Ugh

That title could reference the Coronavirus, our president's response (or lack thereof), his wacky claims, next week's curriculum (the Holocaust), or just trying to get through our current situation with some sense of sanity.
We have A LOT of things coming together from this past week and next week's lesson(s).
But I have decided to CANCEL this Monday's (5/4) Webinar (4.3).
So, the next Webinar (5/11) will be a ONE-HOUR Webinar.
Blocks 1 & 2 will meet together over the FULL 9-10 AM hour on Monday 5/11.
Blocks 3 & 4 will meet together over the FULL 10-11 AM hour on Monday 5/11.
We have to properly process the World at War 20: Genocide video assigned next week (details via GooClass).
I will also be available on Thursday (5/7) from 6:30-7:30 should anyone want/need to process anything from this unit (or life, in general).

Do NOT hesitate to contact me if you need help processing anything (namely the Holocaust material). I obviously have nowhere else to be/go, so I am ready & willing to GMeet with anyone with a need. I can even try to distract you from that horror with the lunacy of our world today, something crazy my dog may have done, or simply how to try not to go stir-crazy in these times.

Regarding the next unit, I dropped next week's content via GooClass:
Read through the first two pages for directions!

1. Read The Position of the Jews (Page 3; 4 questions)
2. Read The Laws for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor (9-15, 1935) (Pages 3-4; 1 question)
3. Read Hitler’s Mass Murders (Page 5; 7 questions)
4. Watch Education for Death (Disney, 1943 10 mins) Link provided
5. Read Beginnings & Ends (Pages 6-7; 11 questions))
6. Watch World at War 20: Genocide (54 mins) in a comfortable and mature environment & state-of-mind;  tissues may be necessary
7. Read Rwanda Genocide, 1994 (Page 11; 3 questions)

You can complete the GForm or scan/paste-a-pic of your worksheet.

Hey - Read Me!

Grrr ... You MUST check this blog EVERY DAY & your email THREE TIMES A DAY! This is a price to pay for Distance Learning, since we cannot interact/assign/remind every day. I will most likely post here three times a week on the following schedule:

• Mon/Tues = Recap of Webinar, reminders, etc.
• Weds/Thurs  = Reminder to finish tasks, updates regarding the week, the quarantine, etc.
• Fri/Sat = Explanation of next week's tasks

The GooClass & Portal Grades will be updated/finalized today. Try to have EVERYTHING done by Friday (WIL by Sunday) & you should be good to go. There is a strong belief that Q4 grades will either be A-CR-NC or CR-NC. I wish if we followed that model at ALL times. 

SUBMIT YOUR IA VIA TURNITIN (Revision 2) ASAP!

I will have weekly task assignments "drip, drip, drip, drip" over Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon via GooClass. This way, those of you who do not like the "dump" can simply be assigned one thing each day, while those of you who DO like the dump can simply access everything via this blog. It's a compromise that I hope/think will work.

NEXT WEEK (Weds 5-6 or Thurs5-7), I am planning on having a special 1-hour ALL-CALL Webinar regarding the Holocaust documentary you will be assigned for earlier that week. It is too deep, sad, horrifying and emotionally draining for us to just watch one day and explore in a 25-minute mini-Webinar on Monday. So, I will ask everyone to watch it on Weds or Thurs then process as a large group that evening.

Again, if/when you experience or hear about something interesting, helpful, fun, etc. PLEASE TELL ME! These final 5 weeks will be guinea pig experimentation on ALL of us, and I regretfully believe we will begin your senior year with some Distance Learning component(s). I kind of like the "Read - Take Notes - Assigned Video - Choose Something to Learn & Share" model. If find it helpful, let me know. If not, here is your chance to offer something for us to try over the last 2-3 weeks.

For those of you planning on taking the IB HL Exam in 2021, I will be offering some 1-hr assignments each week over the Summer. These will NOT be required, but they are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for you to do so you are not too far behind next year. 

Q$ Week 1 Done (sorta)

We have a shifted schedule, with the week really beginning on Tuesdays and ending on Mondays. So, we'll have our Week 1 Webinar on Monday, actually.

