Thursday, November 5, 2020

The End of Times ...

We simply had another wacky election. Results are still trickling in, but it looks like Biden will become the 46th US President, with McConnell and the Republicans running the Senate & Pelosi (?) and the Democrats running the House of Representatives. The only thing truly uniting us is that EVERYONE is upset over some candidate winning or not winning. Hey, the healing has to begin in some way, right?

I will hopefully have grades done on Friday, but I may spill over into Monday. Please know that I cannot always accept and check for late work. There is a built-in "cushion" and I often give an extra day before I archive the assignment (by moving it to a new category/sliding it "down" the GooClass page). It simply becomes too messy and difficult to constantly check late work. I periodically offer Extra Credit opportunities in order to help those of you who may forget something or simply had a rough week. 

I may have to delay the assessment of Exam 1.2 Short Answer responses. Remember that I care less about the score than I do about how and what you responded. The effect on your course grade was negligible, btw. No more MC exams - we're done with 'em! From here on out, you'll work with your group to deconstruct, plan, and present an answer for class review. My ToK students figured out that recording a Zoom chat is the best way to do it, so look to them for guidance when we get to that point. 

For Q2, I have developed some more consistent planning on a week-to-week basis:


MON/TUES is when we will start with a class read-aloud/markup, then veer off into collaborative work and/or individual work. You should also consider looking ahead to the next week's material, which could help you plan and establish some quality study/free time.

The WIL is posted on Wednesday and  ALWAYS DUE on MONDAY by midnight. I'll start reading them on Tuesday and finish them on Weds. They are slimmed down a bit. PArts 1 & 3 can be short, leaving you to focus on the actual WIL Question. Also, while I am no longer requiring the What I DId & What I Learned components, you could/should continue to reflect on those as you ponder the actual weekly question.

  1. Share what has been going on in your life (& all of ours, really) outside of the classroom. 
  2. Explore & Answer the Weekly Question - this should be a THOROUGH ANALYSIS! 
  3. What did you like and/or not like from the week and maybe a declaration of academic achievement – what is your LEARNER grade?  (If we had a seminar, consider reflecting on that specifically)

Seminar Pre-Work is DUE on WEDNESDAY by 12PM. You also have to complete the TASK SURVEY as an attendance check on WEDNESDAYS.

THURS/FRI is set aside for SEMINARS, with the opening bit reserved for small groups to share & explore their Pre-Work responses and any guiding question(s) developed by me or your peers. We'll then come back as a large class to debrief and review anything I want to make sure you picked up during the week.

IB Exam Registration closes on Friday Nov 6th. It is cost-prohibitive to try to register late (if it is even possible). So, if you are hoping for some college credit from a good IB score, register IMMEDIATELY!

You can get a nice visual for every week by looking at the Q2 Calendar tab. Remember that you can also see my 20-21 IBA PLANNER tab, which remains a living (& changing) document.

Enjoy the outdoors while you can - it's gonna be amazing through the weekend! Then those Nordic types begin to get excited on Tuesday when snow falls again.

Friday, October 30, 2020

Boo!

Our Final Weekend before the end of the world Q1! This will be more hectic than usual, due to the election, pandemic, return of nice weather, college application deadlines, various things. I’ll run through a recap of Q1 things and give you a hint of what we’ll be attempting Q2 (& beyond?). Just try to take some time and enjoy outside over the next week or two. But be careful when interacting with others (especially within closed spaces). COVID19 transmission is rising again and it could get VERY bad before it gets better again.

Please complete & submit Exam 1.2 by 11:59 PM Monday. I'll run through them while following election news on Tuesday. We don't "see" one another until Weds/Thurs, but I will still be available to Zoom/GMeet with you during regular class hours on M & T.  I nixed the Q1 Final Exam, btw. Q2 Exams will be small group affairs. You'll get a previous IB question, deconstruct it, prepare an answer, then present it to the class (slides). It has worked well every other year, so I hope it works this year. MY ToK students are doing presentations next week, which will serve as our practice run-through.

Our final assessment, Seminar 1.9 Reparations, is next Weds/Thurs postponed to a later date - due to the election and immediate aftermath. Please complete the Pre-Work as soon as possible, though. Really think about your response(s)! Also do some of your own research on the issue. We have a unique perspective from Mpls, but it is a topic anyone can relate to, imho. This is usually one of the best seminars, since it hits many issues (past, present & future!), and I hope you are comfortable in sharing your thoughts. While difficult, it is important that we are honest, open, and willing to share & listen. It's the only way we can work to repair/heal.

