Concepts for Unit 2 and How to Post in Discussion Topic 2

If you were successful with Unit 1’s Collaborations, then you may not need to look at this or you may only need to read the heading that begins with the word NEW. If you need help, just ask.

Why Concepts and Why Collaboration?. 1

Concepts for Unit 2. 1

NEW How Blackboard Works with Discussions That Are Moderated. 1

The Requirement for Careful Use of Subject Lines to Save Everyone Time and the 3 Types of Posts That Earn Points. 2

The Requirement for Your Using Only Two Sources for Definitions. 2

NEW - The Requirement to Copy a Definition in a Useful Way. 3

The Requirement for Signaling What You Wrote and What Merriam-Webster or Dr. Bibus Wrote. 3

Requirements You Can Tell Best by Looking at the Rubric—Including That You Can Earn Points By Reading Posts. 3

Why Can’t You See Your Post Until After I Read It. 3

 

Why Concepts and Why Collaboration?

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 or share the labor by posting definitions that all can use

·         That students can ask or answer questions about those concepts

Concepts for Unit 2

Click on Required Concepts and you will see a list for Unit 2 as a whole. It also includes the list for Unit 1 but you may not post on them and they are identified by being in dark gray.

NEW How Blackboard Works with Discussions That Are Moderated

With a moderated discussion, you can see others' posts automatically. You can’t see your own post, however, until the instructor “publishes” it.

The instructor has to read and decide on your post before it is "published," or made visible to the class. The instructor has to click either Return (and I’ll give you guidance on how to fix it) or Publish:

·         With posts such as the dictionary definition for one of the listed concepts

·         With replies such as saying that you read a post and will use it

Why use this kind of discussion? If one of you writes a false definition and others see it, many students could misunderstand--and miss points on the test. Once posted, it is impossible to be certain that everyone who might have seen the post knows not to use the false definition.

How Can You Tell If Someone Has Already Posted on a Concept?

You can sort posts to see whether someone else already did that concept. For example, the screen capture on the right shows how all of the concepts are grouped together in alphabetical order so you can tell if some has already posted on a concept.

You can sort by a column by just clicking on the column heading such as the word Thread in the screen capture. Try it.

FYI: Because Blackboard lets student sort is the reason I asked you to type at the front of the subject line:

·         Concept: 

·         Question:

After a concepts topic ends, I change the settings so you can still read postings but you can't post anymore. That way you can still use a Unit 1 definition if you need it in Unit 2.

 

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. The examples are from concepts about the primary, but they apply to all Unit Work.

·         If you are posting a definition of one of the concepts above, you would place in the Subject line the word Concept and then the exact term from the lists.
If you were going to post a definition for the word slave in the list in the row above, you would type
Subject line for this example: Concept: Slave
Tip: You do a good deed for your colleagues in the class and you make points for this kind of post.

·         If you found a word in the primary the Requerimiento of 1510 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. 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
Tip: You do a good deed for your colleagues in the class and you make points for this kind of post.

·         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.
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?
Tip: You do a good deed for your colleagues in the class and you make points for asking or answering a question.

The Requirement for Your Using Only Two Sources for Definitions

·         You may use Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary available at http://www.merriam-webster.com/
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/

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

NEW - The Requirement to Copy a Definition in a Useful Way

Be useful. Do these things:

·         Read the definition to see what is about history and our current content and only copy those lines.

·         Copy only lines from the definitions. (Don’t copy any of the website coding.)

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: a definition of exploration uses the word explore with a link

·         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 or Dr. Bibus Wrote

You may use either of the two methods shown in the example postings in the Topic 1-1:

·         A pair of quotation marks (“”) at the beginning and end of the words you are quoting. For an example, see the posting for Concept: slave.

·         A box containing the definition. For an example, see the posting for Concept: vassal

If you insert words into another’s words, you must use square brackets ( [ ] ). If you remove words from another’s words, you must use ellipses (…). A better method is avoid all of these rules by using the Brain Trick in this link from the Good Habits for Evidence tutorial.

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

This rubric means that students can earn a B- by reading posts.

The rubric also shows how grading works. Click here for the rubric.

Why Can’t You See Your Post Until After I Read It

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 normally read them each afternoon.