ONLINE!
Spanish 120-First Semester Spanish
ONLINE!
Spring 2016 Syllabus SECTION #: 65507
Instructor: María L. Villagómez
Contact Information
Office: BLDG. 1000 (1031U) - Check my web page for office hours.
Telephone#: 707-256-7767 - E-mail: mvillagomez@napavalley.edu
Instructor Web site: http://www.napavalley.edu/people/mvillagomez/Pages/welcome.aspx
*Please plan to attend the highly recommended in-person orientation on Friday, January 22 at 1:00pm in room 836.
REQUIRED Texts and materials:
VISTAS: Introducción a la lengua española, Fifth Edition by Blanco-Donley
Sound: A combination head-set and microphone is required. Target.com has several microphones. Make
sure to purchase one that is compatible with your PC or MAC.
-If you purchase it at the NVC bookstore, the text will include one passcode: This code comes inside a
manila envelope with an astrobright green label. You will not be able to find this same text anywhere
else. It is a custom made edition only for NVC students. In order to access your assignments, you will
need to set up an account. Please see instructions at the end of syllabus. Please NOTE: We will NOT be
using blackboard in this class; only the publisher’s supersite.
Have you taken Spanish before? - PLACEMENT: All students need to take the Spanish online
advisory placement test to make sure they are enrolled in the right class. You will find a direct link to
this test on your instructor’s Webpage or under “T” (for “Testing”) from the A-Z Directory in the NVC
Webpage (www.napavalley.edu). After taking the test, email me or print the results and bring them to
the orientation. Those who speak Spanish at home should enroll in a higher level class or for Heritage
Speakers where the focus is to improve reading and writing skills. The first semester of Spanish is
considered Spanish as a second language and it assumes no prior (or very little) knowledge of
Spanish. No formal rules for accents or spelling are included in this class. Let me know if you need help
interpreting the results of the placement exam. Please email me your exam results PRIOR to orientation
day or bring a hard copy on that day.
COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES Spanish 120 is an introductory 5-unit college course- there is
no prerequisite. It is the first part of a four semester sequence of UC/CSU transfer level Spanish courses
integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in real world contexts. Cultural perspectives
and practices are also addressed. The same textbook will be used next semester for Spanish 121. The
basis of the work this semester will be Lessons 1-7. This course is characterized by an emerging ability
to understand and produce appropriate responses in high-frequency situations utilizing learned
materials. Verbal and written expression is limited to short, culturally appropriate communication.
Students will acquire knowledge of the geography, culture and people of regions where Spanish is
spoken.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Engage in basic, two-way oral exchanges
2. Read, comprehend, and write basic Spanish
3. Recognize various Hispanic Cultures
DAILY PREPAREDNESS and PARTICIPATION Learning Spanish can be a very rewarding and fun
experience, or it can be a real nightmare… it’s really up to you. This course requires at least 10-15
hours per week in assignments. You will be assigned to read, study or work on some exercises as part
of your regular homework. Please visit the Vistas Supersite frequently and read/do the assigned
material by the deadline. Those students who have fun and do well are those students who have the
patience, who practice and persevere through it all, but mainly, those who aren’t afraid to make
mistakes and keep trying. Make sure to read the instructor’s emails, weekly announcements, and
assigned readings.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITES Participants enrolled in this course should continually monitor their learning,
evaluating their own efforts, and actively seek help when needed in a timely manner. To successfully
complete this Spanish course, you will need to assume an active role in the learning process; ask
questions, participate in discussion, view all power points, and complete ALL assignments.
HOMEWORK The only way to learn another language is to practice. The online PRACTICE, TUTORIALS,
and WEB SAM sections are an excellent tool to improve your language skills. Check your “Tentative
Schedule” daily and complete the appropriate exercises in the vistas supersite as they are an essential
component of the program. The detailed assignments for the week can be viewed in www.vhlcentral.com
You are responsible for keeping up to date with all lessons and assignments. Online courses take as
much time (and sometimes more) to complete successfully as traditional courses, so please plan
accordingly. Regular practice increases the pace and quality of your performance and is therefore
required. It is your responsibility –and extremely advisable - to complete the exercises concurrently
with daily class preparation instead of “cramming” it all the night before they are due. Full credit will
be awarded only if you have completed ALL the assigned exercises with a minimum of 75% accuracy.
Check the tentative schedule for homework due dates. Please note that homework is always due by
9:00 p.m. No late work will be accepted. No exceptions. Please see attachment for instructions on
how to set up your super-site account. Please note: The activities you work on in your textbook are
not turned in. You only “turn in” the activities that you complete on the vistas supersite. Usually, there will
be between 30-40 activities per chapter.
E-MAIL and E-MAIL POLICY Each student MUST have an active e-mail account. This will be the e-mail
address that is used for any communication between you and your instructor. When you send an email,
please put the title of this course and the topic you are writing about in the "Subject" line (for example:
SPAN120, Homework). Also, as email names often do not describe the name of the student, please start
all email messages with your full name and phone number for easy identification and communication. It
is highly recommended that you copy yourself (CC) when sending an email with homework attached in
the rare event that your message gets lost in Cyberspace.
BLACKBOARD We will be using blackboard LIMITEDLY for this online course. Mainly, we use the this
website www.vhlcentral.com as our online platform.
TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE It is expected that you have basic Internet skills if you are in this course.
Those skills include the ability to login to the course web site and send and receive email with
attachments.
If you have any technical difficulties, please email Vistas’ tech support team. Their contact information is
on the Vistas website.
INSTRUCTOR COMMITMENT It is my responsibility to help students grow and learn. This means that I
will try to provide clear instructions for all projects, answer questions about the assignments, identify
additional resources as necessary, and provide review questions for assessments. In this environment, the
instructor is always evaluating, revising and clarifying questions and problems. I will follow the course as
detailed in this syllabus. If any changes are required in the syllabus or the schedule of assignments, I
will announce them to give you time to adjust. You can count on my availability during weekdays, and
you have the right to expect prompt responses to your questions, comments, and requests, usually within
48 hours. Students who e-mail me Friday – Sunday may expect a response by 5 pm on Monday. In
this distance-learning course, you will receive at least the same attention and care you would find
in a traditional class.
CHEATING STATEMENT
Cheating is the unauthorized giving or receiving of information in examinations, quizzes, assignments or
other class exercises. If someone else takes online tests or quizzes in your name, this is also considered
cheating. Honesty and integrity are very important in higher education. This standard pertains to what is
written as well as what is spoken. To claim to have written something that is not entirely your own work is
a violation of academic and personal integrity. You are solely responsible for the preparation and
presentation of your assignments. Each homework assignment, written activity, and test should be your
own work. Any violation of the items mentioned will cause you to be terminated from the course with a
grade of F. If I suspect that you have cheated or received help from a native speaker or someone
else, I will ask you to come into my office and take the test in person. Also, you will be referred to
the Dean of Students Services for further disciplinary action.
COURSE DISCLAIMER Every attempt is made to provide a syllabus that is complete and that provides
an accurate overview of the course. However, circumstances and events may make it necessary for the
instructor to modify the syllabus during the course. This may depend, in part, on the progress, needs, and
experiences of the participants.
EXAMS There will be 6 chapter exams (includes writing section), and one final exam. Check your
“Tentative Schedule” and make a note of these important dates since no make-up exams will be
