Polyglot Press
Messages for World Languages Teachers
April 2, 2012
Spring break is just around the corner. Vacations, outings and rest are planned. Safe travels and happy times.
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 Thanks to those who share resources.
BRAVO
· Congratulations to Julianne Lease who gave birth to a St Patrick’s Day baby, Carlie Elizabeth. Julianne is a Spanish teacher at Piedmont High.
· Congratulations to Huldrych Castrillon, Spanish teacher at Parkwood Middle, who is marrying her fiancé from Spain April 4. The couple plans a spring honeymoon to Washington, D.C and New York City.
· Congratulations to Jamie Crowell, French teacher at Weddington Middle, who got married March 26. Jamie and her new husband will take up residence in Virginia at the end of this school year. Jamie has been a lead teacher at the middle school level. Jamie has worked on 6th grade French curriculum, and has presented in the county on TRPS and various tech tools. She will be missed and is wished the very best.
· Stacie Thompson, Spanish teacher at Cuthbertson High, presented on two different topics at the World View in their series North Carolina and Latin American this week in Raleigh.
· Stacie Thompson, will also be joining the Cuthbertson High students and teachers traveling to Denmark to visit the CHS partner school and students.
· Xiaohong HuMueller, Marvin Ridge HS Chinese teacher, was featured in the Enquirer Journal in an article about the recent Discover China Day March 2. Xiaohong taught the middle and high school students about etiquette for Chinese banquets, food phrases and how to make dumplings. http://enquirerjournal.com/view/full_story/17847512/article-Discover-China--Classes-learn-about-the-culture
· Xiaohong will present at the April FLANC workshops in Asheville with Dr. Scott Kissau of UNC-C on “Warm-up Activities in the Foreign Language Classroom”
· Lisa Helms, French teacher at Cuthbertson Middle, and Sue Mead, French teacher at Weddington High, are once again taking students to France summer 2012. Bon voyage! Sue and Lisa use the agency Explorica and are very pleased. If you want info on their trip, you can do visit www.explorica.com Tour center ID: MEAD- 7966.
· Sibyll Spoons-Salazar, Spanish teacher at Weddington High, recently hosted two Japanese students at her home for two weeks!
· Harry Braun successfully organized homestays, class visits and area events for the visiting students from the MRHS sister-school in Germany. Classroom visits like a calligraphy lesson, a cooking class, a US PE and sports lesson, as well as extra-curricular activities like Discovery Place (Museum, Mummies and Movie), the National Whitewater Rafting Center, etc. filled the students’ stay.
· Lisa Juntgen, Sun Valley High French teacher, is polishing last minute details of their travel / study trip to Limoges, France this week.
· Lisa Helms and Linda Juntgen are busy working on French 1 common assessments for benchmark 1, 2 and final exam for French 1. Ideas and input can be sent to Donna Podgorny.
· While Amanda Mancilla-Kimbrough, Spanish teacher for CATA was out on maternity leave until about April 2, NC certified Spanish teacher Peggy Heller was subbing for her. Contact Donna Podgorny for sub contact info if interested.
· Correction – Jessica Garner had a son… but his correct name is Barrett Benjamin Garner.
Events
· April 20-22, 2012 Global Youth Service Day Over 100 countries on 6 continents What: Youth Changing The World, addressing critical issues including health, education, environment, hunger, poverty, disaster preparedness and response, and human rights How: Youth working together with schools, youth organizations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, volunteer and national service programs, government agencies, faith communities, and other adult allies Why: To be a part of the largest, and longest-running, annual day of service, and the only day of service dedicated to engaging and celebrating children and youth http://gysd.org/
Professional Development
· April 21, 2012 Saturday FLANC Spring Fling Mini-Conference Asheville - Registration open! Join FLANC in Asheville on Saturday, April 21st for a little professional pick me up. All day sessions dedicated to the world language professional. Hosted at the Holiday Inn/Biltmore West, we look forward to another incredible day of sessions for you. Visit to the Spring Workshops page for more information and online registration. Registration Deadline is April 13th! FLANC is pleased to welcome TrueNatureEducation as a sponsoring partner for the 2012 Spring Conference.
· Tuesday, April 10 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET ACTFL Webinar: Exploring Culture through the Target LanguageThis webinar shares lessons learned from teaching culture in the target language and discusses how to identify cultural objectives within a lesson or unit.
Presenter: Donna Clementi, Appleton West High School and Concordia Language Villages, Emerita
Presenter: Donna Clementi, Appleton West High School and Concordia Language Villages, Emerita
· Tuesday, April 17 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET ACTFL Webinar: Maintaining Communication through the Target Language This webinar emphasizes classroom strategies to build communication skills while maintaining near-exclusive use of the target language in the classroom. Learn about some stumbling blocks and the solutions to employing the target language at the 90% level.
