The authors describe the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) applications like ChatGPT to address the challenges faced in social studies education and develop strategies for its effective integration into the classroom. This includes identifying the ethical implications of AI, its impact on assessment methods, and opportunities for…

When digital assistants are used to process search queries, generate driving directions, or answer voice commands, advanced technologies gather available data and use this information to perform tasks that require decision making and problem solving. These examples of machine learning have become commonplace in our everyday lives. Machine learning…

Digital technologies have expanded access to a wealth of resources stored in archives. But authenticating, describing, and indexing these resources requires painstaking work. Most cultural institutions (e.g., museums and libraries) lack the financial resources and workforce to optimize searchability and readability of digitized records, which…

Recent technological advances have enhanced the accessibility of rephotography, a visual research method and project-based approach valued by social studies educators for engaging students in historical inquiry and place-based exploration. Rephotography projects capture photos from the vantage point of an old image to explore change over time.…

The use of testimony in teaching about the Holocaust has long been a practice, relying on resources such as memoirs, diaries, and audio recordings. Having first-person accounts provides a window into the experience of those who lived the historical events that now fill the pages of text. As we mark the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II…

Educators have been increasingly sensitized to the role of schools in developing students' cyberethics, cybercitizenship, and cybersafety, which have emerged as one of the most pressing and yet unexplored areas of education. The Department of Defense has identified challenges to cybersecurity infrastructure as a significant risk for the…

In this article, the authors describe a recent project undertaken at the University of South Florida's (USF) Preschool for Creative Learning. To align with the inquiry approach of their laboratory school, the environment at the Preschool is designed so that children can learn through exploration and individual initiative. The administration and…

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, teachers across the United States are expanding their integrated approach to social studies instruction and literacy studies. They are challenged to infuse text and narratives linked to…

When young people read or hear stories in the classroom, their interest is easily peaked. However, sustaining that interest and attention through a related social studies lesson is more of a challenge. Instructional approaches that enrich the context of stories and forge students' connections with the characters extend learning in meaningful ways.…

The release of Apple's iPad was met with great enthusiasm by educators and schools. Yet, if this new technology is retrofitted to traditional teaching activities its full potential will go unrealized. The presence of iPads alone will not generate transformative educational experiences in the social studies; however, the appropriation of the device…

The Webbys are one of the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the web's infancy, the Webbys are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries, and creative celebrities. These experts…

Young children are immersed in a high tech world. However, as their functional technological capabilities evolve, they also need to develop skills for interactive and participatory engagement in online environments. Challenges exist as digital spaces transform the role of traditional mechanisms of adult oversight and supervision in guiding…

On January 20, 2009, Americans witnessed a historical event as Barack Obama took the oath of office and became the 44th president of the United States. While the general population reflected on the event, students in a U.S. government course were busy analyzing the inaugural address. In the past, they might have written their own reflections on…

Faster and more efficient coverage on television and the Internet is increasingly exposing children to traumatic images of natural devastation both at home and abroad. Natural disasters, such as the wildfires in California or the trauma caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, have become commonplace. Catastrophic events like these serve as…

Young people today consume large amounts of information through various media outlets and simultaneously create and distribute their own messages via information and communication technologies and massively multiplayer online gaming. In doing so, these "digital natives" are often exposed to violent, racist, or other deleterious messages.…