allowed. No exceptions. No one will be allowed to take the final exam early. Please do not make
this request.
GRADING Final grades will be determined from chapter tests, a final exam, and homework exercises.
Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
Chapter Exams
(6 X 7%)
42%
HOMEWORK activities
(7 X 7%)
49%
Final Exam
9%
Total
100%
Letter grading scale: A=90-100%, B=80-89.9%,
C=70-79.9%, D=60-69.9%, F=0-59%
NOTE: If you plan on dropping, please officially drop. There is no automatic drop even if you quit
“attending.”
What follows is a more detailed account of our future activities. Plan ahead and consult this “Tentative
Schedule” daily to make sure that you know what will take place in class. REMEMBER that it is your
duty to be well informed as I reserve the right to amend the terms, conditions and dates of this
syllabus/schedule as I see fit at any point during the semester.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE - Calendario de actividades
DUE
01/23
Course Introduction/Orientation - IN PERSON (1 hour) at 1:00 p.m. in rm. 836
Please plan to attend this orientation. In my experience, students who do not attend the
orientation end up doing poorly in this class.
01/25
Lección 1: Hola, ¿qué tal? – Study chapter 1 vocabulary – View: Student Guided Tour to learn
how to navigate the supersite–Vistas Supersite (lower right-hand column)
01/26
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 and Hola ¿qué tal?- IN
SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–Lesson 1)
01/27
Work on the following activity: Pronunciación -SUPERSITE (PRACTICE TAB – Lesson 1)
01/28-02/02
Read section 1.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 1.1on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 1.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 1.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 1.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 1.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 1.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 1.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
02/06
Lesson 1 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40
activities. You should be working on these as you review the tutorials/powerpoint presentations.
Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on it.
02/08
Exam #1: SUPERSITE –Available to take on the 7th. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
DUE
02/10
Lección 2: La universidad – study chapter 2 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
02/11
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 2)
02/12
Work on the following activity: TUTORIALS TAB: View Los Días de la Semana and Spanish Vowels –
SUPERSITE
02/13-02/17
Read section 2.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 2.1on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 2.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 2.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 2.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 2.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 2.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 2.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
02/21
Lesson 2 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments as you review the tutorials/powerpoint
presentations. Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on
them.
02/23
Exam #2: SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 22nd. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
_________________________________________________________________
DUE
02/24
Lección 3: La familia – study chapter 3 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
02/25
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 3)
02/26
Work on the following activity: La familia and Crucigrama -SUPERSITE
02/27-03/05
Read section 3.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 3.1on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 3.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 3.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 3.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 3.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 3.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 3.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
03/09
Lesson 3 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS – SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments as you review the tutorials/powerpoint
presentations. Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on it.
03/11
Exam #3: SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 10th. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
DUE
03/12
Lección 4:Los pasatiempos- study chapter 4 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
03/13
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 4)
03/14
Work on the following activity: UNDER PRACTICE TAB –View: El fin de semana and do Escuchar,
Ordenar, and ¿Cierto o falso? SUPERSITE
03/15-03/19
Read section 4.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 4.1 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 4.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 4.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 4.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 4.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 4.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 4.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
03/26
Lesson 4 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments as you review the tutorials/powerpoint
presentations. Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on it.
03/28
Exam #4: SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 27th. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
DUE
04/06
Lección 5: Las vacaciones –study chapter 5 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
04/07
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 5)
Work on the following activity: UNDER PRACTICE TAB – View: Las vacaciones, Escuchar, ¿Cierto o
falso? - SUPERSITE
04/08
04/09-04/13
Read section 5.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 5.1 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 5.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 5.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 5.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 5.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 5.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 5.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
04/17
Lesson 5 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments as you review the tutorials/powerpoint
presentations. Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on
them.
04/19
Exam #5: SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 18th. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
DUE
04/20
Lección 6: ¡De compras! – study chapter 6 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
04/21
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 6)
04/22
Work on the following activity: UNDER PRACTICE TAB–View: ¡De compras! and do: Escuchar, ¿Lógico
o ilógico?, and Completar-SUPERSITE
04/23-04/30
Read section 6.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 6.1 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 6.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 6.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 6.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 6.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 6.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 6.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
05/07
Lesson 6 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments as you review the tutorials/powerpoint
presentations. Do not wait until a couple of days before the homework is due to start working on
them.
05/10
Exam #6: SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 9th. The link to the exam should appear on the
upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
DUE
05/11
Lección 7- study/memorize chapter 7 vocabulary – IN TEXTBOOK
05/12
Work on the following activities: Flashcards, Tutorials 1, 2, and 3 – SUPERSITE (TUTORIALS TAB–
Lesson 7)
05/13
Work on the following activity: UNDER PRACTICE TAB – View: La rutina diaria, and do: Escuchar,
Ordenar, and Seleccionar -SUPERSITE
05/14-05/19
Read section 7.1 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 7.1on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 7.2 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 7.2 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 7.3 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 7.3 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
Read section 7.4 in textbook AND View TUTORIAL 7.4 on SUPERSITE AND Do ¡Inténtalo! in TEXTBOOK
ALSO: Review power points emailed by your Instructor.
05/25
Lesson 7 GRADABLE ASSIGNMENTS –SUPERSITE *Please note: There are between 30-40 activities.
You should be working on the gradable assignments homework is due to start working on them.
05/27
Examen Final – SUPERSITE - Available to take on the 26th. The link to the exam should appear on
the upper right hand column of the Vistas supersite.
Travel to Spain in June 2016!!
More information: Professor María L. Villagómez
mvillagomez@napavalley.edu
SETTING UP YOUR VISTAS ACCOUNT
New Students
If you are new to Vista Higher Learning, complete these steps:
Step 1 - Go to vhlcentral.com
Step 2 - Choose one of these options:



