Thoughts from 7/12

Thursday's class opened with a classroom meeting. In our meeting we discussed the implications for classroom meetings as well as tips for classroom management within the circle, ideas for discussions, as well as time parameters, etc. Everyone was willing to share their thoughts on what's the most unappealing subject within social studies to teach. Tops on the list? Politics, religion, and economics.

On a side note of management, please be aware that class participation is 30% of your grade. That means that your attendance in class is extremely important...if you're not there, you're not participating. For those who have not had issue with this, I thank you for your insight and thoughts in our discussions.

After our meeting, we discussed Chapter 1 of Seeing the Whole Through Social Studies. This chapter was loaded with information on multiple intelligences, integration across the curriculum, and curriculum planning ideas. I will be giving out handouts that will provide you with more strategies for incorporating multiple intelligences as well as Bloom's Taxonomy.

From there we delved into the topic of teaching with primary sources with the help of a slideshow from Kathy Schrock. I found this helpful in illustrating what a primary source is, how it's different from a secondary source, and for providing a wealth of clearinghouses online and ways to use primary sources across the curriculum.

When we meet again, we'll be trekking down Mass Ave on a quest for a geocache. Dress comfortably and be prepared to fully experience latitude and longitude!