Action Plan for

Closing the
Achievement Gap
in a Foreign
Language
ClassroomStephanie Weltz
Battery Creek High School
Beaufort County School District
Spanish I, II, and III
 The problem
 Students in foreign language classes
tend to be unsuccessful as a result of
a weakness in their English language
skills.
 Students in the Beaufort area are
entrenched with their own culture,
and are resistant to other cultures.
 Their culture effects their speech
patterns, and this further disrupts the
acquisition of language.
 The current reality
 As a result, teachers must refer back
to English grammar when teaching
Spanish grammar.
 Students who already feel
overwhelmed by having to re-learn
fossilized speech patterns are
discouraged by the constant
correcting of their teachers.
 Students become frustrated and
either quit or switch classes.
 Objectives
 To strengthen students’ English
grammar
 To have students produce
grammatically correct sentences in
Spanish.
 To open up students perceptions
about cultures other than their own.
 To provide students with proper
examples in differentiated formats.
 Strategies
 Introduce technology that is self-pacing
 Rosetta Stone
 I can set up students to do independent study activities so
that faster paced learners can do enrichment activities that
emphasize what I am teaching without it being “busy
work.”
 http://www.studyspanish.com
 I can set up lessons tailored for individual students who
need remediation in some areas of grammar.
 http://my.hrw.com
 This website, which is aligned with our textbook, can give
students the opportunity to expand on textbook activities.
 Inspiration Software
 By introducing this software which is already purchased by
the district, students can create graphic organizers to aid
with the organization of writing.
 Strategies
 Differentiated instruction
 Because of the varying levels of knowledge when it
comes to English grammar, differentiated instruction is a
necessary component in the instruction in Spanish
grammar.
 Tic Tac Toe Choice Board
 Learners are able to try 3 different activities from 9 different
resources. This would be geared toward all learning styles.
 Tiered Lesson Plans
 The tiered lesson plan may deal with definite standards,
whoever, the way in which all students come to the end
product will differ. This can be geared toward student
interests, readiness, or learning profiles.
 “After gauging learners’ readiness based on previous
activities, homework assignments, quizzes, and tests, the
teacher assigns students to one of three groups that best
matches their ability level. All three assignments are evaluated
using the same set of rubrics, thus making the assignments
equitable and appropriately challenging to all.” (Theisen,
2008).
 Implementation
 Steps to be taken
 I have established user-names and passwords for each student on the applicable
web sites, and students have been introduced to them in a whole-class setting.
 Students will begin to work at their own pace on the enrichment and remediation
activities using the computer.
 I will be adjusting my current lesson plans to include more differentiated
instruction, such as the Tic Tac Toe board and Tiered Lesson Plans.
 I have made arrangements to attend a conference by Tori Theisen, who has done
most of the research I found for the differentiated Spanish classroom.
 When the steps will be taken
 I have reserved computer labs every other week on Thursday and Friday as a
means of introduction of the technology.
 All of the technology is accessible through the school website, and therefore can
also be done outside of class.
 Who will be responsible for taking the steps
 Although I create the web based lessons, it is the student’s responsibility to
complete the lessons during provided class time, or at home if necessary.
 For the Rosetta Stone activities, there are minimum requirements that I have set
per chapter that we cover.
 I will be integrating the Inspiration software into my lessons as part of the pre-
writing process.
 I will design the lessons involving the Tic Tac Toe Board as well as the tiered
lesson plans, however the students are the ones that will make the choices
about their assignments.
 Evaluation
Roles and Expected Evaluation
Objectives Actions Timetable
Responsibilities outcome measures
To strengthen Students will use In progress, and it I have established Students will pick Test scores,
students’ English technology to will take place bi usernames and up the missing Presentational

           
grammar skills enhance current weekly for the passwords, and grammar pieces task scores,
lessons remainder of the will monitor that are inhibiting Rosetta Stone
school year progress. The their performance. scores
students will be Students will gain
responsible for confidence with
completing the speaking the
activities. language.
To have students Students will use I will begin using I will instruct the The organizational Higher scores on
produce the inspiration this at the end of students how to process of writing writing rubrics, an
grammatically software that was February, as soon use the software will be much increased
correct sentences purchased by the as I attend the and allot for time improved, and confidence in
in Spanish. district as a district refresher in my lessons. students will be writing in Spanish
prewriting tool. course. The The students will able to dissect (survey), and an
students will use it be responsible for their sentences by increased desire
for all paragraph using the parts of speech. to write in Spanish
length written software. (survey).
works for the
To open up Students will Students
remainderwillof the The webquests Students will find Cultural
students access begin
schooltheir
year. are conducted by the other cultures awareness will
perceptions about http://my.hrw.com webquests in the website, and interesting, and increase and can
cultures other to do various March, and do 1 the grades are want to continue be assessed
than their own. webquests about per week for 4 automatically to do more culture through the
other cultures. weeks. forwarded to my projects. They will grades for the
email address. be more open- webquests.
Students would be minded toward
responsible for other cultures.
doing the
To provide Students will take I have already Iwebquests.
will write the Students will be Cooperative
students with part in begun to lessons. Students interested in learning should
proper examples differentiated implement this will choose the doing the work, help my slower
in differentiated activities in the process, but need activities they and will be able to learners, and the
formats. classroom as to more training. I wish to take part match activities to differentiated
take a more hope to use it for in. their interests. activities should
interactive role. the remainder of challenge the
the year. faced paced