https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr Made with big dreams en-us 2016-10-04 12:20:31 UTC 2026-02-03 17:45:14 UTC hello@padlet.com sstanhope https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128131254 Dear Ezra, Zoie, Deborah, Leah, and Ben,

I've said before this before: I value transparency.  I believe that secrets undermine strong communities.  Maybe because I am an emotional person and haven't developed the tools to always hide my emotions, I disagree with the best teaching practice of not letting students know that teaching is a personal, emotional experience. I tell you this in writing because I want us to have a conversation about our culture, the class, and what needs to change. I don't want talking. I want to use this padlet and its features to have a digital conversation for two reasons:
1. When presented with feedback, I occasionally resort to denial or blaming others rather than problem solving.
2. We have to limit the time we spend on this.  This is an AP class.  We must address the culture because we are wasting learning time.  However, our ultimate aim as a class is to achieve our personal goals on the AP, while also learning how we can categorize and view the world through a geographic lens.

This means we have ten minutes. Please add to the padlet what you want to continue doing in this class, what you want to end, and what you want to add. No aspect of the class is off limits for editing out. That being said keep our goals in mind. If you no longer want to take a class that values prepping you for a test there is the option of taking this CP and doing 50% of the work. Also please keep in mind feasibility. It's not possible to get a new teacher with years of experience teaching and grading exams.]]> 2016-10-04 12:21:31 UTC https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128131254 https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128573901 I like the topic of human geography and I understand the learning methods that we are using, and I think that they work. However, I have a problem understanding the giant abstract project that we are currently doing. In the long run I do believe that it will help me compare countries, but I'm having a hard time understanding it right now. I also think that big projects with multiple lists of criteria to complete is overwhelming and causes me to lose focus of the main goal, and I begin focusing only on random tasks to complete simply to finish the assignment. I know that we're only on the numbers and stats section of the project and curriculum now, and it's hard to make that interesting, but I would love if the class were a bit more engaging. We already have to go over the Rubenstein readings in order to make sure that we fully absorb the concepts, and that is hard to make engaging, but I really liked the activity we did where there were lots of examples and we had to label them as which kinds of expansion we thought they were. I disagree with Ben's reflection in the sense that he wants a more traditional lecture style classroom. Maybe this is because there is an issue with people being confused and immediately trying to address this confusion, stopping the flow of the class. I recognize this, but I don't think that a lecture style class will engage students or make them enthusiastic about what they are learning. I don't believe that classes are just about shoving knowledge into students heads, and I joined this class because I was genuinely interested in the world and how borders were made and how the culture of places affects its position today on the globe and in world standings. I think that classes should be about inspiring students to want to learn. ]]> 2016-10-05 17:21:28 UTC https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128573901 https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128574874 Hello Ms. Stanhope and classmates,

Being brutally honest, I don't want to be in this class. In May of last year, the school sprung on me that they were no longer counting my world credit meaning I had to take a world history. However, none of the world classes fit into my schedule, so AP human geography became my only option. I don't want to be here. I enjoy maps and looking at atlases and almanacs of facts, however, the leftist bias that this class as well as the people in it seem to have and the underlying attitude of "this is Euro-centric" honestly ticks me off. I just don't want to be here. I have terrible senioritis, and the last thing I need right now is more work. 

As well, I know I am loud and obnoxious; I get like that when I am uncomfortable. I don't mean to be, and it is something that I need to work on, but I really don't appreciate being made fun of or told to shut up. It would help me if everyone in here could use polite reminders or even just replacing "be quiet" with "get calm."

As far as the actual class goes--I guess this part is more addressed to Ms. Stanhope--the subject of geography comes naturally to me; my dad has forced maps into my life, and for that, I am very grateful. Maps give a better understanding of the world historically and anthropologically. But all of the--excuse my language--bullshit that surfaces with the study of maps is plain uninteresting and inapplicable. I will be able to read a map without all of the BS vocabulary and stupid map projects. As well, it is frustrating for me--as someone with a pretty great grasp on maps and political history--to get quizzed on basic information and random places. 

These projects and visual work is so pointless to me. I would do a plain flashcard, but ain't nobody got time for a visual cut and paste card with sentences and stuff. I am happy to use regular flashcards; those are helpful to me. 

This class is the lowlight of my day and the bane of school for me right now. Which sucks. There is so much potential in this class. I personally could really enjoy it. However, some aspects of the class are so tedious, that I just don't want to be here. I want this information, but I do not want all of this ridiculous work. It isn't even work in general; I don't mind work, but I mind this insanity of ridiculous, tedious work. ]]> 2016-10-05 17:23:38 UTC https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128574874 https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128575201 This class has the potential to be a fascinating course, however I think we are wasting time on useless projects and assignments. For instance, the outlining of the Afro-Eurasia map and the immigration involved within the region was not useful, I certainly didn't get anything useful out of it.

While I know you have said that you like Hapara, I think it is a terrible system. I am naturally disorganized, and Hapara simply exacerbates that. Last years in AP World, Google Classroom was awesome at having all of the assignments and resources neatly organized and accessible. I think the class dynamic needs to be less conversational and more traditional. We need to let you finish sentences and then ask questions at the end of a lecture. 

In addition, It is very stressful when we haven't done anything related to the actual AP. Last year, it was constant review for the AP World exam. From day 1 we were learning the format. We haven't done any practice with the free response. ]]> 2016-10-05 17:24:22 UTC https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128575201 https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128575210 i actually really like this class. I think a little less structure might help. for elaboration less graded assignments and more disgusting of what we know and need to know. i feel this is a AP class and we all should be able to take notes and do the readings even if not nightly graded on it. come on people we are 11, and 12th graders we can handle some reading and that is coming from me who only sometimes does the reading. This class is of course not at 100% for what it could be. i know its hard for us and Ms. Stanhope to branch out and try teaching a subject she does not know and has only some experience. i think as a class, we should understand and acclimate to that. 
i think some of the things we have talked about were quite interesting, i know some of my classmates disagree. the two different books saying different things confuses me at times, but i have found a way to work through that. i don't find that there are that many problems in the class, maybe that is my naivety coming into play. ]]> 2016-10-05 17:24:23 UTC https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/128575210 sstanhope https://padlet.com/sstanhope/zkqt1xtft0yr/wish/129067416 Thank you. I very much appreciated your honesty.  These are the changes that you can expect to see from my end.
1. Changing layout of class. I will no longer be doing Geographic Question of the Day. Directions will be on the board and be more definitive in what I expect.
2. Participation grades will begin.  There will be two types: weekly and grades based on specific discussions. You can review how I will be determining these grades if you go to hapara, APHG Foundational, and look under rubrics and open: weekly participation grade & monitored discussion grade.
3. You will be required to do 20 flashcards per unit. They will require a definition in your own words, a sentence which can be a quote from Rubenstein, Woods, or one my quizzes, and a picture, artifact, or mneumonic. Any additional cards will be extra credit points for quizzes or participation grades. 1 point per completely finished cards.
4. I am going through and editing the Two Country Project. Like Leah, I feel that it has become this tedious burden that is causing more frustration, worry, and stress than positive learning outcomes. Part I is still due 10/14.  Part II will still be due 10/26.  It will be a much shorter activity.
5. I will not to engage with students who speak off topic or argue and whine needlessly. I will use the policies that I've outlined in my syllabus to address students who take the class away from daily objective. This is one warning and then silent lunch. In my class if you act incredible to the point that I have to call you out a class exemplar [this only happened once; interview anyone in my US class] I will take back the silent lunch.

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