BEST PRACTICES IN SOCIAL STUDIES: ACTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING

1. BEST PRACTICES IN SOCIAL STUDIES: ACTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING William Wilen, D.Ed., Professor Emeritus of Social Studies Education, Kent State University, Ohio, U.S.A.

2. Presentation Goals • Audience members will: • Know the principles of the National Council for the Social Studies’ vision of powerful teaching and learning and how they might be applied in the social studies classroom through a provided illustration; • Demonstrate understanding by describing how these principles can be applied to content they teach in instructional situations; • Have the opportunity to ask questions for the purposes of clarification of information presented, extension of thinking about the possibilities of powerful teaching, and practical application in the classroom.

3. Social Studies* • Social studies is the integrated study of history, the social sciences, and humanities to promote civic competence. *National Council for the Social Studies

4. Civic Competence • The knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of students to assume “the office of citizen” in our democratic republic.

5. Social Studies Purpose • 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.

6. Best Practices* • Shorthand term for serious, thoughtful, informed, responsible, state-of-the-art teaching *Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools, 2005

7. Best Practices • Authoritative voices and professional organization documents in every teaching field are calling for schools that are more student-centered, active, experiential, collaborative, democratic, rigorous and challenging.

8. National Curriculum Reports • American Association for Advancement of Science • Center for Civic Education • Consortium of National Arts Organizations • Geography Education Standards Project • International Reading Association • National Council of Teachers of English • National Association for Education of Young Children • Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards • National Board for Professional Teaching Standards • National Center for History in the Schools • National Council for the Social Studies • National Commission on Reading • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics • National Research Council • National Science Teachers Association • President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

9. LESS whole-class, teacher-directed instruction LESS student passivity LESS attempts by teacher to “cover” large amounts of material in every subject LESS rote memory of facts and details LESS use of and reliance on standardized tests MORE experiential, inductive “hands-on” learning MORE responsibility transferred to students for their work MORE active learning MORE deep study of a smaller number of topics, so that students internalize the field’s way of inquiry MORE choice for students MORE emphasis on higher-order thinking: learning a field’s key concepts and principles MORE enacting and modeling of the principles of democracy in schools and classrooms RECOMMENDATIONS

10. Social Studies Standards-Setting Context 1. The general United States-wide push toward more rigorous content standards for students and greater school accountability for student learning. 2. State-level regulations and legislation concerning student, school and teacher standards. 3. The development of subject matter standards for students and teachers in content fields outside and inside social studies .

11. Powerful Social Studies • Influenced by a constructivist view of learning. • Five principles each of which has direct implications for what teachers should know and be able to do.

12. Powerful Social Studies Social studies teaching and learning are powerful when they are: • Meaningful • Integrative • Values-based • Challenging • Active

13. MEANINGFUL Meaningfulness is stimulated when: • Students learn connected networks of knowledge, skills, beliefs and attitudes that they will find useful both in and outside of school.

14. Meaningfulness is stimulated when: Instruction emphasizes depth of development of important ideas within appropriate breadth of topic coverage and focuses on teaching these important ideas for understanding, appreciation, and life application.

15. INTEGRATIVE Integration is encouraged when • Social studies subject matter is taught topically across disciplines • The subject matter cuts across time and space

16. Integration is encouraged when • The instruction interconnects knowledge, skills, beliefs, values and attitudes to action • The teaching makes effective use of technology

17. VALUES-BASED Social studies content invariably involves the examination and understanding of values – one’s own and those of others – as values are expressed in points of view, beliefs, policies, actions or inactions. Values-based instruction appropriate to education in a democratic society committed to safeguarding individual rights and the common good occurs when:

18. Social studies teachers guide students to consider the ethical dimensions of topics and address controversial issues, providing an arena for reflective development of concern for the common good and application of social values. • Students are made aware of potential policy implications and taught to think critically and make value-based decisions about related social issues.

19. Rather than promulgating personal, sectarian, or political views, teachers make sure that students (a) become aware of the values, complexities, and dilemmas involved in an issue; (b) consider the costs and benefits to various individuals and groups that are embedded in potential courses of action; and (c) develop well-reasoned positions consistent with basic democratic social and political values.

20. CHALLENGING Social studies becomes challenging when: • Students are expected to strive to accomplish the instructional goals, both as individuals and group members. • Teachers model seriousness of purpose and a thoughtful approach to inquiry, and use instructional strategies designed to elicit and support similar qualities from students.

