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 * Wonderland City, Special Issues:**
 * English language and culture learning**

** Introduction ** This course focuses on an understanding of English language and culture learning. Teachers will consider ways in which students can learn more effectively and many ways in which computers can play a meaningful role in the classroom. "English language and culture learning" is a course in the middle school for grade 9 students. The couse is taught for the spring semester.

** Course Objectives ** Students who successfully complete the course will be able to: 1. Understand the target languages in each unit by listening and reading. 2. Communicate well orally with each other by using the target languages in the proper situation. 3. Improve speaking and writing skills to meet the literacy standard for middle school students. 4. Be movitated and eager to learn English. 5. Learn different cultures and understand curtural differences.


 * Textbook **
 * //__ Go For it __//****__ ! __** is the textbook we are using to teach Junior Grade 9 middle school students. It is published by People's Education Press (PEP) in China.

** Methodology ** This course will be conducted using game-baed lerning strategies. The course is organized to maximize student centered learning as it is loosely structured as a role playing game, generally following a medieval European theme (as it typical of role playing games.) Students are adventurers who are based in a Wonderland city and who venture out on various paths radiating in that city. Each adventure keeps a record of the pursuits along these paths in a personal Adventurer's Log that includes links to that adventurer's missions and has discussions, Journal entries, Surveillance reports, and Mission updates.

** Grades ** Grades will be derived from experience point (XPS) generated by various activities achieved in the conquest of this course game. Students will be able to gain XPS from participating in pilgrimages (readings, sound, and video presentations of course content) and quests (activities) that are recorded in their adventurer logs. Missions (projects) and at least one Raid (exam) allow student adventurers to gather larger "hauls" of experience points (XPs). Experience points (XPs) also can be gained through regular journal entries reflecting on one's personal learning experience and surveillance reports observing activities others pursue in the class. XPs are arranged into levels to help students experience their accomplishment in advancing through the game/course. Levels (the top 8) are bracketed for end of game/course grades. Plus and minus grades are calculated for the top and bottom (respectively) 10 XP ranges in each bracket. A = 270-300 XP B = 240-269 XP C = 210-239 XP D = 180-209 XP XP values will be noted at each site. Player and Game Master work together to build XPs when good points are noted in the content analysis of a Pilgrimage or Quest, combined with personal reflections on that item. Journals are overall student reflections on the week's work, while Surveillance is content analysis and reflection on others' work that week. Mission Updates are reflections on Mission work, as well as listing of Mission accomplishments for the week to be used to guide claims of Mission XPs. Typically, XPs are awarded for each point made, with some pilgrimages especially affording opportunity for more total XP earnings than others. A "good point" comes from statements of a sentence or more, not listings. Rarely a "good point" statement may also earn a quality XP, but not all sentences will necessarily serve as a "good point" statement in and of themselves. Special rules: ** Calendar ** Calendar (also linked in the Wonderland City Hall) - There is no formally recognized break in coursework for any other holidays. Most holidays have a formal observance of less than a week, so it should be possible to work around these times in a week's coursework. Please contact the teacherif there is a scheduling problem.
 * 1) __ Pilgrimages __ and __Quests__(about 50%, possibly more with substitutions for Journal or Surveillance work), will need to have some balance. Some pilgrimages and quests will be required, as noted, but there are more pilgrimages and quests than any one is expected to complete.
 * Pilgrimages are reading, listening, or watching experiences that then are written up as a report on the content acquired from the experience. Longer experiences require longer write-ups and generate the possibility of more XPs. The quality of the write-up matters in terms of what one has gained and understands. Most pilgrimages are worth up to 5 XPs (usually) or up to 10 XPs (for a fair number). At least 60% of Pilgrimage/Quest XPs must be from Pilgrimages.
 * Quests are typically game activity experiences, where one is expected to learn and briefly play a game, then write about the experience from an educator's perspective. Most quests are worth up to 5 XPs for a quality report that explains how the game works, what it is like to play it, and what the educational implications are for it.
 * 1) __ Missions __ (20%) - Mission assignments are linked to Wonderland City Hall. Students are required to complete the Mission and Mission Updates.
 * The Mission builds a PowerPoint Presentation or a Game-based Powerpoint over a 8-week period, for up to 80XPs, with the educational outcome of a good working website with what students have learned in this course. Students might learn to build as a learning activity.
 * Mission Updates are expected weekly - but only one update per week is permitted. See below note under Journals and Surveillance concerning "late" updates (i.e., no late updates). Mission Updates earn up to 3 XPs each for a total of 36 XPs. There is no make-up or trade for missed Mission reports.
 * 1) __ Journals __ and __Surveillance__(15%) - Journals and Surveillance are relatively easy ways to get XPs, but an Adventurer may not get credit for more than one each per week (one Journal entry and one Surveillance report). Therefore, Journals and Surveillance cannot be done late, because that would yield more than one per week.
 * Additional pilgrimages and quests can make up for missed Journal or Surveillance XPs.
 * Journal and Surveillance Reports are worth up to 3 XPs each, with an option for extra points awarded for particularly thorough Surveillance Reports. Journal entries have a far less likely possibility for extra points.
 * 1) __ Raids __ (10%) - Raids function like exams to ensure that students have gained the expected knowledge base from course activities. Generally, raid questions will come from pilgrimage content acquisition, but can be drawn to a lesser extent from quests, and possibly even from missions (especially the background and preparation materials). Only Raid (like a Final Exam) is planned initially, although there is a slight possibility of lesser raid opportunities for extra credit as may be determined appropriate by the Game Master (Teacher). Further information on the Raid is linked in the Wonderland City Hall.
 * 2) __ Power-ups __ (5%) - Power-ups are extra points that will be given for certain accomplishments at various times during the course, as noted on the Power-ups page. Power-ups help ensure that students pursue optimum study strategies with regard to making good choices of material to consider and keeping up with work to be done in a timely fashion. Information on Power Ups is linked to the wiki sidebar.

This syllabus is a good faith effort to predict how this course will proceed. The teacher reserves the right to make any changes as may be deemed necessary or desirable without advance notice.
 * Disclaimer **