Course Syllabus

Introduction 
Explore Alaska is a unique online course that is designed to introduce teachers to Alaska’s natural and cultural history using exclusively free online resources.
Explore Alaska is as much about process as it is content. While using the many Alaska-information-rich resources throughout the course, participants are certain to discover useful resources and tools, as well as develop new skills that will help them better reach and teach Alaska’s students.

Explore Alaska is presented as an asynchronous course with no set meeting times. A new module is posted each week, allowing each participant to read and respond according to his/her schedule. Participants are given one week to post their response to each module.  

Course Objectives
In general terms, participants in this course will:
  • explore interconnected themes of Alaska's natural and cultural history.
  • use online digital tools to acquire, synthesize and present information.
  • apply new information, resources and tools in their practices.
  • incorporate elements of effective practices for teaching in Alaska.  
  • better understand Alaska’s diverse natural and cultural systems.
  • share their knowledge and perspectives with each other.
Course Resources
Listed below are the primary and secondary online resources used throughout Explore Alaska! Each is powerful and far-reaching in its own right. And each is free and easy to use!

Blogger
Participants are welcome to use any blogging service they like for their own blogs.  This course is designed and delivered using Blogger.  
Alaska History & Cultural Studies
Alaska's History & Cultural Studies website was written by Alaska educators and scholars in their respective fields and federally funded through the Alaska Humanities Forum.  It was intended to give teachers access to a rich source of maps, historical and contemporary information, links to other significant websites, and offers diverse viewpoints about Alaska and its history.
Teachers’ Domain
Much of the media content presented throughout this course is provided by Teachers' Domain. TD is an enormous online collection of educational digital media produced by WGBH Public Television. 
Google Earth
Google Earth is a powerful geo-information tool that allows users to instantly visit and explore anywhere and everywhere across this enormous state.  GE also provides an impressive collection of applications from historic images to real time weather to underwater features.
And Much More.... 
There are far more resources available for teachers seeking information about Alaska's people and places to list here.

Follow this link to a complete list of resources used in this course. 
Content & Sequence 

Course Introduction 
Review these material prior to the beginning of the course, 2/6/12.
  • Overview and Description 
  • Syllabus 
  • Resources 
  • Technology Requirements
  • Standards, Assessments & Grading
Module I: Protocol, Place and Pedagogy
    Topics:
    • Introduction
    • Place and Pedagogy
    • Introduction to Blogger
    • Introduction to Teachers’ Domain 
Module II: Geography of Alaska
Topics:
    • Introduction to Google Earth
    • Introduction to Alaska History and Culture Studies
    • Plate Tectonics
    • Geo-Regions
    • Eco-Regions
    • Climate Regions
    • Climate Change
    • Human Migration
Module III:  People, Places, Practices
    Topics:
    • Introduction to indigenous peoples of Alaska
    • Traditional Alaska Native cultures
    • Cross-cultural contacts and culture change 1740’s - present
    • Contemporary Alaska Native cultures and perspectives of identity
    • New cultures - recent migrants to Alaska
Module IV: Imperialism and Colonization - The Russian Period, European Interests, and the American Purchase  1740’s-1867
       Topics:
    • Russian interest in Alaska - imperialism
    • Russian colonization in Alaska - exploitation of resources
    • Competing interests and international trade
    • Development of Russian America
    • Impacts and legacy of Russian America
    • Reasons for Russian sale and American purchase of Alaska
Module V: American Period  1867 - present       Economy
    Topics:
    • American interest in Alaska - natural resource development, land ownership and use
    • Late 19th century economic development - fur trapping/trading, whaling, fishing, sealing, herding, gold mining
    • Early 20th century to World War II - mining, fishing, herding, whaling, agriculture, sealing, logging, tourism
    • Post World War II - mining, oil development, fishing, logging, tourism, military programs,  federal government programs
    • Contemporary economic issues for Alaska
Module VI: American Period 1867-present       Infrastructure: Transportation/Communication
    Topics:
    • Development of resources requires parallel building of transportation/communication systems
    • Challenges of infrastructure development in Alaska
    • Ocean transportation, river transportation, road building, railroad construction, aviation and airport construction
    • Communication systems - mail delivery, telegraph and telephone systems, TV/radio access, contemporary communication systems
    • Linkages between natural resource development and specific infrastructure projects
Module VII: American Period 1867-present          Society
    Topics:
    • Settlement - migration patterns/population growth, types of settlements
    • Education system- players, perspectives, impacts, issues
    • Health care systems - players, issues, impacts
    • Religion - players, roles, impact
    • Adaptation/Assimilation to physical and human environment
    • Culture conflicts and changes
    • Issues of food, clothing, and shelter
    • Cultural institutions, art, literature
    • Linkages to and between Alaska’s economy, Alaska’s infrastructure, and Alaska’s society topics; identification of cause-effect relationships
Module VIII: World War II - A Turning Point in Alaska History
    Topics:
    • Early military interest in Alaska
    • Anticipation/preparation for war - the build-up, in-migration
    • Alaska’s stategic location
    • Role of Alaska transportation systems
    • Invasion
    • Evacuation and the Home Front
    • Aleutian Campaign
    • Impacts and Legacy of WW II
    • Transition to the Cold War
    • Importance of military in Alaska
Module IX : Alaska Governance and Current Issues
    Topics:
    • Four periods of Alaska governance
    • Campaign for statehood, Statehood Compact, State  Constitution
    • Government structure in Alaska - state, borough, city - powers, process, players
    • Tribal governments, Indian Reorganization Act
    • Significant federal legislation - introduction to Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 1971, Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 1980, 1991 ANCSA Amendments
    • State/federal/tribal government relations
    • Alaska Native corporations
    • Alaska Permanent Fund
    • Land ownership in Alaska and the implications
    • Alaska’s oil industry
    • Conflicting perspectives of resource development and land use
    • Alaska “citizenship” - unique roles and opportunities
Module X: Digital Time Line - Final Project
  • Participants are to create a natural and cultural history timeline for their local areas and post it online. Items on the timeline should be carefully chosen to demonstrate cause-effect relationships which link place, people, and time.  These connections should reflect relationships discovered while examining material presented in the modules.
Schedule of Assignments
Explore Alaska is presented as an asynchronous course with no set meeting times. A new module is posted each week, allowing each participant to read and respond during the week according to their schedule. Participants are given one week to post their blog response to each course module.

