UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 4, Page TT-3
September 21, 1995
TechTalk
The Internet as a Classroom Tool: Cubillos and Sasowsky

The open road to Spanish culture

     Students are using the Web to experience firsthand the
richnesstino culture in Professor Jorge Cubillos' section of Spanish
107.
     "The Web has given our students the ability to connect with live,
contemporary information," Cubillos said. "It has been so difficult
for students to find current Spanish language publications, but now
the Web lets them have immediate, direct access to foreign language
publications."
     Cubillos adds that the Web will allow intellectually curious
students to "pursue their interest in the culture of a country,"
opening the doors to music, speeches, news, current events, literature
and the arts. "The immediacy of the information and the multimedia
capabilities of the Web make it so much easier for our students to
feel in touch with Spanish-or any foreign language. It makes the
language come alive," Cubillos said.
     The Web has also allowed Cubillos to work creatively with Heinle
and Heinle, the publisher of Siempre adelante, the textbook he has
authored for intermediate Spanish courses. According to Nancy Siddens,
project editor, Heinle and Heinle will link to Cubillos' Spanish 107
materials from their Web page. "Part of what Jorge has put into his
Web pages is material we were planning to include in software to
supplement and support the textbook. While we have been planning the
software, Jorge has been putting content on line now." Siddens added
that other institutions that adopt Cubillos' text can point their
students to this preview, "which thrills our marketing department."
     Cubillos indicated that the idea of putting together Web
documents for his classes and his textbook at first appeared
daunting-he felt that he was "programming." But after attending the
workshops offered by User Services last June, he "found it exciting to
see the information take shape on the screen." Cubillos added that
developing the Web documents for Spanish 107 and Foreign Languages and
Literature 623 was the first time he had to move files between his
office computer and other computers. "But it was not difficult. I did
spend a lot of time this summer 'playing,' learning what the Web could
do. But when it came time to put the material for my classes on the
Web, I found it was a minor investment of time with tremendous
returns."

Spanish 107
     URL=http://www.udel.edu/cubillos/span107.html

FLLT 623
     URL=http://www.udel.edu/cubillos/fllt623.html