Meridian Middle School Computer Technologies Journal
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Update on: Making Long Distance Relationships
Work ArticleAmy J. Good, Katherine A. O'Connor, and Eric F. Luce
Issue I, Volume 9, 2006
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http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2006/mldrw_ud/index.htmAbstract
This is a follow-up paper to a full manuscript found in the Summer, 2004 Meridian issue, entitled Making Long Distance Relationships Work. This supplement explores how two universities participated in social studies activities in the attempt to enhance the traditional methods course with video conferencing. Video examples or “live illustrations” are embedded in the article below. Visit the included link to view the original article.
Introduction
The authors define telecollaboration as an experience that allows a joint teaching effort to occur without geographic limitations through the use of videoconference equipment. Telecollaboration offers occasions for students and teachers to exchange social studies ideas, to have access to other classrooms, to learn from multiple perspectives, and to utilize technology to create relationships. The initial article provides a rationale, a program design including telecollaborative topics, sample reflection questions, and advice for middle school teachers desiring to collaborate about social studies curriculum and instruction using telecommunication tools.
The original paper provides examples of telecollaborative activities for middle grades students. This supplemental paper expands upon these ideas about telecollaborative learning and teaching from the vantage point and experience of social studies methods professors who work with K-8 preservice teacher candidates. During the past year (2004-2005), preservice teacher candidates in North Carolina and in Mississippi collaborated with one another through the investigation of personal, family, local and state history-related topics. National and global perspectives necessary for the development of civic mindfulness were also considered. This higher education telecollaborative experience was supported by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
( http://www.socialstudies.org/about/ ) standards and the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) (http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html )As social studies methods professors, the authors strive to motivate teacher candidates to dare to be innovative in their future teaching. What better way to inspire and encourage confidence and motivation than through modeling the use of technology for preservice teachers? In other words, modeling the use of the technology with preservice teacher candidates provides opportunities to experience and consider the possibility of seamlessly integrating new technologies for teaching and learning in the content areas, particularly social studies. Harris (1999) has identified that curriculum-based telecollaboration is most appropriate when students are exposed to differing perspectives, have opportunities to compare, contrast, and combine similar information collected from various locations and communicate with a real audience to expand their global awareness.
Design of the Program
The social studies methods professors who collaborated on this project developed activities related to personal, family, local, and state/national history. The activities and their rationales are described below. The telecollaborative protocol used in this endeavor was derived from a model collaborative project with similar objectives that was organized between the University of Virginia and University of South Florida (Mason & Berson, 2000).
Personal History Rationale
Sometimes students enter a social studies class seeing little or no relevance to history. Often, they are intimidated by the idea that they will have to teach history or any aspect of the social studies. They share common loathsome social studies experiences which include the memorizing of dates and being subjected on a routine basis to traditional lectures. Students come to the methods course with poor attitudes and efficacy levels toward teaching social studies. The purpose of the planned telecollaborative activities is to help students see the relevance of their own life to history. Teachers need to identify and research their own personal histories (Parker, 2005). Everyone has a story, and most people feel comfortable writing or telling about themselves. Only the students, themselves, can speak in the proper context, with the correct vocabulary and tell the story accurately. They can also support their personal history with primary source artifacts. For this preservice teacher project, students brought in an item that represented a part of their life. They described, contextualized, and summarized their personal relics and made connections with the students at the other university. This activity introduces the students to thinking like historians.
Family History Rationale
Families are different, and families tell stories. The storytelling process has occurred for centuries. Before print was utilized, oral history was the prominent means of communicating traditions and stories and valuing one's perspective. In this particular preservice teacher activity, students shared a primary source from a family member (photograph, letters, and other relics) and delivered a personal narrative from the perspective of the family member. For example, the students were able to make cultural, social, and religious connections by discussing important events from their heritage.
Local History Rationale
As the community expands from self and family, to local areas outside the home, so does the telecollaborative activity guide and protocol. Local history is vital to understanding the social roles, school roles, occupation roles and recreation roles of a community. Knowing the past of a local area gives current residents a better understanding of the local “flavor.” Uncovering differences and similarities among communities and neighborhoods is a popular way to address local histories.
Social studies professionals know they must encourage and invite community members into the classroom. This activity involves sharing guest speakers in a more traditional use of the videoconference technology. The learning community that is created allows for roles to interchange often. For the telecollaborative project, each preservice class chose a local historian guest speaker to represent the local community. Students were equipped with questions regarding local goods, services, producers, work, play and climate influences that they had developed for each of the historians.
State/National History Rationale
In the social studies methods courses, core democratic values are introduced along with the purpose of the social studies. Despite the fact that social studies is not a tested subject in elementary schools in North Carolina or in Mississippi , students need opportunities to collaborate, deliberate, and seek understanding together. Ironically, they need to seek understanding of testing, standards, and issues facing the social studies profession. Students need more opportunities to participate in democratic conversations and seminars. Democratic citizenship requires deliberation, debate, and discussion regarding the core democratic values. Issues, such as poverty, war, political persecution, and population growth, help increase awareness for students.
