COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
PRINS. MEMO NO. 51
September 10, 2002
ELEMENTARY /
MIDDLE / SECONDARY
|
TO: |
Principals |
|
FROM: |
Patricia I.
Wright Assistant
Superintendent for Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Geography
Connects An Interactive Online Geography Course Beginning October 7, 2002 |
Geography
Connects, an interactive online course for Virginia teachers, will be offered
this fall. This class supports
the Standards of Learning for teaching World History to 1500 AD. The class is free for Virginia teachers who
wish to earn up to 45 recertification points, or it may be taken for three
graduate credits through Old Dominion University.
The class will be offered on the Internet at http://geoconnects.pwnet.org/ and is
supported with a CD-ROM. Registration
may be completed online at that website.
Teachers may register from September 3 to September 25, and the
class starts October 7. The course ends
on November 15.
The goals of
the course are as follows:
connect the
events of world history to their geographical foundations;
connect the
vocabulary of historical events and processes;
connect the
tools and concepts of geography to analyses of historical events; and
provide
lesson plans, resources, and links for classroom teachers.
The course
consists of five components, each of which is expected to take approximately
three hours. Each component includes
learning and practice activities, letters from the instructor, resource links,
a discussion board, and quizzes. The
CD-ROM contains videos that explain the subject matter being discussed. Teachers will find many ideas, resources,
and links that will assist them in the classroom. The course includes the following five topics: the geography behind history, world
political map, geography of religion, trade and commerce as shaped by geography
and technology, and ancient Egypt and the Fertile Crescent.
Don Zeigler, a professor of geography at Old
Dominion University since 1980, will teach the course. He regularly works with Virginia teachers to
improve their ability to teach the Standards of Learning. Please contact him at dzeigler@odu.edu or at (757) 683-3841 for information
about earning graduate credit. Although
the course is the same for everyone, teachers enrolled in Geography Connects
for credit will be required to complete a lesson or unit plan.
For more information, please contact Beverly
Thurston (mailto:bthursto@pen.k12.va.us),
specialist, history and social science, office of middle instructional
services, at (804) 225-2893.