Polyglot Press
Staying Connected to World Language Teaching Resources
October 29, 2012
It is wonderful to receive and discover news of great events and accomplishments. Thanks as always to those who share. This digital newsletter is also archived at www.polyglotpress.blogspot.com New ideas, websites, projects, and creations are always welcome.
BRAVO
· Welcome to Paula Venegas, from Santiago, Chile, who arrived to teach Spanish at Sun Valley High with the VIF (Visiting International Faculty) program. Paula has experience with high school and elementary English teaching as well as Spanish for second language learners.
· Wanda Parks is organizing the Hispanic Heritage student performances at Forest Hills High.
· Pascale Perreau creates a list of I can statements and I know statements per unit to copy for her French 1 students at Cuthbertson Middle. She also adds a self-assessment section: “I have mastered target numbers (circle all that apply); I need extra practice in target numbers (circle all that apply): What will I do for extra practice? _____” Pascale also uses the TPRS drawings from Allez, viens as picture prompts for presentational speaking and writing. Realidades has TPRS drawings for Spanish students. Penpals are a great way to bring modern culture, visuals, perspectives and friendship to your students. Enjoy the Animoto video about the postcards received at Cuthbertson Middle School from their penpals from St. Andiol in southeast France http://animoto.com/play/LQz2BWxOKG1zzt80zqX93A?utm_content=main_link
· Stacie Thompson uses epals and Global Gateway through the British Council’s Schools Online is another option. See http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/Global-Gateway to find penpals for her Spanish students at Cuthbertson High.
· Two Argentine principals visited Andrew Rosene and Stacie Thompson’s Spanish classes at Cuthbertson High. The visiting principals are hosted by Principal Neil Hawkins of New Salem Elementary through the American Council for International Education http://www.americancouncils.org/program/40/APEP/
· Study of Spanish Takes Global Learning Out to Lunch - Seven Marvin Ridge High School students and their two teachers, Jose Sevilla and Cathy Eisner, were among the attendees at the World Affairs Council of Charlotte recent luncheon hosting HE Francisco Campbell, Ambassador from Nicaragua to the United States. During his remarks, the Ambassador noted the importance of growing the relationship between the United States and Central America, and that global education would be a key factor in the future of the two countries.
· The TPRS two-day workshop in Durham was attended by Sibyll Spoons-Salazar of Weddington High, Nordine Schweister of Weddington Middle, and Stacie Thompson of Cuthbertson High.
· Alice Shrader attended the World View Symposium as part of the GIG committee at Marvin Ridge High. World View ‘s Symposium explores significant global issues, offers best practices in global education, and provides educators an opportunity to develop a global action plan for their classroom, school, or system. Readings include: Why 2013 Will Be a Year of Crisis; Experts Warn of ‘Perfect Storm’ for Global Economy. How Green Was My Lawn; Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World; An Attainable Global Perspective; Turning Global Activism into A Game; A Tipping Point in the Fight Against Slavery? http://worldview.unc.edu/programs-2/fall-symposiums/k-12-global-education-symposium-2012/
· Katie Kane’s Spanish students are communicating with Spanish penpals using epals. Her Piedmont High students individually write to their penpals in the computer lab at the end of each chapter incorporating what they learned in the chapter and practicing for the writing section of the exam. Following the chapter exam, the students record an audio message similar to their written message but speaking from memory on FLIP video cameras to send to their penpals, thus addressing presentational communication with technology and a meaningful ‘audience’ (the penpals). Exciting!
· If you are interested in learning more about the items above, please contact these people directly for details.
Professional Development
· November 1 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. LinguaFolio Webinar - The World Language Webinar Series for 2012-2013. This is a webinar for the LinguaFolio Community and is open to any educator (ESL, World Language, or other content area) who is considering, training with, or implementing LinguaFolio - the formative assessment tool for language learning. We will be sharing updates on LinguaFolio resources, including e-LinguaFolio functionality, and discussing how to network and collaborate more as a community of LinguaFolio users. To register for this webinar, please go to https://www4.gotowebinar.com/register/267040775 and complete the registration form. Connection information and reminders will be sent directly to the email address that you provide. The virtual space will open at 3:00 p.m. on November 1st so that participants can login before the start of the broadcast at 3:30 p.m. To submit questions for this webinar, go to http://tinyurl.com/WLWebinarQuestions and complete the form. As always, all materials (PowerPoint presentations, handouts, etc.) and a link to the webinar archive will be posted on the 2012-2013 World Language Webinars wiki page at http://wlnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/2012-2013+Webinars within one week following the live broadcast.
