What is the first thing that comes to mind when the word History is mentioned? History is such a complex, yet interesting subject to teach. Although some students may be fascinated with content matter, there are many who may not be able to build a personal connection with it. For many of these students when the word "History" is mentioned all they can think about are boring events that happened hundreds of years ago and no longer have any meaning. These students may fail to see that without these boring events the world as a whole might have not been the way it is now!I guess the question then becomes, what can teachers do to engage those students into the subject matter? There are many approaches that teachers can use when giving a History lesson. One of these approaches is through the usage of effective visual aids. As I searched for sites that can help teachers engage students, I encountered the History channel website. The site provides numerous resources for teachers and students. It has games that teach students about important times in history, and it also has impressive informational videos. In addition to the games, there is also a This Day in History tab that gives information about events that happened on any given day. There are also articles, maps, speeches, and other fun activities that can be used in the classroom! I highly encourage you to visit the site.
As future educators, do you think this site would be helpful for students? How would you use it in the classroom? What grade levels do you think would benefit the most from its usage? Do you see yourself using this site for personal references?
Website link: http://www.history.com/
I think it is great that you posted something about History, Dolores!! What you said is true; a lot of students really don't have the passion for History because somewhere along the line it became boring for them. Students need to be fully engaged in lessons about History so that they will enjoy the lesson and the content will stick with them. I know that personally History is one of my least favorite subjects, but my favorite History classes were always the ones that had great visuals and stories. I think this site will be a great resource to me as a future teacher, because if I can get excited about the topic by finding relevant pictures, facts, and videos, hopefully my students will as well!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I would use this site for my future students. I found the site difficult to maneuver and felt it was advance for the children I want to teach. Although I did think the website was very knowledgeable and I think I would use the website as a resource for me to use to enhance my lessons. I think this site would be useful for students in junior high and high school.
ReplyDeleteDolores, I LOVE history!! For personal usage, this website is great. If I were to be a teacher, my grade level would be 3rd and I may have to agree with Katie on how the site was a bit difficultu to maneuver around but I can see myself creating some kind of scavenger hunt for the kids to follow. That way, they would already have directions on where to search and what links to click on. I like how there is a "What Happened on Your Birthday?" button =)
ReplyDeleteI think that this site would be extremely helpful in the classroom. During middle school and high school, my own teachers utilized resources from the History Channel, and they were very beneficial. I love history, and this website would be a good resource to help show students why history is so important. As people said above, the site is a bit difficult to navigate, but well thought out lessons can definitely be used. I think I would use this at the middle to high school level because they would probably get more out of it than younger students. As for actual usage in the classroom I think I would probably stick to History Channel videos and possibly use it for students to research about different topics. The History Channel would definitely be a resource that I would be more apt to trust.
ReplyDeleteI went through the site and found that I really did not retain much about History. I got 4/10 about the Declaration of Independence! Looks like I'll have to bruch up on that. This would be a great resource for high school students to keep the information fresh on their mind. As for the little ones in elementary school I think it would be fun to take the quizes as a class. After learning about certain historical events I could bring up the website and the class could answer the questions together. It could really spark some interesting conversations. Thanks for the resource!!
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