Course Syllabus

Office Hours for Sra. Kaufman in room 241:

Block A:

2:30 - by appointment (just email or speak with your teacher to let her know you'd like to come after school).

 

 

Welcome to Spanish 1! 

 

Course Description

Students begin to develop their competence in Spanish across three modes of communication: interpersonal, presentational, and interpretive. They will explore the language in the context of the themes of: How Am I Unique, What Does Family Mean To Me?, How Do My Choices Shape Who I am? and How Am I Part Of A Community?   Performance-based assessments in the presentational and interpersonal modes provide the students the opportunity to use the language in practiced, familiar contexts.  Interpretive listening and reading tasks are focused on the acquisition and recognition of basic stated information in Spanish. Practice is provided regularly, both within the classroom and at home.  Additionally, students explore Spanish speaking cultures, make comparisons and connections with their own experiences, and come to view language learning as a life-long pursuit. The expectation is that the communication in the classroom takes place in Spanish increasingly throughout the year.

• • • Unit 1 - How am I unique?

I can exchange introductory information with others. 

I can describe myself and others. 

I can describe my typical school day. 

I can ask and answer questions about what people do in their free time.

• • • Unit 2 - What does family mean to me?  

I can express what a family is and who I consider to be part of mine. 

I can explain my family traditions and compare them to the traditions of others.

• • • Unit 3 - How do my choices shape who I am?  

I can explain what I choose to do when I have free time. 

I can explain what people eat and why. 

I can talk about how clothing reflects who people are and what they do.

 

 

What do I need for class?

• • • computer with a full charge
    • headphones / air pods  <-- ***very important***
    • your class workbook (also linked to class calendar)
    • a pen or pencil
    • a folder or binder to file away classwork, worksheets, assessments.

 

 

What should I do if I am absent from class?

• • Click on your class calendar to see what we did in class and make it up.
  • If you missed an assessment and you are absent excused →  email or speak with your teacher to schedule a make up the assessment within two school days.  If you do not retake it within two school days, you will receive an "I" in Power School which counts as a "0". 
  • If you missed an assessment and you are absent unexcused →  you will receive an "I" for the assessment in Power School which counts as a "0". 
  • Students must email or speak with their teacher to make up missed assessments within two school days or the assessment will become a zero,

 

 

How will my progress be evaluated this year?

In the World Language Department we use Evidence Based Grading.  This means that your work (the evidence) will be evaluated on how closely it meets or exceeds a standard.  The standard is the proficiency level for this course, which begins at Novice Mid, moves to Novice High in Semester 2 and will move to Intermediate Low by the end of the school year.  Each Performance Assessment has a rubric so you can see exactly what you need to show that you can do to meet or exceed the standard.  The rubrics for every assessment are in your workbook.  You will have lots of practice, see and hear examples of past student work and get lots of feedback via Formative Assessments before you take the Performance Assessments which determine your term grade.  There are no retakes for Performance Assessments.  You will also have the opportunity to build your skills with Achievement Assessments (small quizzes, homework, classwork) prior to taking the Performance Assessments.  You may retake each Achievement assessment one time, if you wish.

We will spend our first few days of class learning about all this, so don't worry if it seems confusing right now.

 

 

How is my term grade computed?

90% = performance assessments 

10% = achievement assessments

 

What is a Performance Assessment?

(90% of your term grade)

These include:

• • • Interpretive Performance Assessments  

Examples include:  Listening to a video or audio and answering questions about what you saw/heard.  Reading an article and answering questions about what you read.  Looking at an infographic or chart and answering questions about it.  These questions are mostly in English in the beginning of the year and move to be in Spanish towards the end of the year.

• • • Presentational Performance Assessments 

Examples include:  Answering a prompt (question) by recording a monologue using video or audio software.  Answering a prompt in writing.

• • • Interpersonal Performance Assessments

Examples include:  Having an extemporaneous conversation with 1 or more people. The conversation is often in response to a prompt.

There are no retakes on Performance Assessments.

 

What is an Achievement Assessment?

