Changing Classroom World, The

Social Studies Review, Fall 2004 by Zachlod, Michelle, Rocca, Al M

Teachers Responses to the Changing Times in Education

Since the advent of No Child Left Behind, mandates from federal and state governments have impacted the way education is practiced. College level courses have not been immune from the expectations and mandates for change. With the advent of SB 2042 programs in California educational institutions had to closely examine and modify, if not completely change, past practices. Other states have responded to No Child Left Behind with their own interpretations of what education should be and teachers, instructors, and students have been impacted. This issue looks at teaching practices at both the college and K-12 levels to see how teachers and instructors are currently teaching social studies in the public schools and in social studies methods courses at colleges and universities in response to the current standards. A concern that threads through the articles is whether social studies is being ignored in public education in the flurry to meet the directives for high test scores in reading and math. This concern has led to questions about what is important to teach in social studies and the most effective methods to use. It is evident that all the authors have a passion for social studies and a strong desire to continue to teach it as an important and integral part of the educational process.

Fran Chadwick, an Assistant Professor at California State University San Marcos, has developed her social studies course based on the deep thinking detailed in Grant Wiggins' and Jay McTighe's book, Understanding By Design. Meeting a former student who is currently an elementary teacher, Fran was struck by the prescriptive mandates that she was required to follow. In response, Fran examined her own teaching and revised her social studies methods course based on the theoretical framework of the backward design model developed by Wiggins and McTighe. Her goal was to have her students be able to determine the essential questions and enduring understandings inherent in the standards that they would use to design social studies curriculum. In the process, Fran developed a fresh perspective and new teaching strategies, which strengthened her course and increased the students' critical thinking skills.

Laura Wending, an Associate Professor at California State University, San Marcos, considered her social studies methods course from a critical perspective to determine how she could better address the Teacher Performance Assessments designated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing as the performances that beginning teachers ought to have accomplished in their college programs. The faculty of each California college/university chooses their own methods of providing the appropriate opportunities to enable students to achieve the TPE's upon graduation. Laura describes how she and the other social studies methods instructors at CSUSM decided to focus on the assessment pertaining to the social environment (TPE 11), in addition to the other TPE's that were previously included in the social studies methods courses. Laura explains the modifications that were designed to enhance the existing program and address the new direction of the course.

Al M. Rocca, professor of education at Simpson University and the editor of this journal reveals in his article, "Teacher Performance Assessments and Skills Development in the Social Studies" that the teacher preparation assessments known as TPAs can be an exciting opportunity for new and veteran teachers. The thrust of the new assessments are to ensure that teacher candidates understand how to plan and implement a "differentiated curriculum," an approach that adjusts teaching strategies and resources to best fit the needs of individual students that come into the classroom with a diverse background of academic content understanding, skills development, life-experiences. Readers of this article will learn how to setup an annual skills development program and a class information chart.

Teachers and college level instructors in Florida are also encountering many of the same issues that are challenging California schools and colleges. Diane Yendol-Hoppey and Keith Tilford of the University of Florida explore the difficulties that challenge teachers at the USF professional development school and partnership schools as they try to teach social studies, currently an untested subject in Florida, under unsupportive conditions. Diane and Keith elucidate on the four dilemmas of practice that teachers face when trying to engage in social studies teaching in a high stakes testing environment. They point out that a consistent and cohesive approach to social studies practice is essential and should be reinforced through professional development and a supportive school environment. They note that the role of social studies teacher educators must help schools address the dilemmas of practice because as long as district mandates and state testing do not support social studies instruction it will maintain it's less important status.