Paper Title: Primary Access: Overview of Research and Directions for Future Study

Author: Tom Hammond, Lehigh University  (link)

PrimaryAccess (www.primaryaccess.org) is a suite of free, online tools for social studies education that allow users to manipulate digitized primary sources. Using PrimaryAccess, students and teachers can browse an index of contextualized digital images and then compose digital documentaries or comic strips, or even construct rebuses. Teachers can set up student accounts, design activities, and share these activities to students. The presentation will provide an introduction to the PrimaryAccess suite of tools, demonstrating their use and explaining the decisions that occurred during the design process. This introduction will be followed by an overview of the research efforts and findings on using PrimaryAccess in K-12 social studies classrooms to date, focusing on digital documentary creation. The audience is invited not only to critique the research but to consider this introduction and overview as an invitation to collaborate on future research.
 

BREAK

10:00 – 11:45 a.m. 

Session 2:

   Discussion Leaders - Peggy O'Neill-Jones, Metropolitan State College of Denver
     Caroline Sheffield, University of Louisville
 

Paper Title: Digital Historical Inquiry in the US History Classroom: Comparing Modes of Instruction

Author: Meghan McGlinn Manfra, North Carolina State University   

This research proposal focuses on secondary US history instruction (grades 11-12) in a high-stakes testing environment. Previous research in this field demonstrates that students learn best in a social environment and that deep content knowledge can be learned through disciplined inquiry into authentic historical problems (Bransford, Brown, & Pelligrino, 2000; Scheurman & Newmann, 1998; Wineberg, 2001). However, history teachers report feeling constrained in their curricular options due to high stakes testing (Grant, 2003).  They tend to favor transmission (Stanley, 2005) or “mimetic” models of instruction and coverage of content (Drake & Nelson, 2009); students are encouraged to memorize and recite (Barton & Levstik, 2003).  Working alongside a US history teacher, I planned two units of instruction that engaged students in authentic historical work using digital history materials, including digitized primary sources. Student outcomes in this instructional model were compared to those of a more traditional, transmission-oriented pedagogical model. Based on the findings, I hope to learn how we can support teachers in their integration of inquiry and multi-media in the social studies classroom and to change teacher perceptions about their curricular options.

Paper Title: Transforming Students' International Experiences through the use of Web 2.0 Tools

Authors: Tim Newby and Peg Ertmer, Purdue University (.ppt)

We live in a world characterized by globalization, emerging new technologies, and a knowledge-based economy. Given these realities, future teachers must be both digitally literate and globally competent, possessing effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. The Web 2.0 project described here was designed to provide every teacher education student at Purdue University with an international learning experience using Web 2.0 technologies. An initial pilot was conducted during Fall 2008 with 285 preservice teachers, enrolled in EDCI 27000 (Introduction to Educational Technology), along with 43 international partners (IPs) from Turkey and South Korea (students were divided into 34 teams, with 3-4 IP students on each of 12 different teams). A second pilot occurred in Spring 2009 with 346 Purdue students, divided into 43 teams, and including 135 IPs from China, Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

During both semesters, teams worked collaboratively to create a wiki chapter about an assigned Web 2.0 technology. In addition, students were required to present information about their applications at a public poster session, including relevant educational applications and lesson plans (see http://wiki.itap.purdue.edu/display/INSITE/INSITE+MAIN for sample chapters). Comparisons between pre- and post-survey data suggest that the project experience had positive impacts on students’ perceptions of their confidence for using various Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, as well as their perceived importance for these same technologies. Implications will be discussed regarding continued use of Web 2.0 technologies to connect students across the globe.
 

LUNCH (12:00 – 1:30 p.m.)

