Reading Like a Historian

In addition to technology and Common Core, I found something interesting for those who teach history:

An InfoGraphic from Visual.ly.com about the Teaching Profession

   
   

    Teaching">http://visual.ly/teaching-america-glimpse-teaching-profession/?utm_source=visually_embed">Teaching America: A Glimpse at The Teaching Profession infographic

by obizmedia.
  
   
   
   
 

Technology in the Classroom: My Journey

So this summer I have made it my mission to become more technologically competent.  I had this same goal two summers ago and failed miserably.  All you have to do is to look back on my blog posts and see that it went nowhere.  I have decided to embark upon this again for several reasons.  In the past school year, I have become more and more dependent on technology to teach my class.  I received an ipad to use in the classroom and discovered a couple of apps to make life a little easier.  I have really enjoyed using Socrative so my students can take quizzes using their smart phones.  I have used the mobile computer lab a couple of times to have students use technology.  I really should mention that I have a Promethean board and it was one of the first technologies that pushed me into using technology in the classroom.

The idea of the flipped classroom has also motivated me to embark upon this journey again.  I think that ideas like the flipped classroom is where education is headed.  For years now, the trend in education has been moving the teacher from the front of the classroom as leader to working with students in collaborative settings as facilitator.  This trend works quite well with technology.  As a teacher, I have been asked to include technology in me lessons more and more.  Most students are already using many of the tools that teachers are starting to embrace like blogging and Twitter.  The flipped classroom allows teachers to capitalize on this.  Students are asked to review all of the materials before coming to class.  So the student would view the lecture online and investigate some primary documents before coming to class.  Class time could be used for collaborative work and extension activities to broaden students understanding or at the very least, offer the teacher time to remediate those students who have not been able to process the material while giving advanced students the opportunity to expand their knowledge with collaborative projects.

My desire for a 1:1 classroom also motivates me to continue this journey.  As technology becomes more prevalent in our students' lives, the classroom must keep up with it.  Moving from the traditional pencil and paper classroom to the digital classroom is happening now.  I hope to be on the forefront of this movement. 

So stay with me as I try to further this journey.  If you are looking for resources or information for technology in the classroom, follow me on Twitter (@RebeccaBidwell).  Come back and see how I've been doing.  Let me know what you think

This is a VERY short video I created with Animoto about Birmingham and our school:

Here is an interactive image created by Thinglink about the Vulcan statue in Birmingham, Alabama.  The links highlight different things related to Birmingham's industrial development.

Here is a getting to know you form that I would like for my students to complete the first day of school:

Common Core

Here is a video about using the language of the Common Core.  I think using the Common Core is a huge step forward for the students that I teach.

Posting to my blog

I am trying to complete the challenge for blogging at the workshop. Please be patient with me.

Rebecca Bidwell
Social Studies teacher and Department Chair
Center Point High School
1000 Eagle Drive
Birmingham, Alabama
(205)379-3400
rbidwell@jefcoed.com

Today was the first day of a teaching history with technology workshop.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I am familiar with a lot of the different tools.  I certainly am not proficient in most of them and there were many other things that I had no clue about.  The important question is how am I going to incorporate these things into my teaching practices.  I do not want to be one of those people who attends these things and then nothing comes of it.

One of the things that I want to use in my classroom this year is this blog.  I want to be able to post relevant information in a structured format and have the students comment or respond.  There are many obstacles to this but I am going to "jump in" as they say.  If I fall flat on my face then it won't be the first time.  I set this blog up over two years ago and other than a few initial posts, I did nothing with it.  Since then, I have learned several techniques to make this experience more meaningful for the students.

In addition to blogging, I wanted to mention some of the other things I have learned.  Most of my colleagues know that I have been flirting with the idea of incorporating the idea of the flipped classroom into my instruction.  The Teaching History with Technology workshop has helped me find ways to evaluate sites and has helped me to feel more comfortable just using technology.

Needless to say, it's going to be an adventure . . .

Trying out something new

I realize it has been quite some time since I posted something to my blog.  I have been learning some new things about technology and I decided to blow the dust off of my blog.  Specifically, I am trying to help out some of my night school students whose accounts have not been added to the course roster, yet.  So here goes: students-tell me something that you LIKE about history.  I realize that there are a lot of things about history that you do not like but try to find something you like.  Post a thread to this discussion telling me something you like (about history); why you like it; and would it change your mind about your history classes if you could do it again.  Here are some restrictions: keep it clean!  Remember that this is about history-not what's going on at the rec center.  I am anxious to hear what you have to say.