Dear Online Student,

WELCOME!

Welcome to History 207-B-CRN 70197. My name is Professor Clark and I am your online facilitator, instructor, coach, and cheering section for this class. A little bit about me. I am a native to San Luis Obispo County; I am married with two children. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo I pursued a career as a museum professional. Now I teach history and I enjoy discussing all topics related to history. If you have questions regarding this course, it is best to contact me at ronald_clark@cuesta.edu. I am pretty good at returning email promptly and I will respond as soon as I possibly can which is usually within 24 hours.

COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

For Fall 2017, we will be using a new Learning Management System called Canvas.  To be honest, we will ALL be learning to use this system so please be patient, but don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.  Here is a link to videos: https://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/students.html; https://guides.instructure.com/m/8470.

HOW TO ACCESS THE CANVAS LEARNING COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

To log on to Canvas, simply logon to your My.Cuesta account.  A link to canvas will be located there.  Clicking on that link will take you to your online classes in Canvas.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

History 207-B is a survey course covering the history of the United States from post Civil War Reconstruction through the mid-Twentieth Century. The focus will be on the social, economic, and political development of the United States during this time.  The textbook you will be using is Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty!, Vol. 2, 5th Edition

HOW LONG IS THIS CLASS?

This class begins on Monday, August 21, 2017 and it will end on Wednesday, December 22, 2017. This class is fully online which means all class activities, including exams, are done online.  The schedule is below.  Please mark your calendars for the exam dates below.

Monday, August 21 – Saturday, August 27, Orientation to the class website

Thursday, September 21 First Online Exam

Thursday, October 19 Second Online Exam.

Thursday, November 16 Third Online Exam.

Thursday, December 21 Final Online Exam.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the 18-weeks you the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge and basic information appropriate to an undergraduate introductory history course. You will be able to construct basic historical hypotheses based on knowledge of the subject area. You will also understand the importance of methodology and historiography in the historical profession.

Also as a student, you will interpret, analyze and critique both primary and secondary sources. From this analysis, you will recognize that history is not dogma but rather the continuing interaction between sources and those who interpret them. Furthermore, you will develop an understanding of the efforts of minority groups in their efforts to secure unabridged legal, political and economic rights and you will analyze different systems of labor and social inequality, such as Jim Crow, and their rationales, such as race, class, and gender.

Finally, you will learn about United States foreign policy since 1865 and you will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the changing political structures and processes; the major wars the United States has fought since 1865 and evaluate and assess the leadership of selected presidents.

THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

I want to start off by giving you a short easy assignment, but it is one that will be helpful

to both you and to me. Please click on this link: http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/survey.htm. The purpose of this survey is help you prepare for and know what to expect in an online course. It is very likely that you have enough understanding about computers to be successful in this class. If you can access your email, download attachments, use a word processing application such as Microsoft Word and you have access to a fairly new computer and the internet then you have all of the tools needed to be successful in this class. But that is just the technical part of an online class. Online classes also demand dedication in time to reading posted materials and writing independently and in discussion forums. In many ways it is more than an online class. You will be a part of a community and you need to participate and be a part of the community to be successful. The nice thing about online classes is that they can be accessed from anywhere at any time, but you have to put in the time. The minimum amount of time per week is around 10-hours.

EVERYONE LEARNS DIFFERENTLY

We all have different ways of learning. Some are visual learners while others are more auditory and still others may have additional ways they learn. Still others need a little help finding ways of learning. If you need additional assistance please contact me. I’m here to help in that regard. Additionally, you can contact the Cuesta College DSPS office at 805-546-3148 or you can go to their website at http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/dsps/0INFO.HTM as soon as possible to make necessary arrangements for all needed accommodations.

REMEMBER, THIS IS A COMMUNITY!

Ok, you know a little about me and you have a little bit of information about History 207-B. Now I invite you to come to the class website on January 21^st, where I will have an ice-breaker forum where you can introduce yourself. When you come be prepared to answer two questions. The first is how do you feel about history?  Do you like it or not like it? Second, why do you like or not like it? Also, what are your hobbies or things you like to do. Do you like to travel or are do you do projects from home?

I look forward to meeting each and every one of you online!

Adios

Professor Clark