La profesora Susy

You will be working with a very friendly and qualified Instructor for Guatemala. Her name is Susy Velasquez and she is been teaching Spanish to students from all over the world who come to Antigua (Guatemala) to learn the language and experience the culture.

Susy and her husband direct Spanish Traveling, a school in Antigua where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture. Lessons are conducted outdoors; in a coffee plantation, at the beach, in the street...always outdoors and while you are traveling. She thinks it is a shame to be learning Spanish an a classroom when it's a beautiful day outside and so much to learn!
By the way, Guatemala is known as the country of the eternal springtime. They don't know what cold is about. When it is chilly they say it is freezing!



Susy is married to Antonio, a local from Antigua as well and they have 2 beautiful girls: Jessica and Sofia.









Susy loves teaching the Spanish language and her love for sharing the culture of her country is always there. When students come to Spanish Traveling to improve their Spanish skills they have a great time with her.

Check out the video of one of her students:

Reflective journal Evaluation Rubric

Time slots for students class time

We would like to know what is the best time slot in your week to take your class. Please take the survey below.
It will take you less than a minute.


We are trying to provide as many options for time class as possible and hopefully you can make it work in your schedule.

Learning reflection journal

What's a blog?

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.
Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

What's a blog for the Spanish online course?

Publish your thoughts in Spanish anytime you want. We also want to provide you with a tool to make reflections about your learning every week. You can write in English about your reflections and in Spanish about your thoughts, plans, routine...just express yourself!

This reflective journal will be part of your grade and it will provide Instructors insight on their teaching and for students on their learning.

You will have access to the recordings of your live direct contact hours and feel free to review the recording before you write your journal entries.

Here it goes some tips on an effective reflective activity:

1. Share a synthesis of the learning experience. We encourage you to share genuine emotions in a nonthreatening environment.Example: Aha! experiences.During the time of this course you may experience what is term an "Aha" moment- a moment when something that you have read or study makes sense with an unexpected clarity.


2. Describe the personal value of the content you will be studying with your life. Example: if words you will be learning are you planning to use them soon in your life, in your community...


3. Post new things that you have learn that week in class with Susy in English or Spanish!

Remember to reflect, activities that are done quickly are reactive, not reflective.


It is very simple, just follow the following steps.

1. Go to www.blogger.com
2. Create an account
3. Name the blog
4. Choose a name: http://_____________.blogspot.com


Now you are ready to blog in the Spanish class!!

Reflective journal at Blogger.com

What's a blog?

A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.
Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules.

What's a blog for the Spanish online course?

Publish your thoughts in Spanish anytime you want. We also want to provide you with a tool to make reflections about your learning every week. You can write in English about your reflections and in Spanish about your thoughts, plans, routine...just express yourself!

This reflective journal will be part of your grade and it will provide Instructors insight on their teaching and for students on their learning.

You will have access to the recordings of your live direct contact hours and feel free to review the recording before you write your journal entries.

Here it goes some tips on an effective reflective activity:

1. Share a synthesis of the learning experience. We encourage you to share genuine emotions in a nonthreatening environment.Example: Aha! experiences.During the time of this course you may experience what is term an "Aha" moment- a moment when something that you have read or study makes sense with an unexpected clarity.
2. Describe the personal value of the content you will be studying with your life. Example: if words you will be learning are you planning to use them soon in your life, in your community...
3. Post new things that you have learn that week in class with Susy in English or Spanish!

Remember to reflect, activities that are done quickly are reactive, not reflective.





It is very simple, just follow the following steps.

1. Go to www.blogger.com
2. Create an account
3. Name the blog
4. Choose a name: http://

La profesora Susy

You will be working with a very friendly and qualified Instructor for Guatemala. Her name is Susy Velasquez and she is been teaching Spanish to students from all over the world who come to Antigua (Guatemala) to learn the language and experience the culture.


Susy and her husband direct Spanish Traveling, a school in Antigua where students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture. Lessons are conducted outdoors; in a coffee plantation, at the beach, in the street...always outdoors and while you are traveling. She thinks it is a shame to be learning Spanish an a classroom when it's a beautiful day outside and so much to learn!
By the way, Guatemala is known as the country of the eternal springtime. They don't know what cold is about. When it is chilly they say it is freezing!



Susy is married to Antonio, a local from Antigua as well and they have 2 beautiful girls: Jessica and Sofia.











Susy loves teaching the Spanish language and her love for sharing the culture of her country is always there. When students come to Spanish Traveling to improve their Spanish skills they have a great time with her.

Check out the video of one of her students:

How will it work?

The first need I need to find out is the best time for you to take the "Direct contact class" with Susy and organize the groups.
You need to take a 1 minute survey posted on "Time slots for students"



Technology requirements

1. High-speed internet (Cable or DSL)

2. Strongly recommended to use a Webcam. Test it before the class

3. You will need a headset.

To access the class

Once you know your assigned time for the class, you will go here:

Student link: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007002&password=M.BA7BAF400ED710EB45E65AE4FE29C9

Very important information for accessing the virtual class:

1. First time entering the class and right after typing the password, it will ask you to download a flash application to enter the class.

2. Once you enter, click on "Audio" and run the "Set up audio wizard"

3. Click on the "Send the video" button to broadcast your camera.

Introduction

Dear Spanish online students,

My name is Elena Casillas and I am working together with your Spanish Instructor Helga Winkler in conducting this pilot program for Moorpark College. The pilot program is sponsored by a Higher Education Publishing company who is evaluating the best practices for the online learning and teaching of the Spanish language.

The pilot program will consist on offering Spanish direct contact hours with a qualified native Instructor in Guatemala once a week in small groups of 2-4 students for 45 minu

It is very important that we will be using this site as a portal to the project. I will posting information gradually and we will be communicating using this blog.

The pilot program will focus on 2 important elements that will be supplementing your En linea course and that will be part of your course assesment. Your Instructor will replace a part of your workload of the En linea and maybe some extra credit for the following:

1. Direct contact hours with a tutor from Guatemala. Once a week, in groups of 2 or 3 students, you will be conversing in Spanish for 45 min. Your tutor from Guatemala knows what your level is and what you are studying every week so just be prepare to put the language in practice. It will be fun!

2. Reflective journal of your experiences taking this course using Blogger.com. It is really easy. I am doing it right now!

We are very excited to hear that you have volunteered to take part of this and to hear your feedback at the end of the semester. This is a unique opportunity to put in practice the Spanish you are learning on your own with a qualified native Instructor in Guatemala. We will be using a virtual class where you will be able to hear, see and interact with your direct contact tutor and your classmates.

Click below to watch a video of a class:





P.S Look in the blog archives on the right to see the rest of the postings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!