MR SELFRIDGE : DIRECTOR OF  INTERNATIONAL STUDIES  [email protected]

 

            INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

  at West Catholic (WEST IS)  for details of the program go directly to http://westis.org/

 

 

SPECIAL GREETINGS TO THE TEACHER PARTICIPANTS OF THE FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION'S WORKSHOP IN NYC JUNE 2009

 

     These are some sources you can use to enhance your use of THE GREAT DECISIONS in the classroom in addition to the FPA website itself, of course, at   http://fpa.org/

 

http://www.icons.umd.edu/   ICONS PROJECT

http://irseminar.ning.com/     NING Forum

 

http://www.wacphila.org/     World Affairs Councils

 

http://www.fpri.org/    Foreign Policy Research Institute

 

http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/index.shtml

United Nations Website for education

 

 

                  http://westis.org/  Website of the International Studies Program at West Catholic HS.......created entirely by students

 

some links for FOOD CRISIS simulation

FOOD LINKS FOR FPA SEMINAR 2009 NYC

World

http://www.bread.org/learn/links.html

 

http://www.foodmuseum.com/exworldfood.html

 

http://www.fao.org/

 

http://www.wfp.org/countries

 

 

America

 

http://feedingamerica.org/default.aspx?show_shov=1/

 

http://www.safariclubfoundation.org/humanitarian/sah/register.asp?id=1

 

http://www.feedthechildren.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dotorg_homepage

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5023829

 

Some links for Cuba and the European Union

 

Cuba/EU  links

 

http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/2009/05/eu-holds-cuba-talks/64848.aspx

 

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Cuba_restores_relations_with_European_Union

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55E3YC20090615

 

http://euobserver.com/9/28109

 

http://eupolitics.einnews.com/news/eu-cuba-relations

 

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN09392640  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                      INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SEMINAR  INFORMATION and ASSIGNMENTS for  2008/09....Scroll down

AT OUR FIRST SESSION WE WILL DISCUSS TOPICS, PROGRAMS AND IDEAS FOR THIS COURSE AND THE SCHEDULE WILL BE POSTED WEEKLY THERAFTER.

WEEK OF SEPT 15

Two students will attend lecture by Tom Friedman about his new book on global warming called "Hot, Flat and Crowded"

Mon be ready to discuss your IR theories. The link is http://www.irtheory.com/.
Select your country to track with news links for the first marking period.


Tues/Wed    finish up Terrorism with video on "Radical Islamist Jihad" with  discussion

Thurs  in the IBM lab for research

Fri first session with newslinks in the IBM Lab

 

1. You will be in the IBM lab on Thurs to either work on your country links or as groups to organize for the panel debates next week.
2. For the Friday links:
a. copy the list above and set it up in your contacts as a group. You need to send these links to everybody every Friday. It must be about environmental (ideally global warming) issues. You will explain each news article to the group on Friday
b. This is a major component of the participation grade
c. We will meet in the IBM lab EVERY FRIDAY for these purposes unless notified otherwise.

 

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22

Next week will be Mon and Tues global warming classwork READ THE MATERIALS BY MONDAY. There is no class Wed and we will have the graded debates on THURSDAY in the SMART LAB and links in the IBM lab on Friday.

WEEK of September 29

Since the powerpoints could not be presented, I want you to email them to me and I will include them in my evaluation. On Mon and Tues, we will review and critique the presentations.

NO CLASS WED OR THURS

Friday    LINKSHARE on Global Warming


For your short papers which are due on MONAY Oct 6
go to the Questions listed on the last page of the papers you received.

If your last name begins in A-M Answer questions 1-3 in your paper.
If you last name ends in N-Y Answer questions 4-6 in your paper.