1:30 – 2:45 p.m. (Beering Hall; B280)

Session 3: Hands-on session in lab

  Discussion Leader - Richard Diem, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Paper Title: Capturing the Teachable Moment: Using Flip Video Cameras to Promote Civic Education (.ppt)

Author: George Lipscomb, Furman University 

While video has been present in K-12 social studies classrooms for many years, the technical knowledge needed to use and edit footage has become significantly easier in recent years. One new innovation, The “Flip” video camera, is changing the way teachers use video and share ideas beyond their classrooms. In this hands-on session, participants will learn how to use these cameras, look at editing possibilities with Flip software, and explore potential applications in civic education.
 

Paper Title: Using Blogs to extend Teaching, Learning, and Research in Social Studies Education  (link)

Author: Alicia Crowe, Kent State University

The popularity of blogs has increased exponentially in the last ten years. In this short time, blogs have begun to take many forms and styles and serve many purposes. Blogs can now be designed to allow readers to take on a more active role or for one blog to have multiple authors. As blogs have become a part of the everyday life in a society proliferated by electronic information communication tools, so have they become a part of the lives of citizens. This tool has become a way to be political as well as a way to democratize access to information. This means that educators must begin to think differently about how to help their students learn about the world they are living in. Some teachers are beginning to do this by using blogs as a part of their teaching.

Besides helping young citizens learn how to read, interpret and judge the information presented in a blog, social studies educators can also take advantage of this tool to enhance the learning community they have already established and expand classroom conversations beyond the confines of the school day and building. During this hands-on session we will explore how to create a blog, how some social studies educators have used this tool to breakdown the walls of their classrooms (high school and university) and how blogs can be used to help social studies educators support one another as they engage in inquiry into their teaching. We will also discuss questions around the creation and use of blogs and how this tool might be used to democratize teaching, learning, and research. If you have used blogs in your teaching or research, please feel welcome to add your experiences to the conversation.

BREAK

3:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Session 4: Hands-on session in lab
  “Day in Review/Things to Think About…”
 

 Discussion Leader - James Shively, Miami University

Paper Title:  Emerging Trends in the Use of Social Media in Commercial Virtual Schools (.ppt)

Author: Bob Keller

Paper Title: GIS/Google Earth Activity

Author: Tom Hammond, Lehigh University

The proliferation of complex, geographically-referenced issues such as immigration, climate change, and pandemic diseases has spurred interest in geographic understanding and geospatial tools. Unfortunately, the content, pedagogy, and technology of geospatial tools is each "wickedly" complex (Koehler & Mishra, 2008; White, 2005)--the tools have tremendous potential, but require a steep investment in training, planning time, instructional time, and the space to develop pedagogical expertise. This hands-on activity will provide participants with a simple, concrete experience in using geospatial tools to address geographic understanding and skills. This practical introduction will be followed by a presentation of these tools and techniques in the context of a larger instructional sequence of geospatial inquiry about the local environment. Time will be reserved for discussion and critique of the tools and teaching techniques used. Participants with GPS units or GPS-enabled cellphones are encouraged to bring them along, and those with prior experience teaching with geospatial technologies are encouraged to share their expertise!
 

DINNER 6:00 p.m. (Anniversary Drawing Room, Purdue Memorial Union)

KEYNOTE 2: "Social Computing Philosophy and Tools: An Overview" (.ppt)

Johannes Strobel, Assistant Professor of Engineering Education and Educational Technology, Purdue University 

June 20, 2009

BREAKFAST (7:30 – 8:15 a.m.) Stewart Center 218C

Announcements/’Day-at-a-Glance’

8:15 – 10:00 a.m.

Session 5:  