· The Department of Public Instruction has developed nine, new, online modules as a means of providing professional development that is flexible and can be used by districts and charter school teams in ways that best suit their needs. For additional information about the modules, enrollment information, and strategies for implementation, please see the Phase II Online Module Implementation Guide at http://rt3nc.org/pubs/implementation_guide_2012.pdf
o Modules are available through the NC Education site at https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/course/category.php?id=33281
o Connecting with Our 21st Century Learners 10 hours / 1.0 CEU Participants observe and analyze model lessons to identify 21st century skills and methods of teaching them, design a lesson incorporating 21st century skills and tools, and collaborate with colleagues to critique lessons developed by other participants.
o Introduction to Data Literacy 4 hours / 0.4 CEU This module provides an introduction to data literacy. Both teacher and principal perspectives are included. It includes information on types of data, strategies for analyzing and understanding data, and processes for determining how these can influence instructional practices. In order to design effective instruction and learning environments, educators need to determine what learners know and effectively use the evidence collected. This module aims to provide learning experiences that develop or enhance abilities to find, evaluate, and use data to inform instruction.
o Digital Literacies in the K–12 Classroom 12 hours / 1.2 CEU Students need continual guidance in building digital literacy, and teachers need continually to reflect on how best to provide that guidance and to refine their own skills. Just as basic literacy—reading and writing—must be a part of teaching and learning in every content area, so must digital literacy. This module offers a sound and thorough grounding in digital literacy as it pertains to the classroom, or of digital literacies, as the title of the module says, for there are many ways of thinking about digital literacy.
o Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects 3 hours / 0.3 CEU This introductory module defines literacy in the disciplines. Learners will receive an overview of the connections between the North Carolina Essential Standards and the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects. They will then have guided practice examining, discussing, and creating learning activities for students that integrate the North Carolina Essential Standards and the Common Core Literacy Standards for disciplines in grades 6–12.
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Events
· November 10, 2012 Scandinavian Festival – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Carolina Courts; 7210 Stinson Hardis Road; Indian Trail, NC 28079; http://www.scandinavianconnection.org/scanfest/
Integrating the NC WL Essential Standards
o Spontaneous Presentational Speaking Ideas – for practice and assessment http://www.eyeoneducation.com/Blog/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1291/Foreign-Language-Activity-Using-YouTube-for-Spontaneous-Speaking#.UIjALG_A-f4
o Capture the Flag- an idea on how to monitor and increase communicative second language use in the classroom https://www.eyeoneducation.com/Blog/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1253/Foreign-Language-Activity-Capture-the-Flag
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World Languages Common Assessment
· Michael Yarborough, NC Communication Specialist for Race to the Top, shared the following in the Race to the Top Update October 17:
· The Smarter Balanced sample items and performance tasks were released Oct. 9. In less than a week, more than 45,000 people have visited the website. Public interest has been high, as indicated by numerous articles, blog posts, and a high volume of social media activity. The sample assessment items and performance tasks can be viewed on the Smarter Balanced website at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/.
· “Arts Education, Healthful Living and World Language Assessment Examples were developed as part of North Carolina's Race to the Top plan to support standards implementation. These examples are not intended to be used as standardized statewide tests, but to serve as examples of some ways that standards (or parts of the standards) might be assessed in the classroom, by individual teachers. The examples are intended to help illustrate ways that the standards could be assessed, but are not required or mandated for statewide student or teacher accountability, and they are not Common Exams (formerly known as Measures of Student Learning). Teachers are encouraged to implement assessments in ways that make sense to their teaching situations and that best fit the needs of their students. The examples that have been reviewed and approved, along with a description of the development process, are accessible from the following web pages:
· Additional examples are being refined and are expected to be available by mid-December 2012.
· On October 10, the Department of Public Instruction and NC Principals and Assistant Principals Association held a webinar on educator effectiveness, with a focus on the Common Exams. To ensure that you receive pertinent info on this topic, we have archived the recorded webinar online. To view it, please visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/142460961. You will be prompted to complete a form as if you were registering for the live webinar. This action will provide you with access to the recorded version.
· Please note the open-ended nature of these assessments. It will be helpful to adjust your own assessments to include open-ended assessments.
o On the WL page above, one will find the Assessment Examples reviewed by proficiency level at the August 23 UCPS Curriculum Day. Note that, per this information, world language state assessment examples do not include multiple choice questions, but do include ‘brief constructed responses, extended response and performance tasks. http://wlnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/AEs+for+World+Languages
Technology Tips
· Edmodo app voted one of top ten Apple apps for iphone and ipad (free) http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/04/21/new-10-shiny-apple-apps-for-education/2/?
