LCC - Preview for Spring Term HST203 U.S. History Class by Joe Escobar - Monday, March 23, 2015, 11:56 AM Hello, My name is Joe Escobar and I am your instructor for HST203 United States History at Lane Community College. You are receiving this email because you have officially registered for the course and you have wisely included your email address in your MyLane account information. I've been a history instructor since 1989, and you will find that I enjoy teaching and working with students. I wanted to contact you a FULL WEEK in advance of the start of the term with some information relevant to this particular course. HYBRID HISTORY CLASS First, you may have noticed that my classes are only 3 hours each week, instead of 4, like all of the other HST203 sections. You may not have seen the "h" code that appears in the online Credit Class Schedule in MyLane. VERY IMPORTANT... My HST203 courses offered Spring Term are taught in a hybrid format. Contrary to what some students might believe, a hybrid class is NOT a class where an instructor has a website with the syllabus and some handouts and links. In a hybrid class, actual "seat time" is replaced with "other" work. In the case of my classes, that replacement is a” significant amount of online" time. If you are not willing to complete online work or do not have ready access to an internet-capable computer, then you should strongly consider dropping this class in favor of a traditional, face-to-face HST203 section, where students spend the full 4 hours in the classroom each week. I would prefer that you deal with this issue now, rather than complain about it at the end of the term when it comes time to evaluate the instructor and the class. Now that you have the facts, make a decision that is best for you regarding this type of class. USING MOODLE We will use Lane's Moodle software extensively to accomplish our work for this course. I’ve already made the class “visible” to students, so you can login to the site with your L# and MyLane passphrase RIGHT NOW. I suggest you do so. http://classes.lanecc.edu READ THE COURSE SYLLABUS I've posted the course syllabus online. If you don't like what you read, consider dropping the course. If you think this class might be a good fit for you, I'll see you in class on Tuesday, March 31st. READ PAST INSTRUCTOR AND CLASS EVALUATIONS Think about this. You are spending approximately $400 in tuition to take this course, and many of you know nothing about this "Instructor Joe Escobar" listed on the schedule of classes. To help you decide if you are spending your money wisely, I have posted all of my evaluations, completed by my former students over the last several years. All comments, good and bad, have been included. Nothing has been censored. I would strongly advise that you take a look and see if you like what you discover about your instructor. You will see the link in the class website on Moodle. I even have a few evaluations on ratemyprofessors.com (The sample size is MUCH smaller than the official ones from LCC that I’ve provided, but if you have any concerns about the data integrity of the evaluations I’m providing, then you can take a look at these.) http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=260850 THE TEXTBOOK Finally, I wanted to let you know about the course textbook options. The LCC Bookstore has the textbook for $82 new and $62 used. It can be rented or purchased used for about $12 (delivered) from Amazon.com. You may also find copies of either the 5th or 6th edition from Smith Family Bookstore in Eugene. (Either edition will work for this class.) HERE IS THE PROBLEM. We will only use 10 of the 30 chapters of the book this term. Although I have been using this same textbook for all of my U.S. History courses (HST201 in Fall and HST202 in Winter) this is the last year of publication for this edition. That also means that the bookstore will not buy it back at the end of the term. I am trying to prevent students from this unwanted "surprise". If you just need this one history class, you have another, much less expensive option for this textbook. You COULD rent an electronic version "eBook" for $28, but I would suggest that you purchase only individual chapters for $2.49 each. We are covering 10 chapters this term (21-30) so you could “have” the book for just $24.90. Click the link below. http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781111830861 WEEKLY CLASS REQUIREMENTS - CHAPTER 20 AND A QUIZ Each week, students will be required to read and take notes on one chapter, to repeatedly take a computer quiz to earn a minimum score by a deadline, and then to attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the significant portions of that chapter are expanded upon in lecture and with video clips. I have a suggestion for those students who will be new to me and my history class this term. In Moodle, I have provided you with Chapter 20 of the textbook AND the Chapter 20 Quiz. Since everyone reads and comprehends materials at a different pace, I suggest you read the chapter and take notes to figure how long that process will take you each week. Then, after reading the chapter, take the quiz and see how well you do. As a matter of fact, you can take the quiz