HHB Educator Guide Commentary I

This reflection is based on my review of the HHB educator guide up to section 3 (page 106). Many of my comments are generalized to layout or usability of the guide rather than commenting on specific activities. The english teacher in me caught a couple typos - in 1st sentence under core learning principles & title line next to section III (in the main introduction at the beginning of the guide). The other thing that the visual learner in me noticed was that it is void of any eye-catching images, photos or graphic organizers.



On the Core Learning Principles

• The essential question posed is so critical to the use of HHB and the resource guide that I feel it needs more prominence on the page. Many schools utilize essential and unit questions to create lesson and unit plans. Can more questions be developed in the guide? Or could that be an exercise teachers are asked to do in HHB workshops?



• The core learning principles seem to align with the pillars or core principles of many area schools, in particular charter schools. Why not have an exercise asking workshop participants to print their school pillars/principles and compare-contrast to the FH principles? This may breed more buy-in for skeptical or new schools.



• It is also necessary to talk about how the principles correspond to the journey. What type of graphic could be designed or thought of to connect the two? A cause-effect template with CLP on top and journey underneath? Or would concentric circles be better?



• The journaling section is great on so many levels (this blog in itself is a Facing History journal), but I feel like it could also be a separate page that teachers could pull out and copy for student distribution. Sometimes in my classroom, students would be given the option to choose the type of journal entry they wanted to do to analyze a text, film or other resource. This could be a handout they keep in their folders or binders to use for not only their FH class, but perhaps even other classes because these journaling techniques are universal.



• I would also add to the list the option to create electronic journals (either as online blogs or just allowing a designated amount of time in lab to type up entries for compilation at the end of a term or school year). Electronic or typed journals serve as great writing samples/documentation, are always legible, allow opportunities to practice tech skills, allow for use of spell and grammar check if necessary and fit in to the already popular desire by youth to be on the computer (maintain active engagement). If the typing takes place after the entries have been handwritten, it encourages revision and editing, too.



• Teachers could consider utilizing school discussion or message boards as a journaling tool also. Programs like Blackboard, SchoolFusion and Edline offer these capabilities.



• Can there be a student introduction? Is this an activity teachers could create a draft of at an HHB workshop?

On the lessons

• I love the format of the lessons and think one of the best elements of every lesson is section 3 "follow up". A lot could be done with these in training sessions (either online or in person) - having participants shoot out list of texts, films or sites to review for further extensions, coming up with alternative assessment strategies in small groups or on a discussion board, thinking of ways to integrate technology or multimedia tools.


• What isn't clear is whether or not the sections in the resource guide correspond to the chapters in hhb? For example, do the lessons in section 1 of the guide correspond with "The Individual & Society" in HHB?