Technology Integration Challenges - Social Studies

Technology integration in education continues to increase as teachers are constantly thinking of new and creative ways to incorporate technology into the curriculum. Each content area holds unique challenges in effectively using technology. In this blog entry, I will explore the challenges specifically related to integrating technology in the social studies content area.

Technology integration in social studies seems to be progressing at a slower pace than some other subjects. In many ways, social studies could be seen as the “forgotten subject” as it relates to technology integration. In his article, Michael Berson (2002) points this out stating, “we have lacked universal constructs regarding the integration of technology into the social studies and struggled to identify a theoretical basis to guide the selection and application of technology in the classroom.”

A second challenge for technology integration in social studies is a misconception about the computer and how it can be used as an effective educational tool. In the past, the computer has been limited by many as simply being a research tool or a way to access information. Berson also makes note of this, stating “the marginalization of computers as a means to facilitate access to content does not take into account the potential role of technology in developing students’ process of inquiry” (Berson, 2002). We have to be creative and integrate technology into social studies in ways that promote problem solving and higher-level thinking. This kind of integration can be challenging. We have to be willing to rethink approaches and not simply marginalize the use of computers and software in ways that can be easily transferred into existing approaches (Berson, 1996).

So how do we solve the challenges of integrating technology into the social studies? I think ultimate change lies in the hands of those who “teach the teachers.” College professors, school administrators, and professional development employees have to help with this change. They must promote new methods and creative ideas. They must model these methods. In researching this topic, I came across a particular article in which the author describes her college education department’s attempts to teach students how to integrate technology into social studies education (Crowe, 2004). These types of efforts must become more common for technology integration to improve in the social studies content area.

References

Berson, M. J. (1996). Effectiveness of Computer Technology in the Social Studies: A Review of the Literature. Journal Of Research On Computing In Education, 28(4), 486-99.

Berson, M. J. (2002). REFLECTING ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES Past, Present and Future Perspectives. International Social Studies Forum, 2(2), 159.

Crowe, A. R. (2004). Teaching by Example: Integrating Technology into Social Studies Education Courses. Journal Of Computing In Teacher Education, 20(4), 159-165.