I had a difficult time with working with two different content areas. First off, in the math/science content area I thought it might be one of the easier areas because my topic is UX research, and it involves heavy elements of both subjects. The science side of things was not a problem, but math was a real challenge. The main reason for this challenge was trying to find applications and resources that could be used to help understand the mathematical side of UX research and connect the two. I had to think outside of the box on how I approached it. I ended up using some applications and resources that are heavy on statistics and algebra that could help students to create and understand variables which is really useful in the transcribing and presenting of research data, and common in UX research.
The second content area that was a real challenge was social studies. Using primary sources part was not an issue but using geographical mapping applications like Google Maps was a real challenge for my topic. I really wanted to attempt the social studies content area because I had a great idea for the use of primary sources which used real world UX research case studies. The second part of using a mapping application almost made me switch content areas until once again I thought outside of the box and used a different perspective on how I would use Google Maps. What I did was create a demo activity that students would follow that involved creating an online survey in Google Forms then using an add-on in their attached Google Sheets that would create a custom Google Map to show each participants survey results and where they are located. This custom Google Map could be resourceful for researchers to get a different perspective on their results depending on their research topic, and it is could be valuable to help present their findings. In the end I was happy with the results and could see it be very helpful for teaching UX research.
After dealing with the challenges of both areas I feel that when creating activities for my topic of UX research in the different content areas, it was almost a requirement to be a subject matter specialist to be able to create useful and well thought out lesson plans that also connected with each content area effectively. However, if I had an easier topic for this course, I am sure I might think differently on this approach. Instructors of common areas such as math, science, history, English, etc. have a lot of applications and resources to choose from that could be used to creating lesson plans that connect well with the different content areas. I think being technically trained on how to use and find these online tools can also make a big difference in integrated technology into institutions curriculum.
Kelly, M. (2019). Issues with Integrating Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/issues-integrating-technology-in-classroom-8434
Jake Dalton 
I’ve also had struggles with subject matter and thinking outside the box for those same subjects (math/science and social studies). For elementary music, finding online science simulations that wouldn’t go over my 4-6th grade students’ heads was kinda difficult. As for social studies, there are many connections to primary source recordings, pictures, and art, but I combined that with Google Maps to create a tour of important historical places in the development of the radio. I included pictures and recordings for each spot on the map, and students took a tour across the globe and through time.
It can be difficult to think outside the box and get creative with what facets of your subject you integrate technology into. What you created sounds like a great tool that others may want to use!
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