[SPAN 0308]
Spain and Spanish America

Rate This Class

Professor: Woolson, M

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (0%
Average (16.7%)
Valuable (83.3%)

Material

Friendly (0%)
Average (33.3%)
Competitive (66.7%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (66.7%)
Average (16.7%)
Fascinating (16.7%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (0%)
3-5hr (16.7%)
6-8hr (33.3%)
9-11hr (50%)
12+ hr (0%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (16.7%)
Average (0%)
Easier (83.3%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (66.7%)
No (33.3%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (83.3%)
No (16.7%)

Evaluation Comments for Woolson, M

  1. I came into this course knowing very little about recent events in Latin America, and I definitely learned a fair amount. That being said, we definitely learned more history than current events. Readings were long and often difficult. There were also LOTS of screenings, which made the workload seem a little heavier than necessary. Professor Woolson was very nice but not the best at facilitating discussions. We were expected to participate in class a lot, and write frequent "blog posts" on her website about readings, presentations, and films. Overall, the material was pretty disorganized and all over the place. We didn't get very in depth about anything or look at overarching themes or connecting factors. Overall, not a bad course, but not spectacular either.
  2. This was a very interesting course. The readings are authentic, interesting, and difficult, but contrary to what the comment, I found that Woolson was a good discussion leader who broke down difficult concepts in the reading. Yes, you have to put work in and struggle on your own with the readings, but if you do that, the class is a very worthwhile experience.
  3. I won't lie - this class is difficult. For a student like me, fresh out of SPAN 220, the first few weeks had a "swim while you're drowning" feeling as far as the language goes. The readings can get pretty long and complex, and there is always a fair amount of work to do. The assignments are sometimes not explained very clearly. However, Profesora Woolson tries to get the class to understand the material well through discussion and lecture. By forcing her students to get away from the common "American" perspective when it comes to issues in Latin America, she helps the class understand the region in a totally different way. If you come out on top of this course, it will be with a much greater understanding of how the entire Spanish-speaking world got to where it is today. Like a previous commenter said, this course will give you so much perspective, especially if you're planning to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. If you're willing to work hard and challenge yourself, I think this class would be a valuable experience.
  4. This class covered an extremely broad range of topics, yet you still come away from it with a solid understanding of each one. Professor Woolson is essentially an expert in every area, and the fact that she is so knowledgeable makes the class very interesting and valuable. This class really helps you get familiar with a lot of different themes, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study abroad in a Spanish speaking nation.
  5. The good: Incredibly interesting material that is valuable and current, mostly discussion based class, your Spanish speaking and writing skills will improve. The Bad: Readings can be long and difficult, she isn't an incredible discussion leader, grading is a little erratic and undefined. Overall, I would argue it's a great opportunity to break out of most of the Lit. offerings of the Spanish Department, but be ready to do a lot of (interesting) reading and writing.
  6. It's very intriguing, just be prepared to do a lot of reading, and you really won't understand everything you're reading. We had to learn all about the environment in Spanish and I had no idea about environmental processes in English, so that was difficult. Also, she's hard to please in terms of grades..

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