| Social Studies – Preparing Students for College, Career and Civic Life |  |
- Fla. middle-school students join presidential debate press corps
Among the journalists covering tonight's debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Florida are eight students from John F. Kennedy Middle School in Riviera Beach. Their journalism teacher, Juan Lopez, was granted permission by officials at the debate site, Lynn University, for his students to participate since they had been using an online debate curriculum in the classroom. The students' stories will appear in the "The Viking Raid," the school newspaper, and in a school TV program. The Palm Beach Post (Fla.)
(10/20)
 
- Ind. history teacher preserves stories, connects with state's veterans
Students at Lake Central High School in Indiana get a personal experience in U.S. history by participating in a project teacher Tom Clark started 27 years ago. Year after year, Clark's students have archived documents and other items from Indiana's war veterans and their families. The project often brings powerful person-to-person contact with military veterans or their survivors that goes beyond numbers and dates. "This textbook is going to say 58,142 died" in Vietnam, Clark tells his students of American casualties. "Is that meaningful? No. That's why I do this." The Wall Street Journal
(10/19)
- Ham radio crackles back to life at Mo. high school
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, may seem like an antiquated hobby in the days of the Internet and rapidly changing communications devices, but not in Missouri's St. Charles High School ham radio club. Students are studying radio waves and ham-radio equipment -- which they have learned still plays an important role in an emergency -- to take the Federal Communications Commission exam to become a licensed ham-radio operator. Students say they are finding distinct rewards of talking with other ham-radio operators around the nation and around the world. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(10/18)
 | Master More Than Just Names and Dates
Learn from an institution that has been making significant history of its own since 1819. Informed by the American Historical Society's guidelines, Norwich University's Masters in History teaches you how to master the great historical debates in your field, conduct graduate level research in history, and open opportunities to apply for teaching jobs at the college level. Learn more >>
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| Standards & Assessments
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- Core standards are changing classroom dynamics
Because of the emphasis the Common Core State Standards place on critical thinking and making sure students understand how they arrived at their answers, lessons are becoming much more like two-way conversations, rather than one-way lectures. "It shouldn't be quiet when the teacher is giving the lesson," said Chaparral Elementary School teacher Lynn Takacs. "We want them to be active, to be giving input. The kids will say to each other, 'Hey, I like how you solved that.' " The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.)
(10/22)
| Technology in the Classroom
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- Tips on using infographics as a student research project
Educator Joyce Valenza writes in this blog post about a project in which she and other teachers had students create an infographic poster to organize and present their research on global issues, such as the East African Hunger Crisis. She discusses how to group students, such as making sure each group has students proficient in the software programs, and which software programs are useful for such a project. "It's a way for them to practice media literacy, data crunching and communication skills," Valenza explains. School Library Journal/Never Ending Search blog
(10/16)
- NAEP tests move into the 21st century
Updates to the National Assessment of Educational Progress include a writing section that is computer-based and also tests students on their use of functions such as spell check. "This is a very exciting time for us," said Mary Crovo, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board. "[Technology] is becoming more the norm than the exception in our nation's schools and certainly the way students communicate in college and the workplace." Digital Directions (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)
(10/22)
- Teachers have oversight of technology in BYOD program
A New Jersey school board has voted to allow students to use their personal technology, such as iPads and smartphones, in school -- as long as they follow certain rules. A newly adopted policy requires students to have permission from school staff as well as a parent or guardian. Teachers have discretion about whether students can use the devices in class, and teachers have been asked to provide a list of approved websites for students, the board said. Patch.com/Lacey, N.J.
(10/17)
| Social Studies & Civic Life
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- Mysterious private map collection finds a route to public library
The Los Angeles' Central Library is the recipient of a map collection found in the home John Feathers, a retired hospital dietitian who died in February. Map librarian Glen Creason, who estimates the collection includes one million maps, received the maps from a real estate agent who was tasked with preparing Feathers' home for demolition. "He has every type of map imaginable. There's a 1956 pictorial map of Lubbock, Texas. He's got a 1942 Jack Renie Street Guide of Los Angeles," Creason said. Los Angeles Times(tiered subscription model)
(10/19)
| NCSS Updates
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NCSS Annual Conference among 50 fastest growing
The 2011 NCSS Annual Conference was recently named by Trade Show Executive Magazine as one of the 50 fastest growing shows in the country. The conference ranked 5th in growth in attendance (increasing 45% over 2010) and 21st in the increase in the number of exhibitors (a 20% increase over 2010). See the full rankings in the August 2012 Trade Show Executive.
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Annual conference highlight: Common Core Standards for ELA and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
 Social studies and literacy are mutually inclusive. The ability to understand vocabulary and concepts is an essential part of the social studies, and social studies offers many rich topics to use to teach literacy skills. The 2012 NCSS Annual Conference offers a large number of sessions that demonstrate how to integrate literacy into social studies content or address the Common Core Standards for Ela and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. See a list of related Annual Conference sessions.
| SmartQuote
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 | The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future."
--John Maynard Keynes,
British economist
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