Professional Inquiry Project - Make Social Studies Great Again
Following current events is an essential part in becoming informed and participatory citizens, and current events are critical in the skills associated with Social Studies. This Professional Inquiry Project (PIP) addresses the need to adapt as Social Studies teachers in an everchanging world. We acknowledge that the world has changed so much over the past decade, and in the classroom that is evident. New technologies that did not exist ten years ago are starting to emerge and are keeping students engaged in a world where their expertise is largely digital; so the question exists: why do Social Studies teachers turn to the same strategies to teach current events in the present day?
Everyday students have access to an information highway – the Internet – where they are exposed to an overwhelming amount of news even on the social media apps that they frequent. Most of my students responded in a survey saying they get most of their news on Instagram or Snapchat. Initially I found this troubling, how can students possibly become informed citizens through getting their news on social media? Through reflection, I found that this is not a problem at all, in fact I would argue that this presents a unique opportunity. For the first time in human history, students are actively on the news. Think about it! When most people were students (myself included), only payed attention to news when they have to – simply because of access. A decade ago, the technology was there, but a majority of people still got their news from newspapers, magazines, television, and radio; students did not and still do not follow these mediums – students get their news online.
Reflecting further on the issue, I ended up stumbling upon my PIP idea. I was trying to find something to do with teaching Social Studies – but I was at an impasse. Then as I started to think about current events and how students get them, I thought about the problems associated with the way students get their news, and I repeatedly came back to a phrase popularized by current U.S. president Donald Trump: Fake News. I understand Donald Trump is a controversial figure, but his idea of Fake News inspired me. Students are exposed to so much information in a day, and through conversations with my students, a lot of them have trouble discerning between what is reliable information, and what is not. I was relieved after those conversations – because I had found my PIP.
The question then exists:
How can I best prepare students to evaluate popular media sources for the purpose of nurturing informed citizenship?
My project’s scope is directed at having students question what they read, understand what a credible source is, challenge different perspectives, and think critically about current events for the purpose of informing their citizenship. Through this project I will learn how to create an effective current events project, how to evaluate students’ critical thinking, and learn how to best prepare my current and future students to face the often daunting world of Fake News.
Everyday students have access to an information highway – the Internet – where they are exposed to an overwhelming amount of news even on the social media apps that they frequent. Most of my students responded in a survey saying they get most of their news on Instagram or Snapchat. Initially I found this troubling, how can students possibly become informed citizens through getting their news on social media? Through reflection, I found that this is not a problem at all, in fact I would argue that this presents a unique opportunity. For the first time in human history, students are actively on the news. Think about it! When most people were students (myself included), only payed attention to news when they have to – simply because of access. A decade ago, the technology was there, but a majority of people still got their news from newspapers, magazines, television, and radio; students did not and still do not follow these mediums – students get their news online.
Reflecting further on the issue, I ended up stumbling upon my PIP idea. I was trying to find something to do with teaching Social Studies – but I was at an impasse. Then as I started to think about current events and how students get them, I thought about the problems associated with the way students get their news, and I repeatedly came back to a phrase popularized by current U.S. president Donald Trump: Fake News. I understand Donald Trump is a controversial figure, but his idea of Fake News inspired me. Students are exposed to so much information in a day, and through conversations with my students, a lot of them have trouble discerning between what is reliable information, and what is not. I was relieved after those conversations – because I had found my PIP.
The question then exists:
How can I best prepare students to evaluate popular media sources for the purpose of nurturing informed citizenship?
My project’s scope is directed at having students question what they read, understand what a credible source is, challenge different perspectives, and think critically about current events for the purpose of informing their citizenship. Through this project I will learn how to create an effective current events project, how to evaluate students’ critical thinking, and learn how to best prepare my current and future students to face the often daunting world of Fake News.
