At the most basic level, social studies is the study of people. As an academic discipline, the primary purpose is to help young people develop into citizens who can make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good. As we have seen in our program on science and math, Georgia's social studies curriculum is also changing. How do educators and students adapt to these changes? That's where digital resources play a significant role in the new learning environments. When education goes digital, everything becomes a classroom. That is the focus this month on Achieving Excellence: Inside Georgia Schools.
During the show, Jane hosts a diverse panel of guests that includes Deborah Grayson, Education Project Manager for Social Studies at Georgia Public Broadcasting; William Cranshaw, Social Studies Program Manager for the Georgia Department of Education; Shaun Owen, 6th grade Social Studies teacher from Greenbriar Middle School in Columbia County; Dr. Jamil S. Zainaldin, the President of the Georgia Humanities Council; and Katherine Aiken, the Discovery Educator Network Manager for Georgia.
The focus of discussion is on digital resources, including the New Georgia Encyclopedia, Georgia Public Broadcasting's Georgia Stories, the Digital Library and the online resources provided to Georgia educators through a partnership with the Discovery Education Network. Changes in Georgia's Social Studies curriculum along with the Georgia Performance Standards and how to effectively engage students in learning in the classroom setting are also discussed.
