Fall+Semester+Reflections

Stock Project Start:

I chose 8 companies to invest in. I did this in order to diversify a bit. The prominent 3 companies that I hope to produce the best yeild during the project are Apple, Google, and a heating oil company. I chose the heating company due to the time of year (the coldest months yet to come), and Apple and Google because they have traditionally performed well and have gained consistently over their lifetimes.

GOOG APPL UHN

Reflection For Week 14



This is a Chinese Map for 1418 that I found at: http://gchess.bizland.com/Ancient%20Maps.htm

a. Try to locate the map’s date, authorship, nationality, language, and other background information. This map is a Chinese map that supposedly dates to 1418. The map is the source of some controversy because of its date. If the map indeed dates to 1418, then it suggests that the Chinese may have been the peoples to 'discover the new world' and not Colombus. Although this proposition begs a a reassessment of the definition for 'discover' and 'new world' the map is a significant historical artifact. The shapes of North and South America are rough, but detectible. The maps distortion could certainly be attributed to limited technology in the hands of Chinese explorers if indeed the map is as old as some claim.

b. Explain the distortion that you see AND explain WHY the distortion exists according to the question on the top of page 23 in Segall’s piece //Maps As Stories About The World//.

Distortion (in the case of cartography) is the shrinking or enlarging of certain geographical figures based on the style of map, inaccuracy of information, the author's agenda or perspective, or other factor. In this map, most of the world displays some distortion. Africa appears more narrow, South America misshapen, Florida and Mexico merge, and other disproportional aspects occur. This map is a perfect example of how the perspective of the author shaped the construction of his map. First of all, the center of the map and most geographically accurate portion are in Asia. This is most likely due to the Chinese origin of the author. The Asia-centric map assumes that this region holds the power and significance on the world stage.

2. a. Of the following maps, which one do you find most accurate and why:

The Molleweide map is the map that strikes me as the most accurate due to its inclusion of the round characteristics of the earth. It is relatively easy to get an idea of the size. It seems to take a sampling of techniques (In accordance with what Phil Janis already noted) and combine them to compose a more accurate view of landmass size, placement and mass. It is Afro-centric and traditionally positioned to reflect a northward up and southward down component. These are all constructions, but given the 2 dimentional constraints, this map does the most effective job of communicating the landmass size, shape, placement and mass.

b. The proposed lesson were said to be for upper elementary, yet they could work well in a graduate school; they have great utility. What of the proposed lessons do you find most helpful in teaching the constructed nature of maps and WHY?

This lesson, and especially the part including the piece by Avner Segall were quite effective in challenging previously conceived notions about the neutrality of maps. I think it is a crucial part in the instruction of geography, culture, history and many other disciplines because it plays tho the diversity of the human experience. It is easy to take maps as an objective source without examining their subtle subjectivities. Shedding light on these principles is a great step in establishing critical thinking and global awareness in a classroom of any age.

Reflection For Week 13

For the following unit: **Prohibition** Propose a lesson, activity, or what-have-you that addresses the following mode of learning: a. Kinetic Activity I could design a role play which would highlight the inefficiency of the police force. I would have the entire class carrying out an activity which one of the students must regulate. I will encourage the class to do an alternate activity. This will be extremely brief and will illustrate how difficult it was to stop or regulate bootleggers. This will lead into a discussion of the rise of organized crime.

b. Solo-Reading: A non-textbook article or relevant current event http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/opinion/sunday/the-not-so-roaring-20s.html?_r=1&ref=prohibitionera19201933

This is a New York Times article that argues that Prohibition did not drive up the murder rate as many historians have attested. This could lead to a productive structured debate that could be an effective way of bringing students to a better understanding of the era of Prohibition.

c. Music: song or musical activity http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=952

This website, funded by the Smithsonian Institute, provides a list of songs by the New Lost City Ramblers which were recorded in 1962. Each song relates in a specific way to the era of Prohibition. The songs need to be purchased, but previews can be heard of all of the songs which could give a flavor of the content of the collection. d. Interpersonal: Design something that will get students “in the head of” of someone (generally like a Prohibitionist or specifically like LBJ or MLK) from your unit.

I would design an activity in which I would divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 and give each student a deferent character. Each student would read a blurb about their character and the position they held on prohibition and why. This would lead into a structured debate in each group about both sides of the prohibition debate. This will put students in the shoes of both Prohibitionists and Anti-prohibitionists and scaffold them into expanding their debate and conversation skills.

