Teaching With Technology

Course Description for
Spanish 001

This part of my webpage describes various aspects of my Spanish 001 class. This is a 4-credit, one-semester course for students who have not previously taken any Spanish or who have completed a maximum of one high school Spanish course within four years immediately preceding admission to college. Students with more course work in Spanish will not receive credit for Spanish 001. There are no exceptions to this policy.

The Goal of Spanish 001

This course is designed to develop and improve communication skills when listening, reading, speaking, and writing in Spanish. The course follows a communicative, information-based task approach, which springs from the idea that languages are best learned when real world information becomes the focus of students’ activities.

Structure of the Course

Two hours each week are completed in class, during which students will interact with the instructor and each other. The rest of the class is fulfilled online using Penn State's online course management system.

Coursework & Quizzes on Angel

Spanish 001 is taught primarily through interactive PowerPoint presentations on Angel which students may view from their personal computers. In addition, many activities are completed and submitted using Angel's drop-box feature. Online activities (ANGEL) are due on Wednesdays by 4PM, and there will be no extensions.  If the due date is different, it will be noted in the syllabus. If you have any questions about the content of the activities, please e-mail your instructor. If you do not receive a response from your instructor within 48 hours (M-F) or 72 hrs. (weekends), e-mail the supervisor of SPAN 1, span1@psu.edu.

Writing Assignments

Writing assignments (escrituras) are due at the beginning of the class on Day 2 unless indicated otherwise in the syllabus. These must be typed, double-spaced, and printed with Arial 12 point font, 1” margins, and legible. If an assignment is not typed, there will be a .5 point deduction in the escrituras grade.  See policies for more information on escrituras. They will be returned to you corrected and graded one week after they are turned in.

Final Exam

The Final Exam takes place during finals week. Do not make travel plans before the date of the final exam is announced by the registrar’s office. A plane ticket purchased by you or by anyone else for you will not be considered a reason for not taking the final exam at the officially scheduled time.

Additional Information

For Information about class grading scale, assessment categories and percentages, this can be found at the SBLP website. It is the student's responsibility to read and understand the policies.

The Pennsylvania State University. Copyright 2008
Last updated on: December 5, 2008 12:51 PM