We also finished up the Week 1 Webinars. There are a few things that need some refinement. So, here are some requests/recommendations:

1. Complete the Pre-Work by Friday PM (Sunday afternoon at the latest). I run through your work to finalize plans for the webinars - and hope to find something unique for each group - but it is only possible if EVERYONE (or at least a majority) does/do the actual work.
2. Attend your scheduled webinar. If you miss yours, you miss it. If you have a conflict, you gotta let me know BEFORE the seminar. If there is a tech glitch, you can still send me a text, maybe join with your phone, or be there in some way. If you NEED to switch to a different one, ask me.
3. Camera ON (Ugh, I know). WHS (& MPS, I guess) is requesting (demanding) a visual presence. Something about accountability, I guess. Look, I HATE being on camera. So, if I can do it, so can you. Just take some time to find a clean space (with light), wear a hat, whatever you can do to make yourself (somewhat) presentable.
4. YOU need to participate! I get bored and sick of my voice, and I am sure you do, as well. Could you try to make something that you can hold for quick-response questions and indicating an interest or willingness to speak? I am envisioning a piece of cardboard that is Green (for YES) on one side & Red (for NO) on the other. Maybe something like this folded over a popsicle stick?

Remember that moment you heard school was temporarily shutting down? 

Then realizing we were transition toward Distance Learning? 

And finally, when hearing we would have NO more regular school for the rest of the academic year?

Yeah - House expresses it best:

2020 IB Examinees! Please fill out Percy's GForm Survey: tinyurl.com/2020IBScoresRequest

WIL 4.1 WWII Documentary

Find & Watch ANOTHER WWII Documentary

Past the link & provide the following:

     A summary & your takeaway

     Avoid the Holocaust (which we'll look at in 2 weeks)

Fun Find&Share

The following is simply too good to NOT share with as many people as possible. Considering how many theater-types I have as students also makes this a required Find&Share. Randy Rainbow is one of my absolute favorites on the ol' interweb:

WWII Reading

I added the assigned reading for WWII. It includes a small task for you to complete. I need you to outline the 16-page reading. Yeah, it seems like A LOT (it IS!), but I think you can manage, especially if you read the actual instructions on the GooClass assignment. We'll discuss WWII during Monday's Webinar(s). Be prepared to respond & also consider displaying your camera image.

We'll be looking at post-WWII map of Europe, as well as the creation of the United Nations next week. I'm in the process of planning a (very) shortened unit, which will be posted on Friday.

Please consider a TIME for us to add a special 45-min Webinar FOR ALL regarding the Holocaust unit. I'd like to have it in the afternoon of Thursday May 7th or Friday May 8th. Check your schedules to see what will work. It is a VERY depressing unit, but it is important that we cover what we can.

Decisions, Decisions

When to open up for business? is one of the most important questions for ANY owner. It gets even more complicated when lives are at risk - especially those who are most vulnerable and those who may have no direct link to your decision. But, in the good ol' USA, there is also something bigger ... politics.

As you watch & read stories regarding the so-called #Liberate movement, keep in mind the basics of any research. Who is affected? What is their interest? Who gains/loses? etc. Trump thrives in chaos, loves attention, and panders to his base at any & every opportunity. Be mindful of the millions NOT protesting out of fear, respect, etc. for the current plan, which is working! So, while one side is out there gathering & gaining attention, the other is quietly at home; this results in a narrative of "see, nobody is opposing us, so we are in the majority!" smh

Then again, this could be replicated by the Class of 2020 in the near future, as well.

I hope you are familiar with the basics of US Government - if NOT, use this thing called the interweb. It's on computers now. I never believed I would have to write something like this though: Since I linked to the official .gov website, please understand that the current administration decides what to produce. While it should be innocuous & informative, there could be some broken links or even *ugh* partisan statements. The pages I saw did NOT have that, but deeper clicking may show such things. Again, *ugh*. Or, ask me questions & I'll prepare answers for everyone to see here.

The deeper reading assignment will be posted later today (hopefully this AM). I have to do some more editing.

I'll post something on oil/gas tomorrow. Just do NOT believe anyone saying that gas is free. The problem right now is the storage of oil/gas. Again, I'll post something tomorrow.

