FLAN 403 SPRING 2014
Pedagogical Service-Learning Project with
Southeastern Louisiana University
HEAD START
Spanish: Gumpert, Javaherian, Sánchez
Course Description, Goals and General Objectives:
Flan 403 is a pedagogical venture, a partnership between the Department of Languages and
Communication and the SLU Head Start. Students participating in all of these ventures will address
all five of the goal areas for standards established by the ACTFL: Communication, Cultures,
Connections, Comparisons, Communities. More specifically, they will engage in the following best
practices of second-language teaching:
o
‘Present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a
variety of topics (Standard 1.3 [Communication]). Head Start service learners will work with
their classroom teachers to introduce second-language vocabulary adaptable to materials
being taught by the classroom teacher.
o
‘Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and
perspectives of the culture studied' as well as the 'relationship between its products and
perspectives' (Standards 2.1 and 2.2, 'Cultures') by virtue of preparing and implementing
mini second-language cultural units for their respective classes.
o
‘Reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign
language' (Standard 3.1, 'Connections'). In the case of Head Start, service learners will
accomplish this through having children interact with vocabulary that is varied and adapted to
the classroom teacher's presentations in the native language.
o
‘Demonstrate understanding of the nature of language and the concept of culture
through comparisons of the language and cultures studied and their own.' (Standards
4.1, 4.2). They will be putting into practice what they are learning about childhood bilingual
education both from their young charges and from their investigative materials, and they will
be assessing their results in checklist performance (Pre-K) and quizzes and other formative
evaluative activities (K-12), when appropriate.
o
‘Use the language both within and beyond the school setting' (Standard 5.1,
'Communities') by taking their language skills to children in their community who otherwise
might not encounter them at the early age when second-language learning is most effective.
I. Requirements and Guidelines for Spanish Service-Learners.
Students will meet each week with their assigned faculty mentor to plan for the weekly lessons.
Lesson plans should not only be discussed in person with a mentor, but each lesson should be sent
via e-mail to all of the faculty mentors at the following
addresses: mgumpert@selu.edu, cjavaherian@selu.edu, mariela.sanchez@selu.edu. Each
lesson plan needs to be reviewed by a Flan 403 faculty before being taught; this is a mandatory
requirement. An un-reviewed lesson plan will represent 6 points reduction per lesson on your grade.
Service learners for Head Start will help in the planning and implementation of two-three mini
classes (depending on the number of interns we have in any given semester) of 15-20 minutes
duration to be given for 10 weeks in 6 classes of Head Start youngsters, ages 3-5. They will work as
a team with foreign language faculty who initially visit each class with the intern and offer advice
about the implementation of the class. After the initial period of observation, the interns will be
observed on an intermittent basis, but they will be formally evaluated on two occasions.
Development and implementation of learning activities and assessment of results will be a primary
focus of this project. Since Head Start administrators follow the policy of non-testing for children at
this level, the only assessment tool requirement (and only for Education or Alternate Certification
majors) will be the devising of and implementing of a skills checklist, in keeping with early childhood
development and in accordance with ACTFL general guidelines for standards. Twenty (20) contact
hours of observation and/or teaching (with two mini-classes constituting one contact hour) will be
required for all Education majors.
Non-education majors will have twelve (12) contact hours (of observation and/or direct teaching,
instead of the 20 required of Education majors. It is expected that both Spanish Education majors
and Spanish majors or minors will help with the preparing of the piñata party held each semester,
after classes end. This is a unique opportunity for hands-on learning with young pupils in a fun
atmosphere.
Students will keep a reflective journal of their service-learning experiences and will create a portfolio
with materials produced in this course. Education majors will receive documented credit towards the
fulfillment of their extra service and observation hours now required by the Department of
Education. A log is kept in the main office of Head Start, and the student will be required to sign in
and out each day he/she serves in this facility. Education majors should remember to acquire a
copy of the logs of time spent in either place, to facilitate entering observation/teaching hours into
Passport.
Grading. Grades will be based on the following points distribution:
I.
Book Review Written Summary of a study concerning bilingual education.
