How did I develop this course?

How did I develop this course?

*Here at the University of Massachusetts, I learned that a good course should be customized for it's students. A good teacher will get to know the needs of their students and adapt to them. If "teaching is about people and passion", where does a teacher start when developing a course? Well, for this Spanish 125 course, I started with the needs of students in a study abroad program. The program is set up so that each student is given a proficiency test to place them in a specific level class (to fulfill their 'subjective' needs), and once they arrive to class, they fill out "information sheets" including a section where they briefly state there expectations and desires for the course (to fulfill their 'objective' needs).

Here you can view the "needs assessment" questionnaire that can be given to the students at the beginning of the semester. Also, check out some of the other things I took into account, such as my "resources and constraints" where I define the givens of the situation, the programs policies for the students, textbook, etc.

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SPANISH 125

Fall 2003

Student Information Sheet

Please fill out and return to instructor

Name: _____________________________________________________

Date of Birth: ________________________________________________

Local Address:_______________________________________________

House Phone:____________________ Cell Phone: __________________

Hometown: _________________________________________________

Major:_____________________________________________________

Do you have any foreign language experience?______________________

Reasons for studying abroad?____________________________________

Reasons for taking this course?___________________________________

Do you know any Spanish speaker?______________________________

Does someone in your home speak Spanish?_______ If yes, what is your

relation to that person?_________________________________________

Did you take Spanish in High School?__________ If yes, what levels did

you complete?_______________________________________________

What specific things would you like to learn in this

course? ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? (specific goals,

hobbies, places you've traveled, interests, ways you like to learn,

etc? _______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

CONSTRAINTS and RESOURCES:

Spanish125 permits 25 students.

Average time spent on course: Average of six (6) hours per week.

Textbook: "Para Empezar" Rating: 9

Workbook: "Para Empezar Workbook" Rating: 9

Comments on Textbook: ______________________________

___________________________________________________

Institutions Policies/Constraints:_no more than three (3)

unexcused absences; students grades based on performance

of exams; four (4) cultural visits required throughout semester;

lack of computers; slow internet._____________________

COMMENTS: discuss syllabus and grading policy in detail

with students, and make them aware of the attendance and

grading policies. Cultural visits can also be used for essays.

If students complain of lack of computers maybe they can

hand in neatly hand-written essays? BE SURE TO REVIEW

student information sheets to develop lesson plans__________

See Lesson Plans for This Study Abroad Course

RETURN TO:

Research

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