Use of E-Portfolio Spanish 173 Introduction to Latin America Spring 2010 Julie Kline Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies UW-Milwaukee

Course Description This interdisciplinary, online course will explore aspects of Latin American geography, history, economics, environment, society, politics and culture. In addition to a course instructor, Latin Americanist scholars from throughout UWM will contribute podcast interviews on salient issues within their discipline. An interdisciplinary course could conceivably be a series of unrelated bits and pieces offering a smattering of facts about a vast topic. Latin America and the Caribbean are far too varied, their histories far too complex, their cultures far too extensive to cover entirely in a one semester course. On the other hand, an interdisciplinary course offers the opportunity to study both the diversity and commonalities within the region across disciplinary boundaries. In particular, readings and classroom activities will explore a great deal about daily life, about class, ethnicity, race and gender, about institutions, and about change and continuity in the Americas. As a central organizing element, the class will participate in an online collaborative project involving kiva.org, a microfinance facilitator. Kiva connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. As a class (at no financial cost to students), we will learn about Latin America by connecting directly with small-scale entrepreneurs in Latin America working to improve their lives, their families and communities.

 Interdisciplinary course  Wide range of majors/ interests  Emphasis on synthesis of content

Kiva.org Group Project In assigned groups (see Groups for Kiva.org Project in CONTENT), you will determine a specific microfinance project that you wish to help support at the website kiva.org. Funding will be provided by the course (no cost to the student). The project will consist of a series of short research, writing and presentation tasks, collaboratively produced by the group throughout the remainder of the course. Thinking ahead to the individual synthesis project… You’ll note in the syllabus that in lieu of a final, you’ll have an individual project due at the end of the semester, using e-portfolio (you’ll see the link at the top left menu bar within the course). E-portfolio will allow you to collect items (writing, images, web links, video, sound files) that you can easily turn into a presentation. I mentioned this now, because as you work on the group project, you may develop a particular interest you wish to pursue: women in Haiti, for example, or traditional arts in Guatemala. Be on the look out along the way for resources/information you may wish to tuck away into e-portfolio for your individual synthesis project.

preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=7499&pageId=4367&ak= Practice: E-Portfolio Introductions Include a photo that represents home and explain why. Add a little about self. Conclude with a short reflection on how this selection relates to the course.

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Jay Gerardin Business Growth in Nicaragua eview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=13278&pageId=7467&ak=

Katelyn Lucas Managua, Nicaragua: Earthquake of ntations/presentation_preview_popup.d2l?ou= &presId=12330&pageId=7213&akhttps://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/eP/prese ntations/presentation_preview_popup.d2l?ou= &presId=12330&pageId=7213&ak=

Ernestor Lira Women in Nicaragua eview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=11383&pageId=7079&ak=

Pehsapan Weso Women and Inequality in Nicaragua _preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=13147&pageId=7436&ak=

Dottie Woodkey Guinea Pigs in Latin America tation_preview_popup.d2l?ou=209841&presId=12323&pageId= 7238&ak=

Julie Kline Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies UW-Milwaukee