SSE6932 Study of American History & Geography

Online (exclusively) or Hybrid Version

As you may or may not know Internet-based Course courses are rapidly growing in the field of education. If this is your first online course, you will likely find it unlike any other learning situation you have ever experienced. Most students, given their complicated schedules, enjoy the greater flexibility and autonomy associated with an online course.

A Online version is offered only "online" over the internet. An online version can be taken by someone at any location.

A Hybrid version of the same course, is a combination of online experiences and some mandatory, but less frequent, meeting dates than at typical classroom course. When offered this way, students must be able to come to the Tampa area.

How do I know the difference when I register?
An Online version would appear at OASIS under CAMPUS, "Off Campus" when you register.
A Hybrid version would appear at OASIS under CAMPUS, "Tampa Campus" when you register.

Expectations for Internet-based Courses

Students participating in Internet-based courses must be aware of a number of important aspects to the course prior to registering.

• An online course can never duplicate an in-class experience. It is a different paradigm and is not intended to replace the classroom. No number of e-mail communications, discussion board activities, or descriptions of tasks, as examples, can replace the iterative and interactive personal communication that occurs in a classroom.
  As a consequence, the emphasis is on the written word and there is a premium on a student's ability to carefully read, monitor his or her own thoughts, follow directions, and reflect on both the content and the tasks that must be accomplished if a student wants to have the same level of success that he or she have experienced in an in-classroom course.
  The same holds true for student-initiated communication. Because written communications is the only available source that the instructor uses for evaluation, students need to take much greater care to be concise, thorough, logical, structured, clear, and free of jargon when composing for e-mails, discussion boards, assignments, and alike.
  If these skills have not traditionally been among your strengths, you will find the course more challenging and because it is an internet course, only you the student by your own actions can overcome the hurdles.
• The technology, both the nature of technology and required computer skills, can impact your success.  Technology is only as dependable as the computers in the network and their users.  Technical difficulties are anticipated by the instructors and should be anticipated by students.  Email accounts malfunction, servers go down, and attachments don’t always open!  Avoid submitting assignments at the last minute since assignment deadlines cannot be extended even if you experience a technical problem. This course also requires that students be familiar with the technology required to participate in this course, including sending emails, opening/sending attachments, internet navigation, and file management. 
• One major misconception by students new to Internet-based courses is that they think it is a self-paced, independent study course. To the contrary, there are specific timelines for various Tasks such as online discussions, assignment deadlines, tests, etc. and once those deadlines pass, the work may not be submitted.

Orientation

• Blackboard is the software that is used to manage and deliver an online course. You will automatically have access to Blackboard once you are admitted and obtain a Net ID and logon to MyUSF.
• SSE 6932 will appear as a course you are enrolled in. The first module you will be required to complete is the "Orientation Module."

Office Hours Via Email Correspondence

Due to the nature of this course, office hours will take place on-line. To contact the instructors, students must use their USF email accounts. Personal email accounts are not listed under Blackboard, and no correspondence can take place through them for this reason. E-mails are usually answered within 24 hours.  If your e-mail goes unanswered, resubmit your email to the instructor because there is likely something wrong with your or the university’s e-mail process.

Texts (subject to change, see Blackboard)

Required

1. Thornton, S. J. (2005). Teaching social studies that matters. New York: Teachers College Press.
2. Steinberg, T. (2002). Down to earth: Nature’s role in American history. New York: Oxford University Press.
3. Brogan, H. (2001). The Penguin history of the USA.  New York: Penguin Group.
4. Hurston, Z.N. (2000). Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hightstown, NJ: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Book Ordering Information

The USF bookstore on the Tampa Campus or any online bookstore

Obtaining a Net ID

You must have a net id to access this course. You can apply for a net id at https://una.acomp.usf.edu/. You must have a USF ID card to get a Net ID. If you need a USF ID card and cannot come to campus, you can submit a form online at http://www.auxsvc.usf.edu/form_distance_learning.asp. This request should be placed well in advance of the first week of class.

Accessing Blackboard

Blackboard can be accessed at https://my.usf.edu. You will need to register for a Net ID to access the course. Courses usually begin appearing on your MyUSF about a week before the first week of classes.

Email Correspondence

Students must use their USF email for corresponding with the instructors. Personal email accounts are not listed under Blackboard, and no correspondence can take place through them for this reason. You can check the class roll to determine the email address listed for you in this course. It is your obligation to routinely check your USF email account and correspond only through this account. E-mails are usually answered within 24 hours.  If your e-mail goes unanswered, resubmit your email to the instructor because there is likely something wrong with your or the university’s e-mail process.

Purpose of the Course

The students will be expected to:

• consider the chief purposes of the teaching of U. S. history and geography, and how they are intimately related.

