Integrate Technology Into Your Social Studies and History Classroom

Technology, social media, and access to information continue to impact nearly every aspect of modern life. Because of this, the skills that our students need to be successful in college, careers, and life continue to evolve. It’s never been enough for students to simply “know things,” but in an era where so much information is readily available through a simple Google search and misinformation commonly appears in both social and news media, this is more true than ever before. In addition to content knowledge, students need to be information-literate critical thinkers.

To address these changing needs and to provide national guidance for social studies and history educators, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) has developed the C3 Framework, which outlines the skills necessary to prepare students for college, career, and civic life in today’s technology-infused world. The resources in this AVID Open Access collection are organized around the four dimensions of the C3 Framework and provide practical tools and strategies for integrating technology meaningfully into social studies and history classrooms. When done well, technology integration can increase student engagement, academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and preparedness for a tech-rich world.