Final Reflection for Course:

Looking back at my initial goals from the beginning of this course, I was able to reach
my goals for this class. One of my goals was to just pass the class and receive credits, so that I
could move up the pay scale for LAUSD. I am in good shape to do this. Another was to make
connections to my teaching and specifically my American Literature class. I was constantly
thinking about connections to the literature that I teach when reading the chapters. I teach The
Crucible and a virtual fieldtrip on the Puritans was a great connection to my class. I also have a
better idea of how history shaped the literary periods. For example, I teach a unit on
Romanticism, and I now understand how it was both a reaction to Enlightenment and how it was
affected by Western Expansion. I also wanted to improve my analysis skills. It is very difficult
for me at first to analyze a historical document in the historical context versus analyzing the
rhetorical strategies of an author. I think my analysis skills have improved for this discipline. I
think that the biggest thing that I am taking away from the class is just a different and better
understanding of history. I was taught a more traditional American history, and I now have a
different point of view that is less biased.
This course applies to other aspects of my life including how I look at politics and to my
work in the classroom. I saw a lot of connections to what is going on now in terms of the
election and the history of country. There seemed to be a lot of discord and contention between
the colonies from the start that persisted throughout history. The development of the parties, the
spread of democracy, and debates still resonate today. I feel like I have a really strong
understanding of the core content and American History. This will help me in the classroom
putting readings in context and just supporting students in their other classes.

In terms of my academic skills, I believe that my analytic skills have sharpened. I am

better able to synthesize sources and see a document in the historical context. For example,
during the Lincoln speech I made sure to include what he had said in the past and what the
textbook said about him to strength my argument. I also have improved with using technology. I
missed an assignment early because I could not figure out how to access it. I think that I am more
equipped to use technology in my classroom. Completing the ePortfolio and completing this
class online has really helped me work on my computer skills.