· Homework app voted one of top ten Droid apps – (free) organize homework deadlines, priorities, calendar, etc. http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/06/01/new-10-of-the-best-droid-apps-for-education-in-2012/2/?
· AnyMemo app – voted one of top ten Droid apps – (free) text-to-speech, MP3/OGG/WAV audio; download millions of flash card db to study Arabic, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, from anymemo.org, flashcardexchange, Quizlet, or StudyStack; download and upload from/to Dropbox; import from StudyStack; import flash cards from Mnemosyne, http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/06/01/new-10-of-the-best-droid-apps-for-education-in-2012/
Global Opportunities
· World Affairs Council – teacher educator scholarships up to $2,500. “The Council Scholar Program offers a unique opportunity for selected educators (K-12) to travel out of the country and bring their experiences abroad home to their school community in North Carolina. We are looking for internationally-minded educators and administrators who are currently working to provide a global perspective in their classrooms. Applicants should have a desire to immerse themselves in an international topic/region and be enthusiastic about bringing their experiences home to their classroom, school and colleagues. Deadline: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. on November 30th, 2012. The applications can either be mailed or hand delivered to the Council. http://www.worldaffairscharlotte.org/educationoutreach/councilscholar/2012-2013/councilscholarapplication.htm
· Students can apply to live overseas in high school with full scholarships http://exchanges.state.gov/ Search by county or keywords to find scholarships through the US State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
o The deadline to apply to the National Security Languages Initiative for Youth scholarships for study in countries with critically needed languages is November 1, 2012.
o The deadline for the Bundestag Youth Exchange Program in Germany is January 2013.
Global View Points
o Wants to learn more about the global community to which we all belong.
o Understands the interconnectedness of the world (socially, culturally, politically, economically, and physically.)
o Believes in responsible stewardship of the environment.
o Has a respect for human rights and cares about injustice.
o Promotes peaceful conflict resolution.
o Is aware of global issues, takes responsibility for global issues, and takes action to make the world a better place. http://en.community.epals.com/epals_cares/b/global_citizens_activities/archive/2012/05/10/global-citizens-pledge.aspx Thanks to Alice Shrader, Spanish teacher at Marvin Ridge High, for sharing.
· Understanding China - EU Relations – With Europe in the midst of an economic crisis and the United States announcing a pivot to Asia, relations between China and Europe are at a critical point http://carnegieeurope.eu/publications/?fa=49688&lang=en
· The University of Montana, at Missoula, has three year old language training program contracted by the Department of Defense immersing U.S. troops and diplomats in critical languages and cultures where American interests are at stake. The program includes avatar-based learning, synchronized video teleconferencing and an immersion program in Korean. UM received the largest share of the DOD grants at $2 million. As Pashto declines in its importance, UM will have to be positioned to do other things. They started up a Korean program and also offers instruction in Arabic. There's more emphasis on Dari. They hope to do Chinese down the road. Pashto and Dari are both spoken in Afghanistan. There's interest in introducing North African languages, especially as U.S. interests there grows with the fallout of the Arab Spring and the emergence of al-Qaida in Somalia. http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/175151581_UM_language_program_teaches_troops__diplomats.html
Global Resources
Chinese Resources
· 2012: The Year Mandarin Chinese Becomes a 'Commonly Taught Language'?
Spanish Resources
· Play along with the World Affairs Council of Charlotte as the teams compete. One category is The Cuban Missile Crisis. Resources include: Harvard Kennedy Center – Cuban Missile Crisis http://www.cubanmissilecrisis.org/
2. Cuban Missile Crisis –NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/opinion/at-50-the-cuban-missile-crisis-as-guide.html?_r=0
4. Cuban Missile Crisis – US Navy http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq90-1.htm
5. Cuban Missile Crisis – History Channel http://www.history.com/videos/cuban-missile-crisis#cuban-missile-crisis
6. Cuban Missile Crisis - Timeline http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/history/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis/timeline.htm
7. Cuban Missile Crisis - Quiz http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/history/us_history/cuban_missile_crisis.html
8. Cuban Missile Crisis – Quiz (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/schools/gcsebitesize/history/quizengine?quiz=causesofthecubacrisistest&templateStyle=history
