Peer Review

Modulos Culturales

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Reviewed:: Nov 24, 2003 by World Languages

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Modulos Culturales is an extremely well designed multimedia literacy project
designed for first-year Spanish language students. There are four modules of
short texts or extracts from longer texts including Argentine writer Jorge Luis
Borges' self portrait "Borges y yo,"Mexican author,Francisco Jimenez' "Cajas de
Carton," and the works of two Spanish authors, Juan Ramon Jimenez' "Platero y
yo," and Gustavo Adolfo Becquer's "Rimas." These reading selections and their
related activities incorporate art, literature and film. The clearly outlined
goal of the site is to encourage and support students as they systematically
develop literacy skills and cultural awareness. Each Modulo has five parts that
prepare students for the readings: Anticipacion, Biografia, Descripcion,
Lectura, and Redaccion. In addition to the modules, there is a marvelous page
dedicated to a mural of Mexican artist Jose Clemente Orozco that is also used
for reflection and comparison in the Modulos culturales.
Type of Material:: Text, audio, graphics, and photographs.
Recommended Uses:: The modules may serve as authentic material for teacher guided in-class and/or
independent learning.
Technical Requirements:: The current version of Flash Player and QuickTime are required. Download links
are provided.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The modules are designed as supplemental units that parallel linguistic and
grammatical presentations of many first-year textbooks. The purpose of the
material is to bridge the gap between oral-based and text-based skills before
entering third or fourth postsecondary semesters of study.

The modulos are intended to support students in linguistic and cultural
development and awareness, and to encourage the strengthening of literacy skills
through culturally authentic media.
Target Student Population:: The modules are designed for Spanish-language learners with an intermediate
listening, reading, and writing proficiency levels in the second, third or
fourth postsecondary semesters of study, or comparable secondary levels. The
modules can also be used to enhance Spanish for Heritage Speaker curriculm
materials.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: The reader should have an intermediate level of receptive proficiency skills
(listening and reading) when working with content-based materials.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Each modulo is centered on a short text or fragment of a longer text and
provides a variety of activities that incorporate art, literature and film. Each
modulo is divided into five parts so that the student is actually engaged in a
process of learning how to approach a text before "jumping in cold" with no
preparation.

The author selected four very diverse and engaging texts for the modules. In
these selections from Borges, Jimenez, Jimenez and Becquer, students explore
issues of self-identity, the plight of a migrant boy, the beauty and simplicity
of life for a man and his beloved burro, and the essence of love.

In the first part of each Modulo, Biografia, the background information for each
author is written at a level appropriate for third semester college students.
In addition to a brief biography, care has been taken to include cultural
material to help the student make other connections to the history of the
particular period and other literary influences. This is supplemented by maps
and related photos. An excellent wrap-up activity includes Preguntas de
comprension. This can also be downloaded for easy use in Word format.

The second part of a Modulo, Anticipacion, includes pre-reading exercises that
focus on specific vocabulary and syntactic development related to each text.
This is an excellent tool to help the students prepare for what they are about
to read.

The third part of a Modulo, Descripcion, is an exciting way to lure students
into a more creative activity in which they produce a short, original text of
their own, inspired by original photos or art work. The materials selected
correspond to the time in which the author lived, thus adding another dimension
to their understanding of a particular literary period. For example, in Casas de
carton, there is a creative assignment in which students write a brief
description of a picture of their choice from a very relevant online article
"Caught Crossing" from the siteTIME.com - The New Frontier. The images of life
on the border are provocative and excellent stimulus for creative exploration.

The fourth part of a Modulo, Lectura, is the actual text which may be preceded
by a grammatical review and followed by Preguntas de comprension and Preguntas
de interpretacion. There is also a glossary in a popup window that could be left
open during the reading for easy reference. Of particular note is the
opportunity to listen to a QT recording of the text by a native speaker. This
would be a valuable pre or post reading activity for comprehension. The voice
recordings are another example of the meticulous planning that went into this
site. Since the recording reflects the pronunciation appropriate to the story,
the student is exposed to a variety of pronunciations. For example, one hears a
Castilian accent with Platero y yo, and an Argentine accent with Borges y yo.

