Genghis Khan, Founder of the Mongol Empire

Genghis Khan, Founder of the Mongol Empire

What is a social studies approach?

1. In your own words, describe what a social studies approach to global history means. Give an example using the New York City Scope and Sequence curriculum. A social studies approach to global history means that you realize that you not just teaching the student you have in front of you today but are laying the ground work for the citizens and human beings they can be tomorrow. Without teaching students to use everything they have at their disposal to reify their learning you are just following a curriculum when you could be igniting a path. In the Introduction to The New York City Department of Education High School Scope & Sequence Grades 9-12 we are told “A strong and effective social studies program helps students make sense of the world in which they live, allows them to make connections between major ideas and their own lives, and it helps them see themselves as active members of a global community.” I think it’s necessary that when you enter the classroom you have to take into account your journey as a student before you take on anyone else’s. I consider myself a student of history, an analyst of events, and a researcher. I’ve been an organizer, activists, an observer and participant in events. As a kid I can remember pouring over Time Magazine, Newsweek, U.S. World News and Report, the New York Times and the Daily News. I’ve been interested in politics, geography, world events, biographies and early photography for as long as I can remember. I was encouraged by parents, relatives, teachers, friends and employers to pay attention to what was going on in the world around me and I drank it in. Through everything I learner or was interested or became an active participant in I try always to see the connections and ask questions. How does one event affect another? Are we getting the true story? Why is this here? Who came before us? How did people live? What did they believe? Why did they believe it? How does it affect me, my family, the Bronx, New York, America, and the World? To make the connections, and to be active members of a global community students have to learn early on that the most interesting social studies are the ones going on around them. The Bronx today is going to very different from the Bronx of thirty years from now. To make connections they need to get out and use all the tools they have at their disposal. Technology is a wonderful thing, but going out and seeing places, talking to people who live events, examining artifacts brings history and a wide variety of skills together to make lessons and learning lasting and the world a smaller more interesting place. That’s were students learn to make sense of the world and their lives. Set the path. How will you decide what is important for your students to know in global history? The Scope and Sequence says it well, “While knowledge of content is very important, it is equally important to engage our students in historical thinking. Students should be engaged and challenged to think like historians, raise questions, think critically, consider many perspectives and gather evidence in support of their interpretations as they draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision-making. These are the skills that will serve them well as participating citizens of a democracy.” What leads my students to become critical thinkers and participating citizens of a democracy is paramount. However, I have to take into account who my students are, where they come from and what they already know. Building from strengths that sometime my students don’t even realize they have is in my experience the key to teaching any subject especially global history.

Resources for English Language Learners

The call has been put out to find resources in languages other than English. Students need to be able to read the content in both languages. The language they are most comfortable and English. There is plenty of research to support students approaching content in their own language to support their learning in english.

Below are some starting points to support the effort. Assessments such as past regents exams are available in many languages. They can be found at:


http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/regentsexams.htm

Here are some resources for content materials in other language:

The articles available on Wikipedia.org the on line encyclopedia are translated into many langaugages. Check the website and look at the left hand column will allow you to find translations. For example see the article on Thomas Jefferson in Spanish:


http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

Research based ideas and articles discuss concrete ideas to help students challenged by text:

Published by the American Educational Research Association

http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Research_Points/RP_Winter04.pdf

Working Effectively With English Language Learners

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/newteacher/NTBilingual.shtml

Our Productive PD Meetings

At the High School for Teaching and Professions we meet for Professional Development sessions. In my opinion these sessions are at their most professional and productive when we discuss issues that effect our specific classrooms. Recently one of our discussions in the History Department centered around the needs of our English Language Learners (ELLs). Tom Lopez opened the discussion by asking several questions about his freshmen students in general education classes. These questions are open for discussion:

How can we be sure ELLs are connecting with the content they are reading?

What can we do if ELL students are not fluent in their native language?

Where can we find content in languages other than english?

Are there strategies that can support ELLs in content classes?

Once again I am turning to LDOnline.org to start the discussion. These articles discuss ELLs and learning disabilities. Keep in mind I am not saying ELLs are learning disabled but strategies for students with learning disabilities and ELL center around slowing down the processing of content, and focusing on finding supplemental strategies to processing materials (like using audio and visuals).

See these articles:

A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner
By: Christine Root (1994)


http://www.ldonline.org/article/8765


Effective Reading Instruction for Struggling Spanish-Speaking Readers: A Combination of Two Literatures
By: Roxanne F. Hudson and Stephen W. Smith (2001)


http://www.ldonline.org/article/6363


More to come, let me know what you think, sign up for the feed if you would like to get my posts as the infrequently come out.

Rockey

Dyslexia Info

John Murren, a teacher at The High School for Teaching and the Profession identified a student with learning differences that he believed may be dyslexia. John wanted to know what can be done to help this student.

Our Special Education Department teachers, Mrs. Attah, Mrs. Hassanbelliu,
Mr. Spooner and myself agreed that this student could be helped with interventions like Wilson Reading and services in the Resource Room but it will take time to get her certified for services.

In the mean time what I'd like to do is help all teachers develop strategies they can all use in all classes. We all have some ideas we can share. There are many resources but here are a few to open the discussion. Let's get the dialogue rolling!

Here are a few resources:

Dyslexia Basics
By: International Dyslexia Association (2007)

http://www.ldonline.org/article/16282

Dyslexia and High School By: Melinda Pongrey (2008)
Task orientation and concrete ideas for the classroom:

http://www.ldonline.org/article/25150

Let me know what you think! More links to come and yes, you have to read them!

Rockey

How to Make Sure Children Are Scientifically Illiterate

How to Make Sure Children Are Scientifically Illiterate

Nonverbal Learning Disorder & Asperger Information

Online Asperger Syndrome
Information & Support

Nonverbal Learning Disorders by Sue Thompson, M.A., C.E.T.

NLDLine

NYC Department of Education Calendar

NYC Department of Education Calendar for your planning efforts:

School Year 2006-2007

Read, Write, Think

Literacy Teachers: Read, Write, Think an excellent resource!

Lesson plans, standards, web resources, research and more from the Interational Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of English, Maropolo, and the Verizon Foundation. Really thoughtful lesson plans and units.

Read,Write, Think!

Culture of Achievement

Good Article on the culture of achievement from New York Times "On Education" Section by Diana Jean Schemo, NYT Wednesday August 9, 2006.

It Takes More Than Schools to Close Achievement Gap