Bilingual Education

Instructor Name:

Raven Chakerian

CRN:

14144

Email:

Course Description:

This Capstone is spread out over two terms (3 credits each in Fall and Winter) and centers on two community-service components. First, students will volunteer as tutors/classroom aides in a bilingual Spanish/English dual immersion program at a local elementary school. In addition, students will design a classroom activity for a website which serves as a resource for teachers in need of interactive activities in Spanish (http://www.sca.pdx.edu/).

During the course, students will read and discuss material that complements their volunteer experience. Students will also keep reflective diaries (one entry per week) summarizing and analyzing their experiences as classroom aids. Each student will write a critical summary on two articles per term dealing with issues related to bilingual education. The summaries may be written in English or Spanish. All Capstone participants must be able to demonstrate oral proficiency in Spanish at the 300 level. Please contact Raven Chakerian,raven@pdx.edu, for more information.

Project Description:

Guidelines for Final Project for Bilingual Education Capstone

The purpose of this assignment is to prepare an activity which aligns with Portland Public Schools Benchmarks, which are curriculum and assessment guides that break down the competency-based Oregon Common Curriculum goals so that they can be easily applied for lesson and course design as well as testing. A link to this document can be found at the Spanish Curriculum Archive web site. You will need to read this document.

Each of you should choose one of the Communication sub-strands (Listening and Speaking, Reading, Writing) or the Culture strand. Once you have chosen the sub-strand/strand, you will need to familiarize yourself with the contents of the Benchmark document in order to assure that your activity follows the guidelines outlined in this document and that it directly addresses the goals and standards of the Benchmarks. If you choose to prepare a Listening and Speaking activity, you do not need to provide a recording of the listening component.

Attached is a worksheet to guide you in the preparation of the activity. It would be appropriate for you to prepare an activity geared to the age group of the students in the classes at Barnes with whom you are working. The worksheet should be completed in English; many of the teachers who will utilize the website do not speak or read Spanish.

Your final project will include the completed worksheet and all ancillary materials required for the successful realization of your activity (with the exception of a recording of the listening component of a Listening and Speaking activity). Please note that after you have been assigned a grade for this project, it will be reviewed to ensure both its pedagogical soundness and its adherence to the Benchmarks before inclusion in the website. The results of the review will have no bearing on the grade you receive in the course. It is possible that your activity may be changed before it is included in the website.