Rationale for Integrated Social Studies and Technology Project:

Context-

I completed the integrated social studies and technology project with my fourth grade students during my student teaching semester at Pleasant Gardens Elementary.  I did the project in cooperation with the technology teacher, Donna Ledford.  She allowed me to work on the integrated project with her and it became a semester long project for the students.  Since I was not able to be in the classroom through December, I was unable to finish all of the activities we had planned with the students, but Mrs. Ledford was going to carry it out.

Impact-

The students were able to create different charts and graphs using the information they gained through social studies research.  They were also able to take field trips to local government offices, as well as having government officials visit the school and talk to the students.  The students used programs such as Microsoft Word, Publisher, and Inspiration 6 to meet the technology goals of the project.  The students were able to use the technology curriculum to help them learn the fourth grade social studies curriculum related to government.

Alignment-

I have met NETS-T IIIA because the integrated project required students to use some of the technology content and student technology standards for fourth graders.

I have met NETS-T IIIB because the integrated project allowed students to relate social studies to technology by having students create graphs and charts on the computer.

I have met NETS-T IIIC because the integrated project was set up to allow students to use higher order thinking skills and creativity.  A few examples of this are researching government officials, and by doing  compare and contrast of different branches of government.  The students also learned to use digital cameras and create different types of media (i.e. brochures) using these pictures.

I have met NETS-T IIID because the integrated project helped me to create a learning activity where students met not only the social studies curriculum, but the technology curriculum also.  They were able to bring their routine class lessons into the realm of technology.