Elementary Education Commons^™

On Teaching, Without Disciplines, Thomas Wolfe

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Processes of becoming know no disciplines. And yet professors cannot teach without first absorbing the priorities and protocols of a discipline. This means that we have to be attuned to the ways in which our teaching of persons gets usurped by the teaching of a body of knowledge or a method of knowing that is only tangentially connected to where students are. K-12 teachers understand this better than university and college professors. This article suggests professors experiment with the idea of a "defense of teaching," which would be a moment to articulate one's teaching aims apart from one's disciplinary and …

Review Of "Excellence For All: How A New Breed Of Reformers Is Transforming America’S Public Schools", Michelle Stacy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Illinois Democracy Schools: Preparing Students For College, Career, And Civic Life, Shawn Healy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The current focus of school reform centers on college and career readiness, casting aside the original purpose of schools in this country-- preparing America’s youngest citizens to be informed and active participants in our democracy. Since 2006, seventeen Illinois high schools countered this trend and achieved recognition through the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition (ICMC) as Democracy Schools.

The Democracy Schools Initiative of the ICMC invites high schools to demonstrate commitment to their civic mission by completing a school-wide civic assessment and charting future plans for developing and sustaining high quality civic learning. Successful applicants are recognized through the ICMC and …

Service Learning In The Social Studies, Shaun Conway

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Education reform of the future starts with public service. Over the last two and a half years, I have built a public service program at Lake Park High School in Roselle, IL. The class allows students to pursue topical areas of self-interest in a classroom setting, while supplementing those subject topics with in-depth public service opportunities and experiential learning methodology outside the school building. Students can opt to take the semester elective during their junior or senior year (although the course was recently approved to be offered in full year format).

Reform of the future must start with public service …

The Attack On Social Studies Teachers And Teaching In 1970s And 1980s Hollywood Movies, Robert Dahlgren

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This proposed article explores the dramatic shift in the image of social studies teachers, as represented in popular films of the 1970s and 1980s. It is based on a survey of 40 movies created during this period that feature significant interactions between social studies teachers and their students. This study employed a textual analysis method involving viewing the films alongside original script material, which reveals that the narratives involving public high schools during the 1970s and 1980s are distinct from those involving other types of schools or eras. Rather than the romantic figures of earlier portraits, such as Eve Arden’s …

Mid-Century Education Reform And The Character Of Citizens, Molly Jessup

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Amid the movement to address perceived problems in American education, some reformers have turned to the notion of character building.

Character training is education is reminiscent of an earlier effort to shape the development of youth. Life adjustment education, a mid-twentieth century reform movement intended to infuse the curriculum with practical life skills, with a goal of preparing youth to fulfill their role as citizens. Life adjustment education has often been characterized as a failed movement, resulting in as much controversy as many current reforms. This article argues that character training in life adjustment education materials reveal a connection to …

Review Of "Uncivil Rights: Teachers, Unions, And Race In The Battle For School Equity", Lindon Ratliff

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Striking Back Against Corporate Education Reform: The 2012 Chicago Teachers Union Strike, Kurt Hilgendorf

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The Chicago Teachers Union went on strike against the Chicago Pubilc Schools in September 2012. The strike was not just about teachers' pay and benefits. Rather, the strike was a response to more than 15 years of a the latest iteration of corporate school reform. This essay situates the 2012 Chicago teachers' strike in the legal and policy contexts for corporate school reform in Chicago and Illinois and assesses the strike's outcomes locally and nationally. The strike was the largest teacher-led response to corporate school reform to date. It catalyzed a larger national conversation about the nature of school reform …

The Relentless Attack On Teachers: Andrew Hartman Interviews Mark Naison, Andrew Hartman

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Mark Naison, Professor of African American Studies at Fordham University, has become one of the foremost outspoken critics of the so-called education reform movement. In this interview, Naison discusses the problems with the movement, the effect its had on the profession of teaching, and what is to be done.

The Hidden Curriculum Of Teach For America, Andrew Hartman

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

By way of a close reading of Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp's two books, this article examines TFA's role in the so-called education reform movement, and offers a critique of TFA and the movement.

Author Biography:

Andrew Hartman is an associate professor of history at Illinois State University. For the 2013-14 academic year, he will be on leave from ISU as the Fulbright Danish Distinguished Chair in American Studies at the University of Southern Denmark. Hartman teaches and researches 20^th Century U.S. History with a focus on intellectual history. He also is one of the faculty members in …

Introduction: Education Reform Past, Present, And Future, Jeffrey Manuel

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This is an introduction to the special issue of The Councilor on the topic of education reform.

Author biography: Jeffrey Manuel is an assistant professor in the Department of Historical Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His research and public scholarship examine the social, cultural, and political consequences of deindustrialization and envirotechnical history. His research has appeared in several journals. He is currently working on a manuscript that describes efforts to fight industrial decline in the Lake Superior iron mining region. He is also active in public history, including exhibit design and oral history.

Review Of "Teaching Economics In Troubled Times: Theory And Practice For Secondary Social Studies", Scott Wolla

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Channeling Your Inner “Ken Burns”: Research, Films, & Student Voices, Robin Wanosky

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Asking students to create a documentary film is one way for high school students to reinforce existing research and critical thinking skills. As they develop their research question, they control their project and therefore decide the direction it goes. An unintended, yet rewarding, outcome from this project has been watching seventeen year olds discover their voice.

