A GILS course is very labor intensive, but there is a concerted effort to also connect the student and the language to the culture where the language is used. Of interest here is the poster about the Arabic spring (continued interest) from the 1st semester and then the student’s video about her family. Note the comments by evaluators.
View work.
Think the 5 C’s!. The student provides evidence of how his language studies are integrally connected to his study of History as well as Women and Gender Studies.
See the reflection.
Matt wrote this reflection as part of a capstone experience while looking back on a course that he took in his junior year. Of particular interest is his use of the CanDo self-efficacy terms found in the course surveys offered by the Department each semester. These survey terms are designed to scaffold students’ metacognitive skills and reflection on their progress and help them set up goals.
Visit the site.
We have a beta program where we are offering less commonly taught languages using the NASILP model. Do take a look at this student’s course page.
We are very happy with the use of course objectives and students providing “evidence” of having met these objectives.
The digital pen has been a real find; students are writing the alphabet in the 1st semester and saying the letters as they write. They tell me that this helps them hear their mistakes and forces them to read, not just draw. These pens should also make it easier for our off-campus evaluator to see their work.
We are insisting on a proficiency approach where students speak the language, not just write it and take tests as may be the case at another institution. Moreover, our students taking this independent study, have formed a small support group of heritage speakers and Americans; they are working together on both written and spoken proficiency –a true community of learners.
This sample site is the eportfolio of a Freshman; we’re looking forward to seeing her document her learning over the semester and the next four years.
Instructors: M. Toulouse, N. Hamouch, M. Geoffrion-Vinci
Conversation partner: Y. Selum Lafayette College
Students worked with the Max Kade Center writer in residence to write and perform their own play. At the end of the semester, students used multimedia to compose aon their experience.
Instructor: M. Lamb-Faffelberger Lafayette College
Katie graduated in 2010. She worked on the ePortfolio over a three year period of time. The Can Do survey and Dialang results helped shape her course choices and final self-reflections. Please compare her CanDo surveys to her home page and final reflections page.
Instructor: M. Geoffrion-Vinci Lafayette College
Matt was an engineering major, Spanish minor. He is currently working for an international chemical firm in Pennsylvania. He has exported his original ePortfolio from Lafayette’s servers and is continuing to build it in his current job.
Please see here his self-reflections on his work in Spanish while at Lafayette.
Instructor: M. Geoffrion-Vinci Lafayette College
This student is enrolled in the FLL methods class as part of his preparation to be a GILS conversation partner. Of note are the course outcomes and and the evidence that he provides as he completes each one. This is a team taught class, so he will have responses from several instructors.
Course outcomes and evidence provided by student.
Instructors: Hammouch, Toulouse, Qualtere, Geoffrion-Vinci, Lafayette College
A senior project in German describing the different learning experiences in this seminar course: intensive writing, discussions, web conferencing with students at a German university studying politics. This is a scaffolded assignment where students send in a written draft and then compose using images and video clips from the semester as well as reflect on and read from texts studied. Targeting all 5 communicative modes and connections.
Instructor: M. Lamb-Faffelberger
Lafayette College