Nicole Elizabeth Roper's Biography:
Nicole Elizabeth Roper is a longtime social studies educator and active PCSS member, serving most recently as the Immediate Past PCSS President after a two-year term from 2015-2017 that saw the annual PCSS conference expand significantly. She has served as a Middle States Evaluator at Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, NY; as National History Day Advisor in Philadelphia and as a consultant to ABCCLIO. Nicole earned a B.A. in History [concentration: European] as well as her 7-12 Social Studies Certificate and a Minor in Mathematics at DeSales University in 2000. She went on to receive an M.A. in Educational Leadership, at Immaculata University, 2005 and a Social Studies Supervisor Certificate K-12, Immaculata University, 2007. Nicole holds memberships in the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, NCSS, PCSS, MSCSS, National Council for History Education, Organization of American Historians, History Channel Club, ASCD, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, National Constitution Center, and The Smithsonian
Future of Social Studies:
As we continue into the 21st century, Pennsylvania students need to accomplish two things: become more active American citizens and prepare for a global centered world using more technology. As an organization, PCSS must remain in the forefront in helping students and teachers achieve these goals. Over and over again, we have been hearing of the need to make our students more engaged citizens. Unfortunately, over the past decades, we have lost that connection to civics – especially in our high schools. Hopefully, we can see in the future a mandated fourth year of social studies to truly focus on civics/government. We need our students to understand how our government works and what part they can play in it, regardless of their age. Our students also need to understand how our governmental system works within the global community.
Facebook, Twitter, wikispaces, blogs, 24/7 news coverage... Our students are bombarded with constant information from all around them. We as educators need to show students in our classrooms how to use their critical thinking skills to disseminate all the information in front of them. Students need to understand the global cultures to participate in the world. We as teachers need to show them how to properly use technology to help them adjust to an ever-changing world.