Getting at the Heart of Historic Sites with Children This has been something that I have been struggling with ever since my child was born. How do I go to historic sites and keep myself surrounded by history when I always have a child in tow? While I certainly expected much of what I have found in the historic property sphere, I also used to work at the aforementioned house in this video – so on some level, perhaps my perspective is a bit skewed by the expectation that more sites ought to have interactive […]
Historic Sites with Littles
I have been on a professional break from my work with museums since my little was about 5 months old. This does not include the freelancing for my spouse or the museum conferences I have been to (mostly on behalf of my spouse). But I have been a museum visitor during that time. And bringing a toddler to museums has become a point of interest for me. Most parents choose to actively avoid the museums where their toddler might cause havoc. If they are going to go to a historic house museum, they will choose […]
The Spirit of Historical Inquiry
I was listening to TED Radio Hour last month for a re-airing of an episode entitled, “The Spirit of Inquiry”. What fascinated me was how science-based the episode was. And yes, to a certain extent I could understand why it was so science-based. But here is where I would like to take that thought and bring it even further: Most of us were taught in school that the reason we should believe in science is because of the scientific method. Scientists follow a method and this method guarantees the truth of their claims. […] The […]
Thoughts: NHD and Feedback, Feedback, Feedback!!!
My copy of Teaching the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework: Exploring Inquiry-based Instruction in Social Studies came in the mail today. As I’m still a student in my education program, I get very excited whenever I get mail from the National Council for the Social Studies. It makes me feel more like a professional. At the same time, I have a habit of bringing the latest mail from them to class and showing it to the only other social studies content area person in my class. I was just as excited to see […]
EDU-5320: Technology in Education
Reflection on website designed for course. http://robindonovan.wix.com/edutechjsc
EDU-5026: Partnering with the Adolescent Learner
Guiding Question: What is the role of a teacher in a secondary learning-centered environment? In a word, I would say that the purpose of a teacher is to be a guide. You are quite literally guiding students through their year(s) in your classroom. You have all the necessary tools and research to back them up and push them to explore the world around them. The real trick is that as a guide, you are pushing them to take an interest. You have to be careful that you don’t over push to the point of teenage […]
EDU-6630: Critical Practitioner
Education is the basis for creating a society that knows how to advocate for itself. In order to do that, we have to push our students to think outside the box, to know what their own limits are, and to have the resources to push for a better tomorrow. Of course, when I put it that way, it sounds a wee bit like I’m pushing the June Rebellion of 1832. “Do you hear the people sing” indeed. But I digress. If this course has given me anything, it would be background knowledge that allows for […]
EDU-5011: Educational Studies
I have always known the importance of personal experience in the classroom. For a long time, for me, that personal experience usually related to passion for the content area that you are teaching. The more you experience and learn about the subject you are teaching, the more passionate you become about that subject area, the more passionate your teaching of that subject will be. As true as that is, there is so much more to teaching than just that. There is the fact that every student who ever enters your classroom will be different, will […]