Final Reflection

Final Reflection

Block CUAI 4220

          How can we integrate social studies?  How can we encourage ALL school districts to keep social studies teaching proactive?  That is truly what I have learned this semester is the importance and appreciation for social studies.  The curriculum in this class and in my field observation class has taught me that I can integrate and support social studies teaching.

          Basically it is simple!  There are several examples of an active learning environment in the classroom.  Social studies can be taught by having students participate in a living history museum.  This is what I got to participate in.  I was unsure if I would enjoy this assignment and if I would learn anything from it.  I learned a lot and truly enjoyed it.  I think this is a great assignment for my students.  They can relate the information they learn with their peers.  This will help them retain the information better.  Other forms of active learning are fieldtrips, plays, reader’s theater and photo diaries.  The photo diary is a different approach.  I took pictures of random objects and reflected it to social studies events and learning.  Keeping students active in their learning helps them absorb and retain information.  Let’s teach our students to “absorb” not just “do” history.

          If you’re going to keep your students active, it is important to keep consistent classroom management.  Why not let the students play a role in planning the classroom management in the classroom?  Teach in a democratic state of mind.  Show your students respect and they will respect you.  Allow the class, along with your guidance, to form the rules and vote on duties and jobs that need to be followed in the classroom. 

          Teach your students to form their own opinions and find the facts.  Where can we find the facts?  Do all social studies texts books tell the truth?  Even though we are teachers we may not have all the answers.  (It’s ok for your students to know this.)  Teach them to investigate and research.  This will support their learning through comprehension and critical thinking skills.  Don’t get me wrong I am not trying to bash textbooks.  Textbooks are a good resource, but it is important that we back up information by taking advantage of technology, reading maps, and other forms of literature related to social studies.

          How will I have enough time to teach history, geography, government, culture, diversity, and citizenship?  EASY,  Integration!  Integration is a teacher’s best friend. Fortunately my mentoring teacher this semester integrated social studies every day.  Keep it simple and learn to add social studies in your everyday language.  For example, if the students are acting up ask them, “Are we acting like good citizens?”  Turn it into a citizenship lesson.  Provide a variety of social studies literature in your classroom.

          However you choose to teach social studies is up to you and your students learning styles but whatever you do TEACH IT!  Remember, everything that happens around us, whether it is a natural disaster or an economic collapse, affect we the people of the world.  Teach your students this.  It will teach them to be socially responsible and socially compassionate.  Your students are the world’s future citizens.  

Universal Values

Universal Values

            This article is interesting to me?  I think that it is remarkable for this school to have some many students with different religious beliefs and teach them so many different religious cultures.  The problem with this in the United States is that we are too “politically correct.”  We fear so much that we put fear into our children.  Maybe if we taught this Universal Values concept in schools students would learn to respect each other’s point of views a little better.

            We set guide lines or rules in the classroom everyday for our students.  How is that any different from showing kindness, compassion, cooperation, and responsibility?  It’s not; it is in our hidden curriculum or even posted as our rules on the wall in our classroom.  For example, treat others the way you want to be treated.  I think that should be the first rule in every classroom. 

            The City Montessori School in India teaches the concept of “universal values,” and the students are expected to practice these values, not only by the faculty, but by the parents.  This leads me to believe that the faculty and the parents work closely together.  India’s population is so large, if that many people can get along and work together then anyone should be able too.

            Even with extreme diversity and a large population, the faculties incorporate religious diversity into their curriculum.  Like the “tolerance” article that we read about, this is a good example of how tolerance can be taught in school.  The City Montessori School’s just want their students to have an appreciation for others.  These students are probably more knowledgeable than many of our students in the United States because they are exposed to excepted diversity in their educational setting.

            The school’s universal value approach concentrates on the students exemplifying excellence, global understanding, and service.  These students help out by providing their services to the local communities and villages through an exchange program with twenty different schools in different countries. The City Montessori School is nothing more than humanitarians.  Global understanding would be a good component for our students in the classroom.  The students could look up global current events on the internet, in news papers or magazines.  Our students need to be aware of what is going on in the rest of the world.

            The school shares the diversity of religion by taking advantage of what their wonderful land has to offer.  The students visit many Indian holy places such as: Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Baha’i, and Jain.  There are probably many adults who have never heard of some of these places.  I don’t feel that they are teaching these students the different religions in order to change their minds about the religion they believe and practice.  I would love to be able to teach and learn about the global religions, traditions, and cultures.  Parents are scared and concerned about what their children are learning.  That is the problem, people are afraid of the unknown.   That is why there is a lack of tolerance.

            The point is we need to have appreciation for others and their values.  The United States is not the only country on the planet.  More people need to realize that.  If we do not learn or teach, no one will ever no.  I took World Literature a few years ago.  I loved that class because we read and studied many global stories.  When I tell people that I had to read part of the Koran they cringe.  There are many parallels between the Koran and the Bible, but reading the Koran did not change my spiritual beliefs.  I know elementary students are young and impressionable, but reading global literature, making a craft that they would make in China, investigating religious holidays that are celebrated in different countries, or even researching some of the different religions should not scare us.