Use of E-Portfolio
Spanish 173
Introduction to Latin America
Spring 2010
Julie Kline
Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies
UW-Milwaukee
Course Description
This interdisciplinary, online course will explore aspects of Latin American
geography, history, economics, environment, society, politics and culture. In addition
to a course instructor, Latin Americanist scholars from throughout UWM will
contribute podcast interviews on salient issues within their discipline.
An interdisciplinary course could conceivably be a series of unrelated bits and pieces
offering a smattering of facts about a vast topic. Latin America and the Caribbean
are far too varied, their histories far too complex, their cultures far too extensive to
cover entirely in a one semester course. On the other hand, an interdisciplinary
course offers the opportunity to study both the diversity and commonalities within the
region across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, readings and classroom
activities will explore a great deal about daily life, about class, ethnicity, race and
gender, about institutions, and about change and continuity in the Americas.
As a central organizing element, the class will participate in an online collaborative
project involving kiva.org, a microfinance facilitator. Kiva connects people through
lending to alleviate poverty. As a class (at no financial cost to students), we will learn
about Latin America by connecting directly with small-scale entrepreneurs in Latin
America working to improve their lives, their families and communities.
 Interdisciplinary course
 Wide range of majors/ interests
 Emphasis on synthesis of content
http://www.kiva.org/
Kiva.org Group Project
In assigned groups (see Groups for Kiva.org Project in CONTENT), you will
determine a specific microfinance project that you wish to help support at the
website kiva.org. Funding will be provided by the course (no cost to the
student). The project will consist of a series of short research, writing and
presentation tasks, collaboratively produced by the group throughout the
remainder of the course.
Thinking ahead to the individual synthesis project…
You’ll note in the syllabus that in lieu of a final, you’ll have an individual project
due at the end of the semester, using e-portfolio (you’ll see the link at the
top left menu bar within the course). E-portfolio will allow you to collect items
(writing, images, web links, video, sound files) that you can easily turn into a
presentation. I mentioned this now, because as you work on the group
project, you may develop a particular interest you wish to pursue: women in
Haiti, for example, or traditional arts in Guatemala. Be on the look out along
the way for resources/information you may wish to tuck away into e-portfolio
for your individual synthesis project.
Practice:
E-Portfolio Introductions
Include a photo that represents home and explain why.
Add a little about self.
Conclude with a short reflection on how this selection
relates to the course.
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presentation_
preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=7499&pageId=4367&ak=
Anke Kreuser
Environment in Bolivia
 https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presentation_preview
_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=12353&pageId=7460&ak=
Jay Gerardin
Business Growth in Nicaragua
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presentation_pr
eview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=13278&pageId=7467&ak=
Katelyn Lucas
Managua, Nicaragua: Earthquake of
1972
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/prese
ntations/presentation_preview_popup.d2l?ou=20
9841&presId=12330&pageId=7213&ak=
Ernestor Lira
Women in Nicaragua
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presentation_pr
eview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=11383&pageId=7079&ak=
Pehsapan Weso
Women and Inequality in Nicaragua
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presentation
_preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=13147&pageId=7436&ak=
Dottie Woodkey
Guinea Pigs in Latin America
https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/presentations/presen
tation_preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=12323&pageId=
7238&ak=
Julie Kline
Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies
UW-Milwaukee
jkline@uwm.edu