Q3 Grades

I'm almost done. There are 4 people who have yet to submit their IA, which is kind of a big deal for the final grade. It's the "History IA CLEAN PERFECT VERSION" assignment at the top of the (old) GooClass. Everyone should either be enrolled or enlisted in the NEW GooClass. It is sorted by week, with tasks scheduled for posting on Mondays after our seminars. I'll go over everything on Monday, but after this first week, I will not be going over the agenda or other basics (that is what this blog is for). Rather, we'll discuss what you (should have, at least) completed the previous week.

Go outside and enjoy the decent weather after a week of awfulness.

The END (of Q3)

Q3 ends today/tomorrow! In my 23 years, I have NEVER experienced nor anticipated such a situation as the one we are going through. Power outages, natural disasters, man-made disasters, alien invasion, even a pandemic that hit hard & fast (with a coordinated response & plan). But this? Nope. We have ALL had to adjust pretty quickly to a #newnormal that flips our norms and throws away existing paradigms.

I will be "archiving" the Q1-Q3 GooClass. You will still have access to everything, but it will no longer be active. I will go through ALL assignments and return ownership to you. You may want to download materials if you plan to take the IB History HL exam next year and review stuff over the summer.

On Monday, we begin a shortened Q4. I will have the week's tasks pre-loaded into the Q4 GooClass so they become "active" on Mondays at noon. This allows you to get a jump on or even delay your to-dos at your own pace. Generally, you'll be assigned material to read/watch, encouraged to explore something even deeper on your own, complete a review/summary/exploration, then write your WIL, and conclude with our Webinar on Monday.

IF (WHEN) you come across something interesting or useful in another class (or just hear about it from your friends in other classes or schools), PLEASE LET ME KNOW! We are all kind of experimenting to see what is possible, practical, and meaningful with Distance Learning. Since many of you will have me next year (again, I know), you should know that I do not believe in wasting time and try to do useful things (even if you do not quite understand how things are useful at first).

Please complete the "OPTIONAL GMeet Survey" so I know if it is worth setting up.

Here is something simply weird, but so dang fun:

Q3 Roundup

SUBMIT WIL 4.6 BY FOUR PM WEDNESDAY!

SUBMIT IA BY TWO PM FRIDAY

Q3 Grades

Please do NOT beg for grade help. Pre-‘Rona grades were “locked” in with no “drop” from that level. So, anything done since April 6^th basically helps your grade. I removed the Japan & Hitler classwork. The extra credit WILs will be added after WIL 3.6 has been entered. For most, your grade will definitely increase. As some of you probably even noticed after Q1 & Q2, I do give bumps due to some stuff that simply does not fit within the gradebook (participation, collaboration, supporting peers, not-giving-me-grief-by-following-direction-or-asking-questions-at-an-appropriate-time, etc.).

You REALLY need to take the WILs VERY seriously Q4, as you should have been doing all along.

A      Complete & submit EXCELLENT work by showing mastery at every opportunity.

E             

B       Complete & submit GREAT work by showing proficiency at every opportunity.

E             

C       Complete & submit ADEQUATE work at every opportunity.

E             

D      Complete & submit most work adequately or above or all work below adequate levels.

E             

F       Complete & submit little work or most work below adequate levels.

WWII Blame Game Roundup

Well DONE! To summarize (in brief), we had various claims of:

·         Japanese Expansionism & Militarism

·         Hitler (& Jack M, apparently)

·         Apeasement

·         Versailles, Treaty of

I reminded you of the Sidney Fay thesis, which placed Britain as the main cause of the outbreak of WWI as a global disaster. This was due to Britain not disclosing (clearly) what it would do should Germany enter the conflict between Austria and Serbia. It became a regular schoolgirl fight after that, which itself led to decades of animosity between belligerents (even WWII).

You were then presented with the US replacing Britain as the new world power with the military, industrial, and even moral responsibility to take the lead and put a stop to small conflicts which could develop into much bigger and more catastrophic ones. Sadly, isolationism and the need for increased global trade (itself due to the Great Depression) kept the US from taking on that leadership role. That changed after Pearl Harbor and we led the (“Free”) world until … well, I guess Angela Merkel took the reins from the Oompa Loompa around 2017-18.

