2012-2013
Sra. Williams
Phone Number:
920.648.2355 ext. 349
Room Number:
219
Email Address:
tara.williams@lakemills.k12.wi.us
Website:
http://www.lakemills.k12.wi.us/faculty/twilliam
COURSE OF STUDY:
Through the study of Spanish, students will become independent learners who are knowledgeable about and
respectful of differences in world languages and cultures. The Spanish program, in supporting the development of
life-long learners, will provide a wide variety of engaging and stimulating activities that emphasize communication,
cultural understanding and connections with other disciplines. This course will focus on the 5 C’s: communication,
culture, connections, comparisons and communities. Spanish 1, 2 & 3 focus on the development and refinement of
basic language structure. Spanish 4 & 5 will fine-tune these language skills with more in-depth study.
PRIMARY TEXTS




Spanish 1: ¡Expresáte! Level 1
Spanish 2: ¡Expresáte! Levels 1-2
Spanish 3: ¡Expresáte! Level 2
Spanish 4 & 5: Easy Spanish Reader, Galería de Arte y Vida, Repaso : A Complete Review
For Spanish 1-3, an online textbook is available to students at my.hrw.com.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Authentic websites, songs, videos, news articles, blogs, short stories and novels
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS:
1) Respect
Students will demonstrate respect for other students and the teacher by using appropriate language,
being prepared for class, following directions, adhering to all school policies, and by keeping an open
mind when learning about different cultures, traditions, beliefs and life styles.
2) Be Prepared
Always come to class prepared. This means coming into class and being seated when the bell rings,
bringing your materials each day, completing homework on time, watching the assigned videos before
class, and reviewing your notes each night. In addition, your presence in the classroom is essential to
your success. Tardiness and unexcused absences will have an adverse effect on your grade.
3) Use your resources
Advisory time is also a great time to ask questions. Make sure you use it to your advantage. Also learn
to use your handouts, the online videos, textbooks (especially online), dictionaries and internet sites.
They’re all there to help you.
4) Expect great things from yourself and your peers
Your attitude plays an important role in your education. If you believe you can succeed – you can!
Encourage your classmates to succeed as well.
5) Take ownership of your education
Take personal responsibility for your learning: set goals, evaluate progress towards those goals, adhere
to high standards and revise your performance when needed. You can also take responsibility for your
learning by asking questions when something is unclear, participating in classroom discussions and
asking for extra help if you need it. Take ownership of your classroom. This is your your area to learn;
help keep it clean and organized. This is your education–get everything you can out of it!
REQUIRED SUPPLIES:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES:
Something to write with – a pencil or pen
1) Your own pocket dictionary (My favorite is VOX,
(black or blue ink or pencils only on tests please)
but any dictionary will be fine.)
Something to use for your notes & to keep your handouts in
Journal: Separate from your notes, a notebook or journal that you will hand in periodically containing your daily writing
assignment or reading journal entry. Note that this may transition to an online format.
A pack of index cards & something to keep them organized (box, rubberband, etc.).
Headphones
GENERAL NOTES:
 My #1 goal is to get you speaking Spanish! While I do believe grammar and written skills are important and
will be worked on, the main emphasis this year will be on using Spanish to communicate to be ready for use
in the community and the workforce. The class will not be conducted entirely in Spanish “yet,” but we will
work towards this goal. We will start out in small chunks of time to build up your confidence and increase
your language skills.

The Spanish class will be conducted in a “flipped classroom” model, meaning you will be watching grammar
and Spanish lesson videos outside of class as your homework. (I understand that not all students have
internet access at home. I will work with you those students to develop an alternative plan.)

Students will have the opportunity to use the Rosetta Stone software. The district has purchased 1 copy and
is available on a laptop that can be checked out overnight. Make sure that your classroom activities and
daily oral assessment are finished first if you plan on using it during class time.

There may be smaller daily written assignments to practice difficult grammar concepts, but the focus will be
on projects where you can demonstrate your knowledge in a more interesting way to mirror “real-life” skills.

QUIZZES & EXAMS: Most quizzes and exams will be taken online at the my.hrw.com website. These are
graded automatically, so you will have instant feedback on how you did. You will have the opportunity to
study after you take the quiz and/or exam, ask me any questions on what you did not understand, and retake
a different version a second time. You MUST speak to me before you take the quiz/exam for the retake. The
highest score will be recorded. They idea is for you to LEARN and become competent in the language.

ELECTRONICS: Electronic devices (iPad, iPod, phones, etc.) used for activities other than Spanish class are not
allowed and will be taken away during class.
HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENT POLICIES:
 ASSIGNMENTS & SCHOOLOGY.COM: I will be using an online Learning Management System (LMS) to
organize the videos and assignments. Here, you can easily see the links to videos, assignments, quizzes, and
any other electronic files that are needed for class. All assignments will be listed at
http://www.schoology.com, but students should also write them in their assignment notebook.

INDIVIDUAL GRADES: Your assignments and assessments will be graded individually, even when completed
as part of group work.
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NOTETAKING: You are expected to take notes using the Cornell Note-Taking system on the videos. During
the first quarter, this will be checked daily in class for points as you are learning how to take good notes from
the video. (See below.)

