COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 90
April 30, 2004
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Geography
Connects An Interactive Online Geography Course Beginning June 28, 2004 |
Geography
Connects, an interactive online course for Virginia teachers, will be offered
this spring. 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 licensure renewal 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 May 10 to June 7,
2004, and the class starts June 28, 2004.
The course ends on August 6, 2004.
The goals of
the course are as follows:
connect the
events of world history to their geographical foundations;
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 and 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 (bthursto@pen.k12.va.us), coordinator,
history and social science and international education, Office of Middle
Instructional Services, at (804) 225-2893.