Presenter: Jean LeLoup, U.S. Air Force Academy http://actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5345
Presenter: Jean LeLoup, U.S. Air Force Academy http://actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=5345
· Wednesday, April 25 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET ACTFL Webinar Integrating 21st Century Skills to Engage Today’s Language Learners- Integrating 21st Century Skills in Curriculum and Unit Design Get an overview of the World Languages 21st Century Skills Map and the key skills language learners should develop in today’s classrooms. The webinar focuses on designing units of instruction backward from the end goal and discusses strategies to plan meaningful units.
Presenter: Lynn Fulton-Archer, Richmond Drive Elementary School
Presenter: Lynn Fulton-Archer, Richmond Drive Elementary School
· Wednesday, May 9 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET ACTFL Webinar Integrating 21st Century Skills in Language Assessment This webinar digs deeper into the World Languages 21st Century Skills Map by exploring implications for assessment. Hear guiding principles and examples for designing assessments that incorporate real world tasks.
Presenter: Thomas Sauer, Jefferson County Public Schools
Presenter: Thomas Sauer, Jefferson County Public Schools
· Wednesday, May 23 - 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET ACTFL Webinar Integrating 21st Century Skills in Language Instruction Focusing on instructional strategies that prepare students to achieve the performance goals, this webinar provides examples of how to help students develop and demonstrate a blend of 21st century skills and proficiency in communication. Presenter: Cherice Montgomery, Brigham Young University
· ACTFL webinar Registration Rates
· Participate in as many webinars at you want (The more you attend, the more you save)
· Earn one (1) CEU for every webinar you attend*
· Watch the webinars on-demand (and still get the CEU credit)
· ACTFL Member Rates: $75 per webinar, $180 for any three webinars, or $325 for all six webinars
· Non-Member Rates: $99 per webinar, $239 for any three webinars, or $425 for all six webinars
· *ACTFL will allow one person to be registered from a site with multiple viewers. However, teachers who want to receive a CEU must register as an individual.
· Spring Reading - North Carolina Teacher of the Year Tyronna Hooker offers the following recommendations for catching up on your reading over spring break: Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brains, by LouAnne Johnson. From seating plans to Shakespeare, this book offers practical strategies that will help both new teachers and seasoned veterans create dynamic classroom environments where students enjoy learning and teachers enjoy teaching. From Rage to Hope: Strategies for Reclaiming Black and Hispanic Students, by Crystal Kuykendall. This is a compelling and informative examination of the academic and behavioral challenges facing many of America’s minority youth and offers insight on how teachers can help in overcoming them.
Learning with Laptops
· The Art of a Flipped Classroom – Turning Learning on its Head The webinar was recorded and is available for review here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/02/23/the-art-of-a-flipped-classroom-turning-learning-on-its-head/ You can download a copy of the slides here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2012/03/Flipped-Class_Webinar-rev2.pdf
Advocacy
· “Why bilinguals are smarter” New York Times includes an opinion piece highlighting the benefits of being bilingual. Our well-read Paula McGuire (Spanish at Marvin Ridge Middle) and Sue Mead (French at Weddington High) both saw this article and sent it in to share. “Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.” “The bilingual experience appears to influence the brain from infancy to old age.” A UCSD researcher “found that individuals with a higher degree of bilingualism — measured through a comparative evaluation of proficiency in each language — were more resistant than others to the onset of dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: the higher the degree of bilingualism, the later the age of onset.” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
· Study Abroad Testimonials from the United States Institute of Peace “Having a study abroad experience can be an important step in building a career in managing conflict and building peace around the world.” http://www.buildingpeace.org/act-build-peace/study-abroad/testimonials
Tech Resources
· UCPS has an Edmodo community! Check it out. To join the UCPS Edmodo community, you need a log in code from don.mace@ucps.k12.nc.us Don’t’ know what Edmodo is? It is an online resource for connecting with students that resembles Facebook but serves educational purposes. will allow you to easily collaborate with other teachers in your school or district. In recognition of your commitment to providing a safe and secure learning environment for your students, when you join the community you will earn the Edmodo Subdomain User Badge.
· Lisa Helms, French teacher at Cuthbertson High, shares that she uses http://www.mylessonplanner.com/ to store her lessons online. She can access them from any internet service. She gives her students access and while absent or upon return students can figure out what they missed in class and how to catch up quickly. $7.95 monthly – Lisa says it is worth it.
Teaching Trends
· Fetzer, who teaches in the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) Occupational Course of Study (OCS) blended learning program, teaches special-needs students in grades 10-12. Students are paired with an exceptional children’s teacher in a classroom, as well as with a content specialist teacher online. Fetzer said that teaching online lets her instantly individualize instruction for her students, and she is able to personalize lessons to appeal to each student’s own areas of interest or preferences. Access to different online tools and technologies is an added benefit. “I can spend more time with each student individually and adapt to their likes or dislikes and strengths and weaknesses,” she said. “And they become very comfortable with us; sometimes they might be more comfortable saying things to their online teacher than they would to their classroom teacher, especially students who have communication barriers.”
