Michael's Biography:
Since an early age, I have been passionate about social studies and how the study of this discipline can inform our citizenry. To this day, I remain in the debt of the social studies teachers of my past who instilled in me an enthusiasm for history, economics, and psychology, that has not wavered to this day. Whether in the field trips to Independence Hall, mock trials in the classroom, primary source analysis, or participation in Constitution Day events, these teachers inspired me towards a career in social studies education. I wanted to share my love for this discipline to future generations and instill the many values and lessons about history that I had been taught.
To prepare me for my life as a social studies educator, I attended Mansfield University of Pennsylvania where I received my BSE in Social Studies Education. At Mansfield, I was President of the university’s History Club and planned many events such as trips to Antietam, historical debates, and voter registration drives. In 1998, I was selected as the Outstanding Senior in both the History and Education Departments.
After Mansfield, and a year as a Social Studies teacher at Corning East High School, I arrived at Wyalusing Valley Jr-Sr High School, where I would teach social studies at the public school level for 15 years at Wyalusing Valley Jr-Sr High School in Wyalusing, PA. At Wyalusing, I taught various social studies courses, including 20th Century US History, AP US History, AP European History, and AP World History. My classes at Wyalusing were highly dynamic and brought students into the world of interactive social studies education. In every class, students were taught how social studies, no matter what content, impacts their lives, along with the lives of their families, communities, and modern world. In addition, students gained an appreciation for the civic nature of the social studies through service learning activities, and community events such as personal interviews with community leaders and veterans. In 2010, I was also named Chair of the Social Studies Department, and was highly involved in faculty searches, textbook selection, and the rewriting of our social studies curriculum to align our program with state, federal, and NCSS guidelines.
While at Wyalusing, I never stopped enhancing my knowledge in both the content and pedagogy of social studies education. To that end, I received my Master’s of Science in Social Studies Education from Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA), and my Ph.D. in Human Development from Marywood University (Scranton, PA). These programs prepared me for the inevitable transition from a more “traditional” social studies classroom to one that included the use of technology for delivery.
After 15 years of teaching at the public school level, I wanted to transition into educating future teachers as they prepare for a life in education. In 2013, I took a faculty position (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Secondary Education at California University of Pennsylvania. At Cal U, I teach several education courses including the Teaching of Social Studies in a Secondary ED Classroom, Classroom Management, and Teaching in a Multicultural Society. In addition, I became a certified Faculty Leader from the National SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Project, and a Master Reviewer for Quality Matters Online Education. In 2020, I was named Chair of the newly created Department of Education, which includes the old departments of Secondary Education, Special Education, Childhood Education, and Technology Education. Since 2012, I have attended and presented at many PA Council of the Social Studies state conferences, along with presenting at the Middle States Council of the Social Studies in the past.
In envision my role on the PCSS board as one who will encourage and support social studies teachers throughout the commonwealth, and provide any knowledge and skills that I have to advocate for social studies curriculum, programing, and outreach.
Future of Social Studies:
While the future is unpredictable in many ways, the purpose the social studies in school curriculum is clear. The social studies disciplines will continue to play an integral role in providing students with a roadmap towards an active citizenry. In the study of laws, social and economic change, and significant historical events, students will be provided with the critical tools to both understand and participate in our national dialogue. In the last presidential election, voting participation by younger Americans (18-24) was barely over 40%. The social studies classroom, no matter what discipline needs to instill the knowledge and values required to understand the vital role that an active citizen plays in impacting local communities, nation, and the world.
While this remains an important role for the social studies, there is another skill that I believe will be critical in the years to come. Social studies curriculum plays a vital role in teaching students about how to critically analyze events, media, and sources. In the current world, students must be able to sift through written and visual evidence, and examine them for bias, truth, and purpose. Technology, while useful for finding information, can also provide the means for disinformation and mistruth. A social studies classroom that provides students the opportunity to critically analyze events, speeches, and movements is interconnected with the need to for an active citizenry as a student that learns how to evaluate and analyze evidence may be more likely to see a role for themselves in our political and social world. By elevating the search for truth and evidence within our curriculum, schools can enlighten and empower students to see the social studies as the ideal toolkit for thriving in a world that can seem complex.