The Final Project

After debating what to do with my final project, I decided to do a timeline since it helps me to understand how and why many things happened in history.  The timeline, as you can see, outlines important events in the Holocaust and illustrates just how the Jewish people lost their rights and freedoms under Nazi Germany.  In an attempt to get students to relate better to the Holocaust, I've included events from Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan that are more recent and applicable to students today.  To even further apply this gruesome event to students' lives, I would include a mini-lecture on bullying and ridiculing other students, behaviors that may seem harmless but also may bring about similar circumstances as seen on the timeline.  To quote George Santayana: "If we do not know our past, we're condemned to repeat it."  I would conclude by giving a mini-lecture on tolerance and respect for differences in opinion rather than hate and bitterness.  I firmly believe this is one of the most important lessons we can learn from history.

Project #3

After getting in touch with a couple of my former history teachers and talking to my teacher parents, I believe strongly that one of the hardest topics to teach a history class is the Holocaust.  It is a terribly grim subject, but I feel much can be learned from it.  Aside from being so gruesome, more and more children do not wish to believe that it actually happened, flat out denying it.  My father had a couple of kids do this to him while substituting for a history teacher.  My goal is to make the Holocaust real to the students, but not so graphic as to sicken them.  Genocide still happens today.  In Serbia, Rwanda, Sudan, and many other places.  I feel that by equating these more recent examples of similar situations, students will have a harder time denying that the Holocaust occurred.   If anyone has some good examples of technology to use to get this message across, I am wide open to advice.  Thank you!   

Internet Safety

First of all, I think knowledge is key to creating an internet-safe environment.  The students and their parents must know what sleazy material and awful situations the internet is capable of getting the casual browser into and what expectations should be when using the internet.
People should treat the internet like the real world.  They shouldn't talk to strangers, should be very wary of any pop-up advertisements or offers, and shouldn't go online simply for something to do, but rather have a purpose.  If you wouldn't talk to strangers in the real world, why would you online?  If you wouldn't give out private information about yourself verbally, why would you online?  If you wouldn't look into potential scams in the real world, then why on earth would you online?  These questions are common knowledge in real-life situations, but for whatever reasons, they aren't when surfing the web.  If the internet is treated like the real-world, I think it would go a long way toward better internet safety. 
As well, I find that the best way of using the internet is when you have a purpose.  If there's a clear intent and goal, then chances are you won't find yourself searching for things you shouldn't be.  You achieve your goal and your use of the internet is done.  Surfing the web just for the heck of it can be fun, but it can also lead to problems.  The smart thing is to use it and not abuse it.
So, use the internet wisely!  Teaching people how to use it wisely will make this work best.

Wow...

Um... don't judge me too harshly guys. Haha here you go I guess:

Video

Downloading

So I downloaded the great Bill Walsh giving pointers on the timing of the west coast offense, which I know doesn't exactly pertain to history or any form of social studies, but I find it really interesting!  I didn't have any problems at all doing it.  Since this is found on youtube, and NFL Films hasn't done anything about it yet, I suppose it would be of free use to anyone.  Ripping a DVD, however, would be a different story.  I'd have to be very careful to not use too much of it and to make sure that I'm simply illustrating my own point, rather than any point or idea made by the creator of the DVD.


P.S. If you care, all the other six clips are on youtube!

Copyrights

I have always known to be careful when writing papers or making presentations and using content from someone other than myself.  I have always been taught that if there's even a shadow of a doubt that you may need to cite a source, to do so.  I had no idea, however, that there was something called "Creative Commons."  On their official website, they've got many useful items worth looking into.  They have case studies, documentation, and other data and information that can be used to prove a point or share an idea.  The website is definitely worth at least taking a look at, if not serious school use.  Thank you for the lesson about copyrights and the "Creative Commons!"

Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, my video!

My video will be about... well, weaknesses in the articles of confederation!  This covers Standard 5, Objective 4b of Utah's Core Curriculum.  My video will include still images, one of which will probably be the constitution towards the end as a teaser for the next lesson.  My recorded video will be something like a politician coming home to his wife and telling her about the articles of confederation and her telling him what's wrong with that government.  Hopefully my wife will oblige!  My weaknesses will include:

1)Only a unicameral legislature.

2)No power to tax.

3)Changing or amending articles needed a unanimous decision.  New articles needed 9/13 states to approve.

4)No power to regulate commerce.

These 4 weaknesses will be covered as well as any others you can let me know of!  Thank you!

My Fabulous Fictitious Website!

Greetings friends!  Here is my cool website.  Check it out if you dare!

Helpful History Teaching Blogs!

Howdy neighbors!  Yours truly was just browsing the web looking for some sites and WHAM!!!  I found some!

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

This is a great website for getting ideas to incorporate technology into your classroom.  It has interactive quizzes, online speeches and other items of interest.

http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/

This website has all kinds of multimedia and ideas for incorporating it into a class setting or homework of some sort.

http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/

This website was my favorite, sporting all kinds of pictures, videos, and lesson plans to discuss important people and events from our nation's past.

ENJOY!!!!

Me!

Howdy folks!  I'm R.C. Remington.  I grew up in the bustling metropolis of Dayton, Nevada and am a bit of a country boy.  I love history.  I love to read about Ancient Egyptian religion, samurai, American Presidents, homesteading, and anything to do with our world's past.  I often dream of sailing the seas as a buccaneer or riding into an old western town as a Marshall.  I find it hard to believe that so many people find history boring.  I hope to bring the excitement I feel for history to students of that persuasion.  I look forward to learning how to tap into technology to get rid of history's "boring" stigma among students.  All that aside, I love my wife, Stephanie, as well as sports, video games, dogs, good food, and working out.