Do not list them as questions, just build your thesis around answering them.
Those of you who had my class before know what a thesis is. If you have not, see me and I will explain it in detail. I think it is only Miranda and Kadeem in that category

 

Week of Oct 6

Mon   papers due by 5PM

Tues /Wed   Presentation of papers

Thurs   student led Roundtable discussion     Thomas Friedman's "Hot , Flat and Crowded"

Friday  LINKSHARE     Global Warming

 

Week of Oct 13

Mon   final roundtable  on Tom Friedman   chapters 1 and 2

Tues   Review panel debates and roundtable on Global Warming

Wed   PSAT testing   NO CLASS  read China materials on environmental issues

Thurs  lecture on China issues  (prep for Monday roundtable on China issues)

Friday    NO SCHOOL BUT LINKS ARE STILL DUE!!!!!!!!

 

Week of Oct 20

Mon    China roundtable

Tues -Wed  Prepare for UN preparation session by viewing Inconvenient Truth and reading Tom Friedman's view of the future

Thurs-   Roundtable on Gore's video and Friedman's future view

FRIDAY     all day conference on Global Warming in New Jersey   THIS IS MANDATORY AND YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A PAPER IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND

Alternative Assignment if you do not attend the conference

  Details were sent by email to those affected. Paper must be FIVE pages long, cover the topic of the conference as outlined and is DUE ON MONDAY OCT 27 at 8AM

LINKS FOR THIS WEEK CAN BE DONE ON THE WEEKEND DUE TO THE CONFERENCE

 

WEEK of OCT 27

Mon   Intro to Russia/US relations

Tues  Policy options on Russia/US relations

Wed  prep session in IBM LAB  for panel debates

THURS   Panel Debates In SMART ROOM  (graded)

 

FRIDAY   IN IBM LAB FOR LINKS ON RUSSIA

 

Week of Nov 3

1. US Election from International Perspective ...... Monday prep session

2. Position paper due on TUESDAY on the election from International Relations perspective. (Last grade for 1st Q)

3. YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND A PROGRAM ON THURSDAY NOV 6 AT NIGHT IN WHICH INQUIRER COLUMNIST TRUDY RUBIN WILL LEAD A DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE NEW US PRESIDENT CAN EXPECT ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE. See the blog for time, etc.

 

WED    Choose new countries for 2nd Quarter Linkshare, begin Turkey, Ukraine, European Union Project

Thurs     SECOND MARKING PERIOD BEGINS Turkey/ Ukraine Overviews

Friday   Linkshare on Innovation and Technology Three grad students from Drexel who are Turkish, present on EU Issues

 

FIRST QUARTER ENDS ON TUESDAY......BEGIN UKRAINE, TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ON WED.

 

 

WEEK OF NOV 7    FIRST WEEK OF SECOND QUARTER

Mon Lada Pastushak, La Salle University Graduate Student in Eastern European Studies to speak on Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and the EU
TUES Assign groups and first planning session for European Union Simulation library

WED Planning session for simulation library

THURS SIMULATION IN SMART LAB

Each side has 12 minutes of presentation time
Eurpoean Union question session 10 minutes

EU deliberations and announced decision

This counts for a MAJOR Grade and will have the same grading standards as the panel debates.

FRIDAY LINKSHARE ON INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN IBM LAB

 

WEEK of NOV 17

Mon   Thumbspeak..is texting changing the language?

Tues  Webcast on Innovation at FPRI

Wed  Roundtable on  As the Future Catches You

Thurs NO CLASS

Friday  Research in Library for short paper due MONDAY...to be assigned

 

WEEK of NOV 24

Mon   Papers on Innovation to be presented in class

Tues  Roundtable held on  "As the Future Catches You"  part one

Wed Linkshare on Innovation  and presentation by West Graduate, Philip Cheung

Short paper on Innovation

 

1. Due on Monday, Nov 24  BEFORE CLASS

2. Two to three pages

3. Must use at least one source for each Innovation

4. DO NOT LIST THEM… this is a paper and needs a thesis and paragraphs like any other.

 

ASSIGNMENT

 

  Identify , in order, the top FIVE innovations which have occurred DURING YOUR LIFETIME

