SUNY CORTLAND SPA 529

June 30 - July 14, 2001
VENUSA Institute of Modern Languages, Mérida, Venezuela

Dr. Jean LeLoup, Associate Professor, Spanish, SUNY Cortland (NY)
Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Rinehart, Professor, FL, Ashland University (OH)

1. To provide a short-term immersion experience for Spanish teachers that will improve language skills and cultural knowledge.

2.  To address implementation of the State, National, and AATSP Standards in participants’ individual curricula.

3.  To enhance effectiveness of classroom teaching by integrating authentic materials and technology in lesson plans.

4.  To increase technology skills of inservice teachers and instruct them in the incorporation of technology in the foreign language curriculum.
 

COURSE FORMAT

The daily in-country class schedule follows a two-tiered format:
 

• For two hours each day, participants will practice their language skills. Taught by native speakers, the classes will concentrate on grammatical structures, conversational skills, and cultural issues.
• For two hours each day participants will participate in a methods workshop. The classes will consist of presentations by Professors LeLoup and Schmidt-Rinehart, discussion of reading assignments, samples of authentic materials collected by the participants, and small-group work in class. Participants will also spend time outside of class reading the relevant literature, working on their projects, and gathering materials.

• Participants will be expected to participate in threaded discussions, complete assignments and activities, and post  reactions to course readings.
• Participants must also produce an additional and more extensive culminating project dealing with the original course themes.

1. Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century.  (1996).  Lawrence, KS: Allen Press.
2. Teaching Spanish with the Five C's:  A Blueprint for Success.  (2000).  AATSP Professional Development Series. Harcourt Publishers.
3. State Standards
4. AATSP Standards  (in assigned text)
5. Authentic materials collected in Venezuela
6. Articles from professional journals
7. Textbook used by the Spanish teacher at his/her home school

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Attendance and active participation in every class meeting.
2. "Homework" -> Collect authentic materials on a daily basis
3. In-country Project: Development of 3 lesson plans around a central theme
Using authentic materials as the point of departure, each participant will select a topic from their own curriculum and develop three lesson plans, each of which follows a model presented in the course. Skills addressed should include the following: grammar, reading/listening comprehension, and speaking. All lessons must include the use of technology.
4. Additional Project: Completion of the entire unit (5 lessons, one central theme)
Using authentic materials and the previously created lessons as the point of departure, participants will produce an entire unit of five lessons. The additional two lessons will include reading/listening comprehension and culture. This unit will be made available on the Internet, and will incorporate the models presented in the course, will address the national Standards, and will serve as a model to FL colleagues.
5. WebCT component:  Additional activities are required:  text readings and discussion, article abstract and critique. Helpful URLs for locating appropriate articles for the latter assignment are the ERIC Clearinghouse for Languages and Linguistics and Search ERIC, where you can search the ERIC database for titles of articles to be found online or in the library.

LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Please follow the lesson plan template provided here for all lessons created for SPA 529.

GRADING RUBRIC

The grading rubric for the course SPA 529 can be found here.