Polyglot Press
Messages for the World Language Teacher
January 5, 2012
Happy New Year!
The Polyglot Press aims to inform the UCPS World Language teachers and keep them abreast of valuable events, links, news, professional developments, accomplishment, etc. This information is housed on www.polyglotpress.blogspot.com You can also add comments. Sharing ideas and resources are very appreciated.
BRAVO
· A UNC-C TV and LearnNC film “Learning with the World” on the importance of learning languages, specifically critically needed languages, has been nominated for a regional Emmy. Info on the 26 minute movie that aired in 2010 can be found at http://www.unctv.org/learning/index.html Rob Jackson, Principal of Cuthbertson HS is in the film as is CHS / WHS Chinese teacher, Ms. Yanli Zhou and her Chinese students. You can catch clips of the CHS students at http://www.unctv.org/learning/video.html The Emmy category is Topical Documentary. The Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards Ceremony will be held on March 17, 2012, in Nashville. Donna Podgorny contributed in the planning stages. Jessica Garner was instrumental in scheduling the CHS visit. The entire video can be watched at http://video.unctv.org/video/1803438884/
Events
· January 6 – Día de los reyes (magos) - Three Kings Day is celebrated in Latin America and Spain as well as other countries.
· January 23, 2012 - Chinese Spring Festival begins and lasts for 15 days (called Chinese New Year in the US)
Professional Development – Summer!
· Summer Study in Salamanca, Spain - For those who are interested in the master's program through the University of Salamanca, here is the website: http://www.educacion.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/cursos-verano.html You must apply on-line. Application deadline is 28 February. (Source – AP List serv – Spanish)
· Summer Global Studies - There are a number of excellent NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) Summer Institutes next summer related to global ed. These are fully funded and teachers who participate receive monies to cover housing and travel. See http://www.neh.gov/projects/si-school.html for the complete list. (Source World 7/ 27 list serv)
o Berlin’s Cultural Diversity Across Two Centuries Berlin, Germany: June 17-July 20 (5 weeks) brent.peterson@lawrence.edu or r-shandley@tamu.edu http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/german/neh2012/
o Chinese Film and Society Champaign, IL: July 9-August 3 (4 weeks)
Nancy Jervis and Gary Xu, University of Illinois, Champaign norris@illinois.edu or njervis@illinois.edu
www.aems.illinois.edu/nehChineseFilm
Nancy Jervis and Gary Xu, University of Illinois, Champaign norris@illinois.edu or njervis@illinois.edu
www.aems.illinois.edu/nehChineseFilm
o Central Asia in World History Columbus, OH: July 15-27 (2 weeks) Scott Levi, Ohio State University levi.18@osu.edu http://hti.osu.edu/centralasia
o Johann Sebastian Bach in the Baroque Era and in our Time Eisenach, Leipzig, and Potsdam, Germany: July 1-July 27 (4 weeks) hbinford@moravian.edu www.bachforteachers.org
o Recipe for America: New York, Immigration, and American Identity through Culinary Culture New York City, NY: July 30-August 17 (3 weeks) lyndakennedy@nypl.org or jannarobin@nypl.org http://www.nypl.org/node/140785
· June 25-29, 2012 AP French Language and Culture Training UNC-Charlotte The AP French instructor is Dr. Jean-Pierre Piriou was new to UNCC last year but they are happy to have him again this year. Fees, registration form, etc can be found at http://education.uncc.edu/cstem/k-12-stem-teacher-programs/advanced-placement-summer-institutes-apsi/2012-apsi-schedule
· June 29–30, 2012 Pathways to Global Competency New York, NY Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning is pleased to announce registration is now open for our 5th annual conference. Called PGL12, the conference will focus on the Pathways to Global Competency. Innovations in Teacher Practice will focus on current teaching practices that incorporate global education with the demands of the Common Core State Standards and 21st century skills. Attendees will walk away with practical tips and techniques to help transform their classes into student-centered environments.
o Exploring the Global Issues of Today will provide educators with information on the various global issues that impact the world today. Sessions will address the impact of China’s urbanization, dealing with race and religious diversity in the classroom, and tips on how to teach global issues through the use of photography within the curriculum.
o Technology and Media Integration offers educators with information on how to integrate the use of technology and media in the classroom to create a truly global environment. The focus will be to engage educators in experiences that model teaching for 21st century skills.
o Assessing Student Work centers on the power of student work and what educators can learn about their students through thoughtful analysis of this work. Sessions will include topics such as promoting student choice, voice, and reflection in the classroom, as well as techniques on how to create student portfolios within a global education curriculum.
