Thank you for choosing to take this
Internet course at a distance through
Clayton State University. By
virtue of having enrolled in this course, you have joined a group of highly
motivated, strongly disciplined, and extremely bright learners who enjoy
working on their own with a minimum of supervision. You will not need to work
any harder or longer in this course than in a "traditional" college
class, but you will need to work differently. No prior knowledge of computers
or Email or the World Wide Web is necessary to participate. This course is
designed to be goal-oriented and self-directed. At the same time it retains the
academic rigor and quality which have long distinguished educational activities
at CSU. The information on this web page is best viewed using a Java enabled
Web browser: Netscape 4.x, Internet Explorer 5.0, or newer versions of either.
Further technical
requirements.
This
online syllabus is date specific. The syllabus for a different term will be
essentially the same except for the dates. Orientation for Fall semester 2009
is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 8:00-9:15 pm, T-212 (Clayton Hall).
Course Information
Center
History 3110
Georgia History Online
Fall 2009
R. B. Rosenburg
A&S 110-A
PH: (678) 466-4808
Email: rbrosenburg@clayton.edu
Office Hours:
1030-1230 TR
& by appointment
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
HIST 3110 — Georgia History and
Government (3-1-3) provides students with the basic analytical
and conceptual skills for studying history and government on the
state and local level. The course examines the social, political,
and institutional history of Georgia to prepare students to
analyze similar developments on the local, regional, and national
level.
Prerequisite(s): HIST 2111 or HIST 2112.
THEMES
In this course we will explore various
aspects of the following themes:
The role of geography in influencing the state's
unique political, economic, & cultural development
The ongoing
battle between the national government & state's rights
Access to or
denial of opportunity for individuals and/or groups
The effect of
war upon society, both as a cohesive and disruptive force
The
"modernization" and/or "Americanization" of
Georgia
OUTCOMES
The
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia intends for
every one of its graduates to become "intellectually and ethically
informed individuals with well-defined skills and knowledge who are
capable leaders, creative thinkers, and contributing citizens."
Furthermore, the
mission of Clayton State University is to ensure that its graduates
"communicate effectively, think critically, learn and work
collaboratively, demonstrate competence in their chosen field, and
possess the capability of adapting to changing circumstances and new
challenges."
HIST 3110 is aligned with these
outcomes. Among the skills you will be acquiring and/or
developing this semester are:
Reading comprehension: The
ability to identify the ideas in something you have read and differentiate the
"thesis" or major theme being presented from the evidence supporting it.
Listening comprehension: Same as
reading comprehension but in the area of listening to what someone has to say
and identifying what is important. Primary source for this are the comments made
by the Professor and your fellow students.
Identifying evidence: It is one
thing to see evidence when it is clearly labeled in a lecture or text. It is
something else when you are studying primary sources, in which the evidence you
are looking for is not clearly pointed out.
Selectivity: Including the
material that is important and leaving out the rest. You will do this whenever
you take notes or answer a question in class or on an exam.
Communications Skills:
The ability to write in such a way that clearly communicates your ideas to
another person. The sources for this are essays which you
write on the college level, using proper grammar, punctuation and sentence
structure, interpreting historical data, and presenting your findings in a
clear, analytical, and organized manner.
Viewing comprehension: Same as
reading and listening comprehension but in the area of listening to what someone
has to say and identifying what is important. Primary sources for this are the
World Wide Web.
Creative
Thinking Skills: The ability to identify,
critically evaluate and interpret primary and
secondary historical sources.
The
content of this course syllabus correlates to education standards established by
national and state education governing agencies, accrediting agencies and
learned society/ professional education associations. Please refer to the
course correlation matrices located at this
website.
This course is
partially designed to assist future teachers to prepare to
teach the year-long 8th grade
Georgia Studies course and to pass the Georgia History content assessment
portion of
GACE.
In addition, this course supports
Program Outcomes 1-6, as adopted by the history faculty at Clayton State
University.
READINGS
Free! online textbook that will
provide a narrative structure for the course. Access to the textbook is
password protected. You must be continuously enrolled in the course in order to
have access to it.
