ready to learn, right? So doesn't that readiness to learn imply that they have some questions? Furthermore, have you ever met an elementary school student who wasn't full of questions? I don't think I have. The notion of figuring out questions to ask and explore and answers to uncover is far more appealing to me than covering all the topics in my textbook. As a teacher, it will be part of my job to figure out what the students' questions are. Doing so may lead the class to ideas and information beyond what the textbook has to offer.

Sometimes the subject is so new that students don't even realize that they have questions. A good place to start is with the teacher's questions. If we truly embrace lifelong learning and zest for knowledge, we will have questions too.

I guarantee you that the person(s) who wrote the textbooks started with questions. Their book, in fact, probably represents a culmination of years of research in which they uncovered the answers to the questions they had on a given subject. As a result, the textbook will be a very helpful place to start to uncover the answers to students' and teacher's questions. But I don't want my students to be limited to the knowledge uncovered by a small group of individuals. I want my students to dig deep powered by their own curiosity and interest.

First, ask the question. From there, you know where to proceed.

Actually,

Aricka

Annual Planning? Think About Your Resources!

The days move along so fast, especially in teaching, that you reach the end of the school year before you know it. That's definitely what I have found to be true at the preschool level. It's a good thing we have our annual plan to guide us through the year. We're a small preschool, so our annual plan amounts to a one-page document highlighting the topics we will focus on by the month and the week. Still, it is a valuable and useful document in the hands of a preschool teacher and parent.

I have just begun to learn how to develop an annual plan for Social Studies on the elementary level, I can definitely see that the process is much more in depth and definitely just as valuable for the elementary teacher and parent. Taking the time to develop an annual plan not only ensures that the teacher will meet all the curriculum goals and objectives, but it also allows the teacher to really think through and build subject integration into the curriculum. Annual planning also forces the teacher to think about the "big picture" and to plan by design, asking essential questions, assessment methods, etc. I can also see that having an annual plan can help a teacher not fall prey to the old standby projects and multiple choice tests out of desperation.

Determining resources are one important key in developing a good annual plan. A teacher needs to think through how to incorporate various types of resources throughout the whole year -- books, guest speakers, field trips, etc. -- as some types of resources will be more interesting to some learners over others. Also, if a teacher is planning to invite guest speakers or go on a field trip during the year then coordinating your class' timing with the cooperating resource person's schedule is best done well in advance.

I am looking forward to developing annual plans when out in the teaching world. I love having things well thought out rather than flying by the seat of my pants.

NC Museum of History

What do you think of when you hear the term "history museum"? Untouchable, unrelatable, boring? Well, you should go to the NC Museum of History. It is none of those things. At least not for me. Yes, there are plenty of untouchables- a necessity to preserve the artifacts for years to come. However, the museum has relatable and interesting exhibits for everyone. It is hard to pick a favorite exhibit, but among them are the Thomas Day exhibit, the New Deal exhibit, and the Jewish Life exhibit. Oh yeah, and I really liked the drugstore too. I thought, a teacher could combine that exhibit with some episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and give children a really good idea of life in NC in the 1950s.

As with the Museum of Art, one of the most important aspects of the museum was that much of it was relatable. The Thomas Day story intrigued me. Having an interest in furniture making, woodworking, and interior design, I feel the need to get to know who this man and his work. His life story reminded me of the following biblical verse: Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. (Prov 22:29) Thomas Day made that verse come to life because the quality of his work transcended racial boundaries, all the way to the governor's mansion.

The New Deal exhibit pictures made me think about the photographs that belonged to my grandmother. It also made me think -- What makes a photo worthy of a history museum? I was thinking that some of those photos could just as easily be my family. I've included in this post a few photos that I scanned in from my grandmother's collection. They span the time frame of approximately 1900 to 1969. They include my great, great grandfather, my grandmother, my step-grandfather (a master brick mason whose work stands today throughout the Piedmont region of NC, and me (with the bottle). The photos may or may not be worthy of a history museum, but they are history - mine and yours. Enjoy!

Teaching Young Political Scientists

What I loved most about this chapter was the connection between teaching political science (civics) and good classroom management. Clearly, there is a connection. As a teacher, I will teach more by my example than by what I say. Teaching civics will be an upward call for me as a teacher. In order to make it applicable for the students, I will need to help them make the connection to our classroom. I need to be a democratic teacher:

who engages the help of my students in establish class rules.
holds students accountable for those rules in a fair and consistent manner
holds classroom meetings which invite open discussion for emerging issues.
promotes class spirit with the use of classroom symbols, songs, etc.