Reflection For Week 12

1. a. What is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? Give an example of each motivation that you have seen used in classrooms.

Extrinsic motivation occurs when an external factor such as a potential praise or reward is granted to an individual. For example, in a classroom, the teacher may decide to hand out jolly rancher candies to each student who gives a thoughtful answer. The students who desire a jolly rancher are more likely to attempt to answer questions with the extrinsic motivation of the retrieval of candy. Intrinsic motivation occurs when an internal factor based on the value of a given activity drives an individual to complete that activity. I have seen teachers ask classes of which section of the course they are most interested. Then the teacher took the results and crafted certain lesson plans to correspond with students interests. This teacher is utilizing intrinsic motivation by allowing student motivation to come from a true sense of value and interest in the material and learning process.

b. Explain what type of motivation was most pronounced in Ben Pineda’s teaching at Haslett Middle School on 11/16/11; be specific and justify your answer.

Although, as the instructional strategies text points out, motivation cannot be exclusively extrinsic or intrinsic, Ben's teaching played much more to an intrinsic motivation from students. Ben did an extremely good job of connecting material to relevancy to the kids. Thus, students were already in the mindset of the connections that they had with the bill of rights rather than just studying a list out of a textbook. In addition, Ben used storytelling to illustrate concepts. This instructional tool lends itself to intrinsic motivation because individuals often connect to stories because they exemplify personal relevance by citing how the concepts have affected individuals.

2. a. What is a multicultural education?

This term basically refers to the aim of providing students of all social, racial, ethnic, gender, and other experiences with a fair and representative education. The goal is to explore and represent each and every diverse community fairly and clearly toward the end of developing an inclusive learning community.

b. How do you plan to employ a multicultural education in your future practice … even if you don’t have a “diverse” classroom?

The first step towards the enactment of multicultural education is the education through cultural awareness as well as challenging predisposed opinions and feelings towards cultural coexistence. In a "diverse" classroom, creating a safe, cooperative environment would be essential, as would bringing in a variety of sources and curriculum from different cultural backgrounds. If there is not a "diverse" classroom there should still be as much of an emphasis on multicultural sources and curriculum. In addition, making students aware of who is not in the classroom and discussing the often difficult question of why can be important. In this type of classroom it is very important to seek multicultural equity in the presentation of classroom discussion and curriculum.

3. We don’t teach Social Studies, we teach (diverse) people Social Studies. a. So, what is differentiated instruction and what function does it serve in the classroom?

This term refers to an effort to reach each student based on each student's different strengths, readiness level, and learning styles to maximize the learning potential of the entire classroom. This requires a careful allocation of the teacher's time resources in order to touch on all the different styles of learning and touch on a wide variety of student strengths.

b. Also, consider figure 4.1 in the text – what component(s) of the //Learning Cycle In Differentiated Instruction// do you feel needs the most consideration in your own practice? (This answer can be short)

I think that I have noticed that I have a hard time pre-assessing students in that I often struggle with the process of under-challenging because I have not accurately pre-assessed their progress. This happened last season that I coaching middle school basketball. One of the biggest regrets that I had was that I think that I truly under-challenged my team and players as a result did not grow as much as they could have.

4. a. According to the //multiple intelligence theory//, what intelligences do you feel are most pronounced in yourself?

The intelligences that are most pronounced in myself are linguistic/verbal intelligence as well as interpersonal intelligence. I enjoy expressing my thoughts both with the written word and through oration. Additionally, I really enjoy getting to know other people and how they operate and figuring out their motivations.

b. What intelligences, in your opinion, are underrepresented and thus in need affirmation in Secondary Education?

Interpersonal intelligence is a hard one to teach on the secondary level. I think that this intelligence is taught as a more hidden curriculum in that we teach it by how we teach other curriculum. However, there are not many explicit manners in which this intelligence is taught in secondary education. This is a very assumed intelligence in the school system. I think social studies teachers have an important role in fostering growth in interpersonal relations.

Reflection For Week 11

1. What is the difference between (objectively) **describing** a controversy and (subjectively) **engaging in** one?

Describing a controversy entails bringing to conversation items of fact as to remove one's comment from the emotional sphere. In a conversation of objective descriptions, the tone in which comments are delivered are as, if not more, important than the words themselves. For instance, using the debate we had in class last week, I could say the woman used approximated data. Now this is a factual statement that does not necessarily promote a supporter or objector perspective. However, if I said the previous comment in a cutting or aggressive tone, it very well coud be taken as an emotional slam against the woman's agenda.

