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Syllabus
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The
class policies are designed to maintain high standards while recognizing
that emergencies do arise, and that a student may not be "100%"
every day. Two facts have guided me in designing the structure of the
course and the class policies which govern it. The first comes from current
research in the area of pedagogy, which suggests that students benefit
most from frequent evaluation (not necessarily graded) of their work.
The second fact is that language acquisition is a cumulative process in
which the student is building continually upon what has come before.
In a language class, it is extremely important to keep up to date
with the work. To miss a lesson or two may affect the entire learning
endeavor adversely.
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Class Attendance.
In a language course, attendance is crucial; there is no substitute
for practicing the language actively and interactively. While there
is no official attendance policy (i.e., no number of cuts after which
your grade is automatically lowered), absences will be reflected automatically
in your "Class grade" (see below) and your quiz average. If
you become seriously ill, of course, every effort will be made to help
you make up missed work.
Policy for the student athlete. Students who represent the College
on athletic teams which have contests that conflict with our class should
hand me a schedule in the first or second class of the term that clearly
shows the dates when they will have to be absent. Student athletes
may elect to take missed quizzes before the missed class or just use
one of their personal days. If a student athlete must miss more
than four classes because of conflicts with athletic contests, and if
these are the only classes she misses during the semester, her class
grade will not be lowered, even if she has missed more than four classes.
If a test is scheduled for a class that must
be missed because of a sports conflict, the student should arrange to
take the test early if possible (see policy on taking tests), or should
talk to me before the test date to make other arrangements to make up
the test.
Students with a disability requiring special
consideration: Please provide me with the appropriate letter from
the Learning Resources Center indicating what accommodations you require,
and I will make every effort to meet your needs. Please consult
with Tina Barnes in the LRC if you need more information.
How the course grade is determined:
| Quizzes
(all graded assignments other than tests): |
20.0% |
| Class (preparation,
participation and performance): |
15.0% |
| Hour tests
(4): |
30.0% |
| Workbook
/ Language Laboratory work:*** |
7.5% |
| Charlas
(explained below): |
5% |
| Final examination: |
22.5% |
***Every student is expected to complete the audio and video exercises
assigned for each lesson.***
(1) The audio exercises and videos are available on the college network’s
Media Files in the Spanish Audio and Video folders.
For PCs these files can be accessed from the L drive. The path to the
L drive must be mapped on your computer the first time you access these
files. (Thereafter, access to the L drive will automatically appear
when you open “My Computer.”) Instructions on how to map
the L drive on your computer may be found on the Portal : R-MWC my links>Information
Technology Help Documents>Mapping Network Drives. In 2005, the instructions
for the L drive come up third, after instructions for mapping the H
and the P drives.
For MACs: gain access to these files as follows. In the Finder: >Go>Connect
to Server>RMWCMEDIA. Click “Connect.” You will be asked
for your password and then connected to the Media Files Server. For
Mac users, this is how you will always access the Media Server files.
(2) The audio exercises––for the textbook only––have
been bundled with the text, so each of you should have them. They are
also available on the college network, as media files.
(3)The audio exercises for the Workbook are only available
on the R-MWC network, as media files. You may access them from your
own computer or from any computer on campus.
The Destinos videos are also available in the library, where
there are also VCR players in special rooms for viewing them.
*****IS
AN HONORS OFFENSE TO KEEP THE VIDEOS FOR LONGER THAN IT TAKES TO VIEW
THE EPISODE YOU ARE WATCHING!
Policy on taking tests. A student may
take a test early (any time after the class prior to the test date).
Otherwise, all tests must be taken as scheduled, except in extenuating
circumstances; unless it is an emergency, make arrangements with me
in advance.
Quizzes. There
will be frequent short quizzes, perhaps one per class (or the
Worksheet will be collected and counted as a quiz; only Worksheets
from students present in the class will be graded, although all those
handed in on time will be corrected). If you miss a quiz, a failing
grade (50%) is entered into your computerized quiz average. Normally,
missed quizzes may not be made up, but the four lowest quiz grades (including
those of missed quizzes), will not be counted in your average.