In addition, I need to help students branch out from their role as students and embrace their role as citizens of the United States by promoting civic responsibility. My students need to understand that with their rights as citizens, come responsibilities. Among the responsibilities that I want to help students develop are the responsibililities to vote informatively, consistently, and responsibly, to know their nation's history, to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to volunteer, and to get involved with government and/or school events.

Along those lines, I think one of the most important lessons we can teach children today is to engage in the work that will help them determine fact from opinion. We live in a world today where we are inundated by people's opinions. We can surf the internet or turn on the television and find someone spouting an opinion about almost any topic. I want my students to understand the value of research, gathering facts, determining reliable sources, and developing their own convictions on civic and other matters. This is critical thinking at its best.

Actually,

Aricka

Teaching Young Geographers

While reading Chapter 5 of Dynamic Social Sudies for Constructivist Classrooms, I was drawn to geography in a way that I never have been before. At the beginning of this blog, I mentioned that I have always liked social studies with the only exception being geography. I can now say that if I had been taught geography using the techniques that this book suggests, I would have liked it a lot more. It makes sense that geography is best taught to students from their perspective outwards. It is imperative that students have an early foundation in personal geography (basically, a sense of direction and perspective) before branching out to street, city, and country maps. I don't naturally have a really good sense of direction, so I know I will find Maxim's suggestions associated with teaching direction with compasses, classroom maps, etc. especially helpful.

While reading "The First Days of School" for another class, I came across a quote. Of course, trying to find it in the book to quote it exactly was like finding a needle in a haystack, so I'll sum it up. The book suggested that we are at our best when we are learning right along with our students. That statement gave me hope that I will be at my best when teaching geography. It will be my goal to help children understand as I understand. I will need to teach the following national geography standards as follows:

the world in spatial terms- how to use maps, make mental maps, and analyze the spatial organization of world

the places and regions of our world- How are regions and states formed? Who and what decides where the dividing lines are between the states or between the piedmont, mountain, and coastal regions of North Carolina? How much does the soil or the terrain have to do with determining the regions? How much does the types of people who settled the regions have to do with their dividing lines?

physical systems - volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, erosion, etc. This part of geography nicely ties into Earth science.

human systems- who lives where and why. It follows that the culture of people who live in a place influence the landscape and the landscape influes the culture of the people. This aspect of geography can be easily tied to economics and anthropology.

environment and society- again, the interdependence between the environment and humanity. I can imagine a super-interesting study on this topic considering the people of the Gulf Coast. Over the past few years, as these people have been hit with first a natural disaster and then a man-made disaster, I have asked myself, what makes the people stay there?

the uses of geography- Geography is useful. It is the reason that homes in California are built to withstand earthquakes and that homes in Florida don't have basements. Geography is also the impetus behind the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the best placement of wind turbines. People are constantly learning how to use geography to adapt their lifestyles.

For once, I am actually looking forward to studying geography. I am starting to develop some good ideas, but first, I need to study for my midterm on locating the 50 states, 7 continents, and major oceans.

Actually,

Aricka

Teaching Young Historians

When I really think about, it is reasonable to assume that all of my students, regardless of their past, present, or future life situations will be historians and are historians. They all will remember past events with a level of accuracy and will analyze, to some degree, those past events with regard to their current and future lives. It seems to me that the key to history is help students understand that they are living history and that every human being that has ever graced our planet was and is a part of history. This consideration will help take the stuffiness out of history. And, most of us will have to agree that we have encountered and perceived much stuffiness with regard to history. American history then, is no longer just about that group of founding fathers to whom we seemingly bear no resemblance. Nor, is it simply about the African slaves who were brought here to work the land or the native American settlers. History must have a personal connection and must start with the individual. My job as a teacher to is help the students answer three important questions: What are the connections between the past, present, and future? Why is this information important for my life and future? What facts are important for my functioning as a current and future U.S. citizen?

As I was reading Mr. Maxim's suggestions for developing a dynamic Social Studies curriculum, I realized that the accuracy of his words was proven by my experiences. As Mr. Maxim explained how interviews with historians and the elderly could help students with history, I remembered an assignment from second grade (circa 1976). For the assignment, I interviewed a neighbor of my grandmother - Mr. Carl Caldwell, a man who was at the time in his 80s or early 90s. He told me about the small community of Landis, NC during his childhood. Though I don't remember everything about that interview or report, I do remember being amazed by the fact that I this man had lived during a time when there were no automobiles. The experience left an indelible mark on my mind.

