IV. Implementation
Facilitator as Leader and Learner
If possible, I encourage facilitators to learn the language along with their
students. Studying along with them will enable facilitators to offer students
more guidance and assistance. Please stay in the classroom with the students.
You will find that I routinely discuss grading, scheduling, long-term assignments,
etc. during the video class. You won't want to miss this information. Please
contact KET as soon as a question or concern arises. We are here to give you
the support and information that you need.
Student Motivation
Find some place in the instructional area to display the map of the German-speaking
countries. I will refer to this map frequently, and it must be accessible to
the students. I would also suggest that you designate a space in your room as
a German corner, shelf, or bulletin board and encourage students to bring in
"things German" such as newspaper articles, photos, postcards, and
other realia.
Encourage students to communicate with the tutors and me regularly. Our web
site enables students to contact us at their convenience. Communication is vital!
Delegate responsibilities to the students. This is their Distance Learning
Classroom. They can print out and copy telephone lessons, catalogue tapes, keep
track of assignments, remind the facilitator of important dates, etc. Students
should have a vested interest in making the class successful.
German Web Page and Daily Planner
Check the German web page each day for the day's activities, assignments,
and announcements. The web page will also tell you if material has been sent
to you via mail, if there has been a change in plans, or if there is a message
waiting for you. If your Internet connection is temporarily down, you may refer
to the Daily Planner until you are able to reconnect. Effective communication
is our lifeline. You may contact me via telephone, e-mail, or U.S. Mail.
Using the information on the web page and the Daily Planner, maintain an up-to-date
notebook of all class activities, assignments, and exercises. Send or fax any
requested student work to me at KET. Please observe the deadlines, and remember
to make photocopies of assignments for yourself should an assignment go astray
in the mail.
Discipline
Maintain a relaxed but controlled classroom atmosphere. Help students with
their work, and make sure they are focused on the task at hand. Expect and encourage
students to use their oral skills whenever possible. I will reinforce this expectation
in class. This emphasis on oral communication and the nature of distance
learning itself - can create an unusually close-knit class.
Video Lessons
It is most important that the facilitator has the video lesson
ready to begin promptly. Each instructional day should keep students on task
for the entire period. Students must come prepared each day, bringing their
notebooks, textbooks, completed assignments, and a writing utensil.
The content of each lesson and relevant information are listed on the Syllabus
and Daily Planner, as well as on the German 3 web site. In addition, all assignments,
any changes in the course material, and up-to-date announcements are posted
on the web site. Please check the web site daily and in advance for this
information.
During video lessons, I expect students to take notes, respond aloud when
asked, check assignments, and work collaboratively on tasks using the instructional
materials in the classroom and on the Internet.
Once the video lesson begins, I suggest that you take attendance, check that
the students have come prepared for the lesson, and manage the interaction among
the students. Letting the students know you are observing them increases their
motivation. You will be giving a class participation grade to each student based
on these observations.
Quizzes may also be given during the video lesson. Generally, they are short
and objective. A key will be provided under the Facilitator Login for you to
check the answers and record the scores. Tests and essays will be sent
to KET for grading unless other instructions are given. This procedure is also
discussed in the Syllabus and Daily Planner.
Please proctor all tests and in-class assignments closely!
Telephone Lessons
Beginning with Video Lesson 10, two instructional days a week (three for block
course) will be spent practicing speaking and listening skills, completing independent
study activities, and working on the Internet. A portion of each of these instructional
hours will be spent working with an assigned tutor by speakerphone. Scheduling
for the telephone sessions will be done at the beginning of the school term.
(See Forms.)
An outline of each telephone lesson is posted on the web site each week. Each
student needs a copy of this outline at least one day prior to the assigned
telephone times. The number of the video lesson covered in each telephone lesson
appears after the title of the telephone lesson and on the Daily Planner.
The tutor will be the language resource when the teacher is not available.
The tutor also evaluates each student's performance and assigns an oral grade
according to the established guidelines. During the telephone lesson, the facilitator
should be sure students are attentive, prepared, and doing their own work. It
is important that students be given a chance to practice among themselves for
this session.
When students are not working with their tutor, they will be asked to complete
web activities, listen to the related recordings on their audiocassette or posted
on the web, or engage in other learning tasks. An audiocassette recorder
should be available in the classroom.
Three-Ring Binder
Each student is responsible for maintaining a three-ring binder. In this
binder, students are asked to keep their Lesson and Assignment Sheet, their
daily notes, telephone lessons, and any other handouts, which are distributed
during this course.
