How to Collaborate! on Concepts and Questions for Unit 1, Unit 2, for Unit 3

The basic way you do collaborations is the same for Unit 1, Unit 2, and Unit 3.

Why Collaborate! (To Create What You All Need by Working Together and to Help and Be Helped). 1

Requirements You Can Tell Best by Looking at the Rubric—Including That You Can Earn Points by Reading Posts. 1

The Requirement for Careful Use of Subject Lines to Save Everyone Time and the 3 Types of Posts That Earn Points. 1

The Requirement for Your Using Only Three Sources for Definitions and for You to Identify That Source. 1

The Requirement to Copy a Definition in a Useful Way. 1

The Requirement for Signaling What You Wrote and What Merriam-Webster Wrote or What Dr. Bibus Collected. 1

Why Can’t You See Your Post Until After I Read It and When I Usually Read Posts. 1

 

Why Collaborate! (To Create What You All Need by Working Together and to Help and Be Helped)

Understanding concepts is frequently essential to understand accurately what you are reading, but students have different backgrounds. With on-campus classes, it is comparatively easy to cover key terms or concepts with a group. With distance learning classes, it has been difficult. I have permission from my Department to try this method to help students with concepts and to do in a way that means:

·         That every student does not have to look up every concept but instead could collaborate—share the labor—by posting definitions that all can use

·         That students can help and be helped by asking or answering questions about those concepts.

Requirements You Can Tell Best by Looking at the Rubric—Including That You Can Earn Points by Reading Posts

This rubric tells you how many posts of definitions of concepts or posts of questions and/or answers are necessary for an A, B, or C. It also tells you that students can earn a B- just by reading posts.

Click here for the rubric. Notice:

·         The description for the rubric says, if your only posting is in the last 2 days of the Unit, you lose points.

·         The rows of the rubric say how many definitions you must post to earn each level of points.

·         This rubric means that students can earn a B- by reading posts. For example, if read posts of definitions and reply as explained in the rubric, you can earn a B-. Choose 3 to 5 of the definitions that were most helpful and reply to them.

The Requirement for Careful Use of Subject Lines to Save Everyone Time and the 3 Types of Posts That Earn Points

A fellow student should not have to click on every discussion posting to find what he or she needs. Make it clear in the Subject line.

Treat a Discussion posting like work where you get paid: no one pays you (if the boss) or no one likes you (if fellow workers) if you waste time. There are 3 types of posts that students can do.

1.       If you are posting a definition of one of the concepts from the Concepts list, you would place in the Subject line the word Concept and then the exact term from the Concepts list.
Examples from U.S. History I and U.S. History II:

·         U.S. History I
If you were going to post a definition for the word slave, you would type
Subject line for this example: Concept: Slave

·         U.S. History II
If you were going to post a definition for the word union you would type
Subject line for this example: Concept: union

2.       If you found a word in the primary that you had to look up in order to understand the primary, you place in the Subject line the words Term in Primary and then the exact word.
Examples from U.S. History I and U.S. History II:

·         U.S. History I
If you had to look up the word terra firma in the primary, you would type
Subject line for this example: Term in Primary: terra firma

·         U.S. History II
If you had to look up the word grievance in the primary, you would type
Subject line for this example: Term in Primary: grievance

 

3.       If you are posting a question, you would place in the Subject line the word Question followed by the simplest way you can ask your question. Examples from U.S. History I and U.S. History II:

·         U.S. History I
If you were confused about the difference between slaves and serfs, you would type
Example of the Subject line: Question: What’s the difference between a slave and serf?

·         U.S. History II
If you were confused about the difference between industrial unions and craft unions, you would type
Example of the Subject line: Question: What’s the difference between industrial unions and craft unions?

The Requirement for Your Using Only Three Sources for Definitions and for You to Identify That Source

1.       You may use Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary available at http://www.merriam-webster.com/ and in your course
If you used that source for your definition, you would type at the end
From Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary at http://www.merriam-webster.com/

2.       You may use definitions I sometimes provide in Required Concepts for the Unit.
If you copied a definition from my file, you would type at the end
From definitions provided by Dr. Bibus.

 

3.       Once we are in content after the Constitution is written, you may use the definitions I provide at the end of the searchable Constitution.
If you copied a definition from my file of the Constitution, you would type at the end
From definitions provided in the Constitution file.

 

The Requirement to Copy a Definition in a Useful Way

Caution: Do not try to type a definition. You will make errors that will hurt other students. This is the only time in this class that the right thing to do is copy and paste.

Your definition should have these two attributes:

1.       Be useful. Do these things:

·         Read the definition to see what is about history and our current content. Then only copy only lines from the definitions that are useful.

·         Make the definition visually brief simple. In other words, don’t copy any of the extra lines or large headings or colored headings. One trick is to copy the definition into a Word file with some simple lines of text and use the Format Painter to copy the simple format to the definition.

2.       There is not a specific measure of quantity, but look at what you have copied. Ask yourself "If that is all I knew, would it be enough?" If it would not be enough, do things such as

·         If Merriam Webster gave 3 explanations and they all fit the current content, then give all 3.

·         If Merriam Webster includes in its explanation a link to a definition of another word then add to your post the definition of that other word.
Example: if a definition of exploration uses the word explore with a link, then also define explore

·         If Merriam Webster gives a simple definition and right below it a full definition, give both.

The Requirement for Signaling What You Wrote and What Merriam-Webster Wrote or What Dr. Bibus Collected

1.       In American usage, the method used to signal to your reader that you are using another person’s words is a pair of quotation marks (“ ”):  

·         A “ at the beginning of the words you are quoting.

·         A ” at the end of the words you are quoting.

2.       If you insert words into another’s words, you must use a pair of square brackets—they look like this [ ]. You use:

·         A [ at the beginning of the word or words you are inserting.

·         A ] at the end of the words you are inserting.

3.       If you remove words from another’s words, you must use ellipses (…). An easier method is avoid all of these rules by using the Brain Trick in this link from the Good Habits for Evidence tutorial.

Why Can’t You See Your Post Until After I Read It and When I Usually Read Posts

You will not be able to see your post until after I read it to be sure it is accurate. The reason is that once a false definition is in your head it will stay there.

I will usually read them each afternoon unless I have an afternoon class.

 

 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2017

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu

Last Updated:

2017

WCJC Home:

http://www.wcjc.edu/