When I hear Prof mention paradigm shifts

[Texsox]

Welcome.

 

 

This is the “Course Outline” where you will be given on overview of the structure of this online course and my expectations of you as one of the colleagues for the construction of this course. This outline will tell you how you will get from Point “A” (no credit in American Heritage I) to Point “Z” (3 hours credit in American Heritage I).

 

 

 

You have probably already noticed at least two things that might be a little different from your other classes. One, that I refer to you as a colleague and not as a student. Your role in this course will be more pro-active and more high profile than that of a (lecture class) student. Two, that you will be helping me along with your other colleagues in the construction of this course.

 

 

 

That’s right, this course is not constructed yet. During the next several months you will be part of a “crew” that will be building an edifice of knowledge as it relates to American history from the discovery of America to the Reconstruction Era. You will be collaborating with others in this virtual class to assemble all the salient events, persons, facts that compose American history from roughly 1450 to 1877.

 

 

 

More than likely your prior learning experience has been structured around the teacher/professor lecturing to you about the subject with perhaps some form of interaction thrown in such as the students answering questions posed by the professor. You might have been required to turn in a written assignment or two. Then, you “cram” for the tests after which you quickly forget what historical knowledge you learned.

 

 

 

This class will not be like that.

 

 

 

New Learning Paradigm

 

In the period we are living in now, the process of acquiring knowledge has become more “horizontal,” less “vertical.” What I mean is that the old style of teaching where the professor is regarded as an infallible, omnipotent wizard and just plain “knows it all” is now in the process of undergoing a radical transformation. In the Post-Modern age, there is a growing consensus that there are many perspectives to reality, not just one. This course is designed to include more than just one interpretation of the historical material in this course. Who will provide these multiple perspectives? You will! This is why your analysis and input is so vital and important to this course.

 

 

 

Constructing an Argument

 

Which interpretations of history are valid? Part of your grade will be based on the construction of a historical narrative based on evidence (this is also called an argument). Where will you find this evidence? That is the fun part about this course--you are not limited to relying on my discursive ramblings or what you will find in the textbook. You also have access to the World Wide Web and all the virtual “mountains” of material that can be found on it. Not only that but you have access to various databases located in the online library along with other information sources that can be found on the Web. Most of the information you will research for this course will be gathered from the textbook (every answer to a unit question must come, in part, from the textbook) but I also strongly encourage you to augment this by using multiple sources for your analysis so as to create stronger, more valid arguments (more about this later). This kind of search for information can actually be kind of fun and might also increase your awareness of the multiplicity and diversity bits of information that exists out there. You have already broken the physical constraints of going to the classroom by taking this online class. Now you need to go a step further and readjust your apprehension faculties so that you break the mental constraints of only learning from your professor and/or textbook.

 

 

 

I will not be the “sage on the stage” but rather the “guide on the side.” I will not be standing in front of a podium pontificating on various historical topics and expecting you to dutifully take notes (and not questioning my statements). What is exciting about this course is that you will be discovering and learning about history using a variety of sources and, in a sense, you will have created your own unique historical narrative of American history (one caveat: your submissions must be based on solid evidence and logic to pass the course).

 

 

 

Value of Historical Study

 

You will learn the rudimentary skills of a historian that will serve you well in any endeavor or professional position you wish to undertake after you graduate from college. Many of the processes are the same.

 

 

 

Example: let’s assume that you have just been hired in a professional position and you want to make a big “impression” with the boss. All corporations and institutions have one thing in common; they all have problems that need to be solved. So, because you’re so industrious and ambitious, you ask your boss to choose a particular problem the company has and you volunteer to begin searching for an appropriate solution. Through the research skills you have developed in college (and in this course) you quickly and efficiently pinpoint the background and the context of the problem. From there, you rigorously analyze the causes of the problem and then locate several solutions by researching the solutions other companies employed to resolve this same type of problem. Finally, you propose what you think is the best solution based on concrete evidence, logic and experience.

 

 

 

I tell all my “colleagues” that they should all be trying to develop this skill set because almost everything else will probably change in the professional world but these skills will always be in demand.

