First and foremost, welcome to World Regional Geography! I hope you find the course interesting, informative, and perhaps even entertaining.
This post contains some very important information about the course, how it is organized, and where you can find the answers to questions I am sure you will have about the course. So please look over it carefully.
I will post more information on this course website before the course begins, and as the semester progresses. In the mean time, though, I encourage you to explore the site which we will use as a source of information about the course, as well as a place for discussion on topics related to issues we cover in class discussions and in the readings for the class.
Where to Find Stuff: The course web site and Canvas
In Fall 2011, students told me that they got very confused about what materials were on this site, and what was posted on Canvas, and what was on Regional GeogBlog. They suggested that I explain this very clearly to future Geog 101 classes at the beginning of the course, and I have taken the suggestion to heart. Here’s how things will work.
Canvas is the place to find online assignments, a record of you grades, and announcements. That’s all. It is very important that you set up your notifications on Canvas so that you get a message whenever I post an announcement. Canvas is the way I will let you know when I have posted online assignments, and the way I will get important information to you. If you miss an assignment because you didn’t see the announcement on Canvas, you will not be allowed to make it up or get an extension.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you know how Canvas works, and how to set it up in the way that suits you best. For the purposes of this course, I will assume that you are familiar with Canvas. If you aren’t, or if you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk or look at the tutorials and other information materials on the Canvas site.
This website is where you will find the all-important Course Calendar (on the Calendar, click on the entry for any day’s class, then click on ‘More details’ in the pop-up box, and you will see a listing of the required readings you will need to do in preparation for that day’s class.) The calendar will also contain the dates of the five map quizzes you will take during the course of the semester.
The website is also the place to find out about what you need to know for the map quizzes, how to set about writing an extra credit paper, where and when I hold office hours, and lots more. I highly recommend that you browse through the various sections listed at the top of this page before the course begins, so that you have an idea of what’s there. (Note: I will update from time to time, so some details may change. The substance of what’s posted on the site, however, will remain much the same.)
Speaking of readings, you should know that most of the readings will come from the required text and my geography and travel blog, Regional GeogBlog.
Regional GeogBlog is where you will find some of the required and recommended readings for the course (the specific posts you need to read will be posted on the Course Calendar.)
The blog is not meant to be a text; rather, it is a blend of my own observations, photographs, and videos from places ranging from Richmond, Virginia to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is intended for a general audience, but with students in Geog 101 in mind. Please feel free to post comments on any of the blog entries before, during, or after the Spring semester.
The Text and Atlas
I always have a dilemma when it comes to assigning texts for a course. I am very aware of the enormous financial burden exorbitant textbook prices place on students. But at the same time it is essential that you have a source of information about facts, concepts, and ideas that form the foundation of any course, including Geog 101. And, if we are to be able to devote our valuable class time to discussion rather than lectures, you need to come to class having read about the topic of the day, and prepared to contribute to the discussion.
As a way of trying to balance these conflicting needs, I have worked closely with a textbook publisher to get the best possible price for you on the books you will need for the class. Since we will not use the entire required text, the publisher has agreed to print a special edition for this class, with the superfluous chapter omitted. This cuts the price significantly. In addition the publisher will give us a significant discount on the atlas that you will use in class just about every time we meet (the discount only applies if you buy the atlas and text together.) The price for both, the UMW Bookstore tells me, will be around $110. This isn’t cheap, but it is better than the $150 or so the books would cost separately.
The text is:
de Blij, Harm J., Peter Muller, and Jan Nijman (15th edition) 2012. Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts. Wiley.
The atlas is:
de Blij, Harm J. and Roger Downs (eds). College Atlas of the World. National Geographic/Wiley.
If you can find the atlas and the full version of the text more cheaply than the bundled bookstore package, by all means buy them. Just make sure that you have the correct editions of both books (the 15th edition of the text, and the latest edition of the atlas.) This is important because I will be assigning readings and referring to atlas maps using page numbers, and if you have the wrong edition the pages won’t match up (The page numbers in the special abridged edition of the text will be the same as those in the full version, so either will do.)
Extras
Delicious feed.On the right hand side of each page on the site, you will see a section headed ‘Recent Interesting Stuff.’ This is an ever-changing list of links to news stories, web sites, and videos that I found interesting, and that are related in one way or another to the issues we cover in this class.
Twitter. I will periodically tweet about events, issues in the news, and other topics related to the subject matter of the course. If you wish (it’s not required) you can follow my Geog 101 tweets at UMWGeog101 (or, if you are interested, my Tweets on a wider range of issues at donaldrallis.) I will tweet not only during the semester, but also over the breaks, when I usually travel. Over Winter Break 2011, I’ll be tweeting on my personal account from Cambodia.
YouTube. I have a YouTube channel where I post videos, most (but not all) of which are related to the subject matter of the course. Many are of ordinary scenes in foreign places that reveal a lot about life, cultures, and landscapes.
Photographs. I have a very large collection of photographs from my travels, many of which you will see in class. I also post a selection of pictures on my publicly accessible Picasa site.
If you have any questions now, over the break, or during the semester, please don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail.
I hope you enjoy your Winter Break, and that you come back in January looking forward to World Regional Geography. I am certainly looking forward to meeting and talking with you, in class, during office hours, and online.