 Factors to consider are  a) importance to advancing a worthwhile human activity   b) number of people affected

c) activity or effort which it makes easier or better

 

 

You need to support your decisions with evidence and be prepared to defend them on MONDAY

 

THIS WILL BE A MAJOR GRADE

 

WEEK OF DECEMBER  1

 

Monday and Tuesday   ONLINE with the UN website for information exchange for Global Warming Conference

 

Wed    Roundtable on   "Genetics" ("As the Future Catches You")

WED  PM    Seminar at La Salle HS sponsored by WESTIS  on Innovation and Technology.....three speakers to conduct interactive program on Innovation in their areas of expertise

Thurs   FINAL prep session for GLOBAL WARMING SIMULCAST

Fri     GLOBAL WARMING SIMULCAST IN NJ, NYC and six other countries 

 

GRADING FOR SIMULCAST PROJECT

 

1. This will be a Presentation Grade (part of the 80%) of your quarter grade.

2. You are to formally introduce yourself as instructed on the forum directions.

3. Between now and FRIDAY you are expected to make a proposal which should be explained in AT LEAST three full paragraphs in the area to which you have been assigned. You can refer to what went on in your prep sessions at St Joseph's last month. This is to be entered as a new message (as you se others have done).

4. You are to specifically respond to AT LEAST FIVE proposals of others with a complete message and details.

5. For maximum credit you should include responses to students from different countries and emphasize the aspects of the problem which are evident in your country.

6. Participate in the activities on Friday and look for a maximum grade if you make comments during the simulcast.

 

This is a chance for you to have direct contact with people of your own age from all over the world on an issue which should be very important to you. TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT!

 

LAST INNOVATION PROJECT

This is due on TUESDAY  DEC 9   Before Class

As the last graded project for the Innovation topic you are to do the essay which will be submitted to FPRI for the contest. You can work in groups (not more than three in a group)but you will all receive the same grade. The SECOND PART of the grade will be a 5 minute presentation on Dec 9 or 10. You may do a powerpoint to explain your choices but it is not necessary. You are NOT required to use or list sources but you may want to do that to improve the quality of your essay and presentation.

THE TOPIC IS THE TOP 5 INNOVATIONS IN THE LAST 40 years

 

Week of Dec 8

Mon   No School

Tues   Presentation of papers

Wed   Presentation of papers

Thurs    First Organization Day for  India/China  Simulation  (Semester Exam Assessment)

Fri     Linkshare on India/China

 

WEEK OF  Dec 15  INDIA/CHINA SIMULATION

Mon  Organization Work Session in Library

Tues Speaker on India's Economy from U of Penn

Wed  Speaker on China's Economy  U of Penn (Wharton School)

Thurs  Company presents specifications for project to be undertaken

 

 

REVISED SCHEDULE

Friday 20 minutes each country (must reserve AT LEAST 5 minutes for Questions )

Monday 10 minutes for questions to the company
10 minutes for each country to offer final statement

Tuesday 15 minutes for company decision and reasons
15 minutes Brainstorm for Second Semester


REMEMBER THE COMPANY HAS UNTIL 7:30 PM tonight (Thurs Dec 18) to send an email to all with the answers to questions raised in today's session.

 

WEEK OF JAN  5

Mon   review of remaining projects and selection of Senior Projects

Tues   Presentation by Drexel University on "Being an International Studies Major at Drexel"

Wed  Research in the library on how the US is viewed around the world...put the information in an email and send it to everyone.

Thurs   Linkshare in the library for you to explain the links in detail

Fri     Report to the library. You will receive an email on how to proceed with the short essay to be produced that day. (major grade). While the short essay is being prepared, you will receive a SECOND email which will add more information to which you must react. This is a            WORLD CRISIS SIMULATION.

 

WEEK OF JAN  12

MON    1. Michael will present on his trip to Japan with a special emphasis on Technology

             2.Countries and committees set for Ghana/Zimbabwe project

Tues  Two African  university students (one from Ghana and one from Zimbabwe) will address the class.