I got a kick out of your Stream-of-Consciousness note-taking! Some of you just can’t break out of your “formal” student mode. I was looking for your side comments and questions. ANY stream-of-consciousness activity should include some wacky things that pop into your head as you (try to) follow any type of information dump or experience. If you are wondering what I am referring to, ask any of the following: Rachel P, Thea P, Austin C, Zoe H, Luke P, Connor R, Nathaniel G, or Reid W. Kieran P, Eleanor W, and Megan A also have interesting takes. Some of you took fantastic content-based notes (Julianna H, Etta L, Megan T, Grace U, Frank H, Ryan Mu, Tiegan P, Ashley P, Leah S, Alex G, Maddie N, Laura P, and Sam ST), but didn’t share what other thoughts popped into your brain. I am trying to get you to focus on THINKING more than rote memorization. Absorb, learn, and ponder!

Some may be wondering about the Extra Credit not showing up in the gradebook. Allow me to explain how I do this … Extra Credit is invisible to you and is not calculated until the end of the Qtr. As you do it (EC WILs, The MMission Character Web, etc.),I enter it from my end, but you see nothing and it does NOT affect your grade. Next Friday, I add it to your grade calculation. So, your missed WIL remains a ZERO, but your total points for the WIL category will be greater than what you see. THAT is the EC.

I have decided to modify your WILs, which you (hopefully) noticed in the later one(s). I am eliminating 2-3 of the paragraph requirements and will rotate through some different components for one required response, in addition to the typical “WIL question” presented every time. It will be easier for you & me. I still hope you actually take some time to reflect on what was done & what you learned, regardless of whether or not I am formally requesting it in the WIL response. Reflection is a key learning tool (for academics & life!) and can help in many ways.

Beginning next week, we have "official" Asynchronous Days (typically Weds). In place of the generic Attendance Check GForm, I will be using my weekly survey to take attendance on such days. Now, we also cheat a little and I give you other Asynch days, due to the nature of IB (A LOT of reading and collecting thoughts), but remember that I am ALWAYS available and will even offer opportunities to read through docs with me – LIVE! – and follow as I/you/we process things together. Some – many – most(?) may not want to experience my melodious voice as I read historical documents aloud, which is understandable (if not hurtful – I jest), so you can go ahead and read on your own.

In Q2, I will again try to have one Seminar per week. You’ll notice we had nine in Q1 (average of 1 per week!), but the schedule was awkward. I’ll do my best to plan things out so there is one per week again, hopefully over the last 2 days of the week. That will leave M&T as check-in, intro, support, etc. Now, I must also confess something. With only a few modification (elimination of material & activities), we covered EVERYTHING I normally go through in a normal Q1. IF you followed along & did everything, you have successfully adapted & will be a stronger student for your sacrifice. If not, that is also OK – this model leaves MUCH to be desired. I’ll pull back a little Q2, as I think we found our groove, but I will be adding some auxiliary content for those who are taking the IB HL History exam or anyone who simply likes the content.

I also want to address Late Work. Seminar Pre-Work will be posted (at least) a week in advance and be due by noon the day before IBA1 meets for the seminar. Sometimes, it will be generic (like the first ones), but I may add more questions. I will post WILs on Weds, with the expectation that they are done & SUBMITTED by Monday. These NEED to be done by those times so I can use them for the seminar and/or refinement of future lessons. I will again offer 1-2 extra credit WILs in case you miss a deadline. I’ll also offer an EC opportunity that will cover a missed Seminar. If you miss a seminar for some reason, do not worry (missing one will NOT destroy your grade – heck missing 2 probably won’t hurt either). But I cannot go back and look for work that was submitted late or forgotten to be submitted in the first place. Think of each assignment as an election ballot that must be turned in on time!

Lastly, we are entering the months of despair. A holiday season without the normal cheer and family gatherings (yes, they’re awkward, but also enriching) will be unusual for many. I am anticipating some (increased?) anxiety/depression/yucks in ALL of us. We have to be honest with one another. If you’re struggling, tell someone! I hope you (now) know you can trust me to be fair & understanding. I am trying to do my best in preparing you for (post-secondary) life after we emerge from this experience. 2020 ends in 2 months, but COVID will affect daily life for at least another year. We’ve lost too many lives already, while some have recovered with ongoing issues. Each of those lives & experiences have affected even more people (some in our own circles, if not ourselves). Remember to take care of yourself, then your family, friends, faith (in any order). We can’t physically lean on one another or even give a hug, but we CAN listen, understand, and offer encouragement/support. Things will get hard(er), but they also get easier. The struggles of a 4yo learning to tie a shoe are similar to you doing an IA or some other big school task. That first paragraph you wrote in 2nd grade is similar to the college essay you are writing (or have written) now. Meanwhile, your parents/guardians are trying to not only guide & support you, but also figure out how to give you want you want/need! You CAN hug each other!