Engaging in a controversy requires the use of subjective comments to be made. The point of engaging in a controversy is to shed light on your point of view and paint it in a positive light. This requires the use of emotionally charged subjective comments. In personal experience, engaging in a controversy is a much more persuasive and pleasant experience if you engage in that controversy with a respectful, appropriate tone.

2. How does a teacher’s ability to maintain an impartial tone help students engage in critical thinking and productive interaction? How does loaded language prevent social and education progress in classroom?

Speaking from experience, when teachers infuse their opinions into controversial issues, it stunts students' ability to think critically. For example, I had a History class in which every major issue was accompanied by the professor's personal opinion. Most of my essays and exams were written in a manner as to regurgitate the opinions displayed by the professor in lecture. I received good grades throughout the class but it had more to do with my articulate expressions of the views displayed in class than my personal journey to figuring out by opinions through critical thinking. In other words, when teachers infuse their opinions into controversial topics, it alienates students who may oppose as well as stifles critical thinking by giving less driven students an out in the way of finding an opinion without giving it much thought.

3. a. Explain why it is imperative that educators are able to maintain impartial tones and objective dispositions within the class room.

Teachers must approach the classroom with an objective approach. This allows students to freely and critically examine issues and material presented in the classroom. It also makes the classroom a safe place to learn. Even if the teacher maintains objective speech, if their tone and body language implies subjectivity, students may feel unsafe and threatened.

b. Give a positive example (either based off of something real or hypothetical) of how you as teacher could handle controversy as it pertains to the upcoming 2012 election (you will be teaching in an election year, wink). E.g. One student yells at another OR students claims, nihilistically, that studying politics is a waste of time… got?

If a student were to start yelling at another student about their opinion, I would not let the student yelling finish their thought. I would interrupt and briefly go over the objectivity policy laid out in the class and follow this discussion by giving students a chance to free-write about their opinions in hopes that we could revisit the discussion debate the next day after a careful reiteration of the classroom expectations and definition of objective debate.

Reflection 9

A. What obstacles and excuses exist to teaching about controversial topics? There are many obstacles that lie in the way of controversy such as teacher costs, subject perspectives, school culture, and political bais. The text outlines these obstacles. The reading points out that extensive time is needed to approach an intelligent and useful discussion about controversial issues. Another major excuse is seen in the teacher risk. Controversial issues put a teacher under the microscope and at risk of being targeted as and individual perpetuating a bias or worldview. These issues make it quite easy for teachers to avoid controversial topics and keep to safer curriculum.

B. According to Werner, is controversy worth addressing? Why or why not? According to Werner, controversy is certainly worth addressing. Werner implicates controversy as a necessary building block towards effective citizenship and critical thinking. He views the obstacles to controversial discussion to be excuses that teachers and administrators employ in order to maintain a safe status quo, when in fact, controversy is essential to student development in becoming active and effective citizens.

C. Interact with the text: how do you envision your future practice as a teacher relating to controversy? I think that controversy will play a role in my social studies classroom. I think that establishing ground rules and monitoring the classroom with the idea of creating a safe environment in mind are keys to creating beneficial controversial conversations in the school setting. With the realities of job insecurity and the direction that education is heading, I will probably feel more confident and free in the extent to which I use controversy when I have had a few years under my belt. However, realizing the importance of controversy to student development will drive me to employ it in some way, shape, or form. I may use tactics of assigning positions and having students research their side and the opponents side in order to seek some cooperative approaches to controversy that help beneficial conversation to be had.

Reflection 8

__**Temperament Q's:**__ a. What is your temperament type, what are the specific letters associated with it, e.g. INTP? I am an idealist and from previous tests know that I am a ENFJ Idealist. b. In your own words, summarize the personality type in a paragraph or so. The personality type is an ethical, relational person that are passionate about personal growth and development. This type gets energy from interacting with people and generally has a personality conducive to teaching as suggested by the website. Idealists focus on cooperative experiences to approaching tasks. c. Give some famous examples of your personality type according to the test ... how do you relate? Ghandi was perhaps the most famous idealist on the list. Although I hold a very different worldview than Ghandi, I believe that I relate to people in much the same way that he did. d. Searching the page, locate where the Keirsey site suggests ideal jobs for you; how well does education match these suggestions - if not at all, what job(s) fit best? Well, it looks like I'm in the right place, because one of the suggested jobs is Teaching. I think it is a perfect fit and that my personality is equipped to engage with students and get energy from my job.

a. Take the test, then (if you feel comfortable) post the coordinates of your location.
 * __POLITICAL Q's:__** *(This can be kept to yourself, but be sure to answer these in electronic writing to show your instructor that you have done this.)

