MAT 402 Reflection Blog # 1

1.)    As a social science teacher, outside-school experiences have played an influential role in deepening my subject area content knowledge.  From a very young age, I was fortunate enough to go on a variety of family vacations where I often frequented museums, national parks, historical monuments and sites.  Not only did these trips teach me valuable information and factual anecdotes that I am now able to share with my students, they also deepened my love for history.  Because I was exposed to all of these historical sites and I had amazing history teachers throughout my formative years, I chose to make a career out of the subject that I still love to learn more about.  One specific experience that deepened and expanded my subject area content knowledge came when I studied abroad for a year in Rome.  Although I was a U.S. History major in college, while in Rome I took classes on Ancient Roman History, Renaissance Art in Rome, and the History of Travel in Europe.  These classes provided me with a very unique opportunity to learn about specific places, monuments, or works of art, and then go visit these sites in person.  This was an invaluable experience because not only did it give me a unique perspective on history, it gave me an amazing opportunity to acquire visual aids, and tangible objects that I can now share with my students.

2.)    When I initially read Ball’s article, I was very put off by her assumption that all teachers need to be a “master” of their subject area content in addition to having content knowledge from all other subject areas order to be an effective teacher within the classroom.  Not only did I see this as arrogant, but I also saw it as very presumptions that teachers would have the time within their first year of teaching to “master” all of these different subjects.  However, after our classroom seminar discussion, I find myself taking a less critical view of Ball and her article.  I do agree with Ball, that a deep understanding of a subject matter will make you a more effective teacher in the classroom.  Based on the discussion from class, I now think that Ball is asserting that this “mastery” of content should happen throughout a teacher’s entire career rather that in the first few years like I previously thought.  I do agree with Ball that teachers should be actively seeking out ways to deepen their own understanding of their content knowledge throughout their careers.  By doing this it will keep the teachers “fresh” and up to date, and it will subsequently make their students more interested in the material they are presenting. 

3.)    Although I don’t have the wording of my inquiry question 100% pegged down, for my capstone project, I am planning on looking out the effect alternative resources will have on student engagement in a US history class.  I think that my question is very interesting and it is my hope that there are a variety of research articles out there on the subject, however I feel that my question is a little too broad.  In order to better “focus” my project, I think that I am going to have to focus on a specific era or time period in history. Currently I think that I want to focus on either WWII or McCarthy Era Cold War, but I am not completely sold on either one.  In regard to possible experiential learning resources I am very fortunate that my capstone project has to do with alternative resources.  In the bay area there are TONS, of museums, historical sites (Kaiser Ship Yards, Lawrence Livermore Lab, Port Chicago High Way etc), that lend themselves quite well to my project.  I’m sure there are more, that I am unaware of, and I am excited to have the opportunity to explore them.

People Who I Commented On:
Troy Bristol- fatheadtroysmc.blogspot.com
Yadira Zapata- unahistoriadeunamaestra.blogspot.com
Alana Scott- mademoisellescott.blogspot.com