The proper maintenance of theis binder should be included in their
Class Participation Grade.
Missed Video Lessons
School cancellations due to bad weather or other unusual circumstances may
cause you to miss some days. Continue with the video lesson
missed when you return. If it is necessary to miss a number of days, contact
me and I will help you create a plan to catch up.
Testing
Please be sure that students do their own work during tests or other graded
assignments! If your site allows, seat students away from each other, or ask
them to use a cover sheet. Be sure students have put away their notes and books
unless I give other instructions. Keeping a copy of students' tests is also
recommended in case tests are lost in the U.S. Mail.
Attendance
Please keep roll each day as you would in a traditional classroom. Attendance
may be recorded on-line under the Facilitator Login, or the facilitator may
use the form provided. (See Forms.) The attendance record needs to show
whether a student is excused or unexcused when absent. This record may affect
how grades or make-up work are assigned.
When a student is absent, schedule a time for the student to view the lesson(s)
that was(were) missed. Please also give the student any missed assignments or
other important information.
Grading
Facilitators are asked to keep an up-to-date record of grades. Please keep
grades in a standard grade book or use the form provided in the "Forms"
section. Always keep a hard copy of the students' grades in case you cannot
access the Grading Program on the web site.
Enter the grades into the Grading Program loaded on the web site on a regular
basis. This enables the facilitator, student or parent to monitor student progress
at any time.
The Grading Program computes the percentage grade earned by the student. The
school assigns the letter grade according to its grading procedure. Please mail
to KET the grades given to each student whenever a grading period ends.
Six components determine the grades in the German classes:
Tests
Oral Performance
Quizzes
Essays
Notebook Questions
Class Participation
|
30%
20%
15%
15%
10%
10%
|
- Tests (30%)
Tests will be given approximately every 10-12 video lessons. The date and
nature of each test will be announced in advance. Test questions may cover
any of the material presented in the video lessons, the telephone lessons,
or other assigned activities. Attention will be given to the four basic skills
of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Cultural material will also
be tested. There will be a review test at the midterm and a comprehensive
final.
Generally, tests may be sent or faxed to KET for grading. Please check the
Daily Planner and Internet for more specific information. It is a good idea
to copy student tests before mailing them. Although it rarely occurs, tests
may get lost in the mail.
- Oral Performance (20%)
The telephone tutors evaluate your speaking and listening performance. Each
time you speak with your tutor, you will receive a grade for your performance.
There will also be opportunities for you to practice your oral skills on our
web site. An important aspect to remember is that making mistakes is part
of the foreign language learning process. Your preparation and willingness
to speak will play a major role in this assessment.
- Quizzes (15%)
Shorter and longer reading quizzes will be given from time to time. They will
always be announced. They may immediately follow some video segment
(such as a listening comprehension check), check a homework concept, or
monitor progress on vocabulary. The reading quizzes will be based on readings
from the Sowieso Reader/Activity book. The quizzes may be taken on-line
(after being "opened" by the facilitator) and graded electronically.
The scores will automatically be recorded in the electronic grade book.
Facilitators may also choose to print out a copy of the quizzes found
under Facilitator Login, grade them using the provided key, and manually
enter the scores into the grading program.
- Essays (15%)
To help improve your writing skills, you will write several essays throughout
the semester. Essays will vary in length and writing style. You will be asked
to submit them electronically via e-mail or the message center. Your first
draft of each essay will be returned to you with errors marked, and you
will then turn in a second (final) draft of the essay.Your telephone tutor
will usually grade the essay, using guidelines that the teacher has prepared.
Please be sure to observe all deadlines in order to ensure the highest
grade possible.
- Notebook Questions(10%)
On-line notebook questions will be posted for each video lesson. These
questions are linked to the web page for each video lesson ("Fernsehstunde").
The questions check each student's understanding of the material taught in
the video lesson. As the student watches the video lesson, he or she takes
notes. After viewing the video lesson, each student logs in to the Quiz Shop
from the German web page and enters the answers to the posted questions.
The responses will be electronically graded and recorded in the electronic
grade book. Ideally, the responses should be entered as soon as possible
after viewing the lesson. Please remind students that they can login from
any Internet connected computer in order to complete this task.
- Class Participation (10%)
Approximately every two weeks (every week for the block course), a grade slot
will appear for the Class Participation Grade. This grade is given by the
facilitator on a 100-point scale. In determining this grade, facilitators are
asked to consider each student's learning behavior, including timely
completion of all assignments, preparedness, positive attitude, willingness
to participate and effort. Students are encouraged to keep an updated Lesson
and Assignment Sheet. (This sheet can be found in the Forms section and
also in the Student Guide.)
