Professional Development
Below are Professional Development Opportunities and Resources for Social Studies Teachers to Practice and Implement in Their Classrooms
Interactive Resources for Teachers:
Interactive resources are guides and resources available to help students and teachers find ways to make the learning process interactive and more engaging.
What is ThingLink and How Does It Work?
ThingLink makes education engaging with the use of rich media that can turn any image, video or VR experience into learning
ThingLink is a powerful way to use technology to make education more engaging. It does this by allowing teachers to turn any image, video, or 360-degree VR shot into a learning experience.
How? The website and app-based program allows for the addition of icons, or 'tags,' which can pull in or link off to rich media. For example, that could mean using a painting by Picasso, then placing tags at certain points that can be selected to offer text explaining a technique or historical points about that area of the painting - or perhaps a link to a video or story providing even more detail.
So is ThingLink a tool that could be used in your classroom to help engage students even more? Read on to find out everything you need to know about ThingLink.
The power of ThingLink is in its ability to pull in so many forms of rich media.
Add as many or as few tags as needed and ThingLink will save your progress as you go along. When finished, you'll see an upload icon as the project is uploaded to the ThingLink servers.
You should then be able to share the link, which will take anyone clicking on it to the ThingLink website, so they won't need an account to use the project online.
How much does ThingLink cost?
Free: This is designed for teachers, giving them interactive image and video editing for unlimited items as well. (There are paid versions too, but unnecessary for teacher use)
Let's Create!
First, everyone will need to create their own FREE ThingLink account by going to: https://www.thinglink.com/
Now , choose "Create" and upload an image from your computer or Google Drive.
Finally, start adding tags to make your image become an interactive presentation!
Voki: Speaking Characters for Education
Voki is a fun tool that students can use for homework, classwork or projects. Customize their appearance and what they say, and share with others!
Blabberize
Blazbberize allows you to bring your pictures into your world! Make any picture talk. Use your own photos or famous photos from history
What can you use for your current classroom this year? What topics are you covering right now? Next week, next month, beyond?
Please take some time to explore the vetted, school appropriate resources provided to see what "take-aways" you can bring back to your classroom.
We will share out and discuss implementation prior to the end of the session!
Have fun!
3-2-1: Ticket Out the Door
Please complete this short Google Form by following this link:
https://forms.gle/EEWLACPLYr2p2w327
List 3 things from today's session that can assist you in delivering instruction.
List 2 things from today's session that you liked or found interesting .
List 1 question from today's session that you still have or need further explanation/exploration.
Social Studies Analysis Tools: Digging Deeper to Uncover History!
Unpacking of primary and secondary sources
to raise questions and to find solid evidence in support of student answers
to go beyond the facts presented in their textbooks and examine the historical record for themselves
to consult documents, journals, diaries, artifacts, historic sites, works of art, quantitative data, and other evidence from the past, and to do so imaginatively--taking into account the historical context in which these records were created and comparing the multiple points of view of those on the scene at the time
Primary & Secondary Sources
A primary historical source is any piece of information that was created by someone who witnessed first hand or was part of the historical events that are being described.
• Letters
• Speeches
• Journal or Diary
• Interviews
• Autobiography
A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of
primary sources in them.
• A history textbook
• A book about the effects of WWI
• Magazine articles about an event
• Encyclopedia
• Biography
10 Words Activity: When Elvis Met Nixon
Please look at the picture and list exactly ten (10) words of what you notice or what in particular stands out to you:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sFTQy-aE0izy7LjgqEQzJdTEHaVPL92HdN3K2orHYPQ/edit?usp=sharing
Word Cloud: https://monkeylearn.com/word-cloud/
HSI Case File- Elvis.docdetective_log elvis.docCracking the Case:
Based on your analysis of the four documents and citing evidence to support your answer, please write a paragraph answering the following question: Why was this photograph of Elvis Presley and President Richard Nixon taken in December of 1970? Please indicate whether you were satisfied with the evidence and list any additional questions that have been left unanswered through your investigation.
Brainstorm & Build!
Now that you have gained experience using the HSI model, begin to think you you could craft your own HSI activity/activities. Please turn and talk with a partner or small group.
Things to Consider:
What topic(s) would you want to investigate further?
What sources will you use? Primary? Secondary? Both?
Where will you go to locate sources?
Modeling the detective logs for your own topics.
Creating Word/PDF versions of documents you choose to use.
Now, Craft Your Own HSI Project on your own or with a partner/small group!