· July 9 -12, 2012 AP French Language and Culture Training UNC-Charlotte. The AP Spanish instructor is Ms. Alicia Lewis who was new to UNCC last year but they are happy to have her again this year. Fees, registration form, etc can be found at http://education.uncc.edu/cstem/k-12-stem-teacher-programs/advanced-placement-summer-institutes-apsi/2012-apsi-schedule
· Staying current- wanting to stay abreast of the latest in WL teaching?
o Personally, I like ACTFL 'journals'. ACTFL has two great publications that come with membership: FREE subscription to The Language Educator (6 issues). FREE subscription to Foreign Language Annals (4 issues). Info at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3303 Membership is $75 a year http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3304
o I also would suggest being on the AP list serv. There are ideas from colleagues across the world daily. http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/homepage/7173.html Note that French is going to a google group, yahoo group and a wiki instead of the email discussion group.
o Nanduti has a nice list serv for K-8 resources... Some are good for 9-12 http://www.cal.org/earlylang/listservs.html
· July 10-19, 2012 and July 20-29, 2012 Study Trip to Costa Rica Join World View this summer to learn first-hand about the culture, ecology, and education system of Costa Rica. Your worldview will never be the same! Itinerary includes school visits, ecological excursions (volcanoes, coffee farms, and coastal attractions), Spanish language classes, community service projects, Costa Rican cooking, Latin dance instruction, and more! Estimated Trip Cost: $2,000 [Includes airfare, lodging, most meals, Spanish lessons, visits to historical and cultural sites, and more] Applications due January 20, 2012! Learn more at worldview.unc.edu or call World View at 919/962-9264.
UCPS Board of Education Updates
Language Immersion and Global Programs
· On December 6, 2011, the UCPS Board of Education approved language immersion and global studies programs. Minutes include the following: “LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAMS: Dr. Clarke, Dr. Ellis, and Dr. Patterson presented Language Immersion Programs for the Board’s consideration. The programs, which are specific to grade levels (elementary, middle, high), are outlined as follows:
o Elementary: Splash Language Immersion (Spanish) was proposed to be piloted at Sun Valley Elementary School and Shiloh Elementary and a Chinese Language Immersion program was proposed for Marvin Elementary. As part of these programs, students (beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 5th grade) would be immersed in foreign language instruction by a teacher in the VIF (Visiting International Faculty) Program. These three schools are very much in favor of piloting these programs.
o Middle: Global Connections Program was proposed for the middle school level. Through this program, globalization will be embedded in subjects that are already part of the curriculum.
o High: Global Issues Courses were proposed for the high school level. These courses would become a part of the Standard Course of Study.
· A 185 day calendar was approved with two contingent calendars in place should the state legislature cancel the addition of five teaching days to the school calendar.
DPI – Race to the Top
· “Measures of Student Learning - Measures of Student Learning (MSLs), sometimes called “common exams,” are a shared way to gauge student growth in all currently non-tested grades and subjects in the Common Core State Standards for Math and ELA and in the NC Essential Standards. While these measures will be used statewide, they are not the same as our statewide summative assessments in the NC Testing Program: the End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments. Districts and charter schools will have flexibility to decide how to use the MSLs as part of students’ grades. The State Board of Education will NOT collect or publish the results of the MSLs, although the NCDPI will assist with scoring and data analysis. Eight hundred North Carolina teachers from more than 100 LEAs and 10 charter schools are involved in the design process for the Measures of Student Learning. The design group members began their work in October and will continue to provide feedback for the remainder of 2011-12 school year. NC will implement the MSLs statewide during the 2012-13 school year.
· NC Testing Program - The NC Testing Program will continue delivering statewide summative assessments in grades 3-8 in Mathematics and English Language Arts, grades 5 and 8 in Science, and at the high school level for Algebra I, English II, and Biology. Beginning in 2014-15, DPI expects to implement the assessments developed by the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). The assessments planned through SBAC will include ELA/Math for grades 3‐8 and one High School Assessment in ELA and Math (w/ Performance Tasks in grades 9 & 10) and would replace the current NC developed EOG and EOC assessments in ELA and Math.
· NC Diagnostic Instructional Tools (NCDigins) - NCDigins, created through a collaborative partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and Technical Outreach for Public Schools (TOPS) works hand-in-hand with the formative assessment process in a balanced assessment system. Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended instructional outcomes. Formative assessment helps students to continuously answer three questions:
o Where am I going?
o Where am I now?
o How do I close the gap?
To log in to the NCDigins site, go to https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/ Use your Username and password used when logging into the online modules. Look for NCDigins in the Links Bar on the right. The site currently features information for Grade 4 Math, Grade 7 Math, and Algebra I. Additional content areas will be available soon.
· Text Complexity Resources - Standard 10 of the Common Core State Standards focuses on increasing students’ capacity with complex text across the school years to ensure that they will be able to read the kinds of necessary texts they will encounter in higher education and in their careers. Below are several links from TextProject to assist LEAS and charter schools as they begin addressing text complexity in schools.
o http://www.textproject.org/library/presentations/the-common-core-state-standard-of-text-complexity/
A recent article that appeared in the New York Times Education segment focused on strategies for helping students understand “text structures” in the Common Core State Standards. To view this helpful article, visit http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/compare-contrast-cause-effect-problem-solution-common-text-types-in-the-times/.