Seriously – go outside and enjoy the weather over the next 1-2 weeks!

 

 

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Exam 1.2 (Keen LAC4&6/Keen HLA 4&5) Prep

I showed you how to Make a Copy of any MSWord/GDocs I upload, namely the Keen HLA Review sheet for his textbook chapters. Remember that if you have great difficulty deciphering the primary sources (Keen LAC), you should use the Keen HLA Textbook as a backup. While the chapter numbers do not align perfectly, the Table of Contents and even a simple word search should help.

Share notes with one another if you feel it helps (collaboration is always a plus). If you have other questions, ask me tomorrow.  IF you have been paying attention in class, I have no doubt that you'll do fine on this exam. If you completed the Pre-Seminar Work BEFORE class on Monday, I emailed the responses to you. If you did NOT complete the work on time, you should have had your own responses sent to you. I’ll resend the link to ALL responses on Tues or Weds. DO NOT process ALL of the keywords in that Keen HLA Review Sheet - I covered the "testable" ones in our review! There are a couple of MC questions set aside to check for deep understanding of the primary courses (Keen LAC), so focus on knowing the material from Unit 02 (pages 135-187). I cut the Keen LAC 7 material from this exam, but we'll start with those readings Q2 (which begins with independence movements).

There are TWO (2) Exam Sections (Complete BOTH within the 50 minutes of the allotted time):

  1. Multiple Choice (MC) has 26 questions
  2. Short Answer (SA) has 4 Components with a total of 8 questions

I will make the exam LIVE on Weds at 8:30AM. You have to find a 55-minute block of time between then and Monday 11:59 PM in which to complete it. If you need additional time, by all means, take it, but make a note at the beginning of your response: (EXTRA)     This is so we all know how you would fare in a strictly-enforced timed test. Again, this type of exam is for you to develop some skills and me to see if you are trying. Beginning Q2, exams will be small group presentations!

We are asynchronous on Weds (please make sure you complete the Attendance Check-In!) and we still meet on Thurs/Fri! I will confirm that a Letter of Recommendation was uploaded on Weds. We should cover Seminar 1.9 Reparations expectations. I will also answer any Exam topic questions you may have lingering before you tackle it. I can also address any additional questions or concerns you have about this exam, extra credit, etc.

If you are having tech difficulties, contact the MPS IT Gurus - they can help! If you are freaking out over college application, the election, the pandemic, etc. ... BREATHE! Well, not on or around anyone else, but you know that by now, I hope. Things have a crazy way of working out. We sometimes don't get what we want, but other opportunities arise and I genuinely believe that 


Friday, October 23, 2020

Las Casas

Seminar 1.7 focused on Las Casas. Seminar 1.8 will explore Keen’s take on Spanish Colonial government & policy. I hope you read EVERYTHING (pp 135- 187) for this unit (thus far). It is the foundation upon which I built Exam 1.2.

You started off by exploring the following in your Study Groups: 

  • Dig into WHO & WHAT he was …
  • MANY did NOT address "What were his beliefs?" question - do it now
  • What changed - why did he change - how did he change & did he succeed?
  • Explore your perception of his Legacy - did anyone read more about him?
  • What about his character - can you develop a consensus? If so, what is it? If not …
  • What is the progression of Spanish Colonial Policy regarding Los Indigenes? (Keen)
  • What changed - why did it change - how did it change & did the change(s) work?

As a class, we then approached the following: 

  • What is his legacy?
  • Is he a hero? What evidence supports this?
  • Is he simply a bad guy? What evidence supports this?
  • How does (y)our (Historiographic?) Study of Las Casas project him?
  • Did you get multiple perspectives of Las Casas (from the assigned readings)?
  • Regarding The Mission, did you make any connections with ... Rodrigo (DeNiro) & Las Casas?

