"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
There are many reasons why we should study history. It is important that students learn about the worlds past and learn from the mistakes that have been made in the past. It is also important that students learn about different cultures and learn about their impact on history. It is important that we find out who we are in comparison to other people so we are able to identify how we want to become and where we would like to go in our lives. Through history, students are able to better understand people, how and why they acted certain ways. This is very interesting to me because I am a psychology major. Without history of ways different people act and how their brain acts my field would not have any basis. Many theories in psychology are based around the history of symptoms and actions of certain people to make diagnosis. History helps us learn about many different people and societies.
History has made an impact on the world we live in today so it is important that students learn about it. History has shaped the things we do today so in order to better understand the way we live today students need to understand the history of our past. History helps us understand the present because we are able to look at past mistakes and successes. Learning history can also help us attempt to predict the future because we know what has already happened so it is easier to see where we are going. To feel some sense of belonging to our country we need to learn how our country was shaped and learn about the people who shaped it. It is upsetting that some immigrants know more than our own citizens in our country about our government and history. Only through studying history can we grasp how things change and begin to comprehend the factors that cause this change. We are only able to understand what kinds of things in an institution or society persist despite change.
Finally history instills good moral development and citizenship into a student. The student learns about things in the past that were done to other human beings that were immoral and from that are able to determine what is moral behavior and what is not. Students are also able to learn how to become a good citizen and what that means. They are able to do this because they learn about the history of the voting process and what it means to vote.
Overall, History is very important for students to study. There is no way that we would learn from our mistakes without studying history. History helps students learn about different cultures and helps them develop good citizenship and good moral development. Students are able to understand themselves better and are able to identify their potential by understanding and studying history.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Social Studies is learning about cultures other than your own.. correct?
"A fundamental objective of social studies instruction is to link students’ lives and experiences to the lives and experiences of others." -Litner
I definitely agree with this quote. My opinion of Social Studies is learning about cultures different from your own and linking students lives and experiences to the lives and experiences of others helps them learn about other cultures and their similarities and differences to the students. A fundamental objective of Social Studies education is to link students lives to the outside world. This way students are learning about the outside world but are also able to remember it better because they link it to their lives. An example of a way the teacher could teach this would be to do a service learning project for a needy family. Students could do something like Habitat for Humanity where they learn about a needy family and then help build a house for them. This way students are gaining knowledge about other peoples lives and the experiences they have gone through. Another example of this would be for students to research a students school day in Brazil and then find similarities and differences in the two different cultures. It is fundamental to have students learn about cultures that differ from their own so that they are not ignorant of differences when they go out into the real world. Students learn best from their experiences and their connections they are able to make to their self. If students are able to link theirself and see their similarities and differences to another culture then that culture will not seem so foreign to them. I believe what Litner said is profound and that as teachers we need to pay attention to these things and need to give students direct experiences with people who are different from them. After all, that is what Social Studies content is centered around.
I definitely agree with this quote. My opinion of Social Studies is learning about cultures different from your own and linking students lives and experiences to the lives and experiences of others helps them learn about other cultures and their similarities and differences to the students. A fundamental objective of Social Studies education is to link students lives to the outside world. This way students are learning about the outside world but are also able to remember it better because they link it to their lives. An example of a way the teacher could teach this would be to do a service learning project for a needy family. Students could do something like Habitat for Humanity where they learn about a needy family and then help build a house for them. This way students are gaining knowledge about other peoples lives and the experiences they have gone through. Another example of this would be for students to research a students school day in Brazil and then find similarities and differences in the two different cultures. It is fundamental to have students learn about cultures that differ from their own so that they are not ignorant of differences when they go out into the real world. Students learn best from their experiences and their connections they are able to make to their self. If students are able to link theirself and see their similarities and differences to another culture then that culture will not seem so foreign to them. I believe what Litner said is profound and that as teachers we need to pay attention to these things and need to give students direct experiences with people who are different from them. After all, that is what Social Studies content is centered around.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Meaningful learning in Edu 358
It is very hard to pick out a couple of things that I find are meaningful in my Edu 358 class because I feel like I have learned a lot. I guess because I am so close to having my own classroom, I continue to reflect on the different types of social studies classrooms. The different approaches to teaching the social studies curriculum. I have also learned about service learning which I had never heard of before this class. I have really enjoyed learning about new technology such as a prezi that I was not familiar with before. Being able to look over the new Social Studies North Carolina Standards made me feel like I had a voice. Finally, the fact that I have had a choice to choose 50 points of my grade has made me feel competent and confident. I am lucky to have the opportunity to show my knowledge in an assignment that I have chosen.
