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 ...