21. Social studies becomes challenging when: • Teachers show interest in and respect for students’ thinking and demand well-reasoned arguments rather than opinions voiced without adequate thought and commitment.

22. ACTIVE Social studies involves productive active learning when: • Students develop new understanding through a process of active construction of knowledge. • Interactive discourse facilitates the construction of meaning required to develop important social understanding.

23. Social studies involves productive active learning when: • Teachers gradually move from providing considerable guidance by modeling, explaining, or supplying information that builds student knowledge, to a less directive role that encourages students to become independent and self-regulated learners. Teachers emphasize authentic activities that call for real-life applications using the skills and content of the field.

24. Illustration of Powerful Teaching & Learning • Major issue in the U.S.A. – who should become a citizen of the U. S.? • Taiwan – immigrant population is only about 2% (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, plus others) • Recent article in China Post (9/28) (“Taiwan’s Still a Land That’s Packed with Opportunity: Time to Open Up!”

25. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Meaningful Teaching & Learning: • Personalize history – middle school students investigate their own families’ histories by conducting oral history interviews with parents, grandparents or neighbors who have immigrant roots. Cooperative groups in class could be formed to devise carefully thought out series’ of interview questions. Teacher could teach them some of the basic techniques of the oral historian. Interviews could be summarized and report written on immigrant stories and contributions.

26. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Integrative Teaching & Learning: • History – learn of the waves of immigrants and their contributions throughout US history • Government – investigate current issues related to legal and illegal Hispanic immigration to the US; investigate Homeland Security immigration restrictions placed on immigrants coming from Muslim nations, including the Middle East. • Economics – investigate the benefits of hiring low skill/low pay labor versus the anti-immigration position some labor unions have taken. • Geography – 1st grade elementary teacher finds out what nationalities are represented in his/her classroom and has the class study and compare how families meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter in their community, with how families meet their needs in the countries represented by students’ nationalities.

27. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Integrative Teaching & Learning: • Language Arts – teachers can have students keep journals that begin with identifying a family member to interview, formulating and writing interview questions, preparation for the interview and reflections after the interview, and transcribing responses to the questions. Follow-up of writing reports connecting the interview with the family member with the period of history he/ she represents and contributions. More formal assessment could take the form of writing an essay, and devising a poem or short story regarding family member’s contribution. • Technology – teachers can acquaint students with many websites that contain accurate information on immigration and others that offer differing points of view related to immigration issues. Students can use these sources as they gather information to do reports on various immigrant groups and gather investigatory evidence supporting differing viewpoints on immigration issues.

28. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Values-Based Teaching & Learning: • Immigration is a controversial issue depending on the section of the country settled and impacted the most. • Middle and high school level students can be involved in guided and open inquiry, and reflective discussions based on their investigation of current and historical immigration issues in order for them to formulate their own supported positions. Inquiry problem solving might lead to decision-making leading to action in a school or community.

29. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Challenging Teaching & Learning: • Simulation is a powerful instructional method to challenge high school students to inquire into an issue and a deliberate on a resolution. Teacher can set up a simulated presidential immigration commission to investigate a current issue associated with immigration with the charge of devising a national policy. Central to simulation is students role playing representing various impacted groups of people. Cooperative groups of students can be formed to represent the views of labor unions including the California farm workers, health care industry workers, professional educational groups representing teachers and schools, federal Department of Homeland Security, groups representing universities where foreign students attend, etc. Hearings can be held to gather information and views from represented groups in order to devise an informed national policy.

30. Immigration: Whom Should We Welcome? • Active Teaching & Learning: • Another role playing simulation possibility is the middle school class assuming the role of members of the U.S. Immigration Agency whose responsibility is to review the applications and background of ten people who have applied for permanent residency in the US. Their responsibility is to make decisions about five that will be allowed to enter. A handout, “Whom Shall We Welcome?” can be created listing the positive and negative characteristics of the ten immigrants who have applied for citizenship

31. Application to Your Current or Future Classroom • In pairs or trios select one of the alternative approaches to apply powerful teaching and learning principles: - Describe a lesson that includes at least 3 of the 5 principles of powerful teaching - Read a short scenario of a U.S. classroom lesson and identify at least 3 principles of powerful teaching.

32. REFERENCES • National Standards for Social Studies Teachers (2000). Washington, D.C.: NCSS. Also Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (1994). • Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., and Hyde, A. (2005). Best Practice: New Standards for Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools (3rd ed.). Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann Publishers