ORAL ASSESSMENTS: You will be assessed DAILY on the spoken language. The daily topic will be listed at
www.schoology.com. You are encouraged to take notes on an index card to prepare in advance, but will not
be allowed to use them during the assessment. You will be graded daily on your conversational skills using
the rubric below.
Communication Rubric
0
2½
3
You do not seem to understand, and…
 no response given; respond in
English.
You seem to understand, and…
 can respond with one word answers.
3½
You see to understand and respond…
 but answer incorrectly.
 with lots guidance and support.
 in broken speech or w/English
interference.
4
You understand and respond…
 appropriately, but minimally.
 with some hesitation, but clearly.
 with some repetition/guidance.
4½
5

You did not do the assessment.
You understand fully and respond…
 appropriately and sufficiently
 and correct yourself when you
speak.
You understand fully and…
 respond appropriately.
 are able to correct yourself as you
speak.
 elaborate and extend your response.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Please review pages 7 & 8 of your student handbook regarding the Lake Mills High
School Academic Integrity policy. This policy includes the usage of language translators. If you choose to use
a language translator, 1) I will be able to tell that you have done this, 2) this violates our school’s policy on
academic integrity and 3) I will follow the consequences stated. (Please see separate World Language
Department policy on language translators for further clarification.) The only acceptable computer
vocabulary assistance is www.wordreference.com (an online Spanish/English dictionary). NOTE: There may
be the rare assignment when you are allowed to use a translator, but this will be posted in writing on the
assignment. NEVER assume it is OK.
GRADES:
Grades will be categorized as follows:
Category
Classroom Work & Participation
Daily Oral Assessments & Notes
Written Quizzes & Exams
Projects
A = 100%-93%
B+ = 89%-87%
C+ = 79%-77%
A- = 92%-90%
B = 86%-83%
C = 76%-73%
B- = 82%-80%
C- = 72%-70%
Weight
20%
20%
30%
30%
D+ = 69%-67%
F = 59%-0%
D = 66%-63% D- = 62%-60%
The final course grade is calculated by combining the percentages for each of the two quarters with the midterm/final
exam grade. Each quarter is worth 45% of the final grade, and the final exam grade is worth 10% of the final course
grade.
Examples of points:
Daily “Mini-Oral Assessment” pts.
Oral Assessment Exam
Written Assessment Quiz or Unit Exam
Small Project Pts.
Large Project Pts.
0-5 points (see rubric above)
25 points (at least one per unit)
20-50 points (at least one per unit)
25 (done in 2-3 classes)
50 points (done over a unit; at least 3 projects/ semester)
I am looking forward to this year, the new format, and all that we can accomplish together! I’m excited that you will
be speaking more! You will need to learn to take more responsibility for your own learning in this new format. All
students learn at different rates and in different manners. Your grade will primarily be assessed on your “language
competency” – can you understand, speak, read, and write to communicate?
You are either learning and becoming more proficient or you are not.
You either are taking responsibility for your own learning, as you will soon have to do in life, or you
are not.
Just remember that you need to EARN your grade – it is NOT given to you.
¡Vamos!
September 4, 2012
Dear Parents:
I am so excited for the 2012-2013 school year! I have worked hard to create a curriculum and format for the Spanish
classes that will challenge the students and help them become more fluent in Spanish. My classes this year will be
conducted in a new format, which is called a “flipped” classroom. Since this will be new for the students, I wanted to
explain it early in the school year so I can answer any questions that you might have.
A “flipped” classroom format is defined as a class that does what has been traditionally thought of as classwork as
homework, and what has been traditionally thought of as homework as classwork. This is not a new idea, or even my
idea. This is being used in many types of classrooms across the country. An introductory video to this format is
available at http://vodcasting.ning.com/video/the-flipped-classroom .
Students will be able to use computers, iPads, iPods, or Smartphones to watch videos on various topics. This format
enables students to watch lectures at their own pace, replay lectures when they need additional help, and helps
students that miss class keep up with their classmates.
So if I am no longer giving a “formal lecture” in class, what will be going on in the classroom? At the beginning of each
day, students will view the day’s objectives, assignments and assessments – which will also be listed on
www.schoology.com for student and parent use. During regular class time, students will be completing classroom
activities that help them put into practice the concepts that were learned in the videos at home. Additionally, students
will work on culture, reading, listening and speaking activities in class. Students will be able to work in small groups to
accomplish their assigned tasks. Since I am not giving a formal lecture during class time, students will be able to complete
more activities to increase their knowledge and fluency.
In this format, not only will the students be working hard, but I will be too. I will be able to answer more
questions during class time and interact more with each student. In fact, I will be giving doing a daily assessment of
their language skills and having a conversation both individually and in small groups in Spanish to help them become
more fluent. I will be able to do more checks for comprehension and be able to address any problems that students
are having with the material quickly.
I am looking forward to making this school year fun for our students and really getting them speaking. I’m sure there
will be some “Kinks” to work out with this new format, so I think you in advance for your patience. As always, if you
have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you,
Tara Bradley Williams
Lake Mills High School Spanish Teacher
Please read the attached syllabus and parent letter and initial two of the statements.
_______ I understand that my child will be expected to watch online videos daily outside of classtime as homework.
________We have internet access at home. OR _______We do NOT have internet access at home.
_____________________________________________________
Student Signature
____________________
Date
_____________________________________________________
Parent Signature
____________________
Date