Wed  Research  Day for "Ghana/Zimbabwe: The good news and bad news out of Africa"

Thurs   One country will present

Friday   Other country presents   (major grade)    

 

SEMESTER EXAMS WEEK OF JAN 19......

 

SECOND SEMESTER BEGINS!!!!!!!!!

Week of Jan 26

Monday    ICONS set up and country selection

                Final selections on Senior Projects

Tues//Thursday     Cuba Project from Great Decisions: research

Friday   Role assignments and research exchange on Cuba

 

Week of Feb  2

Mon   Simulation on Cuba.....a TV show "What Can We Expect From Cuba and the US in the Next Four Years?"

Tues  Presentations by Crystal Nichols on DR and Haiti; Mr. Selfridge on Peru

Wed     Unscheduled SNOW DAY

Thurs   Research and blog entires by groups for four country comparison: Peru, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Venezuela (these forum sites will be marked by me..you must make your report as a comment under the appropriate country)

Fri    Senior Project first status report:

1. . You must first establish a forum entry with the Title of your senior project BY CLICKING ON "ADD A DISCUSSION" and THEN only enter replies thereafter at that forum site. Make entries as entries  under the appropriate entry on the Ning blog. This will allow all of your progress to be shown on that one forum discussion. If you have already done some things, copy and paste them in as a reply under your senior project forum discussion.

2. If you have not already done so, mark the Ning site as a favorite or bookmark on your personal computer.

3.The first report (which you will do in the library on Friday after consultation with group members, assuming you are in a group ) must contain the following:

a. Detailed description of the project.

b. List of roles to be played by group members.

c. Tentative schedule of targets and dates for those to be met, including the final event or product.

d. I will send out an email with some weeks which you can use but you must select an exact  date as soon as possible so we can investigate conflicts. 

 

WEEK OF FEB 9

ICONS BEGINS......... project for online negotiations on three international issues with students from around the world. The issues are border security, environment and human emergencies.

 

SENIOR PROJECT GUIDELINES....these will take place throughout the second semester.

 

Mon/Tues 9:42 to 10:30 ICONS/Senior Projects
Wed 9:32 to 10:15 ICONS/Senior Projects
Thurs ICONS/ Senior Projects 9;42 to 10:30;

 3PM I have 15 students attending an International Business Grad class at Wharton.

 

International Relations Seminar

Senior Projects   2008/09

 Requirements:

1.    Students can work individually or in groups of two or three.

2.    Students may select one of the suggested projects or create their own.

3.    A log of all activity must be kept with specific time devoted to each specific task.

4.    There must be a TOTAL of 25 hours spent on this project by EACH student.

5.    Some time will be given during class sessions but most must be done outside, online, etc.

6.    There will be weekly status reports which must be delivered to the entire class which will detail the efforts made, difficulties encountered and accomplishments achieved.

7.    Students are encouraged to use the “ning” (located at http://irseminar.ning.com/ )which was established to communicate with each other AND the class as your project proceeds. You have each been invited to enter that social network which will be used exclusively by the seminar class and for the specific purpose the ICONS Project and this Senior Project.

8.    This Senior Project will constitute 75% of the final quarter grade. The grade will be based upon time invested, status reports made, keeping the class informed via messaging and the forum, success of the event/program/project and overall

performance.

