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.

First Day of School

Its the first day of school and hopefully you are excited.  In my class we will be discussing a variety of issues related to American History.  As you may have heard in my Voki, we will be using this blog and my wikispace this school year.  Hopefully it will be something you can enjoy.  I will ask you at different times throughout the semester to respond to discussions here by posting a reply.  These discussions will center on the topic being discussed in class.  So if you have questions about what is going on in class you can post the question or you can go to my wikispace: historyandmrsbidwell.wikispace.com and see if you can find the answer there.  I hope that your first day is a good one and I hope that you have a wonderful school year.

Mrs. B

Decisions, Decisions

I am awash in ideas for my classroom this year but I cannot settle on any one thing that I want to do.  I know that I want to use the new technology I've worked on this summer.  I know I want to use interactive notebooks.  I know I want to increase the use of primary documents in my regular education classes.  Procrastination is setting in and I think I have plenty of time but I do not.  There is now less than a month before school starts once again and all my free time will be gone.  So what to do?  I know what I need to do: set up a to do list which is prioritized by what needs to happen first.  That is what I will work on.  Wish me luck!

What would I do without her?

If you read my earlier post you know that I was stymied by my lack of technological know-how for inserting widgets into my blog.  My niece, my WONDERFUL niece, helped me figure it out.  I am very blessed to have her in my life and I enjoy our chats!