• gain proficiency in integrating U. S. history and geography.

• transform a subject into subject matter for teaching and learning.

• integrate historical fiction for use in social studies instruction and in tandem with other historical materials.

• incorporate various perspectives, especially geographic, in the study of history.

• identify methods of employing an atlas to enhance instruction across subjects.

• examine a range of instructional materials suitable for secondary history and geography.

• demonstrate how to select subject matter that reflects diverse cultures and perspectives across time and space.

• develop a personal philosophy of social studies education from the perspective of a secondary U.S. history teacher.

• identify a range of primary sources and social science concepts suitable for adolescents in order to build skills in use of primary sources and maps.

Modules

All classes will be held online through the online Blackboard system offered through USF at https://my.usf.edu. Each topic in this course will consist of one module. Each module will provide background information, a purpose-setting activity, an application of the material, a study guide, and a quiz. As you work through this course, you will find references to various activities located in the module’s folder. These activities are intended to model the use of reading strategies in the classroom. They will foster your understanding of how to implement content area reading in your classroom and how content area reading can be a great help to your students, as well as give you ideas for your Single Day Lesson Plans. 

Discussions

Students will be assigned to small groups. These groups will serve two purposes. First, these groups will provide you with interaction with other social studies professionals enrolled in this course. In this format, you are more likely to engage your peers. Therefore, you are encouraged to participate with your group early in the week. Part of your grade is based on on-going discussions, so you must participate throughout the week. Second, these groups will allow you to gather peer feedback as you develop your projects. Civility is especially important in this group setting. Since this is an online course, we lack many of the normal cues face-to-face conversations provide. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that your discussion responses are constructive, civil, and responsible.

For each module, you will be given one question in advance. Other questions may arise based on the direction of discussions from previous weeks. The aim is to steer discussions toward illuminations important to course themes.

In your group, you are expected to:

• respond discussion questions that are based on the readings and lectures. This portion of the course is called the “Discussions.” For the Discussions portion of this course, you should generate original thoughts about how the concepts can be integrated in a contextual way in the classroom. In order to do this, you might discuss parts of the texts you found important, highlight information you agree or disagree with, talk about how the readings connected to your personal experiences, pose questions, or discuss the course materials in other appropriate ways. DO NOT simply summarize the readings or state your level of enjoyment when encountering the materials. Instead, I expect you to have an interactive conversation with your group members about the course materials. It should be evident in these discussions that you are searching for connections between the materials and your professional development.

• exchange your two projects with and provide feedback, via the File Exchange in your group’s section, using the provided rubric to your group members according to the dates specified in the course calendar.

To access the Discussions:

• Click the “Groups” button on the course navigation bar.

• Find your name listed under your assigned group. Click on your assigned group.

• Press the “Group Discussion Board” button.

• Be sure the label your response on the group discussion board with the title of the module you are discussing. Points will be deducted for any response that is not labeled correctly!

To exchange your projects with your group members:

• Click the “Groups” button on the course navigation bar.

• Click on your assigned group.

• Click on “File Exchange.”

• Press “Add File.”

• Press “Browse” and find the document you want to attach.

• Press “Submit” after you have selected the correct file.

*Please note that the final draft of each of your projects should be submitted to the digital drop box for grading.

Peer Evaluations

Peer interaction is one important aspect of learning and developing and understanding of concepts in a course. Therefore, it is imperative that each student contributes fully, and in a timely manner to their group. Since group members rely upon one another for feedback and intellectual interaction, peer evaluations are an integral part of the professional disposition portion of the grade in this course. In order to ensure that group members are actively involved in their groups, students will evaluate each of their group member’s contributions to their groups’ progress using the “Peer Evaluation of Group Members” form located in the course information section of the course. This form should be submitted through the Digital Drop Box by the date specified in the calendar.

Pre/Post Survey

A pre/post survey will be administered during the initial and final weeks of class. The surveys will be used to determine the content knowledge that was held in the beginning of the course as compared to the content knowledge that was held upon completion of the course. Although the pre-survey will not be used to determine your grade on this assignment, only half credit will be given in the event that the pre-survey is not submitted.

Pre/Post Philosophy

At the conclusion of the first course module, students will write their personal philosophy of social studies education based on their perspective as a secondary U.S. history teacher. Feedback on each student’s initial philosophy will be provided. As the course progresses, students will be expected to revise their philosophies, based upon the content and application of the content in which they are engaging. An evolution of thought should be evident in the final philosophy paper. Please refer to the rubric for this assignment for specific requirements. The final draft of the first and second philosophy papers should be submitted through the digital drop box for grading.

The philosophy paper will be graded based upon the following:

• theoretical framework.

• application of theory to course content rationale of why something is applied in a certain way based on the theoretical framework presented in this course.

