2+Online+Course+Description

**Review and describe the course description of the online course in which you are completing your practicum**
 * My practicum course is an AP Spanish course. It is a very intensive course designed to prepare students to take the AP test in May. The AP Spanish Language Exam is comprised of four major sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.   The preparation includes exposure to a variety of both spoken and written Spanish. Throughout the year students will read and discuss poems, short stories, and excerpts from novels of 20th century and present day writers. Students will also follow current events from the Hispanic world by reading articles from online periodicals and watching the news. They also listen to popular Hispanic music and watch a bit of television in Spanish. The workload is tremendous in this course. It was explained to me that there are three levels of course work at VHS and the AP level expects students to spend between 10-12 hours per week on course work – as opposed to 6-8 for a regular level course or 8-10 for an Honors level course. The amount of discussions, activities, threads, and technologies woven into this course is extreme!
 * See my reflections on this practicum at: []

**What do incoming students know about the course from the course description? Is it accurate? Is it appropriate? What is the "hook" that makes students pick this course over other courses?**
 * The course description touches on most parts of the course. It appears to be accurate and appropriate. I think that the hook in this case is that the students want to be prepared to do well on the AP test. There isn’t much point in taking an AP Spanish course if you don’t intend to take and do well on the test. This is the motivation.

**To what degree can a course outline prepare a student for "self-reliant" learning?**
 * The course outline prepares a student for self reliant learning in that it outlines everything that is expected of the student. The instructions, deadlines and expectations are clear. The rubrics are provided that let the student self evaluate his or her work before turning it in. The student should have a very clear idea of how he or she did on the project by looking at the rubric and seeing if all the expectations are met or surpassed. By providing the rubrics and clear expectations, the final products should come out better and students can more confidently present their work because they are certain that they did what was expected of them.

**A "learning-centered" syllabus can be an important learning tool that will reinforce the intentions roles, attitudes and strategies that you will use to promote active, purposeful, effective learning. How does the course description support this "learning-centered" approach?**
 * The course description supports the learning centered approach in that it clearly outlines what is going to be done in the class and what the intended out come will be. Students can be assured that everything that is done in this class has a clear intended purpose. Everything prepares the student for what to expect on the AP exam. There are practice tests, literary studies, vocabulary and grammar exercises that all must be mastered for the exam. There is no busy work in this course. Everything is focused on the goal. This is very learner centered, as anything with busy work is definitely not learner centered. The feedback that students get on all written work assists students in preparing for the written portion. The Wimba Voice board prepares students for the speaking part, the grammar and literature prepare for the grammar and vocabulary sections of the exam. There is a thread of purpose throughout the course. The syllabus outlines all these items clearly for the students.