Impressed by Prezi

Many people have said that teaching is akin to performance art. So, it makes sense that I should be blogging about education and the use of Prezi (see the YouTube video below for a Prezi demonstration) on the night of the Oscars. There certainly are comparisons to be made between acting and teaching. As a teacher, we need our performances to be riveting. And, as Daniel Day-Lewis's performance in "Lincoln" proves, authenticity is important in creating accurate portrayals of historical figures, just as it is for students in the field of social studies.

Inquiry lessons that make use of authentic, real-life materials enhance learning, and educators need to know how to handle them. They must do a good job of identifying the information in those resources that is germane to the subject being studied. Furthermore, teachers must be able to see, in advance, how students can best utilize the materials in their studies, while also making sure they know which resources are ideal for that particular inquiry and which ones are less applicable.

When we consider using technology in the classroom, it certainly does help educators and students connect to authentic materials they might not otherwise be able to access, including old photos of the past or diaries from those who lived through certain events but have since passed on. Being able to interact with such material can only improve any historical inquiry students undertake.

More than that, however, various technological advancements and computer programs allow students to take that information and present it in ways that grab the attention of their audiences. One such program that I've had the pleasure of toying around with recently is Prezi. My partner, Dona, and I are using it for the next lesson plan we're doing, and it very user-friendly, which is important for two digital immigrants like us.

Great for doing timelines and other types of presentations, Prezi offers the opportunity to arrange bite-sized chunks of information in logical order with eye-catching graphics that are make it difficult to tear yourself away from the screen while watching them. Two of the more interesting ones I viewed were one on Martin Luther King, Jr. and another on great jazz bassists. The Martin Luther King, Jr. example was a timeline that featured the important events in his life, while allowing viewers to also take in video clips and speeches he gave. The one on jazz bassists was even more interactive, with historic performance clips and detailed explanations of their contributions to jazz.

Dona and I are planning a Prezi on Ellis Island. I can't wait to see how it'll turn out. I don't know if it'll be Oscar-worthy, but we'll do our best.

Regeneration and the Inquiry Process

An inquiry involves an investigation of some kind, but it all starts with a question. Somebody with an interest in the Vietnam War may ask, "Which side actually won it?" Or, that person might want to know what started it in the first place. So often in education, however, those questions come from teachers. They're the ones who start the conversation or get the ball rolling on experiments designed to test hypotheses. Wouldn't it be wonderful though if those questions came from the students themselves?

Perhaps that's our mission as future teachers, although it's not enough to simply encourage students to ask the  big, essential questions we want them to consider. More importantly, we need to get results. We need to prime the pump and get them to actually spit the questions out. The inquiry process might just get the results we're looking for. In John Lee's "Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods," the author refers to the "regeneration" that can occur with the inquiry process, a four-step cycle that begins with sparking learner interest in a question. Lee writes on pg. 58, "The development of a child's interest in learning is an essential task for teachers at the onset of an inquiry activity." The sequence continues with clarification of the question or problem, which the teacher does by considering matters related to standards and curriculum. An examination is then conducted, followed by the suggestion of an answer.

The great thing about the inquiry process, however, is that it can generate more questions from students related to the subject at hand. As Lee writes on pg. 58, "Students' interests in solving these problems may well fuel new learning opportunities - moving them to step 2 again for more clarification before they examine materials and resources to address the problem." Prior to reading the Lee book, I hadn't thought of the inquiry process in that way.

I love the idea of regeneration, this constant cycling of questions, examinations and the search for answers, which, in turn, can bring about more questions. It's the teacher's job to initially spark an interest in something, and they can do it by simply showing students a provocative photo or, as the example in the Lee book shows, by asking about the effects of high gas prices. It starts with such a simple question: "Has anyone seen the price of gas lately?" You might start a conversation in a restaurant the same way. That's what good interviewers do. It's all about getting people talking. In essence, it's the same thing in education. How often have teachers lamented the lack of student commentary in their classrooms? Perhaps the answer is as simple as asking the right questions.

The power of storytelling

Every community has a story to tell. As a matter of fact, every community has hundreds, even thousands of stories to tell. You learn that as a reporter that wherever you are stationed, be it a small town or a large city, there is an endless supply of tales to tell. And even the people who've lived there their whole lives - the ones who, as they say, know where the bodies are buried - don't know them all.