DPI
· “Next Generation Assessments: Benefits of Online Assessments - There are several benefits to administering assessments online versus paper and pencil. By moving to online assessments, we can offer assessments that are increasingly multi-part, media-enhanced, performance-based, and better representative of the depth intended in the new standards. Another benefit is the availability of Computer Reads Test Aloud – Student Controlled accommodation for eligible students. The online assessments also offer several universal design features such as larger font sizes, and adjustable background colors. Additional benefits include: universal design, virtual highlighter and calculator, flexible scheduling/staffing, storage space, test security, reporting and cost effectiveness. To learn more about the benefits and timeline for transitioning to online assessments, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/assessment/online or contact Kayla Siler at Kayla.Siler@dpi.nc.gov.”
Chinese Resources
· Study Blue – Chinese– Make and share online flashcards, quizzes and notes. Students can: 1) study in class, at home and on their phones with mobile apps, 2) quiz themselves and track their progress using their flashcards or others that are uploaded online, 3) set study reminders; 4) collaborate with classmates from other schools and universities around the world.
· Videoclips of interest to Global Studies and Chinese classes (thanks to Sharon Tian for sharing)
1. Dragon Dance with Drum Rhythm
2. Dance of the Golden Snake
3. The Dragon and Phoenix Bring Good Fortune
4. Pursuit of Love
5. Love Story of Peacocks
6. Reminiscing
7. Voice of the Bamboo in the Open Mountain
8. Fairy Tale of New Year's Eve
9. Beauty in the Chinese Style
10. Close-up Magic
· Chinese Netizens and KONY - http://tealeafnation.com/2012/03/chinese-netizens-do-their-part-to-make-kony-famous/
· China: Debate on Kony - http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/03/21/china-debate-on-kony-2012-and-alert-of-us-intervention
French Resources
· Both Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich speak French: Romney after being a Mormon missionary in France in the 60’s and Gingrich after two years in Orleans, France as a youth. http://www.smh.com.au/world/sacre-bleu-us-republican-accuses-rival-of-speaking-french-20120114-1q03f.html
Spanish Resources
· In Q'Viva! The Chosen, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Jamie King will travel through 20 countries to find and showcase the most outstanding Latin singers, dancers, musicians and other amazing performers. The transcontinental journey, which includes stops in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela and the United States will also feature the incredible stories and personal journeys of the performers they discover. After travelling the globe and reviewing talent, Lopez, Anthony and King will bring the chosen ones to the U.S. to prepare for what is sure to be the most important performance of their lives in a spectacular show that will be the greatest celebration of Latin music and performance arts ever produced. The show is mostly in English. http://www.fox.com/qviva-the-chosen/
· Juanes – Building Peace through Music biography in English http://www.buildingpeace.org/teach-visit-us-and-learn/exhibits/witnesses-peacebuilding/juanes-building-peace-through-music
· Are you looking for a school in a Spanish-speaking country to compare to US schools? Alejandra Elliott, Spanish teacher at Monroe Middle who is from Colombia, uses the following site from a school in Bogota http://www.gimnasiomoderno.edu.co/# If you want to see the students’ schedule so that your students can compare it to their own, you can find schedules at http://gimnasiomoderno.edu.co/vgm/ The sixth grade schedules even have graphic designs that symbolize the subject area http://gimnasiomoderno.edu.co/vgm/file.php/1/HORARIOS_2012version_corregida.pdf
· The info below is from the CASLS Newsletter;
o Spanish Music Database - http://elmundodebirch.wordpress.com A Maryland Spanish teacher has assembled a database of songs in Spanish by artist, title, grammar, vocabulary, culture topic, country, and YouTube video link. As she says in her blog, “If I’m looking for a song that contains the future tense or object pronouns or commands, etc, that’s what I search for; if I need a song from Uruguay, I search for that; if my students have responded favorably to a different artist, like Sie7e, María Mulata or Orishas, I am able to search for more music from that artist; if I need music videos about Sevilla, they are there, too.” For more teaching ideas from this same teacher, you can follow her blog at http://elmundodebirch.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/update-to-my-spanish-music-database ; although it hasn’t been updated recently it is full of good ideas and resources. There are also more resources for teachers on the wiki: http://elmundodebirch.wikispaces.com ; scroll down to For teachers in the left sidebar. BlogUrl: http://casls-nflrc.blogspot.com/2012/03/spanish-music-database.html
· Adele’s music – with subtitles in Spanish Someone Like You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk6MeXV-BW8&feature=channel Set Fire to the Rain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5i4yUx4GuA&feature=relmfu
Advanced Language Student Resources
· Fantasy Dating / Marriage Project: AP Spanish list serv suggests the following project: “From a list of famous people from the target culture, give each student one male name and one female name. Assume they are dating or married. Have them predict what their life would be like: ‘Two containers one with males one with females. They drew them out and then spent the rest of the period researching them. Next they'll present their Venn Diagrams on the whiteboard, and the teacher will collect them after students are done with the presentations. Students have a blast in spite of not knowing who all the famous people are prior to researching them. ‘The one young man who got 15th century ‘Isabel la católica” and had to pair her with ‘Pedro Almodovar’ a current, anti-Catholic church movie producer. Another obscure pairing was Sammy Davis Jr. and Shakira.” Jeanne
Signatures / Quotes
· "Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things." Flora Lewis
