It's All in the Details

There seems to be a myth out there that being a history teacher is the "easy" subject to teach. Anyone can do it.. right? This belief goes along with many student beliefs that history is just a series of facts, dates, and places and all you have to do is memorize these isolated facts in order to be successful. This is far from the truth. In order to teach like a historian, and get students to think like historians, we must go beyond the surface and look deeper. We most focus, not on the big picture, but on the details. This may seem counterproductive, but it is the details that make history instruction rich and engaging for students. It is the details that historians use to develop new ideas and arguments about history. And, it is the details that make up the story of history.

I first realized this as a first year teacher. Even as a first year teacher I used primary source documents in my classroom. However, my mistake was that I would often just place an image in front of students and flash it on the screen for a minute or so. We would discuss the image for a few minutes and I would use it to teach the larger context of the unit. However, I never asked students to think like historians and delve into the details, or story, behind the images.

As years have passed, I have developed many strategies for having students delve deeper into primary source analysis. One of the strategies I often use are the primary source analysis tools from the Library of Congress. You can check these out for yourself at www.loc.gov/teachers or check out my modified version at http://tinyurl.com/6ucjzgb. Now asking students to analyze images might look something like this.

I Observe- Ask students to record what they actually see. Are there people in the image? What do they look like? Is there text? What does it say? This forces students to look for the details and not simply say, "this is an old picture."

I Reflect Ask students to reflect on the details they observed? What do the details lead them to believe about the image?

I Question Ask students to ask questions about their reflections and further define their thoughts about the image.

I Know Ask students to record information about what they uncovered about the image. What is actually going on in the image? What is the historical background of the image?

Primarily Teaching: Teaching with Primary Sources

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You Matter

The power of two little words is amazing.  Angela Maiers has made the words #youmatter a powerful call to action.  The words you matter are impactful.  They are impactful not only for the person saying "you matter," but also for the people receiving the words.  These two words are perhaps the two words missing in the world of education speak. They are the words that students most want to hear, and perhaps, the words that teachers most want to hear.  We all want to know we matter, but most importantly we all want to feel that we matter.  Thanks @AngelaMaiers for starting this revolution. 

Using QR Codes to Infuse Primary Sources into Children's Literature

QR codes are all the rage right now.  Not only are they fun, but they also provide a wealth of engagement and learning strategies for students.

Many social studies teachers comment that social studies is going by the wayside in exchange for an increased focus on reading and math.  Social studies can easily be incorporated into reading and the use of QR codes to do this only enhances the experience.

Steps
1. Select a book that has some connection to an aspect of history.  This could be a book like Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers (see below), which is based on a true story and actually includes primary sources within the book already or it could be a book that has a general theme of a historical aspect; such as the underground railroad.  There are several great examples of this within children's literature.  For additional book ideas check out the NCSS notable trade books site.

2. Decide which aspects of the book could make strong connections to primary source documents.  Think about selecting a variety of documents.  In other words try to have some pictures and text and not just one or the other.  For example, in a book about the underground railroad you might find a picture of Harriet Tubman, a picture of a slave family, and a short excerpt of a narrative from an escaped slave.  Also, keep in mind that art and music could be incorporated and used as primary sources.

3. Think about how many primary source documents would be appropriate for the age of each student.  For K-2 students, you might only select two documents.  For a 3rd-5th grade student you might select three to five documents and include questions within the QR codes.

4. Once you have an idea of the book and what kinds of primary sources you want to use, now comes the the fun part; finding the primary sources.  There are literally hundreds of sites to find primary sources on the web. Some of my favorites are The Library of Congress, National Archives, The Gilder Lehrman Institute, and Digital History.

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers by Karen B. Winnick

5. Once you find the primary sources you want to use it's time to make QR codes and incorporate them into your book. I also often link questions related to the primary sources into the QR codes.  I use QR Stuff quite a bit, but there are a lot of different websites that allow you to make QR codes for free.

6. Once you make and print your QR codes you can put them in the book.  I typically just tape the QR code onto a sticky note and then stick it on the appropriate page.

7. After you get the QR codes embedded into the book, you can use the book in a variety of ways depending on the goals of the lesson.  You could allow students to read independently and analyze the primary sources within the book.  You could ask students to answer questions about the book and make connections to the primary sources.  The class could also read the book as a whole and work to analyze the primary sources.  The possibilities are endless!

This QR code asks students to respond to the
primary source document found in the book.

Use QR codes to bring "real history" into historical fiction.
This QR code takes students to a picture of Abraham Lincoln.  

Reaction to "Teacher Pay, Raises Criticized"

I attended the Iowa Education Summit held July 25th-26th in Des Moines, Iowa.  One of the panel sessions at the Summit was entitled "Setting the Bar Higher for Teacher Evaluation and Compensation." The Des Moines Register summed up this panel discussion in their article "Teacher Pay, Raises Criticized."  You can read the full article by going to www.desmoinesregister.com/edsummit. 

The panel agreed that overall teachers need to get paid more.  However, there was a lot of disagreement about what teacher pay should look like.  Although I agree that the issue of  teacher pay can be complicated, I strongly feel that it is a misunderstood issue.  First, the panel stated that low pay has been a factor in not attracting top graduates into teaching.  While I agree with this, I don't believe it is the be-all-end-all for attracting more teachers to the profession. Being a top graduate doesn't automatically equate to being an effective teacher.  This is the misnomer in education. It is the art and science of teaching that makes effectiveness; not just being in the top % of your class. 

Second, the panel also disagreed that having an advanced degree improved teacher effectiveness.  I highly disagree with this.  We know that improving teacher content knowledge and pedagogy results in increased  student learning.  How could having a Master's degree in your field not equate to increased effectiveness? If this is the argument then why do teachers need an undergraduate degree to be certified teachers? I don't think that policy makers would have the same thought when it comes to doctors or lawyers. 

This is definitely an area that needs continued discussion. Teachers do need to get paid more and we do have to look at the system in order to make these changes.  However, we can't just look at the carrot and stick approach when it comes to teacher pay. We must look at what truly motivates people to become teachers and how to retain them throughout their teaching career.