As we've learned from John Lee's "Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods," engaging stories can spark an interest in history among students. Being a former newspaper man, who used to do a lot of "Looking Back" type pieces for published editions, I loved reading about characters that have inhabited different communities over time or the events that changed the course of history for a place. Floods, tornadoes, snowstorms, droughts have wreaked havoc on communities in this state. Changes in technology have affected how residents have become more connected with the world. Wars in foreign lands have resulted in the deaths of people who called various communities home. I think newspapers and other chronicles of a community's history present many wonderful opportunities to not only learn about the history of that village, town or city, but also about what was happening in the country or the world as a whole that affected life as they knew it.



Lee writes on pg. 13 of "Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods" that, "Children must understand that history is not based on a single narrative or a sole perspective." That is absolutely true. The fabric of history is woven with many different threads. What we learn the more we read about historical events is that people and places were impacted differently by various events. The Civil War is a great example. The battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg affected the soldiers of both armies differently. Reading journal entries or letters from them that have survived over the years offer varying perspectives on what actually happened. That to me is the joy of studying history.

Lee's example of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune and their friendship offers students a different look at race relations and politics in the 1930s and '40s. The educational treatment of that subject helps students feel as if they are part of the story. That same feeling of being connected to that story can happen through reading newspaper accounts of a community's history, or even better, oral histories of certain events that took place can certainly give students a greater sense of what it was like to live in the past and offer them an interesting perspective on what is happening today in their hometowns.

Whatever the case, storytelling is a powerful tool for teachers, and when used right, it can lead to a lifelong pursuit of historical truth, which can certainly evolve over time.

Learning at high speed

By Peter Lindblad

Technology allows people to do certain tasks at higher speeds. That much is pretty certain, although because of that, they're being asked to do more than ever before. In my old job, as a writer and editor, the ease with which print media professionals can proofread and fact-check today is astounding. Where in the past they might have been forced to keep a library of heavy, fact-filled books at the ready, practically everything they need now is online.

So, what does this have to do with education? Well, for one thing improvements in technology allow for greater coverage of material. And while that word "coverage" seems to be a dirty one these days, as it implies a goal of simply addressing certain subject matter in a superficial manner, educators always seem to feel that they don't have enough time to go over material in class that they feel is important. When it comes to social studies, students can do more in-depth research of different political or historical issues, events or characters whether outside or even inside of class.

Of course, there is another question when it comes to integrating technology with instruction, and that has to do with not letting flash overpower substance. Teachers want to hook their students' interest, and technology offers wonderful opportunities to grab their attention, but there has to be real learning at work and it has to develop higher-order skills. An example I found that offers a good balance between the two is available on the National Geographic Kids web site.

Going under the Games tab, I tried one out that teaches kids about Lewis & Clark's journey. On the screen, there is a map on the upper right side that traces their route to the Pacific Ocean. Just to the left of that are two buttons, one that takes viewers to journal entries related to the expedition and the other offering quick, little nuggets of information about the explorers and their journey. But the real cool feature has to do with the middle of the screen, where the author provides information about a certain segment of the trip and explains what the explorers encountered on the way. What takes it to another level is that it gives viewers options for what they would do next. For example, when Lewis & Clark encounter a daunting mountain passage, the author asks viewers whether they would set up camp and wait for winter's end to continue or whether they would continue on, risking horses and provisions. Whichever button is chosen, that feature takes the viewer to another screen that reveals what decision was made and how it impacted the expedition. Aside from teaching kids about Lewis & Clark and various facts about the expedition, the questions give students a chance to use their critical-thinking skills.  

Another feature I like about National Geographic kids happens to be located under the Geography button. Clicking on it, a screen opens up that includes links to information about different countries and their geographical features. I could use this as a scavenger hunt activity, where I'd have kids search for different land or water features, like rain forests or deserts or rivers, etc. I'd give them a list of things to find from various countries, and they could use their prior knowledge to figure out which countries would probably have those geographical features on their lists.

For those of us that aren't the most tech savvy teachers, the Edutopia article "Ten Top Tips for Teaching with New Media" is a helpful guide. The list of relevant resources is invaluable, as is its advice for using technology in the classroom. For instance, author Suzie Boss advocates using visual elements to " ... help build background knowledge as they tackle new concepts," and opening up back channel discussion areas for shy students to talk about issues related to class in a safe environment. It also offers great advice for teachers on how to go about finding materials for class projects on the cheap. Technology can certainly help teachers prepare students for the world they will face upon graduation. As educators, we simply must be vigilant in using it to enhance instruction, rather than impede it.