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67
b. Considering the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, who are you closest to - if this is surprising, how so? There are not many candidates around where I was placed on the graph. This is surprising because I have always considered myself to be a moderate conservative, but the graph puts me on a whole other playing field. c. Click [|this link]to find the analysis of the vertical and horizontal spectrum test ... who historically and internationally do you best identify with? I guess I am closest to Friedman who is a libertarian who held anarchist views. It is hard for me to see myself in the same came as Friedman all the time. I definitely have some low government regulation views, however I don't know if I would place myself in that camp. d. In a paragraph, how does this relatively simple (but better than most other tests) exercise illustrate the diversity of belief and reality of compromise in our political system? Further, how can our (essentially) 2-party system function in a healthy manner The very fact that many of the results were surprising showed that there can be a wide variety of camps that we can fall into. The reality that we must take these views and mold them democratically into a realistic compromise is daunting. The first step to approaching this goal however is to bring about awareness to individuals that may be misinformed of their political stance based on their actual beliefs. The two party system functions at its highest when good citizens are well informed.

Reflection 7: Unit Plan

Columbus Unit Plan

Reflection 6

The question at hand deals with the conflict over whether or not to present Columbus Day in the classroom. Indeed the issue is problematic in that the truth behind Christopher Columbus is far messier and dirty than ever portrayed by the creators of the holiday. The truth behind the man certainly implicates teachers in preventing the idolizing of Columbus by naive students. However, the discusion lies in whether or not Columbus day should seap its way into the null curriculum of information, purposefully removed from the classroom. The seemingly obvious answer is not to remove Columbus from the curriculum, but instead to teach the topic with full emphasis on revealing preconceived notions on the colonization and conquest of America.

An answer can be found in other such historical misconceptions. In the formation of the Modern Middle East, it is not just enough to omit information about European control in forming the modern states in the Middle East; a teacher must combat previous teachings of European aid with an emphasis on Europeans' economic drives that contributed to the crisis that is unfolding in the region today. In fact, to avoid teaching Columbus Day would, in effect, re-emphasize previous notions of the history of the foundation of European colonization in America and perpetuate the misconceptions that occur regularly in the topic. If there was ever an opportunity to foster critical thinking in your classroom, look no further. Engage students minds in the reasons why misconceptions were formed and why atrocities were committed and how they were justified.

Our role as teachers is to safeguard educational truths in front of the delicate balance of our moral and biased selves. We are to foster an environment in which students engage with higher level thinking and reasoning. Avoiding the topic of Columbus day seeks to address neither while addressing the topic in an appropriate way opens the door for a variety of higher level thinking pathways. In addition to the raw citizen-building teacher mentality, Columbus' journey serves as an excellent model to other forms of colonization throughout history. Therefore, the figure of Columbus provides great material from which students can make connections to major themes in other parts of the globe. For a multitude of reasons, the avoidance of Columbus Day in the classroom would be a mistake and would cheapen students' experience in the classroom.

Reflection 5

A) Formal Curriculum: This could be reading an article that connects the formation of Iraq to modern day conflicts in addition to textbook reading on the state of Iraq in the modern era. This formal curriculum is planned, explicit content that will be taught.

Delivered Curriculum: This is how the teacher presents the information and how the subject matter is delivered. Continuing from the case above this may be the activity that the teacher does to connect prior knowledge to the content to engage in a conversation about current events and their roots in the past. This would also be a think, pair, share activity with the given, formal article.

Learned Curriculum: This is the content that students learn from the lesson. An example based on the previous string would be that students may walk away with a knowledge of how the state of Iraq was formed and why there are tensions within ethno-religious groups in the country.

Hidden Curriculum: An example of hidden curriculum in the Iraq lesson example would be that students walk away with an understanding that there are problems in the middle east, namely, Iraq that are unsolved.

Null Curriculum: In this lesson null curriculum could be the fact that the formation of Iraq's neighbors are excluded from the lesson. This is due to lack of time to present these histories. A more negative null curriculum could be that the voice of women in the lesson may not be heard. This may communicate that women had no place in the modern formation of Iraq.

B) What does figure 1.2 tell you about a teacher's position in the "Hierarchy of Curriculum Influence?" What roles does the teacher really play with curriculum?