Books
are like parachutes: they will not function unless they are open. If you don't
read on a regular basis, you're not only reinforcing your own anxieties about
this course, but also jeopardizing your performance during class. Don't
procrastinate! Please, read everyday. You simply cannot afford to fall behind.
ASSESSMENTS
Exams
There will be two examinations and a final, all taken in class.
Exam I will cover Chapters 1-5 in the online textbook, as well as British
Drums. Exam II
will deal with Chapters 6-9 and Marching Through Georgia. The Final
exam will cover Chapters 10-13 and Race & the Shaping.
The exams will be graded on the assumption that
you have read all the assigned readings. (Please consult SCHEDULE for the dates of these
exams.) Each
exam will consist of a combination of multiple-choice and constructed-response
questions. Multiple-choice questions are designed to measure your breath of
knowledge of subject matter: your factual knowledge, your preparation and your
analytical skills. Constructed-response questions encompass a wide range of
question types (short answer, interpretation of materials, essay) and are
designed to allow you to create answers that demonstrate your level of subject
knowledge and your ability to solve problems. All exam questions are deliberately challenging,
requiring close scrutiny of readings and mastery of all materials
presented.
Each exam will be marked within a reasonable period
of time. Students who are disappointed in their performance on
exams are encouraged to make an appointment with the Professor to
discuss strategies for improvement. As a human being, you have
the right to make mistakes. But as a student, you have an
obligation to learn from them.
Students
in this class are encouraged to be active rather than passive learners,
"doing" history as opposed to just observing others at work. This
course allows for delayed professor/student interaction and student/student
interaction via
GeorgiaVIEW . Indeed,
such interaction is integral to the course, and your discussions will be
evaluated. To make an "A" in the discussion component of this course,
you should contribute regularly and offer more than just "facts." You
respond to the implications of other students' ideas and are not afraid to take
a chance, even when the comment isn't certain to be "right." [See
further guidelines regarding electronic
discussions.]
In an online environment, communication patterns
are different from what you are used to in a F2F ("face-to-face")
classroom. You can't see the other students you are sharing ideas with and
responding to. Instructors cannot see your facial expressions or body language
to determine whether or not you understand. Because of this, it becomes
important for you to become an active contributor to the learning process. In
order to be successful in an online course you must become self-disciplined and
actively involved. You won't be able to sit back and wait if you don't
understand something. If you don't speak up, no one knows you are there. Ask
questions as soon as they occur to you. Ask for clarification when you need it.
Electronic discussion can be done at your pace when you feel like doing it,
though they must be completed within a certain timeframe.
You will be given ample opportunities to
contribute to on-line discussions and to respond to other students' ideas. Don't
be afraid to contribute. Most people find it easier to collect their thoughts
and to compose a message at a time that feels right for them than to speak up in
a traditional class. We need you to be involved. We want to hear from you! Feel
free to post an initial message asking your fellow students' opinions or to
moderate online discussions.
Discussions will be based on the three additional
books assigned in the course.
Primary
Source Assignments
The purpose of
these assignments is to discover and to explore some aspects of the history of Georgia,
through primary sources found in the Georgia
Archives and/or the National
Archives, Southeast Region and in various online collections.
Ideally, all history courses would be based on primary sources, because nothing can replace the
records of people who witnessed or took part in specific events. Eyewitness
accounts of historical events found in documents such as government records, letters, journals,
diaries, autobiographies, newspaper articles – anything which was written
at the time a particular event occurred by someone who was there–are all
good primary sources.
Your task for these brief assignments will be to
try to interpret (make sense of) historical documents and to write
brief narratives in which you report your findings.
All
primary documents will be made available in
GeorgiaVIEW
Due
dates for completion of various assignments will be announced.
Quizzes
Pre/Post
Assessments, Geography Quiz—all
administered in
GeorgiaVIEW
*Netiquette
Guide
·
Focus on one subject per message and use pertinent subject titles.
·
Only threaded messages will be graded.