BEFORE you read the chapter and again AFTER you’ve read the chapter. The score should definitely go up if you are comprehending the material well. Complete this work as a self check, a sample run, for what you will be required to do each week for the following 10 weeks in this class. This task, along with reading the syllabus and past instructor/class evaluations should help you make the best academic decision about your decision to register for this class. Well, that's all of the news I have for you now. I look forward to meeting you in person on March 31st and working with you during the term. Feel free to Moodle message me anytime with any questions you may have about the class. Until then, Joe Escobar History Instructor Lane Community College http://media.lanecc.edu/users/escobarj HST203 - Spring Term Starts Soon by Joe Escobar - Saturday, March 28, 2015, 1:41 PM Hello HST203 Students, Just a quick reminder before the term starts. Last week I sent a longer, more detailed welcome letter to all students who were officially enrolled in the class at that time. Happily, I see that 29 out of 71 students have already logged into the Moodle website. Moodle also shows me more detailed student activity, such as: 7 students have viewed the Syllabus 8 have viewed the Calendar 4 have clicked the link to read past instructor evaluations 6 have viewed Chapter 20 (although I can't tell whether or not it was read) 4 have clicked on the quiz, but only 2 have started it Because the syllabus has been made available to you in advance of the term, please come to class prepared with any questions you might have. Every minute we have together in class is important, and on Tuesday we will begin covering the material from Chapter 22 on Imperialism. Throughout the term, you will be required to read the chapter and take the quiz BEFORE we meet for class on Tuesday. This might be a difficult goal for the first day of class, but I've made it as easy as possible by providing you with ALL of the information you will need (chapter and quiz) in advance. I'll see you in class on Tuesday. HST203 - Spring Term begins TODAY by Joe Escobar - Monday, March 30, 2015, 11:56 AM Hello all, We may not meet face-to-face until tomorrow, but the term begins today. As a hybrid class, there are already a number of things you should be reading and completing before class time on Tuesday. Login to Moodle now and get started. Glad to have you in class. Joe HST203 Week 1 Reminder by Joe Escobar - Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 10:19 AM Hello all, Just a short reminder. OPINION POLL Only 21 of 76 students have completed the Spectrum Opinion Poll. It is due before 10am tomorrow, Tuesday, so be sure to cast your vote and be counted (and to earn your easy participation points). WEB VIDEO CLIP Moodle shows me every click you make, and so far only 12 students have clicked the Imperialism Comedian video link. Please be sure to watch it before class tomorrow. Remember, technical difficulties are no excuse for not learning what these required online materials have to offer in this hybrid class. SYLLABUS QUESTIONS Come prepared to ask any questions you may have about the course at the start of class tomorrow. I’ve interacted with a few students online since Tuesday’s class. We’ve used Moodle messaging, which is a private way we can communicate during the term. Feel free to message me any questions you may have. MOODLE GRADEBOOK The Moodle grade book is always up-to-date. Take a look. If you were in class on Tuesday and signed the role sheet, then you should see a 100% A+ in the class. Hopefully you will keep that A+ by answering the opinion poll question before 10am tomorrow, attending class tomorrow, updating our Moodle profile picture, and by taking the Chapter 22 Quiz by Friday evening’s 11:55pm deadline. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow. HST203 - End of Week 1 Update by Joe Escobar - Friday, April 3, 2015, 11:43 AM Hello all, Well there you have it. 10% of our term is already over, and you have a decision to make. Based on the chapter you've read, the quiz you've taken, the poll you've answered, and the first two lectures you've heard..... will you stay or will you drop the class and get your refund? You have until this Sunday evening at midnight to decide. Please make a choice that is best for you. REMINDERS #1 Chapter 22 Quiz is due TONIGHT, FRIDAY at 11:55pm. Take it as many times as you need to score a 14/20 or better. Moodle will always keep your highest score. #2 Most of you have already done it already, and you will see your points in the gradebook, but be sure you have a profile picture in Moodle tonight, by the same 11:55pm deadline as the quiz. #3 On Thursdays of each week, I will reveal in Moodle ALL of the images/charts/maps that were used in lecture on Tuesday and Thursday. Use them as a visual resource as your review the class notes you’ve taken during the past week. Take a quick look at those slides right now. YOU ARE LATE... If you have not viewed the 11 minute Imperialism comedian video clip. Watch it. Remember, technical difficulties are no excuse for not learning what these required online materials have to offer. WEEK 2 PREVIEW We will be studying Chapter 21 on Progressivism