The fifth and final part of a Modulo cultural is the Redaccion. The goal for the
student here is to produce a text that brings together the various learning
processes highlighted in each modulo. The topics are interesting and at times
allow the students to compare and contrast their own experiences with those of
the author. For example, in the Borges Modulo a student is asked to reflect on
how her personality, body language, or sense of humor might change according to
the language spoken. That would be a fascinating topic to stimulate writing.

In addition to the four texts and their corresponding activities, there is also
a very nice page that features a mural painted by Jose Clemente Orozo. In the
short introduction in English, the reader discovers the interesting connection
between Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the Mexican artist. Orozco
painted the mural, the Epic of American Civilization, when he was a visiting
artist in residence at Dartmouth between 1932-1934. This site focuses on
fourteen of the twenty-four panels. By themselves, without any interpretation,
the panels offer a striking commentary that covers the history of the Americas
from the migration of the Aztecs into central Mexico to the development of our
modern industrialized society.

The written texts in Paso Uno, the biographical selection, are clear and easy to
read even for a first or second semester student. Advance organizers
facilitate an understanding of the topics before the student approaches the
written texts. The audio components provide a valuable source not only as
authentic texts, but as aural representations of the diversity in Spanish
dialects. In the Redaccion section, a series of questions helps learners to
organize their thoughts in the writing process. In different activities, the
user is provided with vocabulary for use with certain writing topics, and given
brief grammatical explanations, eg., imperfect tense conjugations. The site is
rich with images of maps, photos and paintings, promoting an awareness of
culture.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The potential effectiveness of this resource is excellent. It could be used
immediately as is, or could also be modified by a teacher for his/her individual
needs. Modulos culturales could easily be incorporated into the second (if it
were very advanced) or third semester of a college course. For example, it would
be appropriate to introduce Borges y yo to complement the study of the
conditional, the subjunctive in adverbial clauses, or for a review of por and
para. Cajas de carton is ideal for expansion of the preterite and imperfect
tenses. Platero y yo, a sweet and simple story, could be used by advanced
students interested in developing a more mature descriptive style. There are
also several good fits in a curriculum for Rimas. I envision students using
Rimas XXI and XI as models to create their own poems. A grammatical emphasis
could be on command forms or si clauses with the conditional to build on what is
already there. The potential effectiveness of this resource is good -- used as
is or modified by a teacher.

The "How to use the modulos" page offers excellent and very thorough suggestions
and support for the five components of each reading selection (Biografia,
Anticipacion, Descripcion, Lectura, and Redaccion). This information is
appropriately written in English so that the intermediate student doesn't
struggle with instructions or expectations in Spanish. Each of these "How to"
pages includes a paragraph on Description and Goals and another on
Implementation. A suggested time frame of a week is even mapped out to complete
all the pasos of a Modulo cultural. For example, in the Anticipacion "How to"
page, the importance of pre-reading exercises that focus on projecting about the
theme of the text and building vocabulary in meaningful contexts is stressed.
Before the actual text is read, students brainstorm ideas and are exposed to a
wide variety of interactive exercises that provide immediate feedback. The
author of Modulos culturales includes an extensive number of refreshing
activities for different learning styles. The author understands that linguistic
development is a process that requires careful preparation, implementation, and
follow-up. Nothing is in isolation on this site. The student constantly is
exposed to language as a whole experience. Familiar grammatical structures in
daily oral practice are carefully paced to continue in the written format. Each
of the Modulos could easily be incorporated into an existing syllabus and would
enrich the student's understanding of grammar concepts and cultural issues.

The "How to Use the Module" page guides the instructor to develop pre-reading,
reading, and post-reading through a tightly knit organizing theme around each
literary text. The sound L2 reading methodology is evident as instructors are
given a variety of ideas to help students through a progression of reading
tasks. The "How to Use the Module" page is an exemplary model for L2 web
designers to consider when developing learning modules since second language
reading
methodology, module objectives and goals, and iimplementation functioning as
practical classroom guide are provided.

The questions for each section in Paso Uno - the biographies, the pre-reading
activities, etc. are well designed and easily understood. Practical suggestions
are made to develop vocabulary, e.g., use of picture files. These ideas can
also generate creativity in applying this methodology to similar classroom tasks
for other types of reading.

In Paso 2 - Anticipacion de lectura activities for each selected text,
pre-reading exercises focus on vocabulary and syntactic development.

