I teach 7th grade social studies in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. In Ohio, the focus of 7th grade social studies is world history from 1000 B.C. to 1750 A.D. We focus heavily on geography and its impact on early cultures, along with the many contributions these ancient civilizations have made to the world we know today. We study Egypt, India, China, Greece, Rome, Islamic Empires, African Empires, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Reformation, and Explorers. My goal is to help my students appreciate the uniqueness of each civilization we study and understand the relevance of these ancient civilizations to the world we live in. I want my students to be excited about and fascinated by history.
Technology plays a tremendous role in bringing history to life in my classroom. Through the use of interactive websites such as http://www.thebeijingguide.com/great_wall_of_china/index.html and http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html, history can be explored in a way that was not possible in the past. The excitement that I see in my students when technology allows them this type of connection to history is incredible, and I hope to continue to find ways to build their enthusiasm about world history. I feel I have only begun to explore the many ways in which this is possible and am eager to learn more about how I can continue to do different things with technology, rather than simply doing things differently.
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