Political Science 7 - Contemporary World Affairs - Online - Section # 1138 - Spring 2010
Prof. Joe Meyer, email: meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu This is the Class Home page (class starts Feb. 8, 2010) |
Hello students:
To see what you have gotten yourself into, click the two links below (and read them) and watch the two videos to the right.
Click Here for the Assignment Page
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
(The eTudes portal will be ready and open by week 1.)
You must get on eTudes: Go to the College web page, on the left, click on "classes/areas of study" - From there - look to the right - in the light blue area - see where it says "eTudes portal"? WELL - first click on "eTudes help" and take the tutorial and learn how to use eTudes. If you can't get on eTudes, maybe you shouldn't take an online class???
You must also access www.betweennations.com (or .org, it doesn't matter) and sign up as a student, follow the directions. Find the ACE Practice Tests for each chapter. You will take one each week and record your progress.
There is only one mandatory meeting, the day of the Final Exam and Poster Presentation: June 5, 2010, 10 am - 1pm. Location: TBA. If you can not make it, drop the class now and allow others to add.
For the class discussions, PLEASE do not start a new topic, just click on "Week One Sign in" or "Class Discussion #1," etc., and add your thoughts. You can and should also respond to others' thoughts and postings. Create a constructive discussion on each topic.
Your first exam will be on week five (5). Click here for a look at potential questions for Exam 1 ) All three such exams are based on the text from a test bank provided to me by the publisher of your text. I will choose two (2) essays for each Exam. I will post the exam for one week only and all answers sent late will have points deducted.
Exams, like all work, are due ANYTIME during the week they are due, but no later than midnite, Sunday.
You should come by my office and visit - I'm on campus four days a week: Mon. - Thurs. So, come by during office hours or call or email and make an appointment. I hope to see you in person some day soon!
________________________________________
Please Check out the Assignment Page (above) and its links and see what you have gotten yourself into. This class is NOT easier than a "regular class". It ends up being More Work and you are ALONE doing it. Not everyone succeeds in online classes. Do you have self discipline? And self motivation?
Get the Text book - if you buy the text from the LACC bookstore - it comes with access to BetweenNations.org
Begin reading your text book!
Here's a few things to remember:
1. The week starts on Monday morning and runs through midnight Sunday (12am). The week ends midnight Sunday.
2. This is not an "instant class." It takes me a few days or a week to get through to all the emails.
3. You are expected to do the reading (from the text) and then click on the appropriate week's lecture page from eTudes. You can read ahead a little - but don't fall behind!
4. Each week you must visit www.betweennations.com and choose one ACE Practice test. Remember to save your work by "saving your progress."
5. This is the same class as any on campus class - it is not "easier" or "less work." Most students tell me it ends up being more work and even harder than an on campus class because you have to have self motivation and self discipline and you work mostly alone.
INSTRUCTOR AVAILABILITY: Come visit my on campus class on Tues. 3:30 (PS2), Thurs. 6:50 (PS7) and M/W 9am (PS1)
OFFICE HOURS: Mon. & Wed.: 10:30am - 1:30pm & Thurs.: 4 - 6:30pm
This class is designed to be all online, except for the one mandatory meeting, for the final exam and poster & presentation.
Come by and visit Prof. Meyer and prove you are a real person and talk with him about your course project.
Online classes are not for everyone - Not everyone succeeds in online classes.
Ask your self - do you have SELF Discipline? Can you motivate YOURSELF to finish tasks? Do you work well alone at the computer ? Can you read and write at the college level? If so - than I bet you will love this course and do well in it (if you read the book and web pages and do the assignments, of course). If not, maybe you should take another class.
The "student lounge"(on eTudes) is where students can stay in touch with each other, work together, plan stuff, etc. You DO NOT have to sign in each week, only week One.
But you MUST SIGN IN on Week One Sign In, in the class discussion section on eTudes.
You DO NOT have to check in with me each week - but feel free to email me about anything.
For the class discussions, the basic rule is - don't post anything - or email anything - that you would not want your Grandma to hear you say (assuming you have a "normal" Grandma). No anonymous posting or childish b.s. like that PLEASE! You should respond to others' postings and put forth your own ideas - both are all part of contributing to a discussion, and that's how you earn participationpoints in the class.
Late work will be substantially graded down. You loose points each week its late, so turn it in on time.