Two-page typed (double-spaced) summary. Due Feb. 14, 2014…………………………..50 points
II.
Attendance / Participation...................................................................200 points
This is a very important part of each participant's grade. Absenteeism, tardiness and lack of
preparation are not acceptable (except in a true emergency) due to the fact that students will be
working with youngsters and their teachers in very structured school settings. Teachers are
incorporating our students into their carefully-organized pedagogical plans and are counting on us to
be present and participate at the scheduled times.
Head Start Participants: 200 points will be awarded for participation in each of the weekly class
sessions (20 hours for Education majors and 12 hours for Non-education majors). Points will be
awarded at 10 points per hour (an hour = 2 or 3 classes taught, depending on the need, usually
back-to-back, on one or two days) for Spanish Education Majors and 16.5 points for Spanish Majors
or Minors. A log specifically set up for keeping track of hours will be kept in the Foreign Language
file folder in the main office of Head Start. The participation points also include a weekly consultation
in the office of a FLAN 403 mentor) for approval of the week’s lesson plan. As mentioned before, a
-6-point penalty will apply for failure to meet with a mentor for guidance in the creation and approval
of any weekly lesson plan.
III.
Development, Presentation, and Implementation of Pedagogical Materials…160 points
Up to 160 points may be awarded for development, presentation, implementation, and assessment
of pedagogical materials in the respective weekly classes for which each participant will be
responsible. Participating faculty mentors will evaluate each student intern 2 times (a possible 80
points are awarded during each of the two evaluations), in the areas of: 1) pronunciation; 2)
grammar, diction, and syntax; 3) development and implementation of age-appropriate activities, with
an effort being made in all school settings, to create and execute these activities, in accordance with
ACTFL standards., 4) development and execution of an assessment tool or tools (when required
and/or appropriate), and 5) classroom management and rapport established with the children.
Together, these evaluations constitute a mid-term and final.
IV.
Journal for Self-Reflection………………………………………………………………40 points
40 points will be awarded for 4 personal journal entries (at 10 points apiece), each at least one
double-spaced, typewritten page in length, which students will write every other week, beginning
with the second or third week of meeting with their classes (see timetable below), for the purposes of
self-reflection on their ongoing endeavors in their respective classrooms. Guidelines will be provided
as to the content of these journals.
Journal 1_________________________________________________________ Feb. 21, 2014
Journal 2__________________________________________________________Mar. 14, 2014
Journal 3__________________________________________________________Apr. 4, 2014
Journal 4__________________________________________________________May 2, 2014
V. Portfolio…………………………………………May 9th, 2014 (last day of classes) ...50 points
Students will keep a portfolio of their work that will show a variety of content area taught over the
course of the semester. It will be graded on:
1)
Completeness ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15 pts.
2)
Neatness and organization-----------------------------------------------------------------------15 pts.
3)
Creativity (originality / materials / quality of presentation) ------------------------------15 pts.
4)
Meeting deadline /------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------5 pts.
It should include the summary of the book review, 4 self-reflective journals, 2 evaluations,
10 lesson plans, assessment tools (if required--for education majors only) and samples of
teaching materials created during the course. Samples of portfolios from previous semesters
are available for viewing prior to completion of this final project. The portfolio will be due on
or before Friday, May 9th (the last day of classes).
SUMMARY OF POINTS TO BE AWARDED AND GRADING SCALE EQUIVALENT:
500-450 = A
449-399 = B
398-348 = C
347-322 = D
321-0 = F
The above is equivalent to the following, based on a 10%-percent scale:
A-100/90
B-89/80
C-79/70
D-69/65
F-below 64
GENERAL DATES TO REMEMBER:
a. Last day to withdraw or resign from the University for regular semester only will be Friday, March 14th (by 12:30pm)
b. Term I the withdraw day will be Friday, Feb, 14th (by 12:30pm).
c. Term II the withdraw day will be Thursday, May 1st (by 5:00pm).
d.All rental textbooks must be returned to textbook rental on or before 6:00 p.m. on the first business day following the last
day of final examinations. Hours of operation each day during final exams: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Rental books must be purchased if not returned by Friday, May. 23rd– by 12:30 p.m