My student knows the capital of every country! (Or, my student knows no geography at all.) What will s/he get out of your geography class?
My approach to teaching geography is to emphasize the “what,” the “why,” and the “who” of the “where.” I focus on critical thinking over memorization of factoids (e.g., why are there penguins in the Galapagos Islands? why are most U.S. national parks west of the Mississippi River? why are samosas common from India to East Africa?) and weave generous doses of history, economics, culture, demography, and even science into my geography classes. This allows every student to build on his/her current knowledge base, whatever that may be, and walk out with a richer understanding of the (beautiful, messy) world in which we live.
My student is advanced. Can I ignore the grade guidelines?
My classes tend to be fast paced and involve substantial amounts of above-grade-level material. Although I have welcomed younger advanced students into some of the classes some of the time, I have observed that social maturity, more than reading level, IQ, or prior knowledge, is the best predictor of a positive experience. If that sounds like your child, by all means send me a note. Please note that some of my high school classes may touch on thorny topics (e.g., war, terrorism, suffering) or include adult content that might not be comfortable for younger students. Admission to “Academic Writing” is contingent on a writing sample.
Are your classes secular or taught from a particular religious perspective?
All of my classes are secular. However, various religious traditions and belief systems may be discussed in the context of cultural geography, philosophy, or occasionally world affairs.
How much writing is involved in your classes?
It depends on the class. My geography classes have no writing assignments. "Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices" and "Stock Market Challenge: An Intro to Finance & Investment" have no writing assignments unless a student chooses the honors options of these classes, which include a written project. “Philosophically Speaking" is primarily discussion but does involve a small amount of writing each week; students who choose the honors version of “Philosophically Speaking” also write a paper. My online literature classes -- "Bite-Size Literature: Short Stories," "Who We Are & What We Dream: Comparative Science Fiction," and "'The Play's the Thing': A Study of Modern Drama" -- all involve discussing, in writing, the readings via our online "classroom"; each of these classes also have optional essay assignments for students who want additional writing experience. "Writing in the Age of ChatGPT" and “Academic Writing” are, of course, about learning to write, which requires writing :-).
How much reading is there every week?
The “Hands-On Geography” and "Geography: Live Online!" classes are very visual but do require sufficient reading skills to complete the weekly at-home projects, with or without parental help. In-class activities also involve reading (e.g., names on a map, matching games with written information). The quantity of in-class reading is not large but assumes fluency and roughly a middle-school reading level and vocabulary.
The “10 Weeks in Asia” and “Your Future World” classes involve more reading, generally equivalent to two or three newspaper or magazine articles each week for “10 Weeks in Asia” and five to eight newspaper or magazine articles each week for “Your Future World,” in addition to whatever online reading is required to complete the weekly country-specific research. In-class games usually also involve some reading.
“Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices” includes weekly reading assignments. The assigned readings vary considerably with the simulation but generally average about 10 pages per week. In-class reading is usually limited to descriptions of wild-card events.
In addition to investment research, “Stock Market Challenge” usually involves short weekly readings on topics relevant to economics and investment.
“Philosophically Speaking” involves a more substantial amount of reading, both in quantity and reading level. We read, among other things, excerpts from the work of actual philosophers, from Plato to Rawls. Reading assignments are not particularly long (perhaps an average of 12 pages a week) but can be challenging.
"Writing in the Age of ChatGPT" and “Academic Writing” assume a student is capable of doing enough reading to properly research and write academic papers.
Students in "Bite-Size Literature" generally read three short stories every two weeks. Students in "Who We Are & What We Dream: Comparative Science Fiction" and "'The Play's the Thing': A Study of Modern Drama" read a lot. These are honors-level high school literature classes and assume up to 25 pages of fiction reading per day.
The “10 Weeks in Asia” and “Your Future World” classes involve more reading, generally equivalent to two or three newspaper or magazine articles each week for “10 Weeks in Asia” and five to eight newspaper or magazine articles each week for “Your Future World,” in addition to whatever online reading is required to complete the weekly country-specific research. In-class games usually also involve some reading.
“Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices” includes weekly reading assignments. The assigned readings vary considerably with the simulation but generally average about 10 pages per week. In-class reading is usually limited to descriptions of wild-card events.
In addition to investment research, “Stock Market Challenge” usually involves short weekly readings on topics relevant to economics and investment.
“Philosophically Speaking” involves a more substantial amount of reading, both in quantity and reading level. We read, among other things, excerpts from the work of actual philosophers, from Plato to Rawls. Reading assignments are not particularly long (perhaps an average of 12 pages a week) but can be challenging.
"Writing in the Age of ChatGPT" and “Academic Writing” assume a student is capable of doing enough reading to properly research and write academic papers.
