Interested+Curriculum

** What is the curricular problem that you would like to solve? Why are you interested in developing a curriculum? **
I am looking to work on our Spanish 4 curriculum that we have at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. I am interested in this because, at the present time, our department is working on updating our curriculum to the New Jersey and World Language standards and focusing on UbD. I have not taught this class yet (my first time will be in January 2012), and I want to structure the class where it will be more fluid and the teachers will be able to keep the theme of relationships coexist with culture throughout the year.

The length of the course is 90 days using block scheduling format. The solution will be better as the students will be able to see a constant “theme” in the short stories that we will be reading and discussing throughout the semester. Many times, the students see transitions from chapter to chapter as being stagnate, but I think by making this more transparent, it will make the class run smoother.

** Horizontal Relevance **
At the present time, we can compare our curriculum with others in the school that are the same level as Humanities and Geography. In a world language class, you can’t always be on the same level as the other subjects but it’s always nice to hear when someone says, we are doing something cross-curricular.

** Vertical Articulation **
As the students leave level 3, they have a stronger use of vocabulary and have gone through the indicative, subjunctive and imperative moods. As the course is right now, level 4 continues to polish up the grammar and add even more vocabulary as the students will now have to infer and use circumlocution of words that they don’t know how to say which will help them to build vocabulary. Level 4 prepares the students to continue on to level 5 and then to AP. The students at this course can handle much more formal operations and complexity of thinking hypothetically in addition to doing this in a world language class.

Previous: Getting to Know Your Students Next: Reflection with Darcy

p.2