Conceptual Framework of the APWH course

I met with an old family friend for coffee tonight. He had graduated from high school in 2001, so it was before AP World was offered.  Since he majored in history in college, he was interested in what I'm teaching now (it's been since 2002).

I explained how AP World, which covers 10,000 years of history, is virtually impossible to do without focusing on broader concepts and themes.  I shared with him the Curriculum Framework (2012) as it stands now, as well as the Curriculum Framework going into effect in 2016-2017.  And the shift to the new exam as one that seems to focus more on the larger concepts than what they do now.  It's trying to streamline years of discussions and committee meetings of historians and teachers of history of the why students should be studying history.  

It intrigued him that AP World provides more of a conceptual framework of history, and since the overhaul of all three AP histories, there is also a shift to Historical Thinking Skills and an exam that streamlines these skills.  We don't know how this will look since the APUSH course is rolling out this new curriculum and exam format this academic year. However, I can see how the changes to APWH will be positive, and being able to articulate the advantages of the course to someone who isn't immersed in the details was refreshing.

My friend's response is that history would have been so much more interesting to study had he been able to approach it conceptually.  As a young man who has recently joined the US foreign service corps, he would have found learning the global, historical patterns, understanding how to contextualize historical events and being able to synthesize what one knows of the most value.  He is already fairly proficient at all of these skills as a young adult, but had wished for a jump start on those skills earlier in life.

So, my question is how do we better approach this course conceptually?  What kind of foundation do you set for your students that provides them a better conceptual framework of their understanding of history in general?  What are some strategies that are better for framing the course?  I have more questions than answers at this point, and would love to get some dialogue going for this!

A New WHAP Blog?

This is my first attempt at a blog since 2007. Back then, I used it more as a method to communicate and discuss issues with my AP World students -- it was somewhat effective, but as technology evolved, it did not remain attractive for students to utilize it.

A few things getting me started on this new blog that will be directed at history educators for integrating of technology and world history.  There's been a lot of work done out there already, so I am not yet sure of the focus of my writing, or if this will simply be a repository of the great material that I curate from others, but this is part of my New Year's Resolution to start writing and reflecting more, sooo here we go!

New Year's Resolutions 2015 in regards to AP World:
- Reassess Best Assessment practices -- I already started doing this because of my reflections on teaching and assessment practices this summer while I was traveling in China.  More about that later, but I'm interested in looking at mastery rather than the end-game be the grade.  Some of my thinking has been spurred by what I've reading about #TTOG:  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2014/12/grading_students_work_past_or_future_world_tbt.html

- Rework my WWI lesson plans -- I know that I really teach this event in history in a totally Euro-centric way.  Thoughts about revamping was also spurred on by a recent FB interaction on these articles:
1) A Global Guide to the First World War -- http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2014/jul/23/a-global-guide-to-the-first-world-war-interactive-documentary
2) The Forgotten Soldiers: India in the Great War - http://wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/fall-2014-the-great-wars/forgotten-soldiers-india-in-great-war/
3)

3) The African Roots of War, but WEB DuBois - http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/08/the-african-roots-of-war/373403/

- New Curriculum Framework:  Last but not least -- wrap my head around the new APWH CF and the new structure of the exam:
Here's the new CF which is rolling out in the 2016-2017 academic year:  bit.ly/APWHCF