 

 

 

Value of Critical Thinking Skills

 

Have you ever noticed that entry-level jobs are almost always “rote” jobs that require little or no thinking? I assume that most of you are aspiring to secure an upper-level, managerial positions that require a higher level of thinking (and also provide more remuneration). One thing I want to point out (and perhaps shouldn’t) is that many of the things that you will learn in your chosen major will in all likelihood not be applicable to a “real-world” job. There are many reasons for this including the rapid accumulation of new knowledge and cutting-edge innovations. But one thing that will never change for people in managerial positions is the need to attain and develop the necessary critical thinking skills so that they can perform their jobs in an intelligent, effective and efficient manner. This is what you should be concerned about when taking a course like this; not about the year that Andrew Jackson was elected president, although the significance of the Jackson’s election in relation to the changes in 19^th century American culture is important to know. The relationship between George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004 and the recent changes that have taken place in American culture is also important to know if you want to understand the time and place you’re living in. Additionally, it is fascinating to learn the historical patterns of the past and how they relate to us today (the connections are always interesting).

 

 

 

Cause and Effect

 

As neophyte historians, you will be assembling and molding the raw material of facts and constructing them into a linear narrative. One important aspect that I will be emphasizing throughout the course is the matter of cause and effect. Historical events usually have several causes. You and your colleagues will be responsible for analyzing the context of historical events, then connecting and weaving these discrete historical facts into logical, coherent historical presentations and narratives. Understanding the cause and effect of history will help to promote comprehension of historical patterns and will greatly improve your retention of history (I receive a lot of feedback confirming this last point).

 

 

 

Expectations and Benefits

 

By this point you might be experiencing a sense of excitement or dread about the structure and design of this course. The excitement may come from the knowledge that you will have a strong degree of autonomy and independence; the dread might be from the realization that you will also need to be more “responsible” in doing the course work for this class. As college students, you are probably becoming more aware of the fact that with more freedom comes more responsibility. Once you learn how to use your time responsibly your free time (however little it may be) becomes more enjoyable.

 

 

 

In any case, the following is what I will be expecting from you in this course (this is only a sketchy overview; I will go into more detail later).

 

 

 

· To log onto this course every weekday and once during the weekend. This is a communication-intensive course and you need to be in constant contact with any changes or new developments. This does not mean you will be doing work every time you log on. Oftentimes you will log on, check for messages and then log off;

 

· to spend a minimum of 3-5 hours on the coursework every week;

 

· to be able to research historical key terms and questions and then to create PowerPoint slides that provide a succinct definition or explanation for the significance of a given person, event, document, etc. in American history;

 

· to help organize four slide presentations with other colleagues in your course;

 

· to analyze and critique the presentations of your colleagues;

 

· to write four historical “narratives” of the period we are covering in this course;

 

· and, to take (and pass) two multiple-choice tests.

 

 

 

These assignments are designed to keep you “engaged” in the course and also to provide you with a sound foundation of knowledge in American history. One exciting innovation of this course is that you will be evaluating and critiquing the work of your fellow collaborators. This will not only sharpen your analytical skills but will also help you to learn the course material.

 

 

 

So, what are the “benefits” of taking this course? Below, I have listed a few:

 

 

 

· You will receive three hours credit in American History and fulfill a requirement for your goal of obtaining a degree;

 

· you will not be constrained by having to come to campus every week (and finding a parking place);

 

· you can work on the course material whenever and wherever you like;

 

· you will be participating in a historical quest that will create a unique body of knowledge with various perspectives and interpretations (your input along with everybody else’s in the class);

 

· you will learn analytical skills that will be applicable to your future personal and professional life;

 

· you will learn how to construct a logical, cogent argument and defend it with valid evidence;

 

· you will learn how to critique and interpret a historical essay;

 

· and, you will hone your writing skills so that you will be able to clearly articulate your point-of-view.

 

 

 

So—what do you think? Are you up for this? If not, you may want to consider dropping this course and taking this subject in a lecture setting. If you are, then I sincerely believe that you are in for an interesting “ride” for the next few months. I think that you will be surprised by the amount of historical knowledge you will have both learned and retained by the end of the semester.

