Course Syllabus

Improving Historical Reading & Writing

Instructors: Corbin Moore & Scott Petri

Course Description:  This course is designed to help teachers improve historical reading and writing instruction. There are 13 modules in the course. Each module is arranged in a thematic playlist of readings, video lectures, curricular resources, and discussion prompts. Participants who finish at least one module will be able to download a certificate of participation at the end of the course. Resources and video lecture transcripts can be found on the course blog at www.HistoryRewriter.com. Please note: This course was designed to be accessed by a computer and web browser.

Course Expectations – Please read

Please add a photo to your course profile and a brief biography so that your classmates can get to know you. You may wish to register your social media accounts with Canvas so that you can continue relationships after the course is over. All students should plan to login to the course several times per week. Each module will require about 3-4 hours of study, so pace yourself accordingly. This is not Netflix, there is no need for BINGE learning. Modules will open on September 23, 2016 and close to student participation on January 6, 2016. Resources will remain accessible from the course after the class has closed, but students will no longer be able to take quizzes or participate in discussions. Each module will consist of 2-3 readings of journal articles, published studies, and/or dissertation excerpts; plus 4-6 short videos, and discussion board prompts that allow you to apply your knowledge. There will be quizzes on featured readings and questions embedded in the lecture videos that will provide the bulk of your grade. It is expected that each course participant will participate generously on the discussion boards and in asynchronous conversations on social media. Ideally, a student will work through a video or two per day, peruse the readings over a number of days to allow for thoughtful reflection and application, and share insights on the discussion board a few times per week.

Instructor Interactions

Your instructors will be checking discussions and responding to inquiries 3-5 times per week.  We have found that in previous classes other students frequently respond and provide resources on the discussion board before we can. Please expect a response from us within 1-3 days. You may also tweet to @corbinmoore1 and/or @scottmpetri directly using #HistRW if you need a faster response. We understand that during the summer there are periods where people are on vacation and will dip in and out of the course. That is ok, the MOOC is designed so that you can work through the modules that interest you the most. Don't worry about finishing everything unless you are taking the course for credit.

Need Help?

Use the Canvas inbox to message your instructors directly. We will check these discussions 2-3 times per week. 

Course Essentials

• This class is graded by the reading quizzes and video questions, however, certificates will be automatically awarded to students who have completed at least one module.
• Instructors will provide weekly overviews and participate in course discussions.
• Format: 13 modules with video lectures, readings, online discussions, and self-checking quizzes.
• We hope you will spend 3-4 hours per week exploring the resources we have provided. 

Prerequisite Knowledge

We have educators from Kindergarten through College taking this class. It is hard for an education MOOC to be all things to all people. This course will offer educators different levels of readings and lectures. In several places, videos and readings are tagged "elementary," "middle," and "secondary." You are not expected to read everything.  Take what you think will be relevant and useful to your classroom and instructional practices, experiment with it, and report your findings on the discussion board. Likewise, if you have resources to share please post them in discussion board conversations. A goal of this course is to provide a safe place to experiment with new classroom practices. Please be courteous and collegial on the discussion boards.