Project 1 Explanation included with syllabus.

Project 2 Explanation included with syllabus. 

Expectations for Distance Learning Environment

Students participating in distance learning must be aware of two important facets affecting this environment: (1) the nature of technology and (2) required computer skills.  Technology is only as dependable as the computers in the network and their users.  Technical difficulties are anticipated by the instructors and should be anticipated by students.  Email accounts malfunction, servers go down, and attachments don’t always open!  Avoid submitting assignments at the last minute since assignment deadlines cannot be extended even if you experience a technical problem. This course also requires that students be familiar with the technology required to participate in this course, including sending emails, opening/sending attachments, internet navigation, and file management. 

Submitting Assignments

All assignments must be submitted on time, through the designated electronic option described for that assignment. Do not send them as email attachments to the instructor. Assignments are considered “submitted” only after the instructor has opened them. That means that you are responsible for assuring that your files and attachments are submitted in a conventional format that can be easily opened and read using standard software. If you are having difficulty submitting files, you should contact the instructor for assistance.

Please note: The instructor does not have access to Word Perfect. If you use Word Perfect to create document, you must save the document in Rich Text Format so the instructor can open the file.

To exchange a file with your group members (rough drafts of projects, feedback on projects):

• Click the “Groups” button on the course navigation bar.

• Click on your assigned group.

• Click on “File Exchange.”

• Press “Add File.”

• Press “Browse” and find the document you want to attach.

• Press “Submit” after you have selected the correct file.

To submit a final draft of an assignment (philosophy papers, final drafts of your projects, peer evaluations), send the document through the Digital Drop Box by doing the following:

• Click the “Course Tools” button on the course navigation bar.

• Click on the “Digital Drop Box” button.

• Press “Send File.”

• Press “Browse” and find the document you want to attach.

• Press “Submit” after you have selected the correct file.

• Next you will see a prompt telling you that it was successful. Press “Okay.”

Completing Tasks and Assignments

Time is of the Essence
All tasks and assignments must be submitted through the designated electronic option described for that  assignment. Do not send them as email attachments to the instructor. Assignments are considered “submitted” only after the instructor has opened them. That means that you are responsible for assuring that your files and attachments are submitted in a conventional format that can be easily opened and read using standard software. If you are having difficulty submitting files, you should contact the instructor for assistance. Quizzes will automatically be graded by the Blackboard system after the student submits the quiz.

Please note: The instructor does not have access to Word Perfect. If you use Word Perfect to create a document, you must save the document in Rich Text Format so the instructor can open the file.

Late Assignments and Completion of Tasks
Students are expected to complete all tasks and assignments on time and as expected. Just as it would be unthinkable for you to tell your school principal that you are not prepared to teach, it should be unthinkable not to submit your assignments on time.

Under university and college policies, a breach in professional standards constitutes grounds for disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from the University or removal from the course with a failing grade. If you have any questions about the propriety of an action, please do not hesitate to discuss it with the instructor. Course conduct is a consideration in assessing student’s Professional Disposition.

The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism.  I reserve the right to 1) request that assignments be submitted to me as electronic files and 2) electronically submit assignments to Turnitin.com.  Assignments are compared automatically with a huge database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers.  The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized.  For more information, go to www.turnitin.com and http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0304/adadap.htm#plagiarism.

Social Science Education Program Expectations

You should be passionate about teaching and want to learn as much as you can by attending every class. This course is part of a program to join a profession. All professions share the common attributes of shared vocabulary, concepts, and skills. Teaching is a craft because it reflects both science and art practiced in pursuit of excellence.

Personal Responsibility
The basic premise of the Social Science Education program is that education is not something that is done to you, but something you do to yourself. As a major in social science education, it is the student who is responsible for doing those things during his or her courses and the program that demonstrates that he or she has acquired the Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Professional Disposition that the faculty believe demonstrates readiness to enter the profession

Competency in Pedagogical and Content Knowledge.
You are expected to demonstrate content and pedagogical knowledge through a combination of objective and subjective assessments by:

Professional Disposition.
You are expected to demonstrate the dispositions appropriate to the profession based on interactions with the instructor, colleagues, and students. These behaviors and interactions will be based primarily on the subjective assessment of the instructor and program faculty and will play a major part in determining your grades. These behaviors must be consistent with:

Professional Disposition Indicators

It is the student’s responsibility to take those affirmative steps to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the professor that their disposition is appropriate to the profession. Profession Disposition points are assigned at the end of the course.

Modification of Course Sequence and Expectations
The instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus during the term by announcement to the class. This website is considered part of the syllabus.

Related Links

USF ID CARD

Obtain a Net ID

IDMyUSF

Spring 2007 Syllabus
(not available yet)

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