Running Head: DISCOVERING CULTURE

Discovering Culture
A Blended Online Learning Course for Spanish II
Morgan Akin
Kennesaw State University

DISCOVERING CULTURE

Overview of Modules
This course is tied very closely to the Georgia Performance Standards (2009) for Level Two
Foreign Language classrooms. Many of these standards are often easily overlooked in light of all
the grammar, vocabulary, speaking and reading skills that are also outlined in these standards.
That is why this course was created. It helps to promote an authentic learning environment to not
only assess these standards but to allow the learners a chance to take them beyond the four
classroom walls into their communities for exploration and mastery. Some of the Georgia
Performance Standards (2009) addressed in this course include the following:
MLII.CU1B Identify patterns of behavior typically associated with cultures, such as eating
and shopping customs, leisure activities, and celebration of national holidays.
MLII.CCC2A Compare and contrast traditions, such as holidays, foods, and celebrations.
MLII.CCC2C Compare and contrast the geography of countries of the target language and
the students own country and discuss its impact on culture.
MLII.CCC5A Develop and apply target language skills and cultural knowledge beyond the
classroom setting for recreational, educational, and occupational purposes.
Learner Outcomes
By the end of the course, learners will be expected to identify and expound upon the three
elements of culture as outlined by their standards. They will be able to provide examples and
presentations both orally and written to prove their mastery of these concepts. Students will
compare and contrast their own culture with various cultures of the Spanish world as well as give
examples of cultural events in Spanish speaking countries in the form of presentations and
analytical papers.

DISCOVERING CULTURE

Description of learners
The Discovering Culture course was designed for students in their second level of Spanish in the
high school setting. Learners taking part in this specific course are students that attend Jefferson
High School in Jefferson, Ga. They have completed one level of Spanish and will simultaneously
be enrolled in both the online culture course as well as their second level Spanish course at the
high school.
Context of Course
This course is designed to last six weeks. Each module is open for a one week period of time.
The first module is designed to orient students to the course. They complete a quiz over the
course overview which is essentially an extended syllabus describing the expectations of student
and teacher. The last module is a reflection module in which students will think about their own
mastery of the standards they have worked on during the course. They also evaluate the course as
a means for bettering the instruction and gaining valuable insight into the students selfassessment of their learning.
This culture course is to be taught mostly online, however, there are some blended elements to it.
For example, at the beginning of each week/module, the module will be discussed in the physical
classroom. Also, as an accommodation, there is an option to have a printed copy of the material
for each module within the physical classroom. Questions or concerns that the students may have
may be directed at the teacher through the online course learning management system, or in
person before or after school. The course was designed intentionally this way due to the fact that
some students may not have internet access at home or may be just learning how to navigate an
academic course.

DISCOVERING CULTURE

Student Demographics
While the foreign language courses at the school contain a variety of student age groups, most
students will be in their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school. Jefferson High School
is comprised of both students from within and outside the district. Those from outside the district
pay tuition to attend the school and must meet higher levels of testing and behavior requirements
before they are enrolled.
Student Growth Measures
Weekly assessments of content mastery include blog posts directed at student exploration of
culture in their own lives, their community, and Spanish culture. Also, students are required to
read and research current events occurring within their own community and the Spanishspeaking world and relate them to the cultural elements being studied that week. They are asked
to read and respond to their peers posts in an effort to create a positive group environment for
the online class as a whole as well as enrich their exposure to culture.
There is one summative assessment in the last few modules where students create a presentation
of the culture from a Spanish-speaking country. They are also asked to review another students
presentation and report what they learn. This gives them both the role of teacher and learner.
Course Design and Accessibility
Each module is setup in a common structural format allowing the students to easily access
various parts of the modules in easy-to-locate areas of the site. The consistency in layout is done
purposefully for students to easily navigate the course. This course also includes videos, options
for voice recordings, and other supports to enrich and vary the learning experience for the
learner.

DISCOVERING CULTURE

The Discovering Culture online course is built within Schoology which is ADA compatible. As
stated by Schoology in their Product Accessibility Template, When electronic forms are
designed to be completed on-line, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to
access the information
Differentiation
Each student will be graded using the same rubrics. However the rubrics allow for students to
interpret and create their own product to be graded. Many writing and oral assignments in this
course are subjective in that they are the students own interpretation of culture. The assignments
based in their own culture should be extremely personalized to the students choice of what they
share based on their preferences, interests, and comfort level.

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References

Georgia Performance Standards Modern Languages Level II. (2009, March 1). Retrieved
December 3, 2015.
Schoology Product Accessibility Template. (n.d.).