Class: Sociology
General requirements: Students shall be awarded
one-half
unit of credit for successful completion of this course.
Introduction: In Sociology, an elective course,
students
study dynamics and models of individual and group relationships.
Students
study topics such as the history and systems of sociology, cultural and
social norms, social institutions, and mass communication.
Grade: High School
Prerequisite Skills: The ability to navigate the internet and proficiency in 8th grade English.
Textbook: Thomas, W.L. (1995). Sociology. The
Study
of Human Relationships
(5th ed.). Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Unit Topic: Technology
Chapters: 16 Collective Behavior and Social Movements
18 Social Change and Modernization
Duration of Unit: 10 Class Periods
Objectives:
To discover how the media affects our society and the way our society interacts.
To determine how valuable the media is in education.
To convince the school board that media plays an important role in the classroom community and a teacher's curriculum.
Problem:
The school board believes that all forms of media need to be banned from school and more focus needs to be placed on curriculum development. Due to the usage of an accelerated curriculum, the school board plans to cease the usage of all technology in the classroom. There are many types of technology used in school, such as the internet, television, and movies. The school board will be meeting in about two weeks to address this issue and make a final decision. Most of the teachers are against the banning of the technology in class and so are several students. Three students will be chosent to represent the student body at the board meeting in two weeks. It is up to you to gather information and material to support the usage of technology in the classroom. As your teacher, I have chosen several activities to help address both side of the issue. There is an activity on the effect of commercials on the consumer which helps students to understand how various types of appeal are used to engage students in their learning experience. An internet search allows for the opportunity to see the practicality of the internet in the classroom, but also see the downside of its usage in education. Various current issues will be examined and the opportunity to collaborate with other students through an online chat room will emerse the students in the technological world. A self-assessment will be completed after each lesson in order to allow for student feedback and reflection.
Do you, as students, learn from the usage of media in the classroom?
How can you, as a student, prove that the usage of
media
in the classroom is an effective teaching tool?