·
Capitalize words only to highlight a point or for titles.
Capitalizing otherwise is equivalent to SHOUTING!
·
Cite all quotes, references, and sources.
·
When posting a long message, warn your readers at the beginning of
your post.
·
It's fine to use humor, but use it carefully. The absence of
face-to-face cues can cause humor to be misinterpreted as criticism or flaming
(angry, antagonistic criticism).
*Netiquette
(network etiquette)— a set of rules for behaving properly online. Net newbies
and experienced cybernauts will benefit from reviewing the Ten (10) Core
Rules of Netiquette.
GRADES
There are 700 points possible in the
entire course, divided as follows: Exam I (100 points), Exam II (100
points), Final (200 points), Electronic Discussions (100 points), Primary Source
Assignments
(100 points), Pre/Post
Assessments,
GeorgiaVIEW Orientation, & Geography
Quiz (100 points).
The grading scale is as follows:
630 points or above = A
560 points or above = B
490 points or above = C
420 points or above = D
below 420 = F
To find out how you did on an exam, or to determine where you stand in the course
at any time, please contact the Professor.
Mid-term
Progress Report
The mid-term grade in
this course will be comprised of 175 points or approximately 25% of the entire
course grade. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from
the course and receive a grade of "W." Students pursuing this
option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available from the Office
of the Registrar, by mid-term, which occurs on October 9.
EXTRA CREDIT
Students in this class may earn 35 extra points (equal to one-half letter
grade) by joining the
Georgia Historical Society, the
oldest historical society in the state. Annual
student membership
is only $25.00 (a 50%-discount from regular membership rates). If you elect to
join at the individual rate (for a few dollars more), you will receive an annual
subscription to all Society publications, including
The
Georgia Historical Quarterly, and Footnotes,
the Society's news magazine.
To receive your extra points, present to the
Professor your letter of acknowledgement from the Society's Executive Director
by December 1.
Students in this course must abide by principles contained in the University
Student Handbook and are expected to adhere to the policies outlined in the Basic
Undergraduate Student Responsibilities
In addition, as members
of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold
standards of intellectual and academic integrity. Academic honesty represents a
core value of the university system, and all members of the academic community
are responsible for abiding by its tenets.
Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any
charge of academic dishonesty. All
members of the academic community—students, faculty, and staff—are expected
to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the appropriate
authorities. Clayton State University is committed to academic integrity and
honesty, and so should you.
All
instances of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work
involved and will be reported to the
Office of Student
Conduct
Specific
examples of disruptive behavior are provided
here.
MAKEUP POLICY
There are no provisions for making up
work in this class, unless there's a legitimate excuse
involved–i.e. owing to circumstances beyond your control. If
you think you have a legitimate excuse (medical emergency, death
in the immediate family, or approved university event), contact
the Professor as soon as possible. Make-ups will be given and
allowances will be made only if you supply documentation
supporting your reasons for absence. Normally, the Professor is
reluctant to allow make-ups, in fairness to others who do their
work and complete it in on time, despite their adversities.
On-campus meetings are required for orientation
and exams. "Attendance" and presence are required throughout the
semester. You will be expected to participate in ongoing discussions of the
readings and to interact with other students and your instructor regularly. Lack
of participation in weekly online discussions is considered an absence, even if
you are logged into the course. If for any reason you are unable to participate
by the due dates listed in the SCHEDULE, it is your
responsibility to inform the Professor.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
STATEMENT
It is the policy of CSU
to afford equal opportunity in education to qualified students.
Therefore, individuals with disabilities who need to request
accommodations, or to obtain this document in an alternative
format, should contact
the
Disability Resource Center (disabilityservices@clayton.edu)
Student Center 255, (678) 466-5445
#10. Submit the online Student
Information Form
#9. Introduce yourself to at least three other students in the class.
#8. Feeling
stressed? Having time-management issues? Contact CSU's
Center for Academic Success
#7. Remember that you are free to take issue with the Professor's opinions
anytime without penalty.