A suggested breakdown for this component is as follows:
| |
Attitude and effort
Telephone lessons
Preparedness
*Summary of assignments
**(Forum Discussion) |
25 pts.
25 pts.
25 pts.
25 pts.
25 pts. |
*Every two weeks (every week for the block course) a summary of
assignments will be posted under the "Nicht vergessen!" icon on the
German web page. These summaries serve as a reminder to the facilitator
and the student of all assignments given.
**Periodically a Forum Discussion topic may be added as a fifth component.
For this, students will be asked to login and respond to an assignment
posted in the Forum. Each time a student participates in the discussion,
an electronic copy of the submission will be forwarded to the facilitator
via the message center. Facilitators are asked to evaluate the student's
response. We invite facilitators to read, and participate in the discussions
as well.
- A Note on "Sharing" Work
Unless other instructions are given, please be sure that students do their
own work during tests or other graded assignments. If your site allows, seat
students away from each other, or ask them to use a cover sheet. Be sure students
have put away their notes and books unless the teacher gives other instructions.
This is a copy of what appears in the Student Guide. Please go over these
with your students.
Making this course a success will require great care and commitment. In order
to gain the maximum possible benefit from the course, a student has certain
duties and responsibilities:
- Remember: This is interactive, multimedia instruction and not entertainment
television. It will be very important for you to interact with the teacher,
the tutors, and other members of your class. Language is a two-way process,
and you must learn to involve yourself in this process if you want to become
proficient. The teacher will provide you with many opportunities to communicate.
Take advantage of them!
- If you miss class for any reason, you should ask the facilitator for a tape
of the lesson you missed and check the German web site
for any missed assignments. You also should try to borrow notes from one of
your fellow students.
- I encourage you to use the German web site on the Internet regularly. It
will keep you up to date on homework assignments, tutoring schedules, and
other important announcements. It will also be used for some oral and listening
practice. And it is a convenient way for you to leave me a message at any
time.
- You must have all instructional materials with you for all class meetings.
- You must keep a portfolio with all writing assignments and an audiocassette.
- You must be prepared for your telephone lesson when the tutor calls.
- Learning a second language, like learning any other skill, requires daily
practice. Practice includes going over your notes, doing all the assignments,
and correcting your errors. Working with the language daily will reduce the
stress when it comes time for quizzes or tests.
Here are three things you can do right away:
- Complete the Student Photo and Information Form and return it to your facilitator.
The photo should be wallet size and clearly focused.
- Read the Student Agreement/Consent Form in Section II of the Student Photo
and Information Form carefully. You and your parent/guardian need to sign
the form. Signing the agreement shows that you accept the responsibilities
as outlined.
- Get a large three-ring binder notebook, make a copy of the Lesson and Assignment
Sheet and put it in the front of the notebook. You will need to make additional
copies as necessary. Keep this guide in your notebook for easy reference!
With your agreement and consent, KET will feature your German class on
the Internet. This helps to establish a sense of community in our virtual
classroom. In order to accomplish this, we will need information about you,
your students, school, and community that other members of the class might find
interesting.
For this feature, the facilitator and the students should consider sending
print material or photos of school realia (caps, picture of mascot, T-shirts,
etc.), students participating in activities, community events, local geography,
etc. The students might also consider recording a short interview about their school
and community for potential use on the Internet.
Introduction
One of the most exciting components of the KET German III Distance Learning
Course is the interactive web site. The web site enables facilitators and students
to keep up with daily lessons and assignments, receive important announcements,
maintain records for attendance and grades, communicate with the KET staff,
and perform a variety of learning and research activities. The following explanations
will help you navigate the web site.
German 3 Front Page: www.dl.ket.org/german3
The first time you visit the German 3 front page, please bookmark it for future
use. It is important that you check the web site daily for up-to-date information
about the class.
- Bottom Navigation Bar:
German III: The German 3 web site front page.
FAQ: This link posts general information about the class and the
use of the Internet.
Staff: This link introduces you to all the staff members of the KET
German Team. For each staff member there is a picture, biographical information,
e-mail address and link.
Search: Click here to search items posted on the German web site.
Distance Learning: Clicking on this link takes the user back to KET's
German section of the Distance Learning Home Page.
Kentucky Educational Television: Clicking on this link takes
the user to KET's Home Page.
