One example of the many electronic resources available to us. The map detail of a part of Connecticut is one of 600,000 images online courtesy of the New York Public Library. Thank you, NYPL.
I'll have a number of even richer resources to show you throughout the semester. If you like old plctures, maps, and the like, I think you're going to find this course fun.
For Thursday, January 28
I’m going to do the traditional things one does on the first day of class for the semester. I’m going to pass out the course introduction, which serves as the general syllabus for the semester, and this sheet, which serves as a model of the kind of information you’ll get on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Then I’ll take a few minutes to explain the material on the syllabus and to introduce the class website to you. Those of you who have taken other courses from me know that the real syllabus for the course is an Internet document–the web pages I create allow me to broaden the course out and share with you resources impossible to share by paper alone;.
I’ll survey the class to learn two things. First, whether or not it will be possible on occasion to extend the class a bit. There are some films I’d like to share with you but the time period is just a bit short to squeeze them in. Second, I’m going to inquire how many of the class could clear a Saturday for a field trip, given enough advanced notice. I’ll also see where people have not gone. There are many alternatives within an easy distance of Bristol
And to the degree that there’s time...
I’m going to do a bit of a tutorial on internet resources and how we’re going to use Blackboard I’m not all keen on having you bring a laptop every class period. I’ll tell you periods where it will be useful, and, while you can bring it with you whenever you want, I get grumpy when I see students looking at facebook or in chatrooms during class. The same is true of texting. All Cell Phones AWAY, please.
Finally, I’ll introduce the week’s syllabus for next week. You’ll normally get one on Thursdays, outlining what I’d like to have you prepare for the week following. But after this week, you'll show you an electronic version..You'll be able to download a paper version by clicking on the title bar at the top of the web page version.
