I have intricately styled an entire Spanish I curriculum based on self-directed learning. (Please note: I started this endeavor BEFORE mt principal sent us the e-mail with
this link.) Also, I cut out tests entirely. Well, I cut out tests as much as I could. There are still quizzes, which I'm using more as more formative assessments before portfolio projects for each unit. There are 2 chances per unit to take each quiz, stations for those who work better with worksheets and those who work better with games and interactive stuff, and 3 choices of portfolio project for each unit, mostly in Sternberg's "creative" and "practical" veins, as are most of my students. I have made this all fit on the alternating schedule for the entire school calendar, along with quarterly in-class writing assessments for writing across the curriculum purposes.
All I have left to work out for Spanish I is about 1/3 of the portfolio project options and the writing prompts.
Spanish 2, however...
I have figured out a basic structure for what I want to do as far as grammatical concepts and cultural projects, but I may have over-extended my abilities and/or resources trying to tie music in to all of it.
The goal was to have a song for each concept and get the unit's vocabulary from the song. After all, isn't pop music vocabulary much more relevant for conversing?
Then I decided that the concepts like irregular preterit might not come across well enough in just ONE song, so I decided to make it two. This after I had catalogued approximately 150 of my 500+ Spanish language songs with the grammatical concepts demonstrated therein. I did not make it through all 500 before I decided I could listen for key things rather than writing down EVERYTHING used at least twice in a song.
At this point, I have about 20 songs for my 12 units and may or may not be able to find good examples for indirect object pronouns or stem-changing preterit. I therefore may or may not be able to pull off this pop-song curriculum thing. I don't know whether to abandon it or try it anyway.
I would really like to have some kind of predictable pattern to the year, especially since we're getting pressure to be more specific on how grades are measured. Right now I have a vocab quiz, grammar quiz, portfolio project (and writing across the curriculum test thingies) structure in mind, and I have time slotted for the cultural stuff to work up to the children's book at the end, but how this will go day-to-day, I know not.
And then there's another twist to the plot:
epals.com. I got a bite as soon as my account started working, so it looks like we'll have connections in CHILE! I had started fishing after attending a workshop at the NPBTS conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago (I decided to pursue National Boards when I heard that they'd be cut from NC's budget pretty soon), and this could lend a whole NEW structure to the whole course. I just wish I had someone with whom to hash it all out! I might try to pick my principal's brain at school tomorrow. You know, go in and surprise him.
I have a lot of contemplating to do, and then, most probably, a lot more overhauling.
Comments (2)
Not to make your job harder, but have you heard of LiveMocha?I'm sure not if you'd be able to use it in your classroom, or that you'd want to in the first place. Lol. But just thought I'd throw it out there.
If you were ever of a mind to share your concepts/songs list, I would LOVE to be a recipient! (maestra.t@gmail.com)