Educators have been increasingly sensitized to the role of schools in developing students' cyberethics, cybercitizenship, and cybersafety, which have emerged as one of the most pressing and yet unexplored areas of education. The Department of Defense has identified challenges to cybersecurity infrastructure as a significant risk for the…

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, teachers across the United States are expanding their integrated approach to social studies instruction and literacy studies. They are challenged to infuse text and narratives linked to…

The release of Apple's iPad was met with great enthusiasm by educators and schools. Yet, if this new technology is retrofitted to traditional teaching activities its full potential will go unrealized. The presence of iPads alone will not generate transformative educational experiences in the social studies; however, the appropriation of the device…

When young people read or hear stories in the classroom, their interest is easily peaked. However, sustaining that interest and attention through a related social studies lesson is more of a challenge. Instructional approaches that enrich the context of stories and forge students' connections with the characters extend learning in meaningful ways.…

The Webbys are one of the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the web's infancy, the Webbys are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries, and creative celebrities. These experts…

On January 20, 2009, Americans witnessed a historical event as Barack Obama took the oath of office and became the 44th president of the United States. While the general population reflected on the event, students in a U.S. government course were busy analyzing the inaugural address. In the past, they might have written their own reflections on…

This article describes the Frank Reade dime novels, published in 1882, that are now recognized as the beginnings of the modern science fiction novel in the United States. They illustrate the hope that Americans of the time held for the future that newly invented technology could offer. Although the Frank Reade stories highlighted the promise of…

Faster and more efficient coverage on television and the Internet is increasingly exposing children to traumatic images of natural devastation both at home and abroad. Natural disasters, such as the wildfires in California or the trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, have become commonplace. Catastrophic events like these serve as…

In social studies classes, there is a longstanding interest in how societies evolve and change over time. However, as stories of the past unfold, it is often difficult to identify a direct link between causes and effects, so students are forced to accept at face value the interpretations of economists, political scientists, historians,…

Internet users continue to develop new ways of communicating online and disseminating information; one of these methods, the blog, also known as web log, has become a significant cultural phenomenon. Blogs offer an interactive medium for internet users to create and contribute content to the web. In some social studies classrooms, teachers are…

The recent Library of Congress exhibition, From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, has sparked renewed interest in the history of Jews in the United States. The collection featured more than 200 documents, images, and artifacts that chronicle the Jewish American experience. In exhibit from September through December 2004, From…

The use of digital photography in the social studies classroom offers students an application of technology that can help them develop the skills necessary to access, analyze, and evaluate all forms of information and communication. Students learn to recognize how images represent diverse perspectives, connect disparate pieces of information, and…

The right to privacy is a firmly entrenched democratic principle that has been inferred in the U.S. Constitution and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment as a liberty of personal autonomy. It is the statutory right to privacy that has been most closely aligned with data protection as a form of self-protection. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission…

This article presents and discusses in detail the results from a longitudinal study of social studies teacher educators about the diffusion of technology in social studies teacher education. Data were obtained from the third distribution of a national survey that explores the beliefs, practices, and efficacy of social studies teacher education…

Discusses the creation of the project, "Internet2," that was developed due to concerns about the Internet's ability to meet educational and research needs. Explains that "Internet2" is seen as a vehicle to ease concerns and also be a useful tool in teacher education. (CMK)