Fall 1998 Proposal
Name: Wendy Woodrich

Institution: Lewis and Clark College

Language area: Spanish

Project type: Course Release (Curriculum Enhancement)

Project titles:

  1. Third-year Composition and Introduction to Literature Course
  2. Coordination of Technology Application: Spanish Section
  3. Completion of Spanish Fiestas Project
  4. Homepage Maintenance and Expansion (Ongoing development)

Duration: One semester (Spring 1999)

Brief Description of Projects:

  1. Third year Composition and Introduction to Literature Course:

    The objective of our third-year composition and conversation series (SPAN 301-321) is to bring students to the intermediate high or advanced level of proficiency through a combination of reading, discussion, writing, and grammar study at the advanced level. The 321 course also provides an introduction to literary analysis. In the past, the course curriculum at this level suffered from a lack of adequate materials to successfully help overcome the challenge presented by a student population with a great disparity in background, previous preparation, and interests within the Spanish-speaking world.

    My current project has been to design and create multi-media programs which serve as integral components of a new curriculum for the 301 course. Using techniques with which I am now familiar (thanks to Middlebury and Consortium training opportunities), and others which I hope to master, I propose to continue creating similar material for the second course in the series, Spanish 321: Spanish Prose and Written Expression.

    Materials already created consist of a series of Web pages organized around themes of Generaciones, a cultural reader and composition textbook. For 321, the comparable text will be "Aproximaciones a la literatura" and we will continue with the grammar review, "Gramática esencial." As presently organized, each Web unit normally contains a glossed reading from authentic texts, with comprehension exercises and a Web-based activity; several selections of Latin American and Spanish music (often presented as cloze-exercises); grammar review interactive practice pages and links to a variety of Spanish language Web sites which provide authentic cultural material to enhance and supplement the topics under consideration.

    In order to carry out this project,I have learned the basics of Web-page creation, including scanning techniques, image manipulation, creating frame pages, capturing and embedding sound, etc., as well as rudimentary Javascript, which enables the materials to be as interactive as possible. During Spring semester, I will continue to refine my abilities with these techniques, and learn others, such as video capture and manipulation. I hope to learn more about creating discussion groups on the Web, probably using WebCT.

    I have worked closely with our Mellon project student assistant, Noah Kersey, who along with Beth Ohmer, our Mellon technical support person, has provided invaluable assistance. I will continue to meet with him weekly or more often, and will continue to collaborate with him in designing and creating exercises and activities.

    Additionally, I propose to conduct an assessment of my project in order to collect (at least) anecdotal evidence to either support or refute my impression that students are learning better and are more engaged than with more traditional methodology.

    I will share the product, my experience, and the results of this assessment at the Consortium workshop in May '99.

  2. Coordination of Spanish section involvement in technology projects

    I propose to continue my coordination efforts with the Spanish section and the entire department to facilitate access to training and other resources (such as our own Consortium workshop) which will encourage colleagues to participate in the creation of multi-media materials to be used in the lab and in the classroom. I also propose to continue involvement in the development of our Mellon work station and to serve as the Lewis and Clark representative to the Consortium steering committee.

  3. Traditional Fiestas of Sevilla Although my focus has been on the third year curriculum project, I continue to work on the "Traditional Fiestas of Sevilla" program designed last academic year. It incorporates photographs, video, and music of both the traditional Holy Week processions and the April Fair, and contains links to related Web sites. This unit will be used in 2nd, 3rd and 4th year language and literature courses, and in our orientation program for overseas study.

  4. Homepage creation

    I propose to continue updating and expanding my homepage, which currently contains course curricula, assignments, and links to the 301-321 project. Additionally, the page has links to Latin American and Spanish newspapers, pages dedicated to Latin American and Spanish authors, travel information sites, etc. There is a calendar of events of interest to Spanish students. In particular, I still need to elaborate the pages dedicated to former overseas programs I have led, using photographs and descriptions.

Brief Time Line:

Amount requested: One course release for Spring '99

Breakdown (Type of support): Course release