Annotated+List+of+Blogs,+Wikis,+Podcasts+or+Twitters

= __**Blogs, Wikis Podcasts and/or Twitters**__ =

This is a list of 21st Century Media that I found that ought to be helpful for my students to understand and to succeed in any history or political science class.

I think the use of these applications will be implemented into my classroom in the future. It would be my hope that we as a class develop our own piece of 2.0 media and utilize the technology to produce an interactive and social format of communication forum.

__**PODCAST**:__ [|Ghost Soldiers]
This is a cool podcast that I found while looking for information to potentially put into my text set.

The book is about a group of soldiers who must, despite tremendous odds, rescue American and British POW's from a camp in the Philippines.

That is clearly an incredibly condensed version of what takes place in this 350 page book.

What is important though, and what Sides speaks of, is commitment. The never give up attitude that America had to rescue their own POW's. Despite the overwhelming odds against them, they went in and defied the odds by returning almost every POW that was in the camp.

It would be my hope that students will hear this podcast and either pick up the book because there was a spark of interest, or use it as a catalyst to pursue their own commitment, whatever that may be.

__**PODCAST:**__ __**[|World War II on itunes]**__
This is a wonderful site that I discovered. This is what I have actually been looking for to use in a classroom. I know this may not exactly be a "traditional" podcast, but as it is set up through Apple and iTunes, I think it is applicable. This site has many of the speeches and fireside chats that FDR gave, some of Winston Churchill's speeches and even some"live" broadcasts from invasions in the Pacific. This is an absolutely dynamite site for any historian who wants to hear real footage.

This site would really get my students motivated in the learning process of the war. Even with pictures and some video, nothing can compare to hearing what is was actually like to be there, either on the battlefield or being a member of Congress or Parliament.

I would perhaps have my students listen to fireside chats from FDR and write a response to the way the words and voice made them feel. Were they reassured that America could win the war? Were they nervous when he announced the first New Deal program and then the second New Deal program, or were they excited about it?

This would be a fascinating task/homework assignment.

__**BLOG**:__ [|World War II History]
This is a great site that I just fell into. I have never had a reason to blog, other than for our Literacy class, but this site will perhaps change my mind.

The blog is very interactive with many pictures, links and opinions and that really is what a blog is, a series of opinions presented by individuals. I was looking around and found some various opinions on a few particular battles or movements, a few "we should have done this or that's" and some that were just in absolute agreement with the author of that specific piece of information.

I think I may actually assign a project that involves either this site, or perhaps a similar site in the future, depending on the period we were studying. I might have my students sign-in and read through a thread of a blog and see what interests them, then make them follow it and interject their own thoughts and ideas on the subject.

I think that would be an interesting way to learn history, while still keeping up with the newer applications.


 * __ BLOG: __ __ [|The National WWII Museum Blog] __ **

I found this blog to be quite interesting and moving. As a historian, I often look to find primary source documentation about soldiers who fought in wars. When I saw this blog thread I knew that I had entered something really inspirational. The museum blog has stories about survivors of battles, how life was in general then, different links to Victory Gardens and simple recipes. It was almost like walking back in time, but in the 21st Century. It was fascinating to go through and read some many different views and ideas from 75 years ago.

I think that students would get a lot out of this particular blog. I might have them follow one of the blogs, say the "Of Course I Can" thread and have students make a ration list of things that they need to be thrifty with. Perhaps this might be a week long project to see if they could get by on only what they could use and compare it to the frivolous way of spending in today's society. People do not remember when the country had to run on only certain products to survive. People had to use gas stamps to receive gas and ladies had to donate their stockings to make parachutes.

I think this is an excellent tool that my my students will be able to use.

__**TWITTER:**__ __**[|History Today]**__
This is actually a Twitter account that I follow regularly. I think the site has merits and virtues for anyone who makes their living as a historian or who just causally likes to observe history. The site is designed to follow all parts of history, for example, today there are many tweets about new evidence surrounding who Jack the Ripper was. I know that is a topic that will never truly be resolved, much like nobody will ever truly know the conspiracy that revolves around the Kennedy assassination. The point is that many people follow this site and comment on subjects that they feel are relevant. The site also gives you "This Day in History" information, which is always fascinating to know, as an example, 110 years ago today President McKinley was shot in Buffalo. I knew that because I follow this tweet.

I would have my students follow this twitter account and keep an eye on anything that would be relevant to the subject matter that we happen to be discussing at that particular point.

__**WIKI:**__ [|History Wiki] and [|World War II Wiki]
I discovered these wiki's and I am not sure how I feel about them. I like that they are chocked full of information including many different links to sites that go further into detail with one click of the mouse. The thing that I am a little apprehensive about is the fact that it is an open forum that anyone can edit. I understand that it is a wiki and that is what a wiki is designed for, but I just do not know with 100% confidence that I would have students use this as a "credible" source. If however, I am sorely mistaken and many history teachers use this application, then I see brilliant ways in which I can use this site with my students.

__**DIVERSE LEARNERS**__
I think that most diverse learning can be met in the general classroom when 2 guidelines are kept in check by the presiding teacher...

1. Student performance is the result of the interaction between the student and the teacher, the teacher must make every effort to gear the curriculum to a student in need, no matter what the situation.

2. Teachers MUST accommodate the needs of the student in the learning environment no matter what.

I would use the model of INCLUDE for lesson adaptions. INCLUDE is a system that helps adapt a lesson for a diverse learner.

We learned about INCLUDE during our Ethnic and Diversity class and I thought it was a great idea and I am happy to implement it here as well as implement it in my own classroom next year.

As Examples: For struggling readers I would allow peer reading and coaching, allow a type of educational game if one is available, use visual imagery whenever possible and use awesome graphic organizers with big pictures and the list goes on.

For ELL students, I would use similar tactics...I would use a lot of visual cues, graphic organizers, obviously give extra time when answering a question and use music or rhythms whenever possible.

For G&T students, I would use peer mentoring, allow students to create their own independent plans for independent learning, extend more choices to them and use the Socratic questioning on them.

I do not think it is terribly difficult to account for students who may be or are diverse learners, at least that is what I think.

We have been trained and very well mind you, in the ways of diverse students and the ways to teach them.