Content to Classroom

What happens when a trusted source publishes an incredibly problematic article? We refute it.

Are you a teacher looking to participate in professional development this summer? Want to make the most out of your summer as a teacher? Don’t feel overwhelmed by the application process. We can help Our panelists - Ben Boyce with the Jack Miller Center, Sarah Harris with the National Constitution Center, and Jeff Scott with the Freedoms Foundation - are insiders with nationally renowned institutions who share with us their firsthand experiences and all the tips you need to get accepted into the program of your dreams! 

Current trends in social studies education, including within Virginia, point towards deeper learning experiences as the north star of desired practice. In 2015, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) revised curriculum framework for social studies introduced a standard dedicated to history and social science thinking skills. Emphasizing the use of disciplinary concepts and a pedagogy centered on inquiry, Virginia’s future embraces constructivist pedagogies and the use of performance assessments to demonstrate student learning.  The shifts are polar opposites of what many VA. teachers have been used to since the early 21st century. In turn, rote memorization and teacher centered instruction continue to be held as markers of successful and valuable teaching and learning.  The alternative to this approach is a pedagogy of deeper learning.  

Today's episode explores the War in Ukraine with Dr. Yannis Stivachtis and Colin Baker from the Center for the European Union and Transatlantic Transeuropean Space Studies at Virginia Tech. 

Visit the CEUTTSS website: https://liberalarts.vt.edu/research-centers/ceuttss.html 

Links from today's episode:

Escape Rooms have been all the rage over the past few years. For those that don't know, escape rooms are just that... a room you must escape from. Usually, there is a theme to an escape room, and it is up to you and whomever you're with to solve a series of puzzles in under an hour to "escape" the room. As an avid escape room hobbyist, I wondered if this concept could be applied to the classroom. Sure enough, it can! Through a variety of different platforms, teachers can use or create their own escape room right in the classroom. It encourages collaboration amongst groups, critical thinking and evaluation, and to just have fun! This concept can be used to introduce content, review content, or even teach content. My students have tried to keep the villainous Ms. G. (that's me) from pulling a Carmen Sandiego and stealing major monuments throughout Europe (World Geography), and they've tried to save Julius Caesar from his gruesome fate. The sky is the limit with these activities, not to mention it is so fun to see students engaged (and frustrated) with the content. Escape rooms can be done with physical locks or they can be done through a digital platform. I have more experience creating and using digital escape rooms than physical. There is also a website called Breakout EDU that allows teachers to create themed content right there on their website for virtual learning, as well as offering information on how to get started with in-person activities.

Apply to be a podcast guest: https://forms.gle/CmtMKwZxMGPcM1jX9 

All of Jenn's amazing links:

Join VCSS Vice President and host, Sam Futrell, as she interviews David Olson, the Director of Education for Retro Report. Prior to joining Retro Report, David was an award-winning teacher of U.S. History, A.P. U.S. Government and Politics and Criminal Justice at a public high school in Madison, Wisc. His expertise and passion for teaching social studies shine through on this episode as he shares what Retro Report does and how to incorporate this fantastic resource into your social studies classroom. David and Sam also discuss how to reinforce the relevance of historical content with current events along with strategies for how to get students interested in learning about things happening in their world right now.

Join Sam Futrell as she interviews professors Dr. Mark Herlihy and Dr. Elizabeth Matelski about the historical implications of the Salem Witch Trials. Together, we explore the social, cultural, and political causes of the Salem Witch Trials (SWT), discuss the major players in the SWT and seventeenth-century Puritanism. We'll also talk about the significant effects of the SWT, including how the SWT serves as an archetype for mob mentality and the oppression of marginalized groups in both literature and history. And of course, we'll share ideas/strategies for how educators can use/teach the Salem Witch Trials in their classrooms

Dr. Mark Herlihy started at Endicott in 2001 as an Assistant Professor of History. He teaches "Salem Witch Trials," "Boston History," "Public History," and "American Suburbia," among other courses. He has presented papers at meetings of the American Studies Association, the Organization of American Historians, and at the Massachusetts Historical Society's Boston Immigration and Urban History Seminar. He is completing a book on the history of Revere Beach. Dr. Herlihy has been very active in the New England Historical Association and served a term as President of the organization. A native of Winchester, Massachusetts, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Tufts University and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in American Civilization at Brown University.

Dr. Matelski is a New England transplant from the upper Midwest. Her teaching interests include American multiculturalism, popular culture, and incorporating digital technologies into the history classroom. In addition to teaching American history, she also created the Public History concentration for Endicott`s history majors. She is currently editing a book chapter on global beauty culture and conducting research for a book on Robin Mingo, an enslaved Black man after whom Mingo Beach is named.

Resources: 

Today, we are partnering with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. As you probably already know Saturday is the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon which resulted in the death of 2,996 people, over 25,000 injuries, and the start of the United States War on Terror.

It also resulted in the War in Afghanistan as well, which has received much attention in the news as of late with the Taliban’s takeover, the bombings of the Kabul airport, and the evacuation of Americans and Europeans from the country.

I was joined on today’s episode to discuss all of this as well as how to best remember 9/11 in our classrooms by the Vice President of Education at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Megan Jones, and the Assistant Director of Education, Jennifer Lagasse.

9/11 Memorial and Museum Resources:

Every third Thursday of the month, the Virginia Council for Social Studies hosts a virtual* meeting called "Scholars' Hour" in which teachers from around the state can gather to discuss social studies content, strategies, and technology.

This month, our topic is teaching social and emotional skills to students in 2021.

2020 brought many unexpected challenges for teachers and students alike. As we enter 2021, VCSS invites you to explore strategies that help teachers and students manage stress and practice mindfulness. Join our panel of experts as they discuss how to help students cope with anxiety and develop organizational skills, respond to traumatic news/events in the classroom, and find joy in difficult times.

Panelists for January

If you are a teacher in Virginia and want to learn about international relations and the European Union's role as a international government organization, then look no further than Virginia Tech, which has been newly honored as a Jean Monnet Center for Excellence. 

Jean Monnet Centers exist in only eleven colleges and universities throughout the United States. They function as "a focal point of competence and knowledge on European Union subjects, [bringing] together high-level experts to create links between the various disciplines and resources in European studies and to form links with academic institutions in other countries." In their essence, Jean Monnet Centers serve to educate American communities about the European Union and create dialogue around international issues. 

In this episode, Dr. Yannis Stivachtis, chair of VT's Jean Monnet Center, and Colin Baker, the Center's Assistant Director for Education and Outreach join Sam to discuss the history of the European Union, it's current challenges, and it's goals for 2021. 

If you teach anything relating to Europe, government, the modern world, or international relations, you MUST listen to this episode! 

(Plus, you'll love listening to Yannis and Colin's lovely European accents.)

Contact Colin Baker if you have any questions regarding the EU and Virginia Tech's Jean Monnet Center: cbakermcps@vt.edu 

Links for the episode:

Join Sam as she talks with the C-SPAN education team (Pam McGorry & Tom Grane) about past and present transitions of power in the White House! From exploring the logistics of this transition to analyzing  the media’s role in the formation of presidential power and image, this episode is one you are not going to want to miss. Plus, as always, you'll get ideas/strategies for how to incorporate this topic into your classroom and inspire your students to engage in civic action.