The other thought was about the Turning Point regarding responsibility and blame. This is a theme that transcends academic history and permeates all life experiences. Is it the decision or in/action immediately preceding the event, or that which caused such a decision, or the action preceding that cause … all the way back to Og hitting Thog with a rock because Thog took his root or grub for a snack? Where do you stand on the issue?

You could apply it to the Coronavirus pandemic. Do you blame China – allowing the “wet markets” to continue, NOT stopping it early on, or NOT disclosing its happening? The WHO (not the phenomenal band, the World Health Organization) for not stepping in and declaring it a pandemic early enough?  The CDC? Trump’s political interest in re-election? His inability to read lead comprehend the situation or indifference? Governors and local health officials or politicians interested in the effects on the economy (certainly valid … to some degree)? Individuals simply not using their own smarts to follow practical guidelines?

It’s a fun game, but also fraught with anguish. It leads to so many “What if…” scenarios and thoughts. One of which, The Plot Against America (by Philip Roth) looks to be a promising drama on HBO.  Almost perfectly times for our exploration of the Holocaust & Genocide during the 3^rd week of Q4.

Q4

Please make sure you join the new GooClass (check your email). We will follow the plan below, with one WIL for each of weeks 1-6, followed by an extra credit WIL at the end of week 7:

4.1) WWII Practice

4.2) WWII Effects (United Nations, Cold War, US as World Police)

4.3) Holocaust & Genocide

4.4) Cold War Intro & Basics

4.5) Mao & Chinese Civil War

4.6) Mao’s China

4.7) Clean-Up

That is 6 WILs (notice the pattern throughout the year?), in addition to some mini-write-ups each week and a pre-webinar task. If you miss your scheduled webinar, you will have no opportunity to earn those participation “bonuses” at the end of the term.

Gotta love April in Minnesota ...

Snowy Apocalypse

Gotta love Minnesota Sring, right?

Your IA is due Thursday - this should be as FINAL as you can get it.

I'll add an assignment to the GooClass this afternoon. You will have occasional PeerMark/Scoring assignments (about 1 per week). If you want more details, pester those who completed it for this year and they can fill you in; otherwise, I’ll explain everything NEXT WEEK.

Q4 Begins NEXT Week!

We are migrating to a NEW GooClass, so please check your email for the code & register ASAP

Q4 will certainly be more SELF-directed with Teacher Guidance & Support. You will have to be more responsible and take ownership over your education.  I will certainly be available to offer whatever else you need, but it's time for you little birdies to fly ... or splat.

We will (hopefully) cover the following topics:

·         WWII Practice & Effects (2 weeks)

·         Holocaust & Genocide (1 week)

·         Cold War Intro & Basics (1 wk)

·         Mao (2 wks)

That leaves one week as a “catch-all” of sorts.

Additional (Optional) GMeet

If anyone is interested in an optional & regular later-in-the-week PM/Eve GMeet, let me know. I’m thinking Thursday – 5PM or 7PM. Some of you have expressed boredom, general interest in seeing more of one-another (crazy, I know), or may simply have some questions about what you’ve been tasked to do. It’s not like I’m going anywhere or have much to do anyway, so I figured I could put this out there.

Summer & 2020-21

Those planning on the 2020 IB HIstory HL exam should definitely look into simply reading & absorbing the IB Text on 20thC Wars ON YOUR OWN. The book is available online and I will look into how we can get physical copies into your hands. Consider skimming, reading & reviewing the following topics at your own pace:

·         The Great War/WWI

·         WWII Europe & Pacific

·         Chinese Civil War

I will do my best to review content NEXT year … that’s R-E-V-I-E-W (not learn).

The ‘Rona Situation

I do NOT know any more than what is in the general public knowledge sphere. This thing is unrelenting in its spread and our leaders seem incapable of, well, leading. Nobody has figured out the right balance in terms of addressing the needs to mitigate the effects of the virus while also working to help life try to go on in some #newnormal without putting more people’s lives in immediate danger.