Review Of "The Challenge Of Rethinking History Education: On Practices, Theories, And Policy", Michelle Stacy

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Public School Principals’ Perceptions Concerning The Hiring Of Social Studies Teachers, Lindon Joey Ratliff, Joshua Watson, Patricia Ratliff

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The authors employed a qualitative research design to explore issues pertaining to the selection and interviewing of social studies applicants for teaching positions in public secondary schools. They specifically focused on the quality of the applicant pool, characteristics of desired candidates and the school principals’ perspectives of a desired interview. Analysis of the principals’ responses to the interview questions yielded two primary categories related to their perspectives regarding potential social studies teachers: (a) personal and professional educator attributes and (b) a candidate’s actions within the formal setting of an interview. Subcategories were developed that further delineated the expectations administrators have …

Review Of "The Long Road To Antietam: How The Civil War Became A Revolution", Stephen Hansen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Teaching Illinois History Through Primary Sources, Laura Fowler

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This articles looks at three major themes in Illinois history: settlement, slavery, and the growth of Chicago. Each theme presents a primary source that helps deepen a student's understanding of the historical issues. Through maps, documents, and census data, students can use digital repositories to better understand the history of Illinois in the nineteenth century.

Review Of "The 1970s: A New Global History From Civil Rights To Economic Inequality", Christopher Babits

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of "Maps Of Time: An Introduction To Big History", James Sabathne

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Uncovering Marginalized Topics Using Webquests: From Atlanta To The Zoot Suit Riots, Gregory Samuels, Michael Berson

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

A critical part of social studies instruction is involving students in making sense of social issues in the past and present to help inform their decisions in the future. Through engaged inquiry students can tackle relevant topics associated with race, class, culture, gender, language, and nationality and explore how these challenging issues mitigate people’s experiences. Moreover, these issues reflect similar tensions that students encounter in their everyday lives. Although these social issues have historical and contemporary relevance, they often are marginalized in state standards and textbooks.

A Holocaust-Based Investigative Project: Historical Research For Secondary School Students, David Lindquist

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Personalizing the Holocaust, that is, moving a study of the event beyond the staggering numbers that often play a central role in units about the Shoah to a focus that is meaningful for students, is a necessary factor in planning effective curricula about the topic. This article outlines an internet-based research project in which a personal bond develops between students and individuals whose lives were changed forever by the Holocaust. In addition, the project allows students to practice research skills that can be transferred to the study of other historical topics.

Review Of "Fateful Lightning: A New History Of The Civil War And Reconstruction", Christopher Babits

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Teaching Lincoln K-12 Workshop: Knowledge Gains And Teaching Intentions, Caroline Pryor, Brandt Pryor

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This mixed methods study evaluated a professional development workshop for teachers funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH’s online evaluation found that most teachers believed the workshop to be an extraordinary learning experience, but information about teacher knowledge gain and their intended use of this knowledge was needed. An in-house study evaluated the workshop’s four major areas: (a) content scholars, (b) advance readings, (c) museum scholars, and (d) Lincoln Landmarks. For each area, the study measured (a) the utility for the teacher’s instruction, (b) the amount of knowledge gained in the workshop, and (c) the likelihood that …

Keeping Social Studies Alive In The Elementary Classroom: Countering The Effects Of Nclb In Southwestern Illinois Schools, Bethany Hill-Anderson, Andria Harrison, Andrea Tardino

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This research project focuses on collaborative partnerships between university faculty, graduate students, and local cooperating teachers. Pre-service teachers surveyed cooperating teachers (N=30) regarding their opinions and practices in social studies education. The data led to positive changes in a university methods course and increased pedagogical skills for teacher candidates.

This venture is a model of effective collaboration between university faculty, graduate students, pre-service teachers, and cooperating teachers who have worked together to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose and challenges faced by social studies educators. The overall goal of the project is to promote social studies education for all …

Review Of "Cartographies Of Time: A History Of The Timeline", Robert Paulett

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Review Of "The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln And American Slavery", Mary Lopez

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Engagement In The History Classroom: Problem-Based Learning And Primary Sources, Lauren Seghi

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Too often today, students have to sit idly in a history classroom listening to a lecture or reading out of a textbook which is why many people in society (adults and children alike) do not like or understand the complexity of history. This article argues that in order for students to be engaged in "doing" history in the classroom, they need to take part in problem-based learning (pbl) activities using primary sources from the past.

Teaching Social Structure In A Poststructural Classroom: A (Mild) Defense Of An Economic Deterministic Approach, Cory Blad

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Teaching social structure is difficult due to the fact that these supposed influences are regularly invisible and often function without the knowledge of those being influenced. At the same time, most of us – in particular undergraduate college students – are resistant to the idea that our actions and choices are somehow constrained or influenced. This essay examines the challenge of teaching social structure to potentially resistant groups and defends the use of a common budget-based exercise to connect students to the potential of structural constraints on individual action.

The Untruth Of Truth: A Suggestion For Teaching In The Information Age, Angelo Letizia

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The notion of representation has entertained philosophers and thinkers for centuries. How can anything, any idea, any concept or object truly be represented by a language, institution, idea or image? In the information age, the notion of representation is even more pressing. Twenty-four hour news feeds, YouTube, social media, government propaganda, iPhones, the media, the advertising industry and other agencies and devices disseminate a seemingly infinite amount of images that portend to represent something, from consumer products to political intentions. However, more times than not, supposed truths do not correspond to any underlying reality because they no longer need to. …

Computer Programming Effects In Elementary: Perceptions And Career Aspirations In Stem, Yune Tran

Faculty Publications - College of Education

The development of elementary-aged students’ STEM and computer science (CS) literacy is critical in this evolving technological landscape, thus, promoting success for college, career, and STEM/CS professional paths. Research has suggested that elementary- aged students need developmentally appropriate STEM integrated opportunities in the classroom; however, little is known about the potential impact of CS programming and how these opportunities engender positive perceptions, foster confidence, and promote perseverance to nurture students’ early career aspirations related to STEM/CS. The main purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine elementary-aged students’ (N = 132) perceptions of STEM, career choices, and effects from pre- …