For this telecollaborative project, comparing and contrasting candidates or election issues and their parallel platforms as well as other related election issues corresponded naturally and effortlessly during these social studies methods courses. We were fortunate to have a videoconference on Election Day 2004. The students were assigned to deliberate and purposefully reflect about the issues they felt were the most important in the election, through the lens of an educator of the future. Controversial issues, positions, and values were discussed, along with the important debate of whether or not to share these positions with elementary students in the future.
Conclusion
The authors believe in the importance of modeling technology innovations for their social studies preservice teacher candidates. If K-8 preservice teachers use technology in their higher education courses, they will enter the public or private school arena with greater knowledge and experience that may transfer into their future classrooms. If preservice teacher candidates are influenced by powerful teaching and by experiencing technology infusion in their teacher education preparation programs, there is a better chance that their future students will be too. While some of this can be learned through practice, the test of technology seamlessly integrated with innovative teaching is in the actual experience and the impetus to try something new.
References
Harris, J. (1999). First steps in telecollaboration. Learning and Leading with
Technology, 27 (3), 54-57.Mason, C. L., & Berson, M. J. (2000). Computer mediated communication in social studies methods: An examination of students' perceptions and perspectives. Theory and Research in Social Education, 28 (4).
Parker, W. (2005). Social Studies in Elementary Education . 12th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Personal History Activity
Have the students discuss 3 major/important events in their lives. Include the respective dates.Have students research and discuss 3 main events that occurred the year they were born. (Think on the following levels: local, state, national, and global.) . See the “live” video conference example.
Family History Activity
Here are some possible topics for the students to discuss with e-pals:Family Traditions : Define what family means to you? Did your family have any special traditions, such as things that they did on holidays or birthdays? What about family heirlooms? Is there anything that has been handed down from generation to generation?
Hometown : What was the name of the town where you grew up? Was it a big city or a small town? Were there any special activities or festivals at different times of the year?
Previous Generations : Did you know your grandparents or great-grandparents? What stories can you tell about them and their lives?
(Teacher caution: Consider your students' backgrounds if you choose these topics.)
OR
Have each student bring a photo of a family member. Have students write a personal narrative from the perspective of the person in the photo. See the “live” video conference example.
Local History Activity
Have students discuss physical features/landmarks of their towns/cities. Students should share the absolute and relative location of their school.Discuss favorite restaurants, places to hang out, entertainment venues, etc.
Pair up the students in your own classroom. Give digital camera access to each set of partners. Have the pair go on a scavenger hunt for evidence of one of the core democratic values. Students can share their findings during the hook-up through Power Point, a Web Quest creation, or a document camera.
OR
Consider having guest community historians visit for a discussion. See the “live” video conference example.
State or National Activity
Help your students locate two articles from a local or state newspaper. Students should read the articles independently and discuss one of the articles with their e-pals. Have the students write a short reflective summary to their e-pals. Some possible guiding questions can include: Why is the topic important? How will it affect you as a student and/or citizen?OR
Compare and contrast the candidates or election issues and their corresponding platforms as well as other related election issues. See the “live” video conference example.
OR
Have your students create a television network with classmates. Create a station name. Divide the students into anchor groups--for example, the Social Studies Network, or SSN, could include Economic Experts, a History Hotline, and Geography Gurus. Share prepared news stories of local/state interest with your telecollaborative partner class.
Current Events 01
Current Events 02
Current Events 03
Summing UpAmy J. Good is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Amy has taught grades 4-7 in Ohio, and VA. She has ten years of teaching experience. She is currently teaching social studies methods and classroom management at East Carolina University. Amy has achieved National Board Certification. Her research interests include social studies, technology, National Board Certification, and telecollaboration.
Katherine A. O'Connor is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Katie has taught in the North Carolina public schools for 9 years. She is certified in K-12 Reading, K-12 Academically Gifted, and has obtained National Board Certification. Katie is currently teaching curriculum and action research classes. Her research interests include teacher working conditions, National Board Certification, social studies and telecollaboration.
Eric F. Luce is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education. Eric has taught grades 9-12 in eastern Pennsylvania and is certified K-12 as a Supervisor of Social Studies. He currently teaches Secondary Education Methods, Social Studies Methods and Curriculum Foundations. His research interests include Educational Technology Integration, Social Studies Education, Secondary Education, Public Attitudes Toward Public Schooling and Charter School Initiatives. Eric was the Co-PI for the PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Teach with Technology Initiative at Southern Miss and remains active and interested in building that "network."
Author Contact Information:
Amy J. Good, PhD
Assistant Professor
National Board Certified Teacher
East Carolina University
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education
309 Speight Building
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-328-5317 (office/voice)
gooda@mail.ecu.eduKatherine A. O'Connor, EdD
Assistant Professor
Elementary Education, Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education
East Carolina University
210 Speight Building
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
Office 252.328.5323
Fax 252.328.2585
oconnork@mail.ecu.eduEric F. Luce, PhD
Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
The University of Southern Mississippi
730 East Beach Boulevard
Long Beach, MS 39560
Phone: 228.865.4554
Fax: 228.867.2656
Eric.Luce@usm.edu
Meridian:
A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal
a service of NC State University, Raleigh, NC
www.ncsu.edu/meridian/
Volume 8, Issue 1, Winter 2005
ISSN 1097 9778
Email Meridian at meridian_mail@ncsu.edu