Descripción de la
1. Course description
SPA 311 is a community-based learning course grounded in the practice and theory of second language acquisition and foreign language pedagogy. Our weekly readings and student-led discussions will focus particularly on teaching Spanish to elementary school-aged children in the classroom setting. SPA 311 students will engage in the practice of teaching Spanish through contexts that focus on justice, equality, and community to elementary school children at Davidson Elementary School (DES/DK-8) in the SiDES Program (Spanish in DES). For the practicum, students will develop weekly lesson plans, post weekly reflections, observe peer teachers, and lead a grade-level team of SiDES volunteers and peer teachers. In fall 2021, students will teach lessons in person but must wear masks and practice social distancing in response to COVID-19. The DK-8 children will not be permitted to move around the room; no outdoor activities are permitted until further notice.
One of the goals of our course is to deepen our knowledge of diversity, race, and racism, as these issues affect all of today’s youth. It is our responsibility as educators to become well-versed regarding all types of diversity so that we may guide young students in implicit and explicit ways using the study of the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures as our vehicle.
Course conducted in Spanish.
2. Meeting time commitments
- Class will meet on Mondays from 1:10-2:50.
- Our meeting place (C-1046, outdoors, or Zoom) will be determined weekly and communicated electronically on Monday mornings
- Students will teach ten weekly lessons to Davidson K-8 students.
- Grade-level teams will meet weekly at a time decided upon by the team. Involvement of volunteers (program participants who are not enrolled in SPA 311) is required.
- Students will conduct two peer observations and critiques.
- Students will attend one of these two talks:
- Artist Talk: Lien Truong Sept. 9 6:00-7:00pm • VAC Semans Lecture Hall
- Lester Lecture: Dr. Madeline Hsu Oct. 5 7:00-9:00pm • Cham – Hance Auditorium (4th floor)
- Students will attend a second event addressing racism. TBD based on college calendar. Students may also propose events.
3. Future opportunities
- Successful participants will be invited to continue as volunteers in the program during Spring 2022 and future semesters.
- Students will be invited to participate in the campus-wide Verna Miller Case Symposium in May 2022. Date TBD.
- Students will be eligible to apply for the Equipo SiDES.
- Students will be well-positioned to apply for Fulbright Teaching Grants, Teach for America positions, Language & Cultural Assistant Program (Spain), and other teaching opportunities.
- Students will exercise leadership, discipline, mental agility, creativity, and flexibility in ways that will demonstrate to future employers and graduate schools that they are able to deal with the unexpected, negotiate conflict, embrace difference, respond to criticism, and build teams.
4. Students will meet the following learning objectives
- Design lesson plans for elementary school Spanish classes.
- Conduct peer observations and constructively critique lessons.
- Practice planning and organizational skills.
- Construct creative assessment tools for the elementary school children.
- Develop classroom management skills.
- Develop ability to respond spontaneously to classroom situations.
- Improve own linguistic skills in a practical setting.
- Develop skills to teach language exclusively in Spanish.
- Develop classroom presence and speaking confidence.
- Explain the relationship between foreign language education, global education, and social change.
- Assess children’s books for racial bias.
- Use children’s books to encourage critical analysis in the elementary school classroom.
- Use story-telling to teach about social justice.
- Analyze the ways issues of race and racism play out in the classroom.
- Analyze one’s own experience as a teacher, language learner, and citizen of local and global communities.