Discussion Leader - Scott M. Waring, University of Central Florida

Paper Title: Legislative Aide – Social Networking for Civic Action

Authors: Kerry D. Poole & Michael J. Berson, University of South Florida

Civics education in the United States often is designated as a low priority in the curriculum and is typically characterized by passive, rote learning that is centered around content and materials provided by textbook companies. Results from recent assessments of America’s students suggest that the current generation possesses only a superficial knowledge of civics and is less engaged in traditional political activities. Service-learning, a method that combines community service with classroom learning objectives, is being widely implemented in schools across the nation because of research findings that report associated increases in the acquisition of academic skills and knowledge, greater student engagement in their studies, and enhanced motivation to learn. Some educators are looking beyond traditional methods of instruction and exploring how technology, computing, and gaming may be integrated with student learning, including service-learning. Community Knowledgebase, LLP, a firm created at the University of Wisconsin by Professor Lewis Friedland, has developed software to support community-based research and service-learning. The software is based on the epistemic games research of David Williamson Shaffer in which young people use software tools to play roles that parallel adult professions. The current version is called Legislative Aide and is being tested in Hillsborough County Schools in Florida through a partnership between CIRCLE, Community Knowledgebase, University of South Florida, and the School District of Hillsborough County. A pilot, funded by the Department of Education, is being implemented from January to June 2009. In participating high schools, students role play as aides to an imaginary local elected official in a virtual legislative office. The students use the software to assist them in investigating real community problems and proposing real community action plans to address the problems. Researchers are collecting implementation and outcome data throughout the pilot to guide improvements to the program. They eventually plan to make the program available on a larger scale to schools throughout the nation.

Paper Title: Learning by Doing: A Constructionist Approach to Social Studies Simulation Games

Author: Joseph R. Feinberg, Georgia State University

Instructional simulation games are powerful models of the real world that allow students to interact with events and objects that are normally inaccessible within a classroom setting. Yet, simply using an instructional simulation ignores powerful learning opportunities. Papert (1991) advocates going beyond simply using model. He promotes a fundamental change in how children learn through his theory of constructionism. Instead of constructivism with a “v,” Papert advocates a theory of learning called constructionism with an “n.” Constructionism borrows from constructivist theory that learners actively construct knowledge from their experiences. But constructionism adds that new ideas are more likely to emerge when learners are actively engaged in designing or building an artifact or physical model that can be reflected upon and shared with others. Web 2.0 offers many opportunities for students to build and share with others. In this presentation, the potential application of constructionism for social studies simulations will be shared and discussed with the implications of learning by doing.

Paper Title:  Tools for Digital Storytelling: Connecting Students to their Community

Author: Krista Glazewski & Christian McKay, New Mexico State University

Digital storytelling supports a variety of learning goals, including those that focus on both content and technology outcomes. In addition, digital storytelling may be used to connect students to their surrounding community and environment. In this presentation, we will demonstrate tools for digital storytelling, to include tools for film and soundscape production. We will also discuss use of these tools in the context of FilmKids, an afterschool storytelling project for upper elementary and middle school students.

BREAK

10:15 – 11:45 a.m.

Session 6:  

  Discussion Leader - Linda Bennett, University of Missouri

Paper Title: Microscopes and Telescopes: A Research Agenda for Studying Web 2.0 Learning Environments in the Social Studies and Beyond (.ppt) (.doc)

Author: Justin Reich, Harvard Graduate School of Education  

Web 2.0 technologies are transforming the civic and economic spheres, and educators are creating online learning environments with blogs, wikis and social networks as at an exponential rate. Web 2.0 platforms offer promising opportunities for students to develop 21^st century skills such as critical thinking, complex communication, and new media literacies, and they offer important new opportunities for researchers. Since publically hosted blogs and wikis create accessible historical records of activity, they represent an enormous new database of millions of student-teacher interactions available for investigation. The possibilities for new methodologies in social studies research are diverse and exciting. This paper proposes an agenda for social studies researchers to holistically investigate social media through observational research, computational simulation, content analysis, the development of quality instruments, computational semantic analysis, and longitudinal statistical research. Through these diverse techniques, researchers will be able to study individual learning environments under microscopes and the universe of social media in the social studies through telescopes.

Paper Title: Participatory Media & Civic Education: Refocusing Social Use of Web 2.0 for Academic Purposes (.doc) (.ppt)

 Author:  Joe O'Brien, University of Kansas

LUNCH (12 – 12:45 p.m.)

- Discussion: Next steps? Where do we go from here?