next week. Please notice that you have a Chapter 21 Quiz and a 7 minute web video clip to watch BEFORE we meet in class next Tuesday. The quiz is due Monday evening at 11:55pm. GRADEBOOK The Moodle gradebook is always up-to-date and I suggest that you look at it at least once each week. Take a quick look at it now. FORUM PREVIEW Students will participate in our first online forum in the third week of the term. In anticipation of that activity, read the Forum Guidelines and Scoring to learn what you will be doing and how you will be earning your points. Since there is NO LIMIT to the number of posts and replies you can make in the forums, EVERY student should be able to earn full credit, 100% for this online activity in this hybrid U.S. History class. As always, feel free to use Moodle messaging to contact me with any questions you may have. Have a productive weekend. HST203 - Week 2 Reminder by Joe Escobar - Monday, April 6, 2015, 6:28 PM Hello students, Just a quick reminder. The Chapter 21 quiz (on Progressivism) is due TONIGHT at 11:55pm. Only 27 out of 71 students have attempted the quiz and scored 14 or more points. There is also a 7 minute web video clip on the Spanish American War and the Philippines. We had "just" started the war at the end of class on Thursday. See you in class tomorrow. HST203 - End of Week 2 Update by Joe Escobar - Thursday, April 9, 2015, 7:15 PM Hello students, Well just like that, 20% of the term is over. I hope your are settling into a good study and participation pattern for this class. Here's a quick reminder of what is happening and some deadlines you need to make. FORUM 1 The next two weeks in this class will require more of your efforts than the first two weeks. So far, you have only completed about 6% of the work required in this class (attendance, poll, and two quizzes). In addition to this same 6% for the next two weeks, you will have an ADDITIONAL 10% of your grade at stake with Forums 1 and 2. They each run from Saturday to Saturday during weeks 3 and 4 of the term. I assume you’ve already read the Forum Guidelines and that you will begin posting on Saturday, Sunday, or at least once before the Monday evening deadline. Since this is our first forum of the term, and I wanted to give you "early" access to the sources you'll be reading and watching and questions you will be addressing, the materials for Forum 1 are now available. See the red text link when you click Forum 1. You will be able to make your first post on Saturday after I have made my "forum opened" post to you and your group members. CHAPTER 23 QUIZ As usual, read the chapter and take the quiz before the Monday evening deadline. WEB VIDEO CLIP Before class next Tuesday, watch the 7 minute video clip where historians discuss lynching, a topic in the progressivism chapter, but we ran out of time to cover it in class on Thursday. Have a productive weekend. HST203 - Week 3 Reminder by Joe Escobar - Monday, April 13, 2015, 8:03 PM Hello all, Don't forget tonight's (Monday) important deadlines for the Chapter 23 Quiz and the Forum 1 post. You also should watch the web video clip on lynching before class. I'll see you in class tomorrow. HST203 - Week 4 Begins by Joe Escobar - Sunday, April 19, 2015, 9:58 AM Hello all, FORUMS 1 and 2 Forum 1 closed last night. I will be scoring your comments over the next few days. Forum 2, with new topics and materials, began yesterday, on Saturday. No one has yet posted to that forum. DO NOT let Sunday and Monday go by without at least one post before the Monday evening deadline. CHAPTER 24 QUIZ We are almost finished with the WWI material from Chapter 23 and will move on to Chapter 24 on the 1920’s next week. Be sure you’ve read the chapter and taken the quiz by Monday evening’s deadline. ONLINE POLL We have not had an online poll since the Liberal-Conservative one during the first week of the term. This poll, due Tuesday by 10am will reveal (anonymously) how international or isolationistic you and your class members are when it comes to our nation’s foreign policy. This information might be helpful to your discussions in Forum 2. WEB VIDEO Be sure to watch the Wilson and the League web video (in Moodle). It may also help you with the Forum 2 material and will definitely be material you will need to know for class lecture on Chapter 23. Have a productive weekend. HST203 - Week 5 Begins by Joe Escobar - Monday, April 27, 2015, 10:10 PM Hello all, CHAPTER 25 QUIZ Don't forget to complete your Chapter 25 Quiz by 11:55pm TONIGHT. MIDTERM EXAM STUDY LIST As promised, last Friday the midterm study list was made available in Moodle. FORUM 2 Forum 2 closed on Saturday night and your scores are now available in Moodle. I'll see you in class tomorrow. HST203 - Midterm Exam Reminder by Joe Escobar - Sunday, May 3, 2015, 8:42 PM Hello all, Just a reminder about the Midterm Exam. Only 11 of you have taken the exam so far. That's about what I expected. But that means 61 of you will be taking it on Monday, tomorrow. Just remember, the testing lab closes at 7pm. They won't let new test takers start after 6pm. Also, the testing center has only 33 machines, and they administer tests for almost all classes in the Social Science and Distance Learning