 

 

 

Skill Requirements

 

One last thing I need to talk about is what the minimum skill requirements are for this course. You do not need to be a computer geek but you will need to know how to do the following tasks: accessing the Internet (obviously you can do this), sending and receiving e-mails, submitting word processing documents in rich text format, creating PowerPoint presentations, copying and pasting images from the Web, using search engines and learning how to navigate Blackboard.

 

 

 

Even if you do not know how to do all these tasks they can be quickly mastered. The best way to learn is to carefully read all the information available under the “Help” link in the toolbar and then click on all the other links to be found in a program or website to discover their purposes. It is not a bad idea to “practice” with these tools until you are confident of your abilities to properly perform their respective tasks. If you are still having difficulties then contact me and I will be happy to give you assistance.

 

 

 

Plan “B”

 

Please let me know if you do not have a home computer. We need to facilitate an arrangement where this will not be a hindrance. Be sure to save all your work to your hard drive and also keep a separate “back-up” of all your completed course assignments in case I do not receive your work. Also, keep in mind that computers do “crash.” Make preparations right now for gaining access to another computer in case this happens. Sometimes students submit documents or presentations that cannot be opened because of a computer glitch or virus. These submissions do not receive any credit because I am unable to assess the work. Typically, this type of problem is infrequent but it does occasionally occur and is caused by a virus so you may want to seriously consider installing an antivirus program onto your computer. This could potentially save problems for not only you but for the rest of us in this course.

 

 

 

Drop Policy

 

This course is divided into three units. If a student does not complete the assignments for a unit and does not provide me with the reasons for the incompletion of their work, I will automatically drop them from the course. I will not go through the aggravation of students contacting me near the end of the semester hoping to send in their late assignments and attempting to receive credit in this class as if it didn’t matter that they stopped submitting their work. This is not fair to the students who have been diligently keeping up with the work assignments. Of course, emergencies do occur and I will certainly work with you in any way that I can if something occurs. The important thing is to immediately notify me whenever a crisis happens. Don’t wait until the end of the semester. If you do drop this course please notify me immediately. This really helps to make the course run smoother.

 

 

 

As I mentioned before, this is a communication-intensive course so don’t ever hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about anything. I really mean this . . .

 

 

 

Whenever sending me a reply to an e-mail message I sent to you or that involves a relay of back and forth e-mails, please remember to click on “reply” rather than compose a new message. I receive a lot of e-mails every day and sometimes forget the previous “threads” of a given conversation and consequently don’t remember the context of the prior dialogue exchange.

 

 

 

Call Me

 

Just because this is an online course does not mean that you are limited to only communicating via computer. Feel free to call me at my office or home if you prefer to speak to a person. The best way to reach me is through my cell phone, 956 566-4486 (please do not call me at after 9:00 p. m.). My office number is 956 381-3574.

 

 

 

Coda

It is not a bad idea to print this information so that you will have access to it without having to rely on your computer. We will begin the orientation part of the course on Tuesday, September 4^th. At that time, access this course and “click” on the third document that you will (then) find in the Introduction link, the “Orientation Assignment”. In this assignment, you will be assigned a series of tasks to complete in a week’s time that will help you to become familiar with both the tools and the assignments given in this course. It is really very easy and worth 5% of your final grade (everyone made an “A” or “B” on this assignment last semester).

 

 

 

“See” you soon.

 

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

sounds like a good class.

 

My last paradigm shift left me 20 cents poorer and my kid 20 cents richer.

[Texsox]

sounds like a good class.

 

My last paradigm shift left me 20 cents poorer and my kid 20 cents richer.

 

I was hoping for a memorize a couple dates, take a couple tests and get out of my life class, not a serious relationship

[Soxy]

I was hoping for a memorize a couple dates, take a couple tests and get out of my life class, not a serious relationship

My question is: It an idealistic young professor (or grad student) whose soul has not yet been crushed by academia, or a tenured faculty member who doesn't give a flying fart?