- Upper Right Navigation Bar:
My Target: Lets you know what lesson you should be on for a
specific date. This is figured by the calendar your facilitator submitted
at the beginning of the year.
My Stuff:
- Assignments: takes you to a list of links for assignments for
any given day. These will include Notebook Questions, Kurzarbeiten (Quizzes),
Lesequizze(Reading Quizzes), and Romea und Julian (an on-line listening project).
- Grades: Takes you to the grading program where you can check you
assignment grades and class average.
- Mail: This is used to read your messages from the tutors or
your teacher, as well as send messages to the KET staff.
Login: This icon is used for all information requiring password protection.
It is also the way that facilitators and students send messages through the
message center. Logging in requires the user to enter an ID number and an
assigned password.
Facilitators will also use this function to access tests, quizzes, keys, grade
reports, and announcements for facilitators only. This feature may also be
used for students to take a quiz "on-line." An "on-line"
quiz is a quiz that enables each student to log in, enter the answers to the
posted items, and submit the answers for a grade. In order for this to happen,
facilitators must login, go to "quizzes," select the appropriate
quiz and click on "open." When students have finished the quiz,
the facilitator repeats the procedure and selects "close." This
denies any further access to the quiz.
Students will use the login function to take on-line quizzes as described
above or perform self-check quizzes, check on their grades, send messages,
etc.
It is important that ID numbers and assigned passwords are kept confidential.
If, at any time, the facilitator feels the security of the ID number or password
has been compromised, please call the KET distance learning office as soon
as possible to receive further instructions.
- Lesson:
This is the central feature of the German 3 front page. On the KET
web site, it posts the Inhalt (content), Hausaufgaben
(assignments), and Announcements for each instructional
day.
The number of the instructional day will be the heading for
each day's agenda. The headings correspond to the days listed in
the Daily Planner. (See Syllabus: Daily Planner and Check List.)
To the right of the heading are links to move back to the "Previous" day
or move forward to the "Next" day, or to see a list of "All"
the days so that you may choose which lesson you would like to view. There is
also a "Search" link to help you locate a specific topic, lesson, or
assignment within the German 3 web site.
It is important that students and the facilitator check the Lesson page
each day. This will help set the stage for the day's lesson. Please
note: In order for facilitators to receive tests, quizzes, etc., they must
login from the corresponding day. For instance, if a quiz is assigned for
Lesson 21, you must login from the front page with the title "Lesson
21" in order to access the master copy.
Here are some things the facilitator needs to do as soon as possible:
- Call KET for facilitator ID and password for Internet access (800.333.9764).
- Enter the names of students and their data on the Internet. Choose "Roster"
under Facilitator Login. For help, refer to "Using the Grading
Program" found under Site Information on the KET distance learning
home page. Call KET for the student passwords. If you are unable to do this,
please fill out the Enrollment/Attendance Form with the names of the students
enrolled at your site. Send this form to me immediately.
- Enter your school's calendar on the Internet. Choose "Calendar" under
Facilitator Login. Choose "Edit your school's calendar". Using the drop
down menus, enter the starting and ending dates of your school calendar. (If
taking a class on a block basis, just include the dates of the appropriate semester
rather than the whole year.) Click the "Submit" button. Next mark your
school holidays, in-service days, or days your school will not be in session. Click
the "Submit" button. Next enter the ending dates of your grading periods, and
click the "Submit" button. Finally generate your school's calendar. This
completes the calendar entry and sets up the "milestone progress goals"
for your school.
If you are enrolled in more than one KET course, the school calendar must be
entered for each course.
If you are unable to complete the calendar entry, please fax your school calendar,
indicating starting and ending dates, all holidays, and end of grading period dates.
We will enter the information for you.
- Visit the KET Distance Learning Web Site at www.dl.ket.org. Click
on the German class at the top, then on German III link and bookmark the page.
- Complete the Schedule Information for Telephone Lessons (See Forms.)
and mail or fax the schedule to KET.
- Complete your Facilitator Photo and Information Form. (See Forms.)
- Have the students fill out their Student Photo and Information Forms/Consent
Agreements. Send them to KET along with your information form. (See Forms.)
- Send in two or more group photos of your class. One will be kept on file;
the other will be given to your telephone tutor.
- Maintain a substitute's folder providing general information about the
KET classroom and schedule, the class roster, and the KET hotline numbers.
- Check the list of materials in the Read Me First section, to see
whether you have everything needed for your site. If you do not, contact KET
as soon as possible.
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