Departments. It is the mid-way point in the term, and many students will be taking midterm exams. The message here is simple... do not wait until the very last minute to take your exam. Bring a photo ID to the lab, submit the test by the deadline, and all will be just fine. Have a successful midterm exam. HST203 - Midterm Exams Are Over by Joe Escobar - Monday, May 4, 2015, 9:48 PM Hello students, Midterm exams are over. After running an item analysis of the questions and determining exam difficulty, all scores were adjusted upwards by 7%. Moodle shows your current grade in the class, complete with attendance, polls, forums, computer quizzes, and midterm exam. I'll talk about grades tomorrow in class, before we start material on Chapter 26, World War II. So please hold your Moodle messaged about grades until the conclusion of tomorrow's class. It is important that you read the chapter and take the computer quiz by this week's WEDNESDAY, 11:55pm deadline. Also, take a look at the WWII propaganda web video, preferably before class. See you tomorrow. HST203 Forum 3 Begins Today by Joe Escobar - Friday, May 8, 2015, 11:24 AM Hello all, As promised, I'm giving everyone an early start for Forum 3. The materials were available Thursday afternoon and the forum is now open for your posts (a day earlier than Saturday, when forums usually open.) This week in class you were exposed to quite a bit of relevant information (text, images, videos) that will help as you analyze the forum topics. I'm sure you will find something of interest to discuss with your group members. I have also rearranged the groups for Forum 3, so many of you will have different group members and will be exposed to new points of view over the next week. Also, we are now back to our old schedule of Monday 11:55pm due dates for the computer quizzes, so don't forget your Chapter 27 Quiz for next week. HST203 - Week 7 Reminder by Joe Escobar - Monday, May 11, 2015, 9:49 AM Hello all, Quick update here. The Chapter 27 Quiz is due TONIGHT, Monday at 11:55pm. Earn your easy points by scoring a 14 or better. Forum 3 has been "open" for your posts and replies since last Friday. Have you made yours yet? There are three different topics this week, which will provide plenty of opportunity for all students to earn full points and a 100% A+ on this forum. I’ll see you in class tomorrow. HST203 - Week 8 by Joe Escobar - Monday, May 18, 2015, 12:49 PM Hello all, Quick update here. The Chapter 28 Quiz is due tonight, Monday, at 11:55pm. Earn your easy points. Forum 3 posts and replies have been scored and are also reflected in the Moodle grade book. Lastly, the official LCC Week 8 Deadline is THIS Friday, May 22nd at 5pm. If you don't like your current class grade, aren't doing the class work (online forums, attendance, quizzes, etc.), or won't be able to put the time in to score a high final exam grade, please take this opportunity to change your course schedule this HST203 U.S. History course (and/or any LCC course you are enrolled in) before Friday at 5pm. As always, check with your counselor or advisor first, to see what options you can pursue given your academic program or educational goals. To make changes, login to MyLane at http://www.lanecc.edu I’ll see you in class tomorrow. HST203 - Week 9 Reminders by Joe Escobar - Monday, May 25, 2015, 2:39 PM Hello all, I hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day. This is just a quick reminder about the Chapter 29 Quiz AND your first Forum 4 post deadlines that come TONIGHT, Monday at 11:55pm. Don't miss them. You should also watch the Vietnam web clip before class. I'll see you in class tomorrow. HST203 - Week 10 by Joe Escobar - Tuesday, June 2, 2015, 12:03 PM Hello all, LAST WEEK OF CLASS As promised, the images slides from class for THIS week are visible in Moodle now. Be sure to watch the last web clip on the Reagan Revolution before our last class on Thursday. FINAL EXAM STUDY LIST & OPTIONAL REVIEW SESSIONS Make sure you have a copy (available online last Friday and handed out in class on Tuesday). Also take a look at your schedule and see which optional Final Exam Review Session you might attend (next Tuesday at 10am or Thursday at 12pm). See the information in Moodle along with the link to the Testing Lab for hours of operation during Finals Week. Your final exam must be submitted by 5pm on THURSDAY. (Do NOT wait until 4pm to get a seat in the testing lab.) EXTRA CREDIT You have a last minute extra credit opportunity now appearing in Final Exam Week. See the two anonymous surveys. All is explained there. Remember that you need to complete BOTH surveys to receive the 1% extra credit. Good luck to you as we conclude our last week of class. HST203 - Final Exam Week by Joe Escobar - Sunday, June 7, 2015, 11:06 PM Hello Students, Welcome to finals week. I have just completed posting all of the grades, including attendance, quizzes, forums, etc for the entire term. What you see is your current course grade going into the final exam this week. If you believe that something is not accurate, you must contact me immediately via Moodle messaging. The time to rectify any concerns is now, not after your final exams have been completed and final grades have been submitted to the