(10% of your term grade)

These include short skill building assessments such as vocabulary or grammar quizzes to be sure you are learning what you need to perform well in the accuracy and vocabulary sections of the performance assessments.  On Achievement Assessments any grade (letter or percentage grade) is possible.  In Señora Kaufman's class, you may retake each Achievement Assessment once to improve your grade. Once the term is over, you can't retake these assessments.  Achievement Assessments may be oral, on paper or on Canvas.

What is a Formative Assessment?

This is like a scrimmage for your performance assessment.  You will take an assessment (write, listen, speak....) which is very similar to your upcoming performance assessment and you'll get feedback to let you and your teacher know if you're ready for the performance assessment.  This feedback (may be narrative or a grade) does not compute into your term grade.  It's to let you know how you're doing and how you can improve as we go along in the term and before you take the performance assessments.  It often takes the form of a short flip grid video or a short piece of writing (digitally or on paper).  Formative assessments are a part of evidence based grading and standards based grading because they help students understand how close they are to meeting the standard before they take the assessment and give them feedback on what they need to do to meet the standard.  

What about homework?

You will have homework most days.  It is always posted on your class calendar.  Homework is due at the beginning of the next class and will be recorded in the 10% portion of your term grade.  Homework completion is a necessary part of the course because it gives you the opportunity to build and practice your skills.  Your teacher will be communicating with your family if you do not complete the homework.

 

How is my end of year grade computed?

Term 1 = 12% of your year end grade

Term 2 = 19% of your year end grade

Term 3 = 26% of your year end grade

Term 4 = 31% of your year end grade

Final Experience = 12% of your year end grade

The rationale for this increase in percentages is that what you learn in Term 1 will need to be remembered and used in Term 2, and so on, so by Term 4 you'll be required to use all the skills and information you've learned over the year.

There are no mid year exams.  Instead, we have portfolio assessments (see below).

Keep a portfolio

You should save your assessments and rubrics (essays, letters, audio recordings, video recordings, projects -> anything that is assessed and graded).  In January and in June you will have a portfolio reflection which will be your mid year and end of year assessments.  You are responsible for being able to show your progress over the year with evidence.  You will show this through written reflections and an interview with your teacher.  You may make an electronic (Google Drive) portfolio or keep papers at home and recorded items on your desktop.

 

What is the difference between Honors and Advanced College Placement (ACP) in this classroom?

In this Spanish 1 classroom, some students are registered for Spanish 1 Honors and others are registered for Spanish 1 ACP.  Here is what you will  notice:

- All students will use the same workbook, receive the same instruction and participate in the same classroom activities.

- Students will take the same performance assessments.  If a student Meets the Standard, this is calculated as a B for Honors and as an A for ACP.  In order for an Honors student to score an A, they need to Level Up on the rubric.  All rubrics can be found in your class workbook.

• • There may be some differentiation between Honors and ACP on Achievement Quizzes and daily homework assignments.
  •  at the beginning of the school year all students are registered for Spanish 1 Honors.

If you want to change levels within Spanish 1, here are the deadlines:

• • October 15, 2022 - Last day to add a class to your schedule.  Last day to move up a level (move from ACP to Honors in a course).
  • November 23, 2022 - Last day to move down a level (move from Honors to ACP)

 

How can you switch from Spanish 1 Honors to Spanish 1 ACP?

1. 1. Have a conversation with your teacher to say that you're interested in switching.
   2. Have a conversation with your caregivers (parents/guardians) to say that you want to switch and explain why.
   3. Email your school counselor and copy your teachers and caregivers to say that you want to change levels.

 

 

How can I get extra help in Spanish?

What do I do if I go for help in the lab?

• • See schedule at the top of this document.
  • If you would like a peer tutor, email your teacher for more information.  A peer tutor is an upper class student in Spanish 3H or above who has volunteered to tutor Spanish 1 and 2 students.  Generally you meet once a cycle in person.  This is a very useful support system for students who want some individual support.  There is no charge for this tutoring and the peer tutors do it because they love Spanish and/or need community service hours.

 

Questions?  Email Sra. Kaufman at any time:

kaufmank@wellesleyps.org

I encourage any students or family members to email me at any time to check in, ask questions, or ask for help.

 

 

 

Here is a Canvas Guide for Students

 

Here is a link to the CML (Classical and Modern Languages) Technology Help Site