I continue to look at the different approaches, and try to figure out how to integrate all of them the learner-centered approach, society centered approach, and the knowledge center approach. The paper in class and the discussion really helped me reflect on what approach I tend to lean towards. It made me think about how I am going to set up my classroom and that there are multiple approaches to get students to understand the social studies content.
Before this class, I did not know what service learning was but now I see how much of an impact in can have in the classroom. When I saw the students that took part in service learning I was amazed at how much they were learning while helping others. They almost got more out of their learning because they were so interested and willing to help. Students were able to integrate different curriculum as well when they worked on different projects.
I also have learned a lot about how to use newer technologies such as, the prezi. I had seen the prezi before but had never learned how to use one and I was really impressed. I liked how I could move all over the screen and write sideways. It is very useful in cutting down the amount of information that is put on the screen and helping people know about the topic but not read from the prezi. This is a new interesting way to present information.
Being able to state my opinions about the new proposed North Carolina social studies standards was very encouraging. I really felt like I had a say in the standards as a future educator and concerned individual. I appreciate the fact that we were able to do this in class because I don't think I would've taken the time or known to do this outside of class.
Finally, I really appreciate the fact that we get to pick fifty points of our grade. This makes me feel like my teacher has more confidence and trust in my abilities. I am also more interested in the assignments because i am allowed to choose them. I am able to demonstrate my course knowledge in a way that is more effective for me. I appreciate being able to choose the projects I am going to do in order to achieve the number of points I need to make the grade I would like. I hope that I am able to somehow incorporate this idea in my classroom. I could do it somehow but just make sure students have a little more guidance because they are younger.
There were many meaningful activities that have taken place in this classroom. I have learned a lot about Social Studies as a student and how to teach it to students. I have really benefited from this class and am not going to put social studies on the back burner in my classroom.
I continue to look at the different approaches, and try to figure out how to integrate all of them the learner-centered approach, society centered approach, and the knowledge center approach. The paper in class and the discussion really helped me reflect on what approach I tend to lean towards. It made me think about how I am going to set up my classroom and that there are multiple approaches to get students to understand the social studies content.
Before this class, I did not know what service learning was but now I see how much of an impact in can have in the classroom. When I saw the students that took part in service learning I was amazed at how much they were learning while helping others. They almost got more out of their learning because they were so interested and willing to help. Students were able to integrate different curriculum as well when they worked on different projects.
I also have learned a lot about how to use newer technologies such as, the prezi. I had seen the prezi before but had never learned how to use one and I was really impressed. I liked how I could move all over the screen and write sideways. It is very useful in cutting down the amount of information that is put on the screen and helping people know about the topic but not read from the prezi. This is a new interesting way to present information.
Being able to state my opinions about the new proposed North Carolina social studies standards was very encouraging. I really felt like I had a say in the standards as a future educator and concerned individual. I appreciate the fact that we were able to do this in class because I don't think I would've taken the time or known to do this outside of class.
Finally, I really appreciate the fact that we get to pick fifty points of our grade. This makes me feel like my teacher has more confidence and trust in my abilities. I am also more interested in the assignments because i am allowed to choose them. I am able to demonstrate my course knowledge in a way that is more effective for me. I appreciate being able to choose the projects I am going to do in order to achieve the number of points I need to make the grade I would like. I hope that I am able to somehow incorporate this idea in my classroom. I could do it somehow but just make sure students have a little more guidance because they are younger.
There were many meaningful activities that have taken place in this classroom. I have learned a lot about Social Studies as a student and how to teach it to students. I have really benefited from this class and am not going to put social studies on the back burner in my classroom.
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