Teaching Social Studies to the Media Generation

Research has shown that middle and high school students, historically, have had a less than favorable opinion of social studies instruction (Hobbs & Moroz, 2001), a situation widely attributed to teacher reliance on textbooks, lectures, and worksheets (Protano, 2003). Today, this problem is exacerbated as teachers are faced with students from a Media Generation who have grown up with “cell phones that have grown to include video game platforms, e-mail devices, digital cameras, and Internet connections” (Rideout, Roberts, & Foehr, 2005, p. 4). Recent studies, however, have found that student attitudes toward, and interest in, social studies can be greatly influenced by knowledgeable, passionate teachers who include them as active participants in the learning process through lively discussions and thought provoking activities (Alazzi, 2007; Chiodo & Byford, 2004). Teachers can further enhance this instruction by using the Internet to connect students to a wealth of authentic print, audio, and video resources (McGlinn, 2007). For students of the Media Generation, effective social studies teachers are those who foster inquiring minds and employ the tools that allow history to come to life in their classrooms.