UPDATE: October 12, 2006
Dear Evaluator:
This report updates site progress on the development of my history courses. The site is dynamic as pages continue to be updated. Traffic continues to increase as quality essays are added to the website. The following chart compares traffic during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school years.
| School Year: | 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 |
| Total site visitors: | 1,107,600 (Sept.’04–Aug.'05) |
1,516,407 (Sept.’05–Aug.'06) |
| Month of highest daily average visitors: | April 2005 = 4,668 |
March 2006 = 5,601 |
| Daily average of unique visitors during 9 month school year: | 3,312 | 4,754 |
| Number of schools subcontracting Mr. N. as an online history teacher. | 2 | 4 |
Note: Visits are not the same as hits. For example, although the site received 1.5 million visitors from Sept. ’05 through August ’06, that same time period saw nearly 7.5 million hits (7,467,684).
The following bar graph clearly illustrates the drop of activity during the summer months as researchers are engaged in activites other than searching the Internet for files on world history. Currently, the site contains nearly 1000 HTML files (300+ biographies, 500+ essays), and over 700 links to supplementary resources.
As a free resource, it is unknown how many visitors are using these materials to supplement their academic progress. Those students who contacted the instructor and made successful application for the free class were given access to the Moodle classroom for interaction with other students, multimedia, and automatically scored quizzes. Each course is taught from a Biblical perspective and is scholarly enough to prepare diligent students to pass the Advanced Placement World History Exam. (Last year's students sccored an average of 4 points on the five point scale.) Course content includes the collegeboard.org recommendations as summarized on my AP World History Syllabus with consideration of the World History Standards for California Public Schools.
Implementation:
Content is delivered over the Internet with on site and off site information.
In preparation for the AP exam, students read and write the three types of essays
required by the exam. These are the "Change over Time", "Comparative",
and "Document Based Question". As part of the writing process, I edit
with the student to refine the content and style of essays based on AP
Rubrics. On site are scored essays and related content (biographies, maps,
graphs...), and multiple choice quizzes. Quiz items are in multiple-choice format
in preparation for the 70 multiple choice questions on the AP exam. Questions
include the interpretation of graphics such as charts, maps, photos and political
cartoons.
Although all course material is available online, students are advised to have access to an encyclopedia, atlas, almanac and perhaps any other world history textbook for research; other recommendations are included. Content is presented through links to insightful off site and on site world history articles. Assessment is made through online quizzes over readings, submitted essays scored to rubric standards, and threaded discussion with other students. A CD ROM may be available for those with access challenges. A DVD containing multimedia lectures, songs, and other high bandwidth items is planned for production by the start of the 2007-08 school year.
Sequence:
In the free asynchronous mode, students take this online course at their own
pace, reading essays and visiting assigned sites as their priorities allow.
Students can communicate with the teacher and each other via e-mail, and threaded
discussion groups. In paid synchronous mode, there are scheduled events such
as weekly video conferencing and appropriate deadlines for course completion.
Pedagogical Design:
The pedagogical goals of this course are:
- To base course content on state and national standards.
- To evaluate student performance with predefined rubrics matched to course objectives.
- To offer clearly defined learning objectives, structured assignment schedule, and objective assessments.
- To offer a variety of interdisciplinary activities on-line and off-line.
- To develop complete online resources and keep the cost of off-line materials minimal.
- To encourage frequent student-student collaboration through on-line discussion groups.
- To encourage frequent student-teacher communication, adjusting challenges for individual needs.
- To provide timely, objective feedback on student's progress toward course objectives.
- To enhance research and critical thinking skills as students analyze and synthesize patterns and events in world history.
- To publish selections from the student portfolio that demonstrates excellence in the expressive process.
- To maintain personal expertise in the course subject matter and in the implementation
of a multimedia, online environment.
The comprehensive scope and sequence of World History assignments continues to be developed. Although there are still links and interactive lessons being added, this course remains open for enrollment. The FAQs provide an informative starting page to explore this web site.
Thank you for your consideration,
Mr. N.
Oregon State Certified: Secondary Social Studies