| Social Studies – Preparing Students for College, Career and Civic Life |  |
| Teaching & Learning
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- Nev. students turn current events into competition
 Twenty-six seniors from Reno High School in Nevada are participating in the national We the People program, which pits teams of high-school students against each other in a rapid-fire quiz competition that challenges their knowledge of current events as well as the Constitution, history and political theory. The team won the state competition and is getting ready for the national championships in April in Washington, D.C. "It means the world to them, and it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to them," said teacher Richard Clark. KTVN-TV (Reno, Nev.)
(2/20)
 
- Ind. students learn to "feel" history through families of the fallen
Students in teacher Tom Clark's memorabilia-filled classroom at Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind., learn U.S. history through people, not just books. For nearly 30 years, Clark has assigned students to find the families of hundreds of fallen U.S. service members, a process that has helped students learn stories to the names in the news. "Instead of just memorizing it, they learn how to feel history, to feel what America is all about," said Clark, a veteran of Afghanistan who does not test students on the project.  CBS News
(2/21)
- Making digital citizenship part of lessons
 One of the responsibilities of educators is to teach students to be digital citizens, writes Andrew Miller, an educational consultant and online educator. In this blog post, he writes that project-based learning is a "great way to target this objective in an engaging and authentic way." Miller suggests methods to teach students about digital citizenship, and recommends teachers create an authentic audience for projects and target content-area standards. Edutopia.org/Andrew Miller's blog
(2/21)
| Standards & Assessments
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- Survey captures teacher ambivalence about common core
As the transition to the Common Core State Standards presses on, a majority of teachers indicate they're ready for the curriculum and the changes it will bring to classroom lessons, according to the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. However, that same survey also found less enthusiasm among teachers and principals regarding whether the standards will have a significantly positive effect on student success and college readiness. Education Week/Curriculum Matters blog
(2/21)
- Will Fla. schools be tech-ready for common core?
Some Florida State Board of Education members voiced concerns during a meeting last week about whether schools will have adequate technology in place to implement Common Core State Standards assessments in 2015. The board had asked the state for $400 million in funding for new technology, but current budget proposals instead call for $100 million. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.)
(2/18)
| Technology in the Classroom
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- Digital tool aids teacher collaboration, development
Google Hangouts can help schools improve professional development and communication, writes Ben Johnson, an education consultant, online teacher and learning coach. In this blog post, he writes that the tool can help busy teachers collaborate and offers a lot of flexibility for teachers, who can participate in discussions from home or on-the-go. Educators also can use Google Hangouts to observe their peers, receive feedback and build instructional practices, among other things. Edutopia.org/Ben Johnson's blog
(2/19)
| Social Studies & Civic Life
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- Idaho students connect with children who are orphans in Africa
An art program called the Memory Project is helping connect art students at Idaho's Pocatello High School with children in orphanages in Africa. After receiving a photo of a child, the art students researched the economy, society and geography of the home of a child, whose portrait they paint and send back to the child. "It's a way for them to actually be involved in something greater than themselves and their project," said art teacher Jennifer VanWasshenova, who received a Service Learning Grant from the district to pay for program costs. KPVI-TV (Pocatello, Idaho)
(2/22)
| NCSS Updates
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Deadline for 2013 NCSS Annual Conference proposals
Today, Monday, Feb. 25, is the deadline to submit a proposal to present a session at the 2013 NCSS Annual Conference in St. Louis. The theme of the conference is "Social Studies: Gateway to the Core of Learning" and includes subthemes that address the Common Core; cross cultural collaboration; sustainability; social justice; sports in history; and music and popular culture. Learn more and submit a proposal.
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Conducting Socratic seminars: A leader's workshop with a focus on primary source documents from U.S. history
This NCSS Summer Professional Development Workshop, taught by nationally recognized Socratic seminar trainer John Zola, will help participants develop skills as Socratic seminar discussion leaders. Socratic seminars are teacher-led classroom discussions that promote higher-level thinking, more careful reading of texts, and increased skills of classroom and civil discussion. The workshop will be held Aug. 5 to 7 in Washington, D.C. Get more information.
| SmartQuote
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 | It is wonderful how much news there is when people write every other day; if they wait for a month, there is nothing that seems worth telling."
--Anna Masterton Buchan,
Scottish writer
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