I'm going to ask that you read a little more about the Black Legend via Wikipedia and/or this shorter explanation. You should also watch the last five minutes of John Green's Crash Course US History 01 "The Black Legend, Native Americans, & Spaniards": (https://youtu.be/6E9WU9TGrec?t=349)

What he did for the indigenous population of the Americas was profound - he worked tirelessly to free them from slavery and improve their lives...from HIS perspective.  He wanted to convert them all, which had a definite impact on their culture & civilization.  While he wanted to give the land back and allow them to rule themselves, he also wanted to convert them...ALL of them to Christianity.  Furthermore, when removing the labor supply from a system designed around slavery (Encomienda), it simply shifts the focus to other groups - namely, West Africans.  So, even though he could not have imagined it, the "humanization" of the indigenous populations of the Americas contributed to the African Slave Trade, perhaps even inspiring it. While his BFF (Charles) had his back, Las Casas was more interested in preserving and expanding the power of the (Catholic) Church. Yes, Las Casas was more morally centered than his contemporaries on this and other issues, but he was not infallible.

Also know (some of) the role & influence of the Pope on political and economic affairs. Las Casas outmaneuvered the Holy Roman Emperor by getting the Pope “on his side” when Charles would not listen. This then affected what Spain did (& had a subsequent effect on Portuguese America, as well). 

As an aside, I hope you are working to draw original connections with your own analyses of what we do in this course. Step into the role of a historian while also maintaining your role as a learner...learn to learn again. Explore, consider, and follow kernels to ideas and concepts that may be new to all of us.



Monday, October 19, 2020

Spirits, Demons, Elections, Grades & Other Seasonal Things

Whoever decided to place Halloween, Elections and the end of a grading term all within the same 1-week window is a sadist. Oh, and add the ACT two weeks before that week!

I thought I'd share a selfie from inside my home without a functioning furnace. Worst thing is that I have frozen little piggies if I am not wearing slippers or thick socks, even though I tend to walk around the house like Reuben coaches girls soccer games. While the girls lost (putting up an admirable fight and certainly made me proud in doing so), the boys are choosing to host SLP at 5PM on Tuesday Wednesday due (partially) to the weather forecast. We may need an orange ball. 😖 If we win, we either host SW or visit Wayzata on Thursday Friday (time TBD). Meanwhile, I don't get a new furnace installed until Tues Oct 27th.

As for class, I have created the IBA Contact/Study Groups. I bolded one person (or 2 in the larger groups of 6 - which will self-determine sub-groups of 3) as my main go-to contact. These will also be your Small Discussion Groups, which will then be combined/split to form the Split-Class Groups (of approx 10ish students each). IBA2 has to split into the Small Groups of 3, from which I'll make the 3 larger groups of 10. We'll try them out Q2, when I also plan to roll out some other modifications.

As for what remains through Q1, please make sure you do EVERYTHING in the GooClass "To-Do" Topic:

WIL 1.5 Legacy should be done, but I will read them through Weds.

Biography of America 03 Video Lecture & Note-taking Exercise. It's 26 mins, consider speeding it up, but I want you to take notes - READ & FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS! We will go over them at some point over the next crazy 3 weeks.

Seminar 1.7 Las Casas has readings by & about Las Casas, as well as primary sources from Keen (LAC 4 & LAC 6). If you have difficulty with the primary sources from Keen LAC, you should skim through chapters 4 & 5 from his textbook (Keen HLA). You were also to watch The Mission. The Pre-Work is due now, but the DEADLINE is noon Weds. An extra credit assignment for The Mission will be posted tomorrow - please only do it if you are REALLY struggling with missing work! 

Seminar 1.8 Exam 1.2 Review has MANY little things, since it is a review of sorts for Exam 1.2. You have to read some things from the GREEN booklet, watch (or re-watch) some Crash Course vids, and complete the Pre-Work by 6PM Sunday. We'll process these things in class on Mon & Tues, so you will (hopefully) do MUCH better on Exam 1.2 on Thurs/Fri. Please do NOT cheat by asking or offering insight. It's icky, shady, and violates the honor code.

WIL 1.6 Slavery will be posted on Oct 28 at 8:30 AM & it is due by 6PM Sun Nov 1st.

Seminar 1.9 (Slavery &) Reparations will be posted on Friday Oct 23rd at 1PM. You will have to read two short (4 pages total) documents, but I am asking you to conduct some of your own research. The Pre-Work is due by 6PM Sun Nov 1st.

