Using Digital Mapping Programs to Augment Student Learning in Social Studies

In the K-12 social studies classroom, the goal is to create the well-informed citizenry that is essential to a functioning democracy. Preparing students for a lifetime of active citizenship is a complex undertaking, one that demands that students be given opportunities to integrate classroom learning with experiential learning in the larger world where political debate and decision making occur (Banks 2003; Parker 2001). Active participation in civic life initiates critical reflection by creating opportunities for students to explore how their new understandings influence their own opinions and beliefs (Dewey 1927). Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) assert that teachers should begin civic education by helping students build trust and cooperation within their community. They also suggest that technologies that enable students to better visualize community issues, learn collaboratively, and discover their role as agents for positive change should be part of social studies classrooms.