General Information

Computer classes still require the use of textbooks. See online class orientation on the first week of class for further details. The orientation is located in Blackboard, not here.

Computer classes also require that the students complete weekly homework and unit exams during the semester. Plan you time wisely to be able to show your work within the guidelines given by the instructor. The only way to know that learning has happened is by showing that you can perform the tasks required in the homework and hands-on activities. This 5-unit course requires 5 hrs weekly of lecture, 1 hour weekly of lab, and 10 hours weekly for homework and study time. That is 16 hours weekly. During the summer session, this time is doubled! Please plan accordingly.

Online Activity is part of your class grade. If you are considering an online SPAN 101 or 102, keep in mind that your grade will also include online activity on Blackboard. This activity is based on the assumption that students will be spending 16 or more hours weekly doing their online work and assigned tasks.

SPAN 101 and 102 have a one-hour lab component on top of the 5 hours per weekly lecture. For an online course, students will be spending one hour for lab, 5 hours for online lecture, and 10 hours of online homework, most of it in front of a computer. This totals 16 hours weekly. During the summer, it will be 32 hours weekly. Some students may need more than 16 or 32 hours per week. Keep this is mind, and setup a consistent schedule to work on your online classes every week. This applies to all campus courses. Keep this in mind when you decide the number of units for which you will enroll.

Purchasing the Electronic Workbook for 101/102

Your instructor, Sofia Ramirez-Gelpi, invites you to enroll in one of the following two DL courses:

Course: Spanish 101-DL (CRN #)
Course code: Located in the online orientation within Blackboard
Book(s): ¡Apúntate! Online Workbook and Lab Manual, Vol. 1

Course: Spanish 102-DL (CRN #)
Course code: Located in the online orientation within Blackboard
Book(s): ¡Apúntate! Online Workbook and Lab Manual, Vol. 2



To enroll in the SPAN 101DL or SPAN 102DL course, please do the following:
If you do not have an account, you need to create one. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to http://www.mhcentro.com and click Create an account.
2. Select a username and password and enter your information, then click Submit.

Note: Remember to write down your username and password and be sure to select the correct time zone. Also, please enter a valid e-mail address so we can send you your password if you forget it.

Entering the Book Key and Course Code

Enter the book key and course code to complete the enrollment process. You may already have a book key, or you may need to purchase a book key. Depending on your situation, use one of the procedures below. If you activated the book for a previous course, you can start at step 4 of I already have a book key below. Once you have completed this step, the system lists the course and book on the Student Workstation home page. To enter additional books, enter a book key in the Enter field and click Go.
Note: Book keys can only be used once. Your book key will become invalid after you use it.

I already have a book key

1. Go to http://www.mhcentro.com and log in.
2. At the top of the page, enter your book key and click Go.
3. Click Confirm to confirm your registration information. Your book will appear under the My books heading.
4. Beside the book listing, enter the course code in the Enter course code field and click Go.
5. If necessary, select a class or section and click Submit.

I need to purchase a book key

1. Go to http://www.mhcentro.com and log in.
2. At the top of the page, enter the course code and click Go.
3. If necessary, select a class or section and click Submit. The course and books will appear under the My classes heading.
4. Locate the book and click buy.
5. Proceed through the purchase process.

Note: If the buy link does not appear in Step 4, contact your instructor for information about obtaining a book key.

Using Centro

Where is the course code? The course code is located in the online orientation within Blackboard, not here. To access your Student Workstation in the future, go to http://www.mhcentro.com and log in. Here, you can open your book, submit activities, view your results, and view your instructor's feedback. If you have any questions, contact Centro Support at http://www.mhcentro.com/support.html

Videos To Help You Along

Blackboard Login and Course Orientation: http://youtu.be/DTT_j2S049Q

How to register and use the ¡Apúntate! workbook: http://youtu.be/mAQl27FkYac

How to use the Student Workstation in ¡Apúntate: http://youtu.be/sX9_Fn1IM4Q

Assigned Exercises in the Apúntate workbook: http://youtu.be/Nh4OSBYwkYA

Online Orientation on Blackboard

All my SPAN DL courses have a required online orientation. This orientation is located within the course site in Blackboard. Access to the orientation will become available on the 1st day of instruction each semester or summer term. Please note that the expected time commitment to complete all aspects of the online orientation is 16 hours during week one.

What is done in the Spanish DL classes?

SPAN 101/102/103/104/105 Distance Leaning courses are designed for students who already have experience with online courses. Students who are new to online courses are discouraged from enrolling in these courses.

Online Spanish courses consist of:

• Grammar and vocabulary activities and exercises located both in Blackboard and external websites [i.e. an electronic workbook]. The exercises include listening, reading, and writing activities.
• Listening comprehension exercises located in Blackboard. These activities use audio and video.
• Reading comprehension exercises located in Blackboard.
• Oral Proficiency assessments to measure sentence mastery, vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation. These activities require students to listen and record specific or open-ended responses, as well as oral interviews with the instructor via Skype video calls.
• Writing Skills exercises located in Blackboard.
• Cultural activities and exercises.
• Games and other activities located in or outside Blackboard to enhance or improve language learning.

All homework and testing is done online via Blackboard and/or email. All homework assignments are completed online trough Blackboard or the electronic workbook. Online attendance and participation are REQUIRED and charted via Blackboard. Students are encouraged to form study groups to practice/review the material.

What books are needed?

What books are needed?

If you are enrolled in SPAN 101, the following books are needed:

• Apúntate: An Introductory Course, by Dorwick, and Pérez-Gironés. New York: McGraw Hill)
• The Electronic workbook for Apúntate. You will need Volume One.
• The textbook can be bought used. The Centro workbook can only be bought NEW.
• SPAN 101 covers Chapter 0 to Chapter 7.

If you are enrolled in SPAN 102DL, the following textbooks will be used:

• Apúntate: An Introductory Course, by Dorwick, and Pérez-Gironés. New York: McGraw Hill)
• The Electronic workbook. You will need Volume Two.
• The textbook can be bought used. The Centro workbook can only be bought NEW.
• SPAN 102 covers Chapter 8 to Chapter 18.

Students enrolled in SPAN 103/104 will need the following textbooks:

• IMAGINA: Español sin barreras [textbook], 2nd edition, by Blanco and Tocaimaza-Hatch. Vista Higher Learning Publishing: Boston. 2007. [ISBN: 1-59334-940-8].
• IMAGINA: Español sin barreras [Student Activities Manual], by Blanco and Tocaimaza-Hatch. Vista Higher Learning Publishing: Boston.
• Cajas de cartón, by Francisco Jiménez.
• SPAN 103 covers chapters 1-5.
• SPAN 104 covers chapters 6-10.

Students enrolled in SPAN 105DL will use: TBA

Students interested in SPAN 110 [Elementary Conversation] will use the ¡Apúntate! textbook as reference. No other books required.
Students interested in SPAN 111 [Intermediate Conversation] will use the ¡Apúntate! textbook as reference. No other books required.
Students interested in SPAN 112 [Advanced Conversation] will use Cinema for Spanish Conversation, 3rd Edition by Gill, Smalley, and Haro.