In Paso 3 - Descripcion, creative writing is encouraged through the writing of
short descriptive texts based on the authentic pictorial images of paintings
and photographs representative of the same places and time period during an
author's life. Vocabulary guidelines and grammatical elements are suggested in
this Paso 3 in order to facilitate a link from the pre-reading exercises to the
literary text soon to be read. Flash exercises provide immediate feedback when
attempting to present a point of view, developing vocabulary and grammar in a
context. Again, the directions for writing are clear and the use of images help
to facilitate the writing process.

In Paso 4, the literary text (or fragment) is presented in both aural and
written text formats and has an interactive glossary. The post-reading
activities include comprehension and basic interpretation of the text. These
require the student to either answer specific information or reflect on the
readings according to the reader's knowledge.

In Paso 4 - Lectura, the use of the audio clips creates a multisensory device to
connect audio and written texts, and to provide another sense of authenticity
with the use of native speaker accents. This element provides for understanding
and respecting the diversity of accents found within the Hispanic peoples. In
addition to the comprehension questions, the use of interpretive questions add
more reflective and personal responses, and the ability to think critically.

The final activity is the development of the writing process. Here, students
write compositions in which they compare and contrast personal experiences with
that of the author/narrator. It is not often that one finds materials to develop
the writing process, especially at the intermediate proficiency levels.
Concerns:: The use of interpretive questions in the reading activities may require that
students employ more advanced levels of grammar, and may inhibit a natural
production of oral or written answers. This part of the activity may require
greater guidance by the instructor. Similarly, the student may not have
experience in writing descriptions and expository texts, and may need guidance
with vocabulary, discourse markers, and writing practice, e.g., expressions for
comparing and contrasting.
In any case, this section of questions could simply be omitted if proven to be
above a student's communicative ability.

Suggestion: The Orozco unit could be expanded to include ideas for teachers on
how to best use this resource. A note to Dartmouth College students suggests
that they consult the materials on reserve at Baker Library for various
interpretations of the mural. Another possibility for the general public would
be to provide a link to the Dartmouth Library which has an excellent site called
Orozco at Dartmouth. This site provides an interpretation of Orozco's work
published by Dartmouth, a Note from the Artist, photographs, and a biography of
the painter. It can be found at:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/Orozco/

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is very logically designed with very clear and well-organized
navigation. Students should have no problems exploring the site. The main page
includes a site index for the Modulos culturales and the Orozco mural. An
inviting image of the first panel of Orozco's Epic of American Civilization is
also featured on the homepage. The menu is repeated in a slightly different
format at the top and bottom of all pages allowing for excellent navigation
through the Modulos culturales, a "How to use the modules" page, and the Orozco
mural page. A user can return to the main page form any other page by clicking
on the banner. Copyright information is visible on all pages. The interface is
attractive and uncluttered. There is a lot of restful, clean white space that
does not detract from the content of the site. The text is easy to read.

A very nice feature of the site is that the exercises can be downloaded in Word
format. Flash is also used effectively for vocabulary practice.

The QT sound files are of excellent quality.
Concerns:: The links for downloading exercises in word format are not functional in most
of the activities.
Borges y yo (Biografia, Descripcion, Redaccion)
Cajas de carton (Biografia, Descripcion, Redaccion)
Platero y yo (Biografia, Descripcion, Redaccion)
Rimas (Biografia, Descripcion, Redaccion)
Platero y yo, Biografia (Moguer Abierto)

On the Modulos menu, three of the four literary selections have a summary but
there is not one for Rimas.

A suggestion for the navigation icons for Vocabulario is to make them more
noticeable by using a stronger color or a larger size. Perhaps obvious, but I
could not find instructions that indicated that the answers to the questions
should be checked page by page and not all at the end.

In the Vocabulario part of Cajas de carton, it might be nice to provide a link
to an online dictionary.

For users without a high-speed connection, it might be a service to offer two
versions of the QT recordings. For example, the borges.mov file is 1.3 MB. I
compressed it with Cleaner using a QuickTime progressive setting and ended up
with a 460 KB file, which is almost identical in quality to the original.

Again, keeping in mind a user without a fast connection, the images could be
optimized for the Web without sacrificing a great deal of quality. For example,
panel6.gif is currently 264 K. If optimized, the size would be 103K. If using a
dialup connection, this might make a big difference.

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