· Next Generation of Assessments: What Will the Assessments Be Like in 2012-13? Beginning in the 2012-13 school year the new Common Core State and NC Essential Standards will be taught and assessed in NC public schools. NC is committed to moving all assessments online by 2014‐15 with almost no exceptions because: • We can offer assessments that are increasingly multipart,media‐enhanced, performance‐based and better represent the depth intended in the new SCOS • More meaningful data means better informed instruction and smart policy decisions • We can more easily offer accommodations like computer read aloud, adjustable fonts, adjustable background colors, etc.
Technology
Smart Phone apps for World Languages
· Animoto – can merge photos, print, audio and music to create a videoclip
· Evernote – record or write on the go. Save your file that is synced to the computers you use.
· Ipadio – organizes the audio recordings students create and send you.
· PLESCO – Chinese translator and learning tool
· Videolicious – combine photos with recording of you voice to create a ‘videoclip’
Which apps do you like or wish for? Please share.
UCPS Moodle Resources for WL
Moodle - Professional Development
· Common Core and Essential Standards (2010-2011 presentations) http://moodlepro.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=222
· French Resources for Parents, Students and Teachers http://moodlepro.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=470
· World Languages Professional Development 2011-2012 http://moodlepro.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=468
· World Languages Resources for Counselors and Administrators http://moodlepro.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=479
Moodle – High School
· Chinese Resources for Students and Parents http://moodlehigh.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=30681
· German Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents http://moodlehigh.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=30680
· Spanish Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents http://moodlehigh.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=30679
Moodle - Middle School
· 6th grade Spanish http://moodlemid.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=976
· Chinese Resources for Parents and Students http://moodlemid.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=960
· Chinese Studies in Union County http://moodlemid.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=959
· French Resources for students, Teachers and Parents http://moodlemid.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=977
· Spanish Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents http://moodlemid.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=956
Other Useful Resources on UCPS Moodle Professional Development
· Secondary Ed Information and Materials (for principals) http://moodlepro.ucps.k12.nc.us/course/view.php?id=371
Student Engagement
· What can my students do during speaking presentations? a- assign each student an "interrogative" to use to formulate a question about the presentation... or create a fill in the blank with items you know each presenter will cover and give a reward of some sort for best completion, b - tallying specifics items in the presentation (i.e. the vocabulary / verbs / conjunctions / past tense / people / places / prices) c- writing one thing down that they liked about the presenter's project or presentation, d- create a crossword puzzle, e- list the facts presented, f-have students create questions in the target language for a class quiz or jeopardy game based on content of presentations. Ideas from Nandu List Serv
· What can I do to practice prices and the names of objects that incorporates culture? Set up a marketplace particular to a specific country and its practices (Can they bargain for prices? Are items for sale on blankets in the street? Are there shopping carts / bags / discount coupons, etc.? One Nandu teacher replied: “We are doing a Bolivian market theme and have conducted several markets in class related to different regions of Bolivia. The first market was simple- simply naming the items for sale, counting them, and describing them at each stand. They have increased in difficulty from purchasing items and keeping track of their spending in bolivianos, to shopping on a budget, to haggling prices (their favorite!!). During the markets I have volunteers (often my native speakers) be the "vendedores" and the rest of the class "clientes." I give them a conversation guide to follow and fill in the blanks with the item, prices, etc. These short conversations/dialogues have been a huge hit among my students. The markets give them a chance to be active all class, be independent from the teacher, be social with their peers IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE, and responsible for their own learning (or at least application of what they have learned). I also grade them with a rubric during a few of the markets.”
ACTFL
· ACTFL and the Common Core - ACTFL has been working hard to answer the question of how world languages support the new Common Core that goes into effect in 44 states in fall 2012. See the ACTFL draft at http://www.actfl.org/files/public/Draft_v4_Aligning_CCSS_Language_Standards.pdf The Common Core State Standards, a collaborative effort of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, created a common set of standards in English language arts and mathematics, now adopted by over 40 states. ACTFL has announced a process to revisit the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning to make explicit the link of the standards for learning languages with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. ACTFL invites your input on the draft document at www.actfl.org/commoncore by Jan 15.