Did you buy your code at the online Store? If you created a student account on the store, use the same
login information. If you can see your course book on the home page after logging in, go to "Step 5 Select a Course/Class." If no book appears, go to "Step 3 - Activate Code."
OR
Create an Account

In the "Login Information" section of the account creation page, enter a username of your choice.








Enter the email address you would like to associate with your account.
Enter and confirm a password of your choice.
In the "Personal Profile" section, enter your first and last name as you wish them to appear in your
Instructor's roster.
Select the year of your birth from the drop down list.
Enter a student ID (optional).
In the "Security Information" section, provide the answer to a secret question, which may later be used
to help you access your account if you forget your password.
After you enter all of the information, click "create an account."
Click "agree." (Before your account is created, you must agree to the terms and conditions of use
policy.)
Step 3 - Activate Code



On the code activation screen, enter your Supersite code.
Click "activate code" to continue.
Look for a message at the top of the screen confirming that the code was successfully redeemed.
Step 4 - Select a School





Locate your school by typing your school’s name, Napa Valley College. To narrow the search results,
add the city and state, Napa, CA , (include the country, if outside of the USA.) in which your school is
located.
Click "find." If the terms you entered did not result in a successful search, follow the on-screen tips to
revise your search.
Select your school from the list by clicking on its name.
Click "select school" to add the school to your account.
Look for a message at the top of the screen confirming you successfully added the school.
Step 5 - Select a Course/Class

From the list of available classes at your school for your textbook's Supersite, look for Instructor
"Villagomez" and the course "Spanish 120 ONLINE Sp. 2016" taught between 01/20/2016 and
05/31/2016. It should look like this:
Course
Name:
ONLINE
Spanish
Sp.
120
2016
Section Name: Span. 120 #65507 Spanish
Instructor: Villagomez
120 Span. 120 …
ONLINE…
Villagomez


Click the radio button for the course section "Span. 120 #65507." If more than one class is listed for
your instructor, click the information icons in the class listings until you locate the section.
Click Save. You should see a confirmation that you successfully enrolled in your instructor's course.