The figure places teachers near the bottom of the Influence Hierarchy in terms of curriculum. This is an important observation to encounter prior to going into teaching, in that, one must understand that he or she will be given curriculum that must be taught that he or she has no say in compiling. The bulk of this curriculum is of the formal kind, including text mandates and other specific points that must be covered as a part of law. However, this hierarchy does not completely negate teachers' role in instituting curriculum.

In fact, the areas of curriculum that the state cannot mandate are the last 4. Delivered, Learned, Hidden, and Null Curriculum all lead to a heavy reliance on teacher intervention. Although figure 1.2 may even appear to let teachers off the hook, it does far from that. Despite the fact that teachers fall low on the Hierarchy of Curriculum Influence, they are left with the primary and cardinal role of implementing curriculum and making it come to life and be absorbed. Teachers have the greatest impact on curriculum of any major player in that they are crucial to its implementation.

Reflection 4 //a) what you know & want to know about the 'Modern Middle East' (e.g. Histories, worldviews, economies, geography & etc.) b) what do the terms, "Modern" & "Middle East" mean? c) Why is this subject important for citizens of the United States to study?// Whew, this prompt is loaded...

a) The Modern Middle East is problematic from the definition of the involved geographical realms, to the countless sides from which the greater trends and themes are taught. From previous instruction, I know that the Middle East is at the crossroads of the world's 3 most popular religions. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all were born out of this politically explosive region. Because of these intersections and many other factors in the region, the area has seen unrest since the beginnings of recorded history. Events such as the crusades in the Middle Ages lead many to believe that current problems in the Middle East are inevitable and just more events in a long-standing struggle in the region. However, I would beg to differ with this ideology in that the roots of the conflicts in the Middle East in recent years finds its home in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the divvying up of the land in the periods following the World Wars. I would like to learn more about when the United States began being viewed negatively across the board in Arab countries.

b) The term Modern refers to the time period in which the subject matter is being observed. In the case of the Middle East, I would define the "Modern Era" as being after WWII when new boarders and governments were installed. This correlates well with the introduction of a Jewish State, Israel, in the Middle East. While, the events leading up to the second World War are key to understanding the region in the Modern Era, the Modern era itself should be defined beginning in the aftermath of the war.

The term Middle East is more difficult to define. It is a term relating to the geography of the region and can be as narrow as spanning from Mediterranean Sea in the West and extending to Iran or as broadly as North Africa in the West to Pakistan in the East. The Middle East occurs where the West in the European continent intersects with the East in the form of the Asian continent. Thus, the region is in the "Middle East". The region has been at the forefront of civilization since the dawn of history due to its location as a major crossroads between people groups.

c) This subject is vitally important to citizens in the United States because it involves our nation's international policy on a daily basis. Understanding why and how the United States laid the groundwork for Modern unrest gives good insight into a future of more peaceful scenarios. A full understanding of the region leads to a much broader view of the world and speaks to the subjectivity of many political arguments and blurs the lines between good and evil. The region is inextricably linked to the economy of the United States and will continue to be as long as oil drives the nation. Often this issue gets blood boiling no matter which political orientation one may align with. As citizens, it is crucial to be well-informed in this vitally crucial area of our world that gives global implications.

Reflection 3

A) Scope and Sequence refer to the breadth and order to which subject matter is approached by an educational institution. Scope relates to the breadth of material covered. For example in the case of an 8th grade U.S. History class, the scope would be decided in what information was to be covered in the classroom. This may mean that the course seeks to touch on events from the pre-revolutionary war era until modern times. The Scope would also involve what specific events would be hit. The scope may specify that the Industrial Revolution in the United States must be covered.

The Sequence, on the other hand deals with the order in which material is presented in the classroom. If we are to revisit the 8th grade U.S. History example, this would refer to the order in which the content is presented. For instance, the district may decide to have the federalism section come before the section on the U.S. Constitution. The Sequence will also possibly determine the period of time which will be devoted to each topic in the classroom.

B) This section of //Planning, Managing, and Motivating// made me wonder how district control over subject Scope and Sequence relates to school performance. I can see both benefits and problems with predetermined Scope and Sequence, and therefore, I really do not have a great idea of how the presence or lack thereof would effect the efficiency and productivity in a school district.