#6. When in doubt, ask questions. Don't ass/u/me.
#5. Complete your work on time.
#4. Stay current with your reading and class assignments.
#3. Do your own work. Please, no sharing!
#2. Two words: DON'T CRAM. It will not work and it often leads to fatigue &
exam anxiety.
#1. Contact the Professor at least once this semester, even if you don't have a
problem. My office (both virtual and actual) is always open to discuss course
goals, assignments, or life in general. Consider times not listed and make an
appointment. I am eager to meet with each of you and to listen to your concerns
or to discuss whether you think the
Braves will make it to the playoffs this year or whether there's life on other
planets. Come see (or Email ) me.
Don't
let this list intimidate you. No one expects perfection. Just do the best you
can. I would like for all of you to pass with flying colors, but I can't achieve
that goal without your wholehearted cooperation. Do you part, and I'll try to do
mine.
Use
your CSU student account only. Email from outside vendors will be treated as
SPAM and automatically terminated.
Your email message must include your
first and last names.
In the subject area, enter HIST 3110
Online and clearly identify the topic of your email.
I check my email every business day,
Monday through Friday. I will respond to your email message in a timely and
efficient manner, usually within 24 hours. During semester breaks or over
holidays, please
allow for a longer response time.
If your email is received late on Friday
evening or on weekends, it may be Monday morning before you receive a reply.
Releasing
grades or other educational records via email
is a violation of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Any
personal messages sent to the Professor via
HIST3110-90Fall09@lists.clayton.edu—our
class listserv—will be ignored.
Email
communications from the Professor are intended to meet the academic and
administrative needs of students and the campus community.
Note:
All email communications
may be subject to disclosure under the Georgia
Open Records Act (Official Code 50-18-70), or pursuant to a
lawfully issued court order or subpoena. Confidential and sensitive
information should not be sent via email. The privacy and integrity of an
email message cannot be guaranteed, and attempts to erase or delete email sent
by you may not be effective.
The Professor reserves the right to change the
schedule. In addition, I have been known to change a syllabus
based upon student concerns. So, let your concerns be known. If
changes are made, it is your responsibility to keep abreast of
these changes and to adjust your schedule accordingly.
| |
|
Assignment |
Deadline |
GeorgiaVIEW
Orientation
& Pre-Assessment
|
August 23
|
Exam I
|
September 22
|
Last Day to
Withdraw
|
October 9
|
Exam II
|
October 27
|
|
Geography Quiz |
November 15 |
Extra Credit
|
December 1
|
| Final
|
December 8
8:00-9:15 pm, T-212 (Clayton Hall)
|
Post-Assessment
|
December 12
|
All
on-campus class meetings will take place in T-212 (Clayton Hall).
Exams
must be taken by the dates indicated above.
FINAL WORD
or 
Welcome! I am truly happy to have you
in class (no kidding), and I look forward to helping you make
this a rewarding academic experience. I am most eager to help you
learn as much as you can and to get the best grade that you
possibly can. To this end, I urge you to visit me in my office
during times of academic distress or whatever to talk about
what's bugging you– from grades to existentialist philosophy
to the debate over the difference between Diet Pepsi and Diet
Coke, whether you think the boll weevil was more of a pest than kudzu, or
whether General
Sherman had a more lasting impact on Georgia than General Electric.
My office hours are for your benefit. Please don't hesitate using
them, Emailing me, or making a special appointment to see me.
Even if you don't have a problem, my office is always open to
you.
Photos: (L-R) Home of James A. Garfield
Stanley (1901-1990), near Due, Georgia /
Bland Farms Glennville, Georgia
/ Dr. William Callaway Estes (1856-1926) and family on Old Foot Bridge,
Rex, Georgia, c. 1924.
For information about
this page or suggestions for its contents, please Email Webmaster
A&S 110-A
Clayton State University
Morrow, GA 30260-0285
PH: (678) 466-4808
Last updated on
08/06/2011
Web Page Developed by R.B. Rosenburg
Proud Member of
the Hokie Nation
ATTENDANCE POLICY