Notes on Ms Bailey's website for Studies in Government and Politics
Introduction
These Notes expand a little on my e-mail of Oct. 17 regarding the "development model of a suggested new AP Gov/Politics website." Without guidance to the contrary, I continue to assume that your objectives at least include those of the old site.
They reflect my speculations on functionalities you might have in mind to expand tis usefulness to your students as well as how to best facilitate maintenance of time sensitive material and support student-teacher communcation.
Vision/Mission/Purpose/Function
Prospective Elements
Information/search Resources
Course syllabii
Reference guide (The old site links to on-line resources)
Search tools / guides
Teacher resume(s)
Program/Class (CB/AP background)
Study outline / schedule / lessons
Assigments / homework
Interactive resources
Forum(s)
Student forum / blog / wiki
Teacher's forum / conference
Maintenance
Content editing / uploading
Other possibilities?
Student ideas, requests w.r.t. service options?
Collegial input w.r.t. what works? Not?
Integration with GHS website
As of October, the GHS website has been modernized under a new webmistress, -Kathy Staggs of the Media Center. Presumably new guidelines will apply to the linking of faculty webpages.
I notice that most faculty sites appear to have been loaded into the HCS/GHS host server; however, the several fairly eloborate ones appear to be hosted elsewhere. Still, it might be worth an enquiry whether a multi-page site might be hosted by HCS/GHS, so loang as it is devoted to GHS educational program.
This might offer some server resource advantages over using your personal Knology account. (To the contrary, it might also impose some maintenance restrictions which could be disadvantageous).
I've found some functional limitations with Knology, at least in its present configuration. We'll probably need to explore what options are available to enhance service without adding cost.
Ambience
The "model" layout, color and imagery (theme) are patterned after the new GHS style, within the limited capability of my software and imagination. This seems the right way to go, especially since the GHS concepts are good ones. However, there is room for compatible variation, especially if/when it underscores the topic.
I'll appreciate your feelings regarding colors, images, logos, etc. as well as layout of banner and menus etc.
Information Resources (Stuff I'll need from you)
Course Syllabii:
Your first website included a syllabus for each concentration; e.g. UUGov/Pol and CompGov/Pol. They now appear in the model, borrowed from the 2003 files.
Instructor Resume:
Just a suggestion; but I notice that several of your colleague pages something like this.
Research Guides:
Your first website incorporated the College Board listing of Internet sites of potential value. We provided Clicl-Links to those that worked. Many are blind or are now redirected to alternate sites.
Presumably the College Board still offers similar material and (with oversight) we can supplement with new found resources as they show on the radar. Might we also mesh with the HCS resource pages here?
If you offer your own guidance material for your classes, this can be added.
Search Tools:
I've included "WebCrawler", which purports to include all of the major commercial search engines (Google, Yahoo, All, etc.). We should seek to add the best Library search tools as well.
AP Program & Class Guides: (Suggested possibilities)
Module summaries; Semester schedukes; Event/activity calendar(s); Event/activity news and status postings.
Interactive Tools/Resources:
Content maintenance
Will you post homework assignments? I hope to provide an easy/simple method for you to post current painlessly. This should include homework, calendars, schedules and revisions, etc.
Forum / Blog / Wiki?
Do you have thoughts along this line? Do students show interest?
Teachers Blog?
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
This course is designed to help students acquire
appreciation of what it means to be a citizen in a participatory
democracy. We will examine in some detail the functions and political
workings of all levels of government. We will rely on instructor assigned
materials, and the following textbook: McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 1999 edition.
Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, l999.
see source
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
This course is designed to provide students with the conceptual tools necessary to develop an
understanding of some of the world’s diverse political structures and
practices. We will examine five countries in detail: Great Britain, France, China,
Russia/the former Soviet Union and Mexico. These countries
are taught because they provide a foundation for developing paradigms of
different types of political systems, as well as understanding the implications
of different levels of economic development. We will rely on instructor assigned
materials, and the following textbooks: Hauss, Charles. Comparative Politics: Domestic Responses to Global Challenges. 3rd edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2000.
Soe, Christian, ed. Annual Editions: Comparative Politics. 1999/2000. 17th edition.
Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 1999.
see source