There will be some sort of Final Exam on Mon 11-2/Tues 11-3. The idea is to put you into your small groups and you will be assigned a previous IB question (or something similar) to deconstruct, prepare an answer, then share your answer in notes & a brief presentation. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION HERE!!! Look below:

The election is Tuesday Nov 3rd - VOTE! IF you are an IBA4 or IBA5 students and you are serving as an election judge, you need to let me know ASAP. I will place you into a group (or groups) of peers in a similar situation & you will complete your Final Exam on Monday AFTERNOON/EVENING in a 90-minute block DETERMINED BY YOUR GROUP. Election Day is a loooooonnng day for EVERYONE, so be prepared to be exhausted on Weds. We may probably will not have a full picture of the results until a few days weeks later ... UNLESS it is a blowout. 

Seminar 1.9 (Slavery &) Reparations will take place on Weds 11-4/Thurs 11-5. Yes, we will debrief the election, but this topic is usually VERY interesting & insightful. It's timing is planned as a Q1 summative and serves as a foundation for what and how we frame future topics. I LOVE this topic and it is something I have been doing for over 10 years now.

Lastly - I signed EVERYONE up for a FREE New York Times account. Check your MPS email. It used to be limited to 10 students last year. My nemesis, Elizabeth Stockbridge, figured this whole thing out last year - but it looks to be unlimited now. It runs through Sept 2021. Enjoy!


Oh yeah - Aliens.

Monday, October 12, 2020

The Mission ...

 ... is proving to be more difficult (even impossible) to watch from home. If you have a Mac or Windows machine, you are probably OK, so long as you download & install VLC Media Player. Those with Chromebooks should make sure your device is up-to-date and install VLC via the Chrome Web Store - READ & FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. I am trying to upload another version of the film to GooClass, but it may also not be playable. We have to figure out a solution for other things moving forward. If you solved this conundrum (Mac, Windows & Chromebook), share your knowledge with me & others!

UPDATE 1: I DID find a FREE version via YouTube! Check the GooClass for the link.

Remember that I am available for 1-on-1 meetings regarding Exam 1.1 analysis & advice. Just pop in during your scheduled hour and we can bounce ideas back and forth. If you missed it today, consider popping in tomorrow. Shoot me an email in the AM and we can schedule a Zoom.

UPDATE 2: After some conversations with a handful of your peers, I think we have ideas to share. I will update the blog after every M/T and Th/F seminar lesson. I will also add either a midweek (Weds) or Weekend post. These will be summaries of main ideas, any notes, and major takeaways. As you read/review them, you should take a minute or two in order to simply reflect on how you can justify or disprove (?), or even develop an original analysis & synthesis of content in developing a new "take" on the material. This would also come into play when writing your WIL. take one extra minute (really - just one more minute) to reflect on what we did & what you learned by doing those things. MOve that info from short-term into long term memory, while reinforcing connections and relevancy. Lastly - READ THE QUESTION. Thoroughly. Put a PAUSE on panic mode and work through the exam as it is presented. There are often times when you can use info from a previous question to help guide an answer in a later query. We have one more exam like this, after which the remaining are group dissection of the question & answer production, followed by a presentation. We may have one more MC exam in Q2 or Q3, just to keep you on your toes and see if you have taken steps to improve your test-taking performance.

I'll be reading WIL 1.4 and writing Letters of Rec over the next 2 days. You should catch up in your classes, enjoy the outdoors, and solve any tech issues you may have. The next 4.5 months will be ... challenging. 


Friday, October 9, 2020

Ends & Means

 Machiavelli introduced and explored justifications for his driving political philosophy, which has dominated politics for the past 500 years. I have always been intrigued by the fact that much of our culture and historical determinacy was driven and authored by people not much older than you. When you consider life expectancy and the concept of hereditary rule, teenagers drove much of our collective history (and culture). And those were mostly boys. Let that sink in and scare you.

Machiavelli was an Italian political advisor who also happened to be a pretty popular satirist. It makes our understanding of his book, The Prince, a little more complex than simply reading and considering his theses. Was he being genuine? Was he applying for a job (basically advising NOT to trust advisers!)? Was he mocking the whole political system in Renaissance Italy? Whatever the truth is, we walk away with these guiding principles/arguments:

  • A Prince must be cruel
  • Cruelty to insure order
  • Better to be feared
  • Fear must NOT inspire hatred
  • Leaders must be wise and use cruelty sparingly.
  • It is a means to an end
  • Keep People and Property safe and prosperous.

It kinda reads like a manual for the Dark Side of the Force. 

The underlying takeaway will help us explore a topic to be explored in Q2/Q3: Is/was the motivation for US (military) intervention throughout the world beginning in 1898...economic interests, rather than political/national "security" from external threats?