iEARN ONLINE SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE

'Having iEARN as part of our integrated technology program has made a major difference in the way I instruct .I have been able to evaluate projects by using our standards then plugging those projects into my lesson plans. This has eliminated time wasted on gathering resource material, time correcting papers and has built a great enthusiasm among my students for our project.I had also enjoyed corresponding with other educators.' - Wendy Link, USA

This course will enable you to integrate an iEARN collaborative project into your Social Studies classroom. You will select and integrate an international collaborative project that meets your curriculum standards. iEARN social studies projects equip educators to help students understand how historical and geographical conditions interact to shape their lives. This sharing of information helps give children a deeper understanding of themselves, their family, their community, and their world. Using themes from your curriculum students will share their knowledge with classrooms from different locations around the world.

Objectives

In this course you will:

• Learn how to integrate an iEARN social studies project by being involved in one
• Explore the various social studies projects and their correlation with your local/state/national curriculum standards
• Choose a project that best fits your classroom
• Plan and implement a project with your students
• Share your students' reflections/essays in the iEARN interactive forums.
• Along with your students, discuss, reflect and give constructive feedback to the work of others.
• Join an open discussion about the issues related to integrating online project-based learning in your classroom.
• Meet and collaborate with local and international teachers who are interested in addressing the same projects/issues
• Discuss and plan your project implementation
• Develop ways to teach your students to gather and organize information for print and online publication.
• Make your social studies lessons more challenging interesting and engaging and network with colleagues around the world.

Current Course Facilitators: Tommie Hamaluba and Christine Kolstoe

Tommie Hamaluba

Tommie teaches at Gaborone Senior Secondary School in the Republic of Botswana and has been involved in iEARN since 1999. Tommie holds a Degree in Business Administration, Diploma in Education, Certificate in Accounting and he passed also through the iEARN'S professional development courses in the field of Contemporary Affairs. In the year, 2003 Tommie was nominated by World-links to mentor a pilot e-learning course which was a success.  His desire to serve iEARNers is evidenced from the many iEARN workshops he has conducted in Botswana and the many people he has helped join the global village. He is the founder and facilitator of the "Education and Eradication of malaria- project a case of iEARN schools. Tommie's committed to save the health of students and commitment to iEARN led him to be recognised as a LIFE SAVER HERO. He is also very active in ENO project (Environmental Online). 

Christine Kolstoe

Christine Kolstoe is currently a Teacher Librarian at Lynnwood Elementary School in the Edmonds School District in Washington State, USA. She has been involved in iEARN since 2000 and got started by taking the Social Studies Class. Christine holds a Bachelor’s Degree from France, a Master’s Degree from the University of Oregon and Teaching Certificates from the State of Washington. She has worked in Distance learning at the CNED (Centre National D’Education à Distance) in France and at Cyberschool (a Resource Center for Home schooled students) in the Edmonds School District in the US. She earned her endorsement in Library Media. She is now working in the library helping both Teachers and Students.
She is the founder and facilitator of the iEARN Architecture project and has participated in several other projects. During the iEARN Senegal Conference, she used her language skills to help Rowena Gerber with the Solar Cooking Project. She is a firm believer in the power of iEARN to create links among Teachers and Students all over the world.

Content Development: Deborah Felton and Barry Kramer