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KSAs
a) contextual variables affect teaching and learning. They know how to analyse many variables at one time, and how to respond by making reasoned decisions about their teaching practice and students’ learning;
The students in my classes responded much more effectively to the type of project that I ended up creating as I adapted an early draft to what it is now. The old one was extremely reflective with lots of reflective questions, but the students started to resent the use of reflection because of the amount they were doing. Therefore I was able to make a decision to adapt the project to make it more inquiry based and engaging so that my students could enjoy the project, create meaningful learning experiences, and do their very best work. Doing this I was analyzing multiple variables such as the creation/administration of the project, the assessment of the project, and my students interests and needs.
The students in my classes responded much more effectively to the type of project that I ended up creating as I adapted an early draft to what it is now. The old one was extremely reflective with lots of reflective questions, but the students started to resent the use of reflection because of the amount they were doing. Therefore I was able to make a decision to adapt the project to make it more inquiry based and engaging so that my students could enjoy the project, create meaningful learning experiences, and do their very best work. Doing this I was analyzing multiple variables such as the creation/administration of the project, the assessment of the project, and my students interests and needs.
c) the purposes of the Guide to Education and programs of study germane to the specialization or subject disciplines they are prepared to teach. They know how to use these documents to inform and direct their planning, instruction and assessment of student progress;
This project was designed to address a significant amount of outcomes in the Social Studies program of studies - primarily skill outcomes. In completing this project, students were able to reach many outcomes, and the assessment of the project reaches all of these meaningfully so I can ensure students are reaching these outcomes.
Outcomes integrated in the project:
S.1 – Students will develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:
This project was designed to address a significant amount of outcomes in the Social Studies program of studies - primarily skill outcomes. In completing this project, students were able to reach many outcomes, and the assessment of the project reaches all of these meaningfully so I can ensure students are reaching these outcomes.
Outcomes integrated in the project:
S.1 – Students will develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:
- evaluate ideas and information from multiple sources
- determine relationships among multiple and varied sources of information
- assess the validity of information based on context, bias, sources, objectivity, evidence or reliability
- predict likely outcomes based on factual information
- analyze current affairs from a variety of perspectives
- use current, reliable information sources from around the world
- demonstrate leadership in groups to achieve consensus, solve problems, formulate positions and take action, if appropriate, on important issues
- develop inquiry strategies to make decisions and solve problems
- generate and apply new ideas and strategies to contribute to decision making and problem solving
- develop, express and defend an informed position on an issue
- reflect on changes of points of view or opinion based on information gathered and research conducted
- draw pertinent conclusions based on evidence derived from research
- demonstrate proficiency in the use of research tools and strategies to investigate issues
- consult a wide variety of sources, including oral histories, that reflect varied perspectives on particular issues
- integrate and synthesize argumentation and evidence to provide an informed opinion on a research question or an issue of inquiry
- select and analyze relevant information when conducting research
- record relevant data for acknowledging sources of information, and cite sources correctly
- respect ownership and integrity of information
- apply information technologies for context (situation, audience and purpose) to extend and communicate understanding of complex issues
- use appropriate presentation software to demonstrate personal understandings
- compose, revise and edit text
- apply general principles of graphic layout and design to a document in process
- understand that different types of information may be used to manipulate and control a message (e.g., graphics, photographs, graphs, charts and statistics)
- apply principles of graphic design to enhance meaning and engage audiences
- assess the authority, reliability and validity of electronically accessed information
- evaluate the validity of various points of view presented in the media
- appraise information from multiple sources, evaluating each source in terms of the author’s perspective or bias and use of evidence
- analyze the impact of various forms of media, identifying complexities and discrepancies in the information and making distinctions between sound generalizations and misleading oversimplification
- demonstrate discriminatory selection of electronically accessed information that is relevant to a particular topic
e) all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different ways. They know how (including when and how to engage others) to identify students’ different learning styles and ways students learn. They understand the need to respond to differences by creating multiple paths to learning for individuals and groups of students, including students with special learning needs;
During the administration of this project, I was extremely accommodating to students needs by giving them choice on how they completed their research, providing multiple different mediums for them to complete research, giving students choice in their final product, and giving them choice in their topic so it is one that interests them.
During the administration of this project, I was extremely accommodating to students needs by giving them choice on how they completed their research, providing multiple different mediums for them to complete research, giving students choice in their final product, and giving them choice in their topic so it is one that interests them.