registrar. Final Exam Week is Monday, June 8th to THURSDAY, June 11th. You will take your exam in the testing lab (where you took your midterm) on any of these days and times, whichever is more convenient for you. Mon - Wed 8:30 am - 7:00 pm Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm CLOSED Friday (June 12) Please note that your final exam is due, completed by 5pm on Thursday, June 11th. Don't wait until the last minute as the lab serves students in all Social Science classes and all Distance Learning classes at Lane. Also, I WILL HIDE ALL MOODLE GRADES AT 5PM ON THURSDAY, when final exams have been completed. I will then do as I did for the midterm exam. I'll run an item analysis, check for poor questions, consider exam difficulty, make any upward grade adjustments, etc. ONCE I HAVE FINISHED WITH THIS PROCESS, SOMETIME ON FRIDAY, I will unhide all Moodle grades, send you a final announcement, and you will see your final grade in the course. Please, no emails or Moodle messages saying "I can't see my grade" between 5pm Thursday and whenever you get my email announcement on Friday. OPTIONAL REVIEW SESSIONS All students, in both the 10am and 1pm classes are invited to attend an optional final exam study session on Tuesday, June 9 at 10am in room CEN401. A second study session is on Thursday, June 11 at 12pm in room CEN401. Unfortunately, this time is only a few hours before the final exam deadline, but it may be the only option for some people. Feel free to drop in or leave early during at any time during either of the two-hour sessions. EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY I want to thank those of you who have completed the Hybrid Course Questionnaire and Student Evaluation of Instructions surveys. If you haven't done those yet, please do. The 1% extra credit for those students who complete BOTH surveys is NOT currently reflected in your Moodle grade. It will appear after the final exam closes and final course grades are revealed to students sometime on Friday. Please complete these surveys at home, as you will not be allowed to complete them in the testing lab this week. Good luck on your final exams. HST203 - Final Exam Ends Tomorrow by Joe Escobar - Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 9:03 PM Hello Students, Just a short reminder that final exams end tomorrow, Thursday at 5pm. The testing lab won't allow any students to begin an exam after 4pm. Don't wait until the last minute as there are no make up exams. Only 22 out of 72 students have taken the exam so far. Tomorrow at 12pm is the last, optional, review session in CEN401. Bring your study lists and questions. Also, tomorrow is the deadline for completing BOTH anonymous class surveys to receive the 1% extra credit point. I hope you take advantage of this opportunity to give me and my future students some helpful feedback about this class. HST203 - End of Term - Last Announcement by Joe Escobar - Friday, June 12, 2015, 12:08 PM Hello students, Please read this entire email carefully before Moodle messaging me with grade questions. FINAL EXAMS The class final exam score average was MUCH higher than the midterm, as I expected it would be, requiring only a 2% upward adjustment to your scores. Congratulations everyone. FINAL COURSE GRADES Final course grades have been calculated and are now available on the class website in Moodle. Look at the top line which reads: Your FINAL Grade in Class "Percentage & Letter Grade" This is ALMOST your final grade in this class. NOTE: If you completed BOTH extra credit anonymous surveys, you will see two lines at the bottom of the Moodle gradebook that read: Student Evaluation of Instruction … 1 100 % A+ (if you did it, "-" or blank if you didn't) Hybrid Course Questionnaire …. 1 100 % A+ (or "-") If you did not complete these, the top line in the Moodle gradebook IS your final class grade for the term. But if you completed BOTH, then your FINAL GRADE IN CLASS percentage is actually ONE percentage point higher than what you see in the Moodle gradebook. So, for example, if Moodle shows FINAL GRADE IN CLASS C+ 79%, and you completed both surveys, then add 1% to your FINAL GRADE IN CLASS percentage. In this example, even though Moodle says C+ 79%, you will actually be getting a B- 80%. Moodle can't automatically add one extra credit point to a class that uses weighted grades as ours does. I will enter the correct, adjusted grade into the MyLane system. Therefore, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you check your official LCC transcript grades, available early next week. The Moodle and MyLane systems are NOT "connected" for grading, so it is possible that data entry mistakes could occur, although I believe I've been very careful. CLASS EVALUATIONS I thank those of you who took the time to complete the evaluations and give me your thoughtful and constructive feedback. I plan to read them over the summer and put your good ideas to work for students who take my courses in future terms. I've also placed them online (with some of my responses in red text) for prospective students to read before deciding whether or not to take this course. Thanks for helping all of us. http://media.lanecc.edu/users/escobarj/evaluations/ Enjoy your Summer.