Span 12A Fall 2011 Syllabus

SYLLABUS: Spanish for Spanish Speakers 12A/B

Instructor: Contact Information:	David Pérez Phone: 408 848 4842 Email: dperez@gavilan.edu Office: HU109 Office hours: by arrangement

Date, Time & Place:	This class is entirely online. Students will be required to complete assigned readings, writings, online discussions, quizzes, and projects each week. There will be weekly due dates, but students may log on to complete work at any time during the week.

Description:	Through comparative analysis of selected literary works, the course develops an awareness of Spanish grammar, cultural and literary contributions from Mexico and other Spanish speaking societies. This course is taught in Spanish with an emphasis on composition as a medium of expression. Since all directions and assignments are in Spanish, a basic level of the language is required to do the assigned works.
Objectives:	To improve reading, writing and to a certain extent one's speaking skills. To help one develop the power of language, image, symbol and metaphor. To obtain a basic understanding of and appraise the historical, social, cultural and aesthetic qualities of Hispanic culture.
Course Requirements:	The ability to read and write Spanish at a basic level. Follow this link to see a paragraph typical of the assigned readings. If you are capable of reading it and comprehending it then you should be able to do the work assigned for this course. In order to complete the class assignments and participate in the online discussions you must be familiar with using a word processor for Spanish text, using the correct accents and a spell-checker. We recommend that you use Microsoft Word with the Gavilan enhanced Spell check, Dictionary and Accent support (at the Gavilan, Morgan Hill, Hollister computer labs). As an alternative, there is a good tutorial on typing Spanish accents at studyspanish.com.
Web Orientations:	The Gavilan Library will offer several orientations to online courses during the first two weeks of the semester. If you have never taken an online course, this orientation will provide critical information to help you be successful in this class. If you are unable to attend an orientation on campus, an online tutorial will be available. For more details see the schedule of orientations.
Required Text:	There will be no text for this course. All assignments will be found on our Spanish Web Site. (But, I recommend that you purchase the book "501 Spanish Verbs" to help out with certain verb conjugations. You can find the book at most bookstores or amazon.com.)

Class Participation:	"Attendance" is a critical factor for student success. For this online class, I expect regular weekly participation from students in the course. Failure to participate in course activities for more than one week will constitute an unexcused absence and could result in being dropped from the course.
Online Discussions:	We deepen our understanding of literature when we share questions, ideas, responses, and analysis with others. A major focus of this class will be the weekly online discussions in which we exchange ideas about our readings.
Online bulletin board postings and replies:	Since this is an online class, these postings are a vital part of your learning process. They will be the way we will discuss the literature selections, grammar topics, and work through the problems you may be having with assignments. In order to receive credit, you must: write messages of about 1/2 to 1 page responding to a given prompt: post your message to the class bulletin board by the scheduled deadline; reply to a posted message (of your choice) within one week of its posting; and demonstrate that you have put some thought and effort into the exercise. To receive credit for discussions, plan to post and/or reply to messages on our discussion board each week. Participation is the equivalent of attending class.
Class Ethics:	You are expected to respect other people's opinions even if you don't agree with them. Please respect my efforts to run a thought-provoking class by holding up your end of the bargain and participating in a positive manner. Refrain from sending "flame email" - email that rudely criticizes or ridicules someone's ideas. Remember that we are in an academic environment and messages should be appropriate for that audience. Click on these links to learn more about *"Netiquette"* English - Español Individuals who repeatedly behave inappropriately or unprofessionally will be warned, may be asked to drop, or may be dropped from the course. Additionally, respect includes giving credit when credit is due. Just as we like to receive credit for the work we do, others deserve the same. Using someone's ideas and/or words without acknowledgment is plagiarism! Plagiarism can result in a failing grade on an assignment or in the class.
Advisory:	Students requiring special services or arrangements because of hearing, visual or other disability should contact their instructor, counselor, advisor, or the Disabled Students Services Office.