Entry #5

Both the National Council for Social Studies and the Washington State Council for Social Studies would be extremely valuable in continuing my learning after graduation. The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) seems to have more resources for the continuation for my own learning and discovery of new teaching philosophies and frameworks. Not only does the NCSS have an annual conference, but they also have frequent and archived webinars, as well as multiple print publications and workshops for people to attend. The Washington State Council for the Social Studies (WSCSS) also has conferences during the year, two of which are in the Seattle area and much more accessible to me than the national conference.

The WSCSS also has a wealth of curriculum ideas that are organized into specific subject categories including U.S. History, World History, Geography, Civics, Economics, Washington History, and Other Subjects.Within each of these categories there are many resource links relating to a number of curriculum ideas within the categories. In addition to curriculum ideas, the WSCSS also has a section of its website dedicated to lesson plans shared by members of the council. These lesson plans are available to other members of the WSCSS and the membership fee for the WSCSS is only $25 per year. Along with all of the resources for social studies curriculum ideas, the council also has a section of their website dedicated to instruction links that relate to social studies issues, such as service learning and event simulations.

Both of these councils use technology heavily in the publication of the resources they provide. While the NCSS has print publications, they also have many online resources and webinars in which people can participate. The WSCSS has almost all of its resources online and available for a much lower price than the NCSS, whose lowest membership fee is $72 per year, which is something I appreciate as a future teacher. Both of these councils have great resources for promoting professional development and lifelong learning, but I will also be able to build my skills in those areas using other technological resources. As we have discussed in class, I will be able to use Google Plus, Twitter, and our own resource library to aid in my lifelong learning and professional development.