A university instructor and master teacher describe the limited examples of practitioner research in elementary social studies found in traditional publications. They present a social studies practitioner research project that investigated the use of various technologies in 6th grade geography to improve student engagement, collaboration and academic success. The authors suggest that practitioner research provides a structure for elementary teachers to investigate questions related to student learning of key social studies content, the social studies curriculum, and related skills. They suggest that practitioner research, as professional development or alternative to traditional teacher evaluation requirements, creates opportunities for elementary school teachers to focus on the teaching of social studies, raising both the status of social studies in elementary classrooms and the potential for increased teacher efficacy.