C) There are both advantages and disadvantages to working in a district with predetermined Scope and Sequence. Some advantages are freed up time to plan exciting ways of displaying information, uniformity across classrooms throughout the school, and clear expectations set by administrators. First, time can be used to focus on presenting information instead of also being used to plan Scope and Sequence for the school year. Also, it is a positive that all students taking courses will be able to help each other learn material even if they do not have the same teachers. Lastly, in this system administrators have clear expectations for what is to be covered in the classroom and there are no discrepancies between administrator hopes and teacher curriculum. The disadvantages include a lack of freedom in planning Scope and Sequence and possibly emphases on topics and subjects that are less relavent to students than you could brainstorm.

D) As with districts that predetermine Scope and Sequence, there are also both advantages and disadvantages of the lack thereof. The one clear advantage of this system is freedom in planning the Scope and Sequence of your subject. An additional advantage is that teachers have the ability to overachieve and deliver more bulk and quality than would have been allowed under set Scope and Sequence in a district. The disadvantages, as discussed in further detail in part C) are less time to plan actual lesson content while planning Scope and Sequence, a lack of uniformity in content across classes, and a more grey definition of what is expected from teachers.

Reflection 2

A lesson plan, in its most basic sense is a strategy for executing a class with the purpose of a given number of learning outcomes. A lesson plan is a tool in the hands of a teacher to facilitate class participation, engagement, and management in general. The ideal lesson plan would progress and happen directly on schedule. However, developing a lesson plan as in the prior requires a great deal of practice and experience with dealing with students. A lesson plan is specific and detailed. It is far more valuable to have too much planned with the dilemma of figuring out what to cut out or save for the next day than to come to the end of the material you have planned with excess time at the end of a period. This time is dead and requires a great deal of improvisation to salvage behavior and investment in your class.

The reasons for which teachers need lesson plans are many. Class management, class involvement, and an interesting learning atmosphere are all at stake in lesson planning. Lesson plans are an accountability to teachers in that they confirm that each and every lesson has purpose and an objective. As soon as the individual day itself becomes insignificant in and of itself the danger of time misuse creeps in. A lesson plan provides a way for teachers to bring meaningful content to the classroom on a daily basis. We have all been around teachers that sat you in front of a worksheet or two for an hour as they seemingly relaxed and waited for the end of the hour. Good lesson planning provides ways for both students and teachers to engage each other in meaningful ways throughout the learning process.

I would go as far as to say that a lesson plan is always useful in the sense that preparation for the classroom is never a bad thing. The problems begin when teachers misuse their plans. For example, let's say a teacher plans a really great, in-depth lesson plan with 10 learning objectives and comes to class. He could misuse the plan by trying to cram information where it doesn't fit. In the process of trying to accomplish his 10 learning objectives, he may go too fast and lose his students in the crossfire. A lesson plan must be flexible. Come prepared, even over-prepared, but also be prepared to be flexible. Let's say your learning objectives for a lesson include voter awareness as an informed citizen and the political process. A teacher must not be afraid to stray from a lesson plan if students are exploring the learning objectives at hand. For example, it would be wise to forego a group activity discussing informed citizenship if the class is engaged in a lively discussion about whether or not a person should choose to vote. Basically, be totally prepared, and prepare to be flexible.

Reflection 1

A) My favorite memory from a social studies class in high school was in my World Civilizations class. We had a class devoted with the triangle trade. Our assignment involved playing the role of african warlords, slave traders, and new englanders in the experiential role play that modeled the pushes and pulls of the triangle trade. I loved the fact that we were able to move and interact while learning the material. This allowed for a type of experiential memory that seems to stick longer than those I memorize in other contexts.

B) My worst experience in a social studies class also happened in my same World Civilizations class. For the final project we had to construct a project on any subject that we had studied during the course of the year long class. This being my worst experience was not related to the actual assignment, but rather my difficulty with my choice of project. I chose the do my project on speakeasies of the roaring 20's. I decided to create a model of a speakeasy with written explanations on the inside of the model about the subject and period. Needless to say, I am not a great artist. My project was really pathetic and my teacher let me know that it was not my best work.

C) My rationale for wanting to teach social studies is rooted partly in the assessment of education given by Sir Ken Robinson which was that education must prepare students for an ever-changing 21st century economy. The social studies, if engaged correctly, deliver a rounded and fuller picture of the world and its many players. Students must learn to engage and embrace differing cultures and world views that they will undoubtably face in their lifetime. We are moving farther and father away from the age in which the industrial revolution view of education placed stable, unchanging jobs. Students must learn how to communicate through multiple venues of communication whether they be written, verbal, or virtual. My classroom will be a place where students engage events of the past as a platform through which they can form their own opinions and communicate original ideas that will help shape the way the encounter an ever-changing world and economy.