SACS Spanish Classroom Proposal

Dr. Shamas and PTO Members,

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Thank you for taking the time to read the Spanish Grant Proposal.  It has been my pleasure to work with your children this 2023-24 year.   As you know, this is my first year teaching at St. Anne.  Stepping into someone else's shoes isn't easy.  Taking stock of where the students were in terms of foreign language learning was my first priority. Second was to create engaging lessons that would bolster student self confidence in the foreign language classroom.  

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The elementary students have no self confidence issues.  They raise their hands to participate even if they don't know the answer.  It's also my first year teaching elementary and QTalk.  I love how the students are so eager to learn and participate.  QTalk is a symbol based online learning platform that makes learning a second language easy and fun.  Even the youngest emerging readers can read symbols and associated words with those symbols.  It's amazing to see and hear them recite sentences based on what they see.  In addition to using the online resources QTalk provides, I'd like to get students to the point where they can read 1 short story/book per semester and complete a book project. To do this, we need books on all levels. I'd also like a half moon table to begin setting up QTalk stations. 

 

Middle school is a different story.  Coaxing them into participating and changing their fixed mindset to a growth mindset was and still is a goal.  During the first week of class, I constantly heard, negative sentiments about learning Spanish.  One of my students, a girl, came straight up to me and said, " I'm not good at Spanish."  She was basically telling me not to expect much.  She wasn't the only one making this sort of statement.  So the challenge was on to figure out how to help the students not only feel successful but also be successful. To accomplish this, I created engaging lessons that fostered the desire to want to participate. By creating a blended classroom environment, I have introduced a variety of online resources that keep the students actively engaged in the learning process.  This Spring, I introduced DuoLingo to the classroom in the hope that students will take an active role in their own learning.

 

Since we have a small school a language lab is not cost effective so I researched for the next best thing. I have chosen a new digital curriculum for next fall.  The Voces curriculum offers us the opportunity to record spoken and written answers as well as provides us with thematic topics that align with themes taught in high school.  Recently, a parent donated headphones to the class for next fall.  We will need a supply of alcohol wipes to clean the microphones before each use.  In addition, I would like 1 set of readers that I can use for a reading comprehension project.   Most of all I would like a computer storage unit that will charge the computers each night.  In addition, the classroom needs some cultural decor like a cultural mural poster to decorate the classroom.  

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I think most of you know that teaching is a second career for me.  I feel a little late coming to the party but at least I made it.  I began teaching just before Covid struck and that pushed me into making full use of technology in the classroom.  Our students of today are not like we were.  They practically are born knowing how to navigate technology.  Technology is part of our lives, embracing it in the classroom is only logical.  Preparing our students for the real world is part of what we do.  By utilizing all the tools available to us, we as teachers can appeal to the modern day student's interest and creativity while teaching valuable skills that will transfer into high school and college.  It is for this reason, that I have embarked on creating a blended classroom environment where students get the best of both worlds from traditional foreign language teaching methods to using technology to enhance the learning experience. 

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Thank you for letting me share the plans I have for the Spanish classroom at SACS.  Feel free to roam around the website I created as my grant proposal presentation.  It showcases some of the good work we are doing and hope to do in the future.  With that in mind, the Spanish classroom could benefit from a few items that will help the program grow in its mission to prepare SACS students for High School.  Please click on the button at the top of the page to see our wish list.

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