Work submitted for a grade. I
accept all work submitted for a grade, whether tests or quizzes or Worksheets,
as your work and your work alone. You are neither to give nor receive
help on specific responses submitted for a grade. While you are encouraged
to study with friends, and to consult with the departmental tutors to
receive general help on grammar points if you so desire, specific responses
submitted for a grade should reflect, exclusively, your own work. If
you have questions about what is and is not permitted in the way of
help on specific assignments, ask me.
Charlas. In order
to practice speaking Spanish for more than a sentence or two at a time
(which is often what happens in class), each student is asked to participate
in five "charlas" (5-10 minute chats) with the departmental
tutors during the course of the semester. You may do these any time
the tutors are available (times and sign-up sheets will be posted weekly
outside the tutor room, Leggett 503). The charlas count for 5%
of your course grade; your charla grade is determined exclusively
on the basis of attendance (if you go to five, you receive 100%; for
four you receive 80%, for three, 60%, etc.). *****You may not
sign up for more than one charla per week; make an effort to spread
them out over the entire term. By the mid-term, each
student should have done at least two charlas.
Attendance at the Spanish Table may substitute for a charla. You
may substitute attendance at the Spanish Table for a charla up to two
times in a given semester.
Workbook Exercises.
These should be done before each class when they are assigned. We shall
use the Workbook in class, so you should bring it with you. The
Workbook will be collected on test days. There are answers to
many of the exercises in the back of the Workbook. There are
no answers in the Workbook to "Worksheet" exercises,
but I'll be glad to correct these for you if you want to hand them in
to me.
Use of Text and Workbook.
Both the Destinos text and the Workbook have answers
to many of the exercises in the back . These are for you to use to check
your work. If you use these answers wisely you will avoid repeating,
and therefore reinforcing, mistakes (repeated mistakes are more difficult
to correct). In exercises where you are repeating a pattern, try
the first one and then immediately check your answer in the back of
the book; correct any mistakes in a different color and continue
with the exercise. Do not do the whole exercise before checking your
work, or you may reinforce bad habits. If, after correcting your
first answer, you make another mistake in the next sentence, go back
and study the grammar point once more. Used in this way, the Workbook
will allow you to build confidence and/or to pinpoint difficulties.
Ask questions in class or of the tutors about what you do not understand.
Merely copying answers
will not help you very much in learning Spanish, and it will help
your grade only very marginally, because of how I evaluate these
(non-Worksheet) Workbook exercises. My method is to use
a check, check plus and check minus system, where a check means you
receive your average on tests and quizzes for the term for your non-Worksheet
Workbook exercises. Therefore, your performance on tests and
quizzes is what will determine your grade on these Workbook exercises,
and using your Workbook and Text exercises properly is the best
way to do as well as you can on your graded work.
Tutoring. I am
available during my posted office hours, and at other times by appointment.
(While it is best to make an appointment, so that you will be sure I’ll
be in my office, you are very welcome to ask me any questions you may
have any time I am in). Departmental tutors are also available, usually
every afternoon or evening before class days. As soon as the schedules
of the Spanish tutors for this semester are established, I shall let
you know where and when tutorial assistance will be available. Leggett
503 is where the Spanish tutors will be set up to receive you
for help with Spanish and also for the "charlas."
Arrangements can also be made for personal
tutors, a service provided free through the LRC (Learning Resources
Center). Please see me if you think you need such help. Such tutoring
arrangements are not in lieu
Also on the R-MWC
Network. There is a Destinos based interactive grammar,
with exercises and answers, on the R-MWC network. I encourage
you to practice actively with these exercises. It is an excellent
way to master the grammar material in the course. There is a link
to these exercises on our main page.
Finally, if you are unprepared for a class,
come anyway. You will learn more Spanish by attending the class,
and even three or four such days over the course of the term will not
affect your overall grade. (Of course, being unprepared regularly will
have an adverse effect on your absorption of the language and also on
your grade.) All missed work should be made up as soon as possible.
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