I am currently in possession of own grandmother's photographs and some of her personal letters, a treasure I hold dearly. My grandmother was born in 1916 and will be 94 years old on August 3. Her history is my history. It is important to me. The photos help me know that history is real and valuable and meaningful. I hope to connect my students to their history and then, as a natural extension, to our community's history, our state's history, our nation's history and our world's history.

Actually,

Aricka

The NC Museum of Art

Today our class visited the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh. I've never been to the museum before and I'm not sure what I expected. I do, however, feel like I got more than I could have expected. I was so pleased to see that the art selections in the museum were not all European portraits, landscapes, and impressionistic works. Art permeates every culture. Art is expression of the artist's soul. Just as every person, every culture, every nationality does not have the same soul, neither will the art for each culture be the same. Art is social studies.

My goal as a teacher is help children appreciate art by helping them understand the life, times, emotions, and struggles of the artist. I am reminded of the statue titled Tarbaby vs. St. Sebastian by artist Michael Richards. I have to say that of all the pieces I saw today, that one aroused the most emotion. The piece, a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, would likely have been just another interesting statue to me had it not been for the commentary of our docent. By explaining the life and circumstances of Mr. Richards' death, she made the piece come alive for me, forever cementing the image in my mind. I hope to do just that for my students as they study art some day.

Actually,

Aricka

The educational focus of this blog will the be disciplines of social Studies and the arts. Truth be told, I really love many aspects of social studies and the arts. My favorite type of novel to read is historical fiction. I love art also. The picture I have included in this blog is a picture of me in front of my daughter's bedroom wall. I spent hours painting the mural on her wall. It was very cathartic during a time when I had lots of stress. In my formative adult years, however, I chose not to focus on these topics. While I enjoyed most of the social sciences (except geography) I did not see them as a means to developing economic prosperity. Plus, I was good with math -- a more financially rewarded discipline. So, I ended up choosing a career in accounting -- one that offered monetary, but not personal rewards.

So, considering my history, I hope to teach social studies and the arts to students in a way that not only helps them develop a love for the disciplines, but also so that any students who are naturally drawn to the subjects will understand their real-world applications and not shy away from careers in those fields.

I took some time to think about how to accomplish this goal and have developed a list of attributes that a meaningful, well-planned social studies lesson should have.

1. A good social studies lesson should include content from at least one other educational discipline. Because social studies is the study of people, it involves all of the disciplines -- math, science, language arts, the performing arts, and athletics. An integrated lesson helps students see how the disciplines tie together and thus, how useful it is to learn social studies.

2. A well-planned social studies lesson should consider the cultural differences of the students I am teaching. In order to plan well and to allow all children to access the material, I need to consider that I cannot simply teach social studies from an American perspective. I may have immigrants in my classroom who either have different perspectives or who do not prior experience with some of the topics I will cover.

3. In order to plan effective social studies lessons, I need to "hook" the learners with interesting props, questions or statements from the beginning. My goal is to get the students to be intrinsically motivated to learn what I am teaching.

4. A well-planned social studies less allows students to construct knowledge from their prior experiences, the experiences I provide, and the readings I assign. It will not help the students for me to drone on about a topic, telling them everything I know.

5. A well-planned social studies lesson assesses and evaluates the students in a number of ways. The lesson includes both formative and summative assessment. The lesson includes assessment and evaluation of students with regard to their understanding of major concepts, specific facts, and their demonstration of skills (such as map-reading and writing an essay).

6. Lastly, the well-planned social studies lesson covers multiple social sciences. In order for children to gain a true understanding of the history of a nation, they must also understand the nation's geographical makeup, the makeup and origin of its people, the economic systems and economic challenges of the people and more.

I have some social studies lessons to develop for this course. It looks like I have a lot of work to do to make them well-planned and meaningful. I'd better get to work.

Actually,

Aricka

Well, I never thought I would be blogging about anything, but here I am. I am a person who takes time to think about what I have to say and the thought of blogging so that so many people can read my thoughts is somewhat frightening. However, I have this wonderful opportunity to share about education -- something that I feel very passionate about. I hope to use this blog as a learning tool and a sharing tool. Enjoy.

Actually,

Aricka