The Changing History Classroom

I.Introduction
a.My introductory paragraph will begin with a brief introduction to the uses of technology in the classroom
b.Thesis: By incorporating specific mediums of technology into the classroom, namely documentaries, internet searches and PowerPoint presentations, history teachers can more effectively teach their students the required material, and create interest in potentially boring subjects. By remaining in the technological “Stone Age” teachers will jeopardize the learning capabilities of their students.

II.Why technology needs to be used in the classroom
a.This paragraph will examine Chickering’s seven principles of effective teaching and how the use of technology supports each principle.
i.Chickering, Arthur W. and Stephen C. Ehrmann. “Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever.” AAHE Bulletin (2004):1-8. GoogleScholar. Web. 9March 2010.
b.Cite specific studies that support the opinion that more successful learning occurs in technology-enhanced environments
i.Gallaher, E.J. “History and the New Technology: The Missing Link.” Rethinking History 8.2 (2004): 319-332. EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 March 2010.
ii.Hernandez-Ramos, Pedro; and Susan De La Paz. “Learning History in Middle School by Designing Multimedia in a Project-Based Learning Experience.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education 42.2 (2009): 151-173. EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 March 2010.

III.Introduction to three uses of technology
a.Begin the paragraph by stating that there are numerous ways technology can be used in the classroom, but this paper will focus on just three
i.Student-created documentaries
ii.Internet searches
iii. Wikis

IV.The value of student-created documentaries
a.This paragraph will focus on the teaching techniques used by one middle school teacher who had his class create documentaries about historical events
i.Hughes, Terry. “Feel the History.” Course home page. F. J. Reitz High School and Helfrich Park Middle School, August 2006. Web. 4 March 2010.
ii.“Making History: An Indiana Teacher Uses Technology to Feel the History.” Technology and Learning 28.7 (2008): 26. Wilson Education. Web. 4 March 2010.
b.Discuss why the benefits of documentary enhanced learning outweigh the costs of all the equipment and time required to teach in this manner

V.Internet searches
a.This paragraph will discuss why internet-based researching is such an important classroom skill
i.Johnson, Andrew Paul. Making Connections in Elementary and Middle School Studies. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2006. Print.

VI. Wikis
a.This paragraph will outline how wikis can be useful in a classroom setting
i.“Teaching Tips: Wikis in the Classroom.” eMints National Center. The Curators of the University of Missouri, 2004. Web. 5 March 2010.
b.Rhetorical device: discuss the drawbacks of Wikipedia and how using wikis in an educational setting is different

VII.How technology can be integrated into the classroom
a.This paragraph will look at the three aforementioned technology approaches to teaching and how they can be effectively incorporated into the classroom
i.Otero, Valerie; et al. “Integrating Technology into Teacher Education: A Critical Framework for Implementing Reform.” Journal of Teacher Education 56.1(2005): 8-23. GoogleScholar. Web. 9 March 2010.
ii.“Teaching History with Technology.” EdTechTeacher, Inc. 2009. Web. 5 March 2010.
b.Incorporation of real teacher’s practical application of teaching with technology
i.Gallaher, E.J. “History and the New Technology: The Missing Link.” Rethinking History 8.2 (2004): 319-332. EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 March 2010.

VIII. Potential drawbacks of technology integrated instruction
a.Although my thesis states that technology is a positive improvement in the classroom, I need to address the potentially detrimental effects of using technology
i.Haydn, Terry. “Multimedia, Interactivity and Learning: Some Lessons From the United Kingdom.” Current Developments in Technology-Assisted Education (2006): 110-115. Google Scholar. Web. 4 March 2010.
b.After addressing the potential negative effects, state how the positive benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks

IX. Conclusion
a.Restate the benefits of technology-enhanced learning
b.Remind teachers of statistics that support the greater use of technology enhanced learning