Philip Molebash

Constructivism Meets Technology Integration: The CUFA Technology Guidelines in an Elementary Social Studies Methods Course

Abstract Schools and colleges of education have been criticized for not adequately preparing preservice teachers to integrate technology in their future classrooms. It has been proposed that a central component in the preparation of preservice teachers is for the instructors of content methods courses to model strategies for integrating technology that enhance learning. Mason et als (2000) “Guidelines for Using Technology to Prepare Social Studies Teachers” (CUFA Technology Guidelines) were developed specifically for social studies educators and are premised on the belief that one role of social studies educators is to model appropriate uses of technology for preservice teachers. This article presents results of a research study that investigated the characteristics of a social studies methods instructor whose practice was guided by the CUFA Technology Guidelines. In particular, this article describes how the instructors constructivist philosophical beliefs influenced her integration of technology as encouraged by the CUFA Technology Guidelines.

Using Digital History for Positive Change in Social Studies Education

Abstract This paper reports on the Digital Historical Inquiry Project, an initiative for developing activities and programs that enable preservice and inservice social studies teachers to learn the methods of digital historical inquiry and implement those methods in their teaching experiences. At one of the project sites, San Diego State University social studies teacher education students are creating pedagogical historical resources called Web Inquiry Projects for using digital primary historical source materials. At another site, Georgia State University preservice and inservice teachers are developing original local digital historical resources for teachers and students to use in their classrooms. Both of these projects are presented as examples of how technology can be lever-aged to enhance social studies instruction.