past presentations
Game-Based Learning in the social studies ClassroomI made this presentation at Wired TC and the Huron Shores Ed Tech Conferences in August 2016. It was my first time presenting, and I was happy to be able to share iCivics with other teachers around northern Michigan. I focused on Win the White House, as we were in the midst of the 2016 presidential election and it is a game that teachers could easily get students engaged with.
Game-based learning: how to "breakout" of a civics classroom rutI was happy to be chosen to present at the Michigan Council for the Social Studies Conference in April 2017 on game-based learning. I included information about BreakoutEDU, iCivics, and a number of high- and low-tech tools that teachers could easily integrate into their classroom teaching. I enjoyed being able to share some fun tools that help students stay motivated and help teachers breakout out of the norm.
STEM in History: Codes and code-breakingMy colleague and dear friend Lewis Robinson taught chemistry and math next door to me and we decided to develop an interdisciplinary lesson plan that combined elements of our two content areas. The result was a lesson and digital breakout related to Washington's Spies during the American Revolution that I presented at NCSS in San Francisco in November 2017 and we presented together at MACUL in March 2018.
Gamify Your Classroom with ClasscraftOne of the newer additions to my bag of gamification tricks was Classcraft. I love how this platform turns the classroom into a game, reduces classroom management issues, and engages students with course content like nothing else I've ever used. Since I've had such good luck, I thought I should share with my fellow teachers so they could also gamify their classrooms. MCSS in March 2018 and WiredTC in August 2018 both accepted my proposal to introduce others to the realm!
MEDIA LITERACY AND SPOTTING #FAKENEWS 2.0I had the opportunity to work with the Meemic Foundation in my role as Region 2 Teacher of the Year, as well as due to my selection as an Education Superhero. I updated my Classcraft webinar, adding several new links for a slightly different audience of teachers across Michigan. Although not a live webinar, it was recorded and linked on the Meemic Foundation's website.
teach students to ask their own questionsI participated in a virtual training through Harvard University that focused on the book Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions, and taught the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). I was truly blown away by this technique and immediately adapted it for my own classroom. I knew teachers could benefit, so put together a presentation for WiredTC as well as MCSS.
George washington as a model executivePart of the requirement for teachers attending the George Washington Teacher Institute at Mount Vernon, is that they must present on the resources offered by Mount Vernon for teachers. My students and I enjoyed the "Be Washington" game, so I decided to connect that to lyrics from Hamilton: An American Musical, which I also use in my classroom.
Teaching controversial issues without winding up on your local newsSince the theme of our 2023 MCSS Conference was "Change, Conflict, and Controversy," I just knew that this would be a popular topic among my fellow educators. Over 50 were in attendance, so my thinking was correct. I shared my experiences being targeted by community members to hopefully help other educators be able to do their job with fidelity, while keeping themselves out of the papers. I was also invited to present for the MCSS Mixtape, which was a virtual collection of the best rated and most popular sessions from the Conference.
Teaching democracy through play with IcivicsOur 2024 MCSS Conference theme was "Destination: Democracy" and I just knew that some of the new elementary offerings from iCivics would be exactly what conference attendees were looking for to enhance their social studies curriculums. I featured "Well-Versed," iCivics's new partnership with Nickelodeon to create music videos on civic topics and "Private i History Detectives" which combines civics with history for various elementary grade levels. Not to leave out the secondary teachers, I also featured Supreme Decision and the brand new game, Brief the Chief.
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Game-Based LEarning in the social studies classroom 2.0I updated this presentation to share at MACUL 2017, by changing the game to Executive Command and focusing less on the research and more on how to play the game and use it in the classroom. This game is focused on what the job of the president really is - and really is not - and is a great tool for teaching the powers of the executive branch.
High tech and low tech tools to gamify your classroom
Soon after MCSS, I was invited to present at the East Lansing Schools Summer Tech Camp, so I generalized my presentation to apply to any content area. I also presented it at Wired TC and the Huron Shores Ed Tech Conferences in August 2017. I received excellent feedback from teachers regarding the variety of tools and different suggestions for using those tools to engage students.
#teachLocal with icivics
I was very honored to have my proposal accepted to present at my first ISTE Conference in Chicago, in June 2018. I walked attendees through the process of setting up their teacher account and classes on the iCivics website. Then I showed them how to use the "game sandwich" to teach local government, highlighting the Counties Work game and the County Solutions civic action project. I also test-ran this presentation at MACUL and MCSS, both in March 2018.
