Van Buren High School

World Languages: Spanish For NativeSpeakers/Heritage Learners II Course Syllabus Instructor: Courtney Cochran Room: T3 Email: Courtney.Cochran@vbsd.us Phone:474-6821 ext 1490 Office Hours: 2:05pm-3:00pmz Webpage: http://getyourspanishon.wordpress.com

Profesora Cochranʼs Mission Statement My mission is to broaden the worldview of students, advocate for the acquisition of other languages as a useful skill, promote the benefits of language learning and global citizenship, instill in students and community members a desire to learn about and cooperate with other cultures within our community, and instill in students and community members a desire to pursue language-learning for life.

Language � Culture � Community � Involvement � Life Course Description This course uses a mix of grammar instruction and communication strategies to move native speaker or heritage learner students from the Novice-Mid level of proficiency to the Advanced-Low level of proficiency. Due to the nature of the course, many students will begin and/or end at higher proficiency levels than these. Those students will be expected to further their proficiency through out the course of the year, as well. This course uses authentic materials to inspect important grammatical concepts within the Spanish language through a cultural lens. Units are based on real-world experiences and lessons are developed based on student interests. Students in this course are considered future AP Spanish Language Students, and will follow the same procedures for class as the AP

Spanish Language class. Grades are standards based, not work or effort based. At the end of each unit students will be assessed using an Integrated Performance Assessment (integrating all modes of communication) to evaluate whether or not the student has met the standards.

Students are assessed according to the proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

See www.actfl.org for more information.

Rules

1. Listen with the intent to understand. 2. Participate fully, by giving creative responses and showing with your body language that you are an

active listener. 3. Communicate in the target language at all times. 4. Respect others and their possessions.

Necessities  ü Eyes  ü Ears  ü Mouth  ü Email  address  ü Google  Apps  account  

You  may  also  want  a  binder  to  keep  up  with  notes  and  handouts,  as  well  as  paper  and  a  writing  utensil.  All  work  will  be  kept  in  your  in-­‐class  portfolio.  

Participation

Your participation is imperative and will be graded through a system of págames. Here are some tips for keeping your págame account full:

• Be present in class and answer all class questions. Mistakes are welcome and are an important part of the

language acquisition process!

• Be creative and enthusiastic! Help build stories in class, react to statements during storytelling (Ooohhh!!), and try

some of your Spanish in response.

• During storytelling, PRETEND! Think of crazy details to add! It makes class fun — we laugh, and learning

becomes that much easier.

• Sit with your head up, hat off, awake, and with clear eyes. I am teaching to your eyes and am looking to see if you

“get it.”

• Watch my body language, gestures, and visuals given during storytelling or presentations, and use them as

comprehension cues.

• Listen to the feedback I give you. Listen to how I change the language when I repeat a phrase back to the class.

• Keep your desk clear of papers, books, purses, binders at all times. I will tell you when itʼs time to take

notes, etc.

• If youʼre feeling stuck, check out Our Digital Classroom on my blog for review, extra practice, and enrichment.

The participation score is kept with a system of “págames”. Everyone begins with a full “págame” account. I will take note of your class participation EVERYDAY. Any distraction from the target language results in a loss of “págames”. Distractions include, but are not limited to:

• Electronics visible (includes ear buds, Kindles/iPads, cellphones, devices of any kind)

• Negative attitude (affects the teaching/learning environment for us all)

• Absence

• Eating/drinking anything other than water

• Side conversations during instruction/while teacher is teaching

• Working on other classesʼ homework during Spanish

• Reading a book during instruction/while teacher is teaching

• Using or blurting out in English

• Coming to class unprepared (without your binder, spiral notebook, writing utensil)

• Sleeping

• Use of a bathroom pass

• Tardies

• Lining up at the door before teacher excuses the class

Portfolios

Students will curate materials from Integrated Performance Assessments in portfolios on a Google Site. Students will need a Google Apps account in order to set up their portfolio on a Google site. These portfolios will track the studentsʼ proficiency progress and will follow them throughout their Spanish career at Van Buren High School.

Grades

Grades are regularly posted on eschool. Grades are standards-based. Because daily communication in the target language is key to meeting the standards, a weekly participation grade will be given. Use of the target language will also be tracked daily through a Págame account. This “account” (grade) will fluctuate as students gain and lose Págames. Each unit will end with an integrated performance assessment that combines all modes of communication. Each quarter will end with a proficiency level assessment. Although students will be completing various tasks, these tasks will not show up as individual grades, because effort and work are necessary to achieving proficiency just as practice is necessary to win the game. Athletes do not receive trophies for each practice just as we do not receive grades for tasks completed to help us reach proficiency goals.

Each quarter, the gradebook should look something like this:

Págame account Reading Log (x9) Vocabulary Log (x9) Error Log (x9) News Article Log (x9) Formative Interpersonal Self-Assessments Escritura (Writing: Interpersonal or Presentational) Integrated Performance Assessment (x #of units) ePortfolio Proficiency Level Assessment Book Report- 1 per semester

Integrated Performance Assessments will be graded by averaging Language Control and Task Completion according to the following scale:

Language Control

1- 64% and below My errors in grammar, word order, and word choice prevent communication

2- 65%-74% My errors in grammar, word order, and word choice often prevent communication.

3- 75%-84% My errors in grammar, word order, and word choice sometimes prevent communication.

4- 85%-95% My errors in grammar, word order, and word choice do not prevent communication.

5 -96% + I don t̓ make any noticeable errors in grammar, word order, and word choice that prevent communication.

Task Completion

1-64% and below I completed little of what I needed to do.

2- 65%-74% I completed some of what I needed to do.

3- 75%-84% I completed almost everything that I needed to do.

4- 85%-95% I completed everything that I needed to do.

5 -96% + I completed more than what I needed to do.

Proficiency level expectations and corresponding grades:

Curriculum Map The Spanish for Native Speakers/Heritage Learners 2 Curriculum Map can and should be accessed on the teacherʼs website: http://getyourspanishon.wordpress.com Find the link under “Student Resources” on the homepage (Página Principal). Contract If this course looks like the right fit for you, please read, sign, and return the Student/Family/Teacher Contract.