Pushing the Boundaries
Technology-Driven Inquiry Based Learning
Christa Evans Heath
Holcomb Bridge Middle School , Alpharetta , Georgia
An interactive session will demonstrate ways to use technology in teaching Social Studies as interdisciplinary inquiry in a middle school classroom. This session will demonstrate how the use of technology in a middle school social studies class enhances the four dimensions of informed inquiry as defined in the C3 framework; To encourage participants to implement technology based instructional strategies which differentiate interdisciplinary lessons; To demonstrate effective ways of teaching students to develop questions and plan inquiries, use technology while evaluating sources and using evidence, and while communicating conclusions and taking informed action; To demonstrate how interdisciplinary lessons which build critical thinking, problem solving, and participatory skills to become engaged citizens and meet the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies; To enable participants’ students to be engaged in learning which is meaningful and applicable in the real world through the use of technology.