 

ICONS PROJECT INITIAL REPORT AND GRADING

   I.  ICONS  STRATEGY REPORT

A.        RESEARCH SCHEDULE

B.        INDIA

C.        OTHER COUNTRIES

D.       AT LEAST FIVE TEAM GOALS

E.         TEAM ORGANIZATION…..WHO IS DOING WHAT…

F.          MUST BE POSTED ON THE APPROPRIATE FORUM BY THURSDAY  11AM

 

 

 II.   ICONS GRADING   75%  3RD QUARTER

 

BASE POINTS (SALARY) EQUALS  80

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR BASE GRADE

1.    MUST MEET MESSAGING REQUIREMENTS WITH QUALITY AND SUBSTANTIVE MESSAGES (5 PER WEEK DURING PREP SESSIONS….10 PER WEEK DURING NEGOTIATIONS)

2.    ENTRIES IN FORUM AS NEEDED

3.    CONTRIBUTION TO TEAM EFFORT

4.    MUST PARTICIPATE EVERY DAY OF THE SIX WEEK PROJECT

 

BONUS POINTS (YEAR END SALARY BONUSES AND RAISES)

 

1. MEETING TEAM GOALS AND PARTICIPATION    10 POINTS

2. LEADERSHIP ROLES  10 POINT

 

 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE   WILL NOT APPEAR DURING THE ICONS PROJECT......GO TO THE (NING)  FORUM FOR ALL STATUS AND, OF COURSE, DO THE MESSAGING ON THE ICONS SITE BEGINNING MON MARCH 2

 

EVERY FRIDAY YOU MUST POST YOUR STATUS REPORT ON YOUR SENIOR PROJECTS ON THE FORUM AS WELL

 

WEEK OF March 23

1. Mon   Icon Project ends today....whole team meeting to decide votes to be cast on each proposal

 

2. Tues    Icons review, voting analysis, discussion of project overall, identify ourselves to other countries

3. Guest speaker on volunteer work in Asia and Africa     Mr Bob Dever, West Catholic grad, retired CEO, volunteer for US AID

4. Status on Senior Projects

5. Library for special assignment to be announced

 

THIRD QUARTER ENDS

 

WEEK OF March 30

Mon  and Tues   Team and individual reviews of ICONS Project and GRADES

Wed/Thursday    Senior Project Coordination Meetings

FRIDAY     NO CLASS/ Sr. Retreat

 

WEEK OF APRIL 6

Mon      Update on news and matters covered this

             year

              Brainstorm sessions Africa Show

                                              Global Warming

                                              Nuclear Seminar

 

Tues   Brainstorm session   Food Program

                                           Classroom Simulcast

                                           Terrorism Seminar

 

Wed    Brainstorm Session    Website Project

                                              UN Project

 

Thurs/Fri/ Mon   Easter Break

 

REMAINING SCHEDULE:

 

All senior projects are underway:
Kadeem Gordon Terrorism and the US Navy
Presentation and Guest Speakers

Christine Meyer
Princess Kabakole
Miranda Yancey African Show: Echoes of the Motherland
Two performances with U of P students


Jichang Ni
Crystal Nichols
Samira Mc Cafferty Redesigned Website for IS program
To include blog or forum, links ,
Research engines, schedules,etc.

Haftom Khasai
Malik Neal “What Students Should Know About
United Nations”….a book length
Publication.



Courtney Hunt A Global Warming Seminar for the
Students from La Salle Academy
And St. Gabriel School

Mike Motyka Classroom to Classroom simulcast
With students from another country
in conjunction with GEM

Shante Thomas and Simone Richardson Seminar on Nuclear Weapons with High Schools and Middle Schools
Ghent Hagos International Food Festival with High Schools and Middle Schools

Each class session will be devoted to work on senior projects with the following exceptions:

April 23     Brittany Borden   guest speaker on International Studies in college and semesters abroad

 

April 24 Ben Schiable  guest speaker on International Business studies at Temple University

 

April 30  Bobby Ngyuen,  West grad, on La Salle University's new program combining area studies and business.

 

ALL SENIOR PROJECTS MUST BE COMPLETED BY MAY 20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONCE I GET ALL EMAIL ADDRESSES, MOST COMMUNICATION WILL BE BY EMAIL.........YOU MUST CHECK IT FREQUENTLY WHICH MEANS TWICE A DAY AS A MINIMUM.

 

 

                         

 

 

 

Contact me at [email protected] 

 

 

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