Blogs in the Teacher's Arsenal of Tricks

As most of us have experienced from our encounters with textbooks throughout our educational history there is no such thing as a stand alone textbook. They are great at skimming the surface of subjects especially in social studies but they cannot come close to fully exploring an entire subject’s many complex levels.

Then came the internet with its ability to supplement the classroom manual. The possibilities are endless especially the use of blogs. A blog can be a repository of information, a place to view and extract as well as update and edit on going communication between students, teachers and even parents. It would make a great ongoing homework assignment.

For example, a blog could be used as a weekly journal for students in a government class. The students would be assigned to the rolls as presidential candidates and must maintain a blog of speeches and reactions to opponent’s blogs and speeches as well as worldly events as they are assigned. Each student would choose their party either conventional or their own. Then as in the case of this week the teacher could pose as a reporter and ask each of them the same question and ask them to respond using their blogs. This week they would be asked whether or not they would boycott the Olympic Games in China and explain their choice.

An assignment such as this would not only allow the instructor and students to gage their work but also critic that of their peers. In addition parents would have the ability to view their children’s work and progress first hand. A blog would offer an avenue of self-expression often withheld by some students who choose not to participate in an open classroom.

The blog along with the internet’s infinite opportunities for growth is yet another tool that teachers should incorporate into their bag of tricks to keep learning fun and enticing for all students.

Interactive Website Review

Socialstudiesforkids.com is a site dedicated to both teachers and students. It offers a wealth of information that children would find enticing yet informative. The teacher aspects of the site will help fledgling and experienced educators develop interactive lesson plans that can be implemented as stand alone tasks or supplemented by the website.
The site includes a section of fun facts that dispel popular urban legends and historical inaccuracies such as the fact that Paul Revere did not make it to concord to warn of the British invasion. According to the site, Dr. Samuel Prescott made the announcement because Paul Revere was captured by the British and later escaped in time catch the end of the battle at Lexington.
It also includes in-depth information in each social studies topic from economics, geography, U.S. History, geography and political science. The information is presented in both an elementary level that all grades could comprehend and in an academic method appropriate for teachers.
Students could be sent to the site to research vocabulary or perform one of the many projects such as making a budget or learn how to run a lemonade stand over the summer. They could also use the site to supplement their text or research papers. Additional reading assignments chosen by the student from a broad topic listed on the website. For example, under the heading of wars there are headings with detailed information from the Persian Wars of 500 B.C. to the Gulf War.
The site also publishes a weekly newsletter that features historical events related to that week in history. The newsletter could be used by educators as a lead into a specific topic or as a break from the daily routine.
There are thousands of websites available to teachers and students but most understandably appear to be in the business of entertaining. Few are truly dedicated to education as socialstudiesforkids.com.