I had a difficult time finding a lesson plan that incorporated both technology and social studies. I say find because I'm not in Instructional Design so I haven't had to prepare one. Anyway, I found one that I was interested in, and that includes just about as much technology as I experienced in every one of my social studies classes so far.
The amount of technology, like I said before, is limited at best. In every history class I've ever taken that amount of technology used in the lessons has been no more than watching a movie every once in awhile, using overheads, or power points. I think that is awful. Listening to a teacher lecture for a hour is hardly a way to explore the past.
Some ideas that I have to possibly improve upon this lesson plan could be to listening to Dr. King's speech or watching the video of the speech. I know that when I was growing up and learning about the Civil Rights Movement, we read the speech in class and weren't allowed to use the word "Negro." However, there is something different about watching the man who had the dream deliver his speech in front of thousands of cheering people and standing in front of the Washington Monument. Also, being able to listen to the actual speech makes the person who delivered it that much more real. For example, I listened to Robert Kennedy deliver a speech about Martin Luther King's death and it made him seem like a real person, because I had only seen his picture before.
Besides listening to speeches and watching their deliveries I pulled up the digital timeline and checked out some of the social events of the time. One of the first ones that I found was the Rosa Parks event and the first sit-in.
Some of the technology needed to incorporate this technology into the lesson would be at least one computer, projector, speakers, internet connection, and maybe a SMARTboard. Ideally, each student could have their own personal computer and each explore a different video or audio clip. However, if that is not possible the teacher can find one he/she deems the most important and play it on the classroom computer and project it onto the screen. It would be most interactive and intriguing to use a SMARTboard while viewing the Digital Timeline. The best part about these technological implements is there are flexible. If there are not enough computers for each student than only one is needed. If there is not wireless internet than only one LAN line is needed. Also, none of these ideas require software or licensing.
I guess some possible challenges to all of this technology could be a loss of internet connection or computer to speaker to video connection problems. Eventually, these websites might be removed or they might remove their video or their audio files. To overcome these problems, the teacher should have a basic knowledge of troubleshooting (i.e. technological problem solving). It isn't feasible for a teacher to be fluent in the language of technology but to have a basic understanding is a must. As for the removal of websites or website aspects, there is always something new on the internet.
The NETS (for 8th grade proficiency) which are satisfied by this lesson are 1a except for part 5, because the lesson did not focus on the changes in technology over time and their effect on business. I believe that 1b was covered, because of all the different file formats used to access the different media, and they would be exposed to some problems because there is almost always problems with classroom technology. NET 2 could be satisfied if the teacher took time to discuss all of the related topics. However, that would be better suited for a one time occasion, most likely at the beginning of the year and not during each lesson. NET 3 could definitely be incorporated into the lesson and be satisfied. However, the lesson plan would have to go one step further and assign a project to do. I think that students could take what they've learned from the Civil Rights Activists and fight for something that they strongly believe in that is happening in the world today (there are still a lot of oppressed people groups in the world today). They could make blogs and podcasts or anything they wanted to really. NET 4 would go along perfectly with the assignment I thought for NET 3. They could use all of these forms of media and technology to get their message out there to the public. NET 5 I think most students would have already satisfied just by using the internet at home, except 5b which is not satisfied in this lesson plan. NET 6 is definitely satisfied in this lesson plan, because there are multiple forms of technology with is going to be used and displayed for the students.
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