This class is all about YOU - How much work are YOU going to do? (More than a regular class, that's for sure) How much can YOU motivate YOU? Its all about YOU!!!!
This class is NOT LESS WORK than a so-called regular class. In some ways it may be MORE WORK!
|
||
|
There is only one mandatory meeting, the day of the Final Exam and Poster Presentation: June 5, 2010, 10 am - 1pm. Location: TBA. If you can not make it, drop the class now and allow others to add. Click here to watch an introductory video to Poli Sci 7. NEW! Click Here is a brief video on How to Pick an International Organization for your Course Project Paper The week starts on Monday morning and runs through midnight Sunday (12am). The week ends midnight Sunday. You must visit Prof. Meyer in his office at least once during the semester, or it will greatly reduce your course grade. We will be using only one text book: World Politics in the 21st Century, Duncan et al. There is weekly work to be done on www.betweennations.com Some pages of helpful links: On the Cold War and on the UN, WTO, IMF/World Bank etc. Week - Reading - Lecture - Work Due - 1 - You email me the student statement AFTER you have done everything it says you have done and I can than verify that you are indeed in the class. Click here for the Week One Checklist - 2 - Ch. 1 - Introduction to International Relations - (First Class Discussion starts) - 3 - Ch. 2 - Theories, Approaches, and the "current paradigm"- (First Class Discussion week two) - 4 - Ch. 3 - Levels of Analysis - (First Class Discussion ends at end of week). Course Project Declartion DUE. - 5 - Ch. 4 - "Power" in the world arena EXAM #1 via email. - 6 - Ch. 5 - What is Foreign Policy? (Second Class Discussion starts on eTudes). - 7 - Ch. 6 - States (Members) make the UN . (Second Class Discussion week two). - 8 - Ch. 7 - Non-state actors- (Second Class Discussion ends at end of week). Course Project Working Bibliography DUE. SPRING BREAK 3/29 - 4/5 - 9 - Ch. 8 - "It's always about geography" (Third Class Discussion starts). EXAM #2 via email. - 10 - Ch. 9 - Nationalism..."Usism" - (Third Class Discussion on eTudes). Critical Thinking Project Due. - 11 - Ch. 10 - War, Peace and other situations... (Third Class Discussion ends). - 12 - Ch. 11 - Human, other other rights - - 13- Ch. 12 - Global Political Economy- (Fourth Class Discussion starts). EXAM #3 via email. - 14 - Ch. 13 - "Development? Whose development?" - Course Project DUE via email, drop off, or mail. (Fourth Class Discussion week two ). - 15 - Ch. 14 - Environment, etc- (Fourth Class Discussion ends). FINAL EXAM, Poster & Presentation Day: June 5, 2010 The final must be taken on the same day you present your poster. It is our only mandatory meeting. The final cannot be taken early, nor late. All work for this course is due before midnight, Sunday June 5, 2010. Late work will be substantially graded down. You loose points each week it is late, so turn it in on time. When you read each week's lecture pages, you will find many links. When they appear in italics (like this type). That's a link to an OUTSIDE web page that I think you may find of interest or it may help further elaborate upon or enhance your understanding of a concept or word. If it says: "click here" or "click here to see..." that is a link to my own web pages. They generally have my "Political Science, POWER & You" logo on them as well. You should READ ALL MY WEB SITES. The links to outside sources are for your enrichment and are optional. Also, I will tell you about and link you to many of the activities we do in class - most are group activities. You don't have to do any of the activities unless you want to (some of them really can't be done by yourself, but you can pretend you are in a group, I guess). Please read this and all my web pages: I put a great deal of time and effort into my web pages and I think they answer all your questions about how the class works. Each week you visit the eTudes page and from there you will be linked to the lecture of the week. I'll have a little announcement each week on eTudes along with the class discussions. Each week you will have work to do on www.betweennations.com It is all up to you! Don't fall behind! Many students drop the class, but those who stick it out often discover how easy and fun online classes are - just do the work each week - don't fall behind - it's hard to catch up. Not everyone succeeds in online classes. But those who stick with it often earn an A! It's never too early to start thinking about your Course Project - check out your options on the assignments page. Your Course Project is as Fun as you want to make it - and the MORE YOU PUT INTO IT - THE MORE FUN IT WILL BE! Remember - email (and the internet) are NOT PERFECT - so if after a few days you have not heard back from me about work you emailed me - send it again!!!! (with a little note saying you are resending it and you won't lose points).
|