Click here for the Course Calendar.

Each participant’s weekly blog will be a response to a questions raised in each week’s module. Criteria for all aspects of the weekly blog response are posted and can be found on the Explore Alaska course main page.  

Expect to spend 2-3 hours each week reviewing the media presented in each module, as well as 2-3 hours in creating your own blog response.

Assessment and grading for this course is based solely on 10 separate blogs, created and posted by each participant in response to each weekly course module.

Course Participants will: 
  • Adhere to the weekly blog response assignment criteria.
  • Complete a locally relevant natural and cultural history digital timeline as a final project.
  • Refer to the Assessment Standards below for quality guidance. 
    All blog assignments are due by 8:00 am AST the Monday following each course module posting. Point penalties may be assessed for late work.

    Assessments and Grading
    Blogs are assessed according to their content and style using standards listed and described below:

    Assessment Standards:
    1. Writing Competencies
    2. Blog Design and Function
    3. Personalization and Extension
    4. Collegiality and Professionalism
    Writing Competencies 
    Among other things, blogging is writing. However, it's writing in a very public way. Unlike a personal journal or diary, blogs are open to the world and should reflect an awareness of a potentially much larger and critical audience. Posted work should be final draft quality.

    Blog Design and Function  
    Along with quality writing, blogs are a visual and interactive medium. Layout, organization, color choices, and linking to other sites are at least as important as the care given to writing. Good blogs invite engagement and reward the reader for the time spent there.
     
    Personalization and Extensions  
    Each participant’s weekly blog should reflect the main content and themes of each module in a manner that also reflects the participant’s unique context and perspective;  As well, blogging also serves as a forum for sharing resources and discussing ideas and issues. 

    Each course participant brings unique perspective and information to their blog, and therefore to the others in this course. Providing new information, insights and/or links to other resources in your blog is one of the most valuable aspects of blogging. 

    Collegiality and Professionalism
    Though this is an asynchronous online course with no set meeting time, participants are expected to interact with their colleagues by posting comments on each others' blogs.  For this course, as in most circumstances, communication skill, timeliness, integrity and quality of effort are the lenses though which we are viewed.


    Assignment Scoring - Good/Better/Best
    Blogs are awarded 7-10 points for each weekly posting, based on the above standards. This scale is based upon fundamental expectations for a professional educator for each of the categories listed above.
    • Good - (7+ points) Assignment demonstrates emerging skills and/or basic understanding. Room for growth or effort.
    • Better - (8+ points) Assignment demonstrates near-mastery of content and skills. Demonstrates attention to details and processes.
    • Best - (9+ points) Assignment is complete and demonstrates consistent use of high-level skills.  Excellence in effort and execution throughout.
    Course Grading
    A  90-100 points
    B  80-89
    C  70-79
    D  60-69
    Failing grade for less than 60 points
    • 90 points for 9 Weekly Blog Responses  (10 points x 9 blogs)
    • 10 points for Final Project Blog
    Participants are encouraged to make timely revisions to improve scores. Please contact course instructors at explorealaskablog@gmail.com for details.
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