Media literacy and spotting #fakenewsAs a result of my role as a Classcraft Ambassador, I had the opportunity to present a webinar on a topic of my choice for Classcraft's webinar series, as well as a featured post on the Classcraft blog. Since I believe strongly in media literacy, I decided that it would make an excellent topic that is timely and relevant for teachers of all ages. There were approximately 65 live participants from as far away as Saudi Arabia, and the video on YouTube has had many views as well.
Media literacy tools for teachers and studentsI was excited to take my retooled Media Literacy presentation on the road to a variety of educational conferences, including WiredTC, the National Council for the Social Studies, and Michigan Council for the Social Studies. It was well-received at all three due to the fact that it was relevant and engaging for educators.
engaging struggling learners with games & GamificationIn 2019, I was honored to be invited to speak to pre-service teachers at my alma mater, Alma College. I updated my Gamification Tech Tools presentation and enjoyed working with teacher education students in a hands-on workshop. I also offered this presentation for NCSS during the Covid-19 shutdown, and for my local Ed Tech Collaborative.
Bringing Social studies and digital literacy aliveMy longtime friend and MCSS President-Elect Dave Johnson and I were approached by representatives from MACUL to put together a presentation on digital literacy in the content areas for MACUL's fall webinar series. We were also invited to present to the full MACUL Conference. Since the webinar happened during the 2022 election season, we decided to focus on resources from iCivics to teach the election through a digital literacy lens.
kami-fy your classroom with the Kami appI have been using Kami as a tool in my classroom for the past several years, and am a Kami Hero and ambassador I have often referred other educators to this amazing tool, and many have never heard of it! I realized that it would be an excellent topic for a presentation at the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) Conference to share with current Kami users as well as newbies. In addition to the presentation, I was able to give out five-month trials of Kami and some swag to attendees.
"Me, Fail social studies? That's unpossible!"Also at the 2024 MCSS Conference was a round-table presentation on Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using The Simpsons to Teach Social Studies by editor Annie Whitlock, myself, Tim Constant, and series editor Scott Roberts. After a brief explanation of the book and how it came to be, we allowed attendees to rotate among three tables to learn about the various lesson plans. Attached is a brief overview of my lesson on the state of nature based around season 9, episode 14 "Das Bus."
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Articles & PUBLICATIONS
Onaway teacher receives fellowship
Wregglesworth attends conference to share lesson plan on antisemitism
Civil Conversation Protects Our Civil Rights
“The Simpsons State of Nature.” Essay. In Hollywood or History? An Inquiry-Based Strategy for Using The Simpsons to Teach Social Studies, edited by Annie McMahon Whitlock. Hollywood or History? Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 2023.
Lesson Plan: The Supreme Court and Prayer in School
Educator Spotlight: Bill of Rights Institute
Lesson Plan: Holocaust Survivors Fleeing Ukraine Find a New Home in Germany
Twenty-Four Top Civics and History Teachers Selected for Bill of Rights Institute's National Teacher Council
Critical race theory flap makes teachers tiptoe on slavery, racism topics
"Be Washington" - article in Great Lakes Social Studies Journal
Opinion: Diversity, equity, and inclusion belong in the classroom
Paywall? image of article available here
Paywall? image of article available here
Governor Whitmer Creates Student Recovery Advisory Council
National Network of State Teachers of the Year: Classroom Gamification Helps Me to #LoveTeaching
Lesson Plan: War Crimes in Vietnam/Compare and contrast with recent war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan
WSJM: Whitmer Names COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council
I Am A Rural Teacher: Taking Action for Community Health
Washington Post: Teaching impeaching: History comes to life in school as teachers seize on this historic moment. Here's what some are doing - and how.
C-SPAN: Teaching Civics and History
The Daily Yonder: Potholes, Public Health, Politics: Try Your Hand at County Leadership
Meemic Foundation: Constitution Day - A Brief History
Meemic Foundation: Teacher Turns 'Hamilton' Into History Lesson
Meemic Foundation: State Picks 10 Teachers as Regional Teachers of the Year
Cheboygan News: Onaway High School teacher named a superhero by Meemic Insurance
Broken Link? Click here
Broken Link? Click here
The Alpena News: Onaway teacher finalist for state award
Education Week: Amid Partisan Divide, Teachers Turn to Digital Game for Civics Lessons
Teaching for Democracy Alliance newsletter
Game-Based Learning: Using iCivics Games in our Classroom
Lesson Plan: First Amendment Rights
1 For All First Amendment Challenge winners announced
Challenge winners display power of First Amendment in the classroom
Profellow: Kymberli Wregglesworth On The James Madison Graduate Fellowship
Presque Isle Advance: Mrs. Wregglesworth goes to Washington