Until we get a vaccine and/or regular daily (& reliable) testing, look to continue being bored - or take this opportunity to question, explore & learn! Yeah, I know.

Spring Weekend

What's a weekend, anymore? Every day kinda blends into the next. No sports or concerts to attend. No team sports to play. At least it's Spring...

Yesterday was a weird weather day - CLEAR INDICATOR OF A MINNESOTA SPRING!
I am emerging from my IA Bunker, ready to face the world again next week. Well, maybe not until May 4th, according to Guv Walz. Probably not until 2021 if The 'Rona has its way.

Remember to complete TWO "Daily News Checks" each week!

Contact & remind one-another to join us next Tueday for the Weekly Interaction Webinar at 9 AM!

After today, you'll have gone through your first week of Distance Learning. It was in no way smooth and perfect. But we'll ALL work together to make things better next week. The goal is to send you off in June as experts ... so you are ready to do it all over again in the Fall.

But you WILL be allowed to go to the actual school - a real building with real people - at some point. Granted, you'll have to arrive like this:

Bored Yet?

I believe there will be some loosening of the public restrictions some time ... soon, but still a ways off. Some of you finally realize what it is like to be an only child, while I also accept that quite a few of you are probably going stir crazy.

We have our 2nd seminar next Monday, which will be a chance for us to discuss WWII Cause(s) Blame. I hope you completed the "Final Exam" via the GooClass.

Would it be possible for you to follow the schedule below? The purple ToKers need to be in a block before 10AM, so I cursed them with 9. If others in yellow want to move around into the white OPEN spaces or swap with one-another, that is OK. Just let me know.

9:00 - 9:25 AM	9:30 - 9:55 AM	10:00 - 10:25 AM	10:30 - 10:55 AM
Jack Moo	Asher	Svet	Molly
Paco	Sam L-J	Charlie W	Milan
Gavin	Owen	Amasa	Max
Kristina	Sam Mu	Elhan	Tucker
Clare	Sully	Ella	Jack Me
Ben	Sean	Julian	Evan
IB 20thC OPEN	Charlie A	Bishar	Megan
IB 20thC OPEN	Jacob	IB 20thC OPEN	Laura
IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	Henry
IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	Jackson G

Please only join at your pre-selected time - it is already stressful and you do NOT want to make me angry. Please be civil & mute your mic when not speaking. Headphones are also a plus, btw.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the 2020 IB History Examinees - We're ALMOST finished, with some stragglers still unfinished, but I'll make some calls today, if necessary.

I'll post again tomorrow PM

Transition to the #newnormal

It doesn't look that scary, does it? Whenever I see this image, I think of this. Ignore the supposed written words in the linked image, for it's most likely just gibberish to confuse you even more than this whole Distance Learning thing.

OK, you are halfway through the first week, including our first webinar experiment. Do not forget to complete the FINAL EXAM - Blame Game, which is due by 8 AM Thursday. Your Final WIL (3.6) will be posted on Friday, then due next Weds, April 15th (a MOST HORRIBLE DAY FOR EVERY US CITIZEN ...TAX DAY!). We'll meet up again next Monday, but I am hoping you can accept my juggled Block assignments, due to the ToK Zeroes having a seminar at 10AM:

9:00 - 9:25 AM	9:30 - 9:55 AM	10:00 - 10:25 AM	10:30 - 10:55 AM
Jack Moo	Asher	Svet	Molly
Paco	Sam L-J	Charlie W	Milan
Gavin	Owen	Amasa	Max
Kristina	Sam Mu	Elhan	Tucker
Clare	Sully	Ella	Jack Me
Ben	Sean	Julian	Evan
IB 20thC OPEN	Charlie A	Bishar	Megan
IB 20thC OPEN	Jacob	IB 20thC OPEN	Laura
IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	Henry
IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	IB 20thC OPEN	Jackson G

If anyone in yellow would like to move into a grey OPEN slot, let me know. You should NOT leave me alone with the ToKers, so join us ... (good luck getting a word in, though)!

