1. SOURCES TO USE IN A SOCIAL
STUDIES CLASSROOM
Created by Michella Joseph
Friday, April 22, 2011; EDLD 5362-8011

2. 2 1st Website to use in classroom
Parentella
Saturday, July 23, 2011

3. Parentella
Our mission is to strengthen the home-school tie by encouraging parent teacher
communication.
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 http://www.parentella.com/
 Used to create and strengthen teacher – parent
communication
 Middle School parents and teachers usually do not
have communication until it is too late
 This network will have both parties start the school
year with open communication
http://www.parentella.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

4. Parentella – Teacher Perspective
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 “Teachers can share class news, homework,
important notes, alerts, documents, and links.”
 “Teachers can also use it in the classroom with
students.”
 “They can choose to post content in the parent
group or the student group or both to enhance
classroom interaction.”
http://www.parentella.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

5. Parentella – Parent Perspective
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 “Parents can ask questions, share information, and
ideas.”
 “It’s an online social network for parents that
enhances parent teacher communication and
collaboration.”
 “We also have tools to help with parental
involvement and engagement in schools.”
http://www.parentella.com/
Saturday, July 23, 2011

6. Why use Parentella?
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 Parentella is a user friendly website. Parents with
varying degrees of computer knowledge can easily
navigate through the website.
 Teacher-Parent communication is vital to student
success
 “When parents and teachers work together, a child
has a team of adults who are committed to bringing
out his best.” (Ramirez, 2006)
http://www.parentella.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

7. Impact on Professional Practice
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 Using this site I can:
 Increase communication with parents
 Create a network for parents with students in the same
class
 Allow parents to take a more active role in their
student’s education
 Allow students to communicate with the teacher and/or
parents outside the classroom
 Demonstrate to student’s that they have a network that
cares for them and their success
http://www.parentella.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

8. 8 2nd Website to use in classroom
Teaching Digital History
Saturday, July 23, 2011

9. Teaching Digital History
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 http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/
 This community is focused on ideas and resources for
teaching social studies using digital historical
resources
 This community is an interconnected blog created
for social studies teachers by social studies teachers
 With this blog in particular the “readers can reply
easily and participate in a discussion in which they
share knowledge and reflect on the topic” (Pitler, et
al. 55)
http://teachingdigitalhistory.nig.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

10. Teaching Digital History
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 All resources are categorized by historical topics
 Resources include photos, videos, and blogs
 Each blog includes lesson topic, tools to use in each
lesson, videos or pictures related to each lesson,
and feedback from others who have taught the
lesson
http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

11. Why use Teaching Digital History?
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 This website has a variety of tools available for use
such as videos, pictures, links to other sites
 Tools are free and easy to use
 Input on lessons that work or don’t work are readily
available
 Diverse forms of media that will capture and
captivate students attention
http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

12. Impact on Professional Practice
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 Using this site I can:
 Use a variety of mediums to introduce topics or teach
lessons
 Make history “come to life” for the students
 Turn a “boring” subject for students into an exciting
experience for them
 Slowly creating a 21st century, technology capable,
student centered classroom
 Introduce topics to students and have them create blogs,
wikis, lessons that are engaging
http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/ Saturday, July 23, 2011

13. 13 Resources used in PowerPoint
Saturday, July 23, 2011

14. Resources
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 Parentella - Online Social Network for Parents in
Collaboration with Teachers. (n.d.). Parentella - Online
Social Network for Parents in Collaboration with
Teachers. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from
http://www.parentella.com/
 Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K.
(2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That
Works . Alexandria: ASCD.
Saturday, July 23, 2011

15. Resources
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 Ramirez, L. (n.d.). Parent Teacher Communication and
How It Benefits the Child. Parenting Magazine Offers
Parenting Advice and Insights about Child Development.
Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.parenting-
child-development.com/parent-teacher.html
 Teaching Digital History - ...using documents, images,
maps and online tools. (n.d.). Teaching Digital History -
...using documents, images, maps and online tools.
Retrieved April 22, 2011, from
http://teachingdigitalhistory.ning.com/
Saturday, July 23, 2011