Students in "Bite-Size Literature" generally read three short stories every two weeks. Students in "Who We Are & What We Dream: Comparative Science Fiction" and "'The Play's the Thing': A Study of Modern Drama" read a lot. These are honors-level high school literature classes and assume up to 25 pages of fiction reading per day.
Do you give tests?
No. My geography classes involve in-class games to reinforce learning and "Your Future World" has a weekly quiz at the beginning of each class, but all of my classes emphasize high-level input and discussion, not output.
Do you give grades?
Please see my policy on homework and grading.
My student will miss a class. Can we get a recording?
No, none of my classes are recorded. Attendance is important, especially given the fast pace of most of the classes.
Which holidays are observed? Is there an academic calendar?
The start date for classes is always shown on the web page for that semester's classes. I hope you will also find this explanation of my academic calendar helpful.
My student says s/he prefers live online classes. Why are some of your online classes asynchronous?
I do offer six live online classes: “Philosophically Speaking,” "Stock Market Challenge," "Writing in the Age of ChatGPT," "Your Future World: Human Geography 2050," "Geography: Live Online!" and an online version of "Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices." My literature classes are asynchronous, though, because I have found this approach promotes greater student engagement with the material. Students in my literature classes spend all of their time reading, thinking, and writing. No pre-recorded videos or PowerPoint presentations to watch. No online lectures or conversations during which a student can zone out (or play a game or scroll through Instagram in another tab). My approach requires each student to think about and engage with the material independently. It gives everyone a voice in the conversation, not just those who are the loudest or most opinionated or quickest to respond. It makes learning an active, not a passive, experience. I also think every English class should have some writing associated with it, don’t you? Although our discussion of the literature may be asynchronous, it is also animated and interactive.
I can’t get to Bethesda. Could my student take the in-person class online or via Zoom?
I am currently offering nine online classes: "Who We Are & What We Dream: Comparative Science Fiction," "'The Play's the Thing': A Study of Modern Drama," "Bite-Size Literature: Short Stories," "Philosophically Speaking," "Stock Market Challenge," "Writing in the Age of ChatGPT," "Your Future World: Human Geography 2050," "Geography: Live Online!" and an online version of "Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices."
As for my other classes, my “Hands-On Geography” classes truly are hands on. There would be no online substitute for the “Hands-On Geography” experience. “Academic Writing” involves field trips to research libraries. “Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices” involves extensive student-to-student interaction and negotiations that evolve best in person when possible. "Poetry Playoffs" and "10 Weeks in Asia" are designed, at present, for in-person discussion. One of the benefits of my classes is the opportunity to learn alongside peers and, potentially, friends.
As for my other classes, my “Hands-On Geography” classes truly are hands on. There would be no online substitute for the “Hands-On Geography” experience. “Academic Writing” involves field trips to research libraries. “Statecraft 2030: Global Issues, Leadership Choices” involves extensive student-to-student interaction and negotiations that evolve best in person when possible. "Poetry Playoffs" and "10 Weeks in Asia" are designed, at present, for in-person discussion. One of the benefits of my classes is the opportunity to learn alongside peers and, potentially, friends.
Are your classes drop-off or can parents stay too?
Because of space limitations, my in-person classes are all drop-off affairs. For parents and siblings, I live across the street from a park (playground equipment, soccer field, tennis courts), a couple of blocks from a small woods (and a second playground), and less than three miles from two public libraries, multiple grocery stores, downtown Bethesda, and Westfield Mall.
Are you an approved vendor for any California charters?
Yes! I am an approved enrichment vendor for Visions in Education. (Search for "Learning Outside the Box" on the Visions site.) If you would like to discuss Learning Outside the Box becoming an approved vendor for your charter, drop me a note with the specifics.
What is your refund policy?
Your registration is a commitment to me, not just a placeholder until you can work out your schedule. If a class is canceled, your full registration fee is refunded, of course. Otherwise, your registration fee is not refundable unless (a) the class is full and (b) another student can be found to take your student’s spot. In that situation, you will have the choice of receiving a refund of your full registration fee minus $50 or a full credit towards a future class. (This policy is reaffirmed on the class registration form.) Depending on the circumstances, I am also generally willing to allow a student to switch the registration to a different class during the same semester, subject to space available.
How are you handling COVID stuff?
For my most up-to-date policy on COVID precautions for my in-person classes, please see my COVID policy page.
Any chance you are near public transportation?
Yes! I am ~1 mile from the Bethesda Metro and the Medical Center Metro. The #47 RideOn bus starts at the Bethesda Metro and stops ½ block from my house. The #30 RideOn bus stops 2 blocks from my house. For those who prefer biking, there are Capital Bikeshare racks near both stations (and about 5 blocks from my house).
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