IB Examinees - IA Submissions
So, after A LOT of confusion regarding IAs, I believe the vast majority of you have figured it out.
Please make sure you complete TWO IA Score & Comment Submissions via the 2020 IB Assessment Romo GooClass by NOON WEDNESDAY. I may ask for some additional reads of IAs if there is a matchup problem between your scores & mine - DO NOT FRET! I can sometimes miss something *GASP* - I know, I may come across as Mr. Infallibe, but I am human, partially. If that link does NOT work for you, ignore & move along to the regularly scheduled Apocalypse.

Day 2

You see the image below and fear shivers through your body. 

A single thought races through your mind as you see these filthy men riding on the back of a truck spewing dirty fumes, each carrying a weapon. 

That fear is this ... only one of them is wearing a mask! 

TURN & RUN ..  AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!

I thought things went well yesterday. I hope you figured out how to do everything and know what to expect through April 16th. CHECK YOUR EMAIL REGULARLY!!!

If you ever have a question, concern, even a tip, just contact me via email or text (remembering to identify yourself)!

Oh, and just for poo & giggles, complete this Romo Attendance Form today, just so I know you are checking every day - thanks!   

Welcome to the Apocalypse; Book 3, Part 1

So, we are "Back to School" in a way. I know this is beyond awkward, but I am sure we will all do our best to get into some sort of "normalcy" through all of this. Look at it this way - at least you're NOT seniors! Their Right-of-Passage moments have been stolen from them. Before you jump on me with the lives lost or severely affected due to COVID-19, know that everything is somewhat relative. The seniors have lost A LOT, which in no way minimizes the suffering many have been going through ... and, VERY sadly, have yet to face - but most certainly will.

I will post something here EVERY weekday AM - and even some weekends. It is meant to be a means for you to get what you need in a more narrative form, including not only course assignments & expectations, but also my random thoughts related to the course, school, and even life.

As we begin our Distance Learning experience, you should have received multiple emails from me, so here is a rundown of what to do/expect:

2020 IB History Examinees should have joined the NEW Turnitin course (24472897/millernerd). You will upload your FINAL FINAL IA - which MUST be properly formatted & PROOFREAD/EDITED! I CANNOT MAKE ANY CHANGES!  You will then self-score & comment via the 2020 IB Assessment GooClass you should have also joined prior to this mess. After NOON TUESDAY, you should also select a peer's IA to read, score & comment.  The Score&Comment "assignment" is simple - just click some boxes and the power of Google will populate the results for me. This must be completed by MIDNIGHT THIS WEDNESDAY (8th)

EVERYONE must complete the Apocalypse Check-In TODAY! 

x

The Weekly Interaction Webinars will be held EVERY MONDAY. Consider adding it to your GooCal, which should be visible via GooClass.  The Expectations for Students and Staff Use of Google Meet:
- Intended for educational use only 
- Use in common areas (e.g. no bedrooms, bathrooms, etc)
- Wear school appropriate clothing 
- Use school appropriate language
- Mute microphone when not speaking
- Use chat for learning specific questions and comments only
- Turn on  audio, however live video is optional

The Final "Exam" will be posted at noon TODAY and DUE THURSDAY 9 PM! You will complete:
- 3 Responses in Google Form
- Combine first 2 into a comment for GooClass Reply

There one last Weekly WIL (3.6) which will be posted on Friday and DUE NEXT WEDS 4PM.
Yes, they will continue in Q4!

I will be having Class Interactions between 9-11 AM EVERY DAY, but I will also be at my computer, ready to respond to any queries during my Office Hours from 8:30-9:00 AM and 11AM - Noon every WEEKDAY. But I am also available via my Google Voice # (If you do not have it, I'll email it to you later) and email. 

Regarding EMAIL, you MUST CHECK IT REGULARLY! You CAN disable email notifications from GooClass, but I would NOT do that if I were in your specific situation. Life has changed in this #newnormal, and regular email checks have become muy important.

MESSAGE FROM THE CLINIC:

We can provide birth control, prescriptions, STI treatment, and connection to other health resources through phone or video calls with students. We do NOT provide in-person appointments, health care related to COVID-19, or IUDS / arm implants at this time. Students can make appointments by calling or texting 612-599-1714.