· Newly revised ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines available for download The "ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines" were first published in 1986 as an adaptation for the academic community of the U.S. Government's Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptions. New for the 2012 edition are the addition of the major level of "distinguished" to the speaking and writing guidelines; the division of the "advanced" level into the three sublevels of "high," "mid," and "low" for the listening and reading guidelines; and the addition of a general level description at the "advanced," "intermediate" and "novice" levels for all skills http://www.actfl.org/files/public/ACTFLProficiencyGuidelines2012_FINAL.pdf
Global Studies
· Foreign films are again making their way to the Oscars. http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/awards/contenders/for-your-consideration/foreign-language-films/
o Etc.
o French film Declaration of Waris France’s entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. This film follows a couple who must face the ultimate test when they discover their newborn child is very ill. Declaration of War hits theaters January 27th, 2012. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1931470/
· Educating for Global Competence: Preparing Our Youth to Engage the World – You can download this 136 page ebook for free from the Asia Society. http://asiasociety.org/files/book-globalcompetence.pdf
· The authors define ‘global competence’ as “the ability to investigate the world, weigh perspectives, communicate ideas, and take action to improve conditions within and across cultures”.
· Excerpts from the above book: Educating for Global Competence: Globally competent students must have the knowledge and skills to:
o Investigate the World.
o Weigh Perspectives.
o Communicate Ideas.
o Take Action.
o Apply Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Expertise.
French Resources
· AP College Board is closing the AP French List-Serv. The group has formed a wiki with 670 members thus far to share resources. http://ap-flc.wikispaces.com/ The wiki includes the following topics: Audio Activities, Films. Grammar; Exam Prompts, Ladd AP Book Strategies, Exam Dialogue Prompts. Exam Monologue Prompts, Exam E-mail prompts, Exam Essay Prompts, Exam Practice 2012, Exam Practice Scoring, Learning Blogs by teachers, Literature for AP, Novels, Reading resources 4 French teachers, Beauty and Aesthetics - L’esthétique, Contemporary Life - La vie contemporaine Families and Communities - La famille et la communauté, Global Challenges - Les défis mondiaux, Personal and Public Identities - La quête de soi, Science and Technology - La science et la technologie, Mode Definitions for students, Rubrics, Songs, Speaking Activites, Syllabi, Technology Ideas, Textbooks, Tips for AP Scores, Trésors du temps, Vocabulary**
· In the AP List-Serv, debate continues about also forming a Yahoo or Google group. To join the Google Group: Go to www.google.com and in the upper right corner you can click on a link to create a google account. You will have a gmail account after doing this, and this is what you will use to login.
Next, click on "More" at the top of the page and select "Groups". Search for the “AP French Discussion Group” and add yourself to this group. You will see all the e-mails that have recently been sent in here, you can start a new discussion, post documents, etc.
Next, click on "More" at the top of the page and select "Groups". Search for the “AP French Discussion Group” and add yourself to this group. You will see all the e-mails that have recently been sent in here, you can start a new discussion, post documents, etc.
Spanish Resources
· Rosca de reyes recipe for Three Kings Day http://nibblesandfeasts.com/2011/01/rosca-de-reyes/ . Watch a food channel in Spanish video explaining Rosca de Reyes http://cocina.univision.com/delicioso/video/2010-12-25/la-receta-de-la-rosca
· Follow Zachary Jones on Twitter ZJonesSpanish for daily tweets on materials, songs, videos, grammar, etc.
· What do your students know about the Mexican American War of 1848? US curriculum editor and editor of Rethinking America, Bill Bigelow, writes “Most Mexicans know that the war against Mexico was another chapter in U.S. imperialism—a “North American invasion,” as it’s commemorated in a huge memorial in Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park.” “In his memoirs, Ulysses S. Grant wrote that this was “one of the most unjust [wars] ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation …” “The abolition movement regarded the war as a land grab to expand slavery. The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass denounced the Mexican invasion as “a murderous war—as a war against the free states—as a war against freedom, against the Negro, and against the interests of workingmen of this country—and as a means of extending that great evil and damning curse, negro slavery.” Henry David Thoreau coined the term “civil disobedience” in defense of his position that people should not pay taxes to support the war against Mexico.” http://zinnedproject.org/posts/15371?mid=5694333
· AP Spanish Announcement - The AP Program has revised AP Spanish Language, and the changes will take effect during the 2013-14 academic year. Visit Advances in AP http://advancesinap.collegeboard.org to learn about the changes ahead and to download the curriculum framework.
· AP Courses Summer Institutes – “Tengo informacion preliminar para los cinco APSIs que tengo el honor de presentar este proximo verano: 1) Walton High School APSI, Marietta, GA: 9 al 12 de Julio Quiero comunicarles a todas las personas interesadas que muy pronto tendremos mas informacion sobre como registrarse, el costo, etc. Los institutos se enfocaran 100% en el curso nuevo, las obras nuevas y el examen nuevo. Si tienen una pregunta especifica, favor de comunicarse conmigo a: ajimenez@vusd.org”
Quotes / Signatures
· -Students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.- on emails from Sarah Wade, MRHS Spanish
No comments:
Post a Comment