Labor Day Week Edition

Polyglot Press

Messages for the World Language Teacher

September 7, 2011

FB Note: There is now a Facebook Page titled “UCPS World Language Teachers”. You can go there and ask to be a “friend”. This site will permit UCPS World Language teachers to share resources and ask questions of their UCPS World Language colleagues in a closed social networking site. Hopefully, this will be an easily accessible site for frequent sharing and collaboration.  

Blog Reminder: These editions of the Polyglot Press are uploaded to a blog of the name “Polyglot Press for World Language Teachers” located at  http://polyglotpress.blogspot.com/  You can join that blog and make comments. Find out who has already joined. Bookmark this site as a favorite.

BRAVO!

·         Spanish teacher, Rosana Gonzales of South Providence School, makes the SPS webpage banner. This is the first year that SPS has offered world languages.

·         Spanish teacher, Christina Bachiller of Weddington HS takes her Spanish 1 students out in the hall in two long lines facing each other to practice interpersonal speaking skills.

·         German teacher, Harry Braun explains that the Marvin Ridge HS world languages department plans to use Edmodo this year to collaborate. Email department chair, Sarah Wade, for information on how she has used Edmodo with her students.

·         Katie Kane, was pleasantly surprised to find out how much her students like her FaceBook page for her Piedmont HS Spanish classes.

·         Numerous teachers are already using “I can statements” with specifics for the day’s lesson in posting their daily student-friendly objectives. Some already have incorporate the target language, “Yo puedo…”. Etc.

·         Latin teacher, Juliet Kasler, is featured in the Porter Ridge HS webpage banner as PRHS Teacher of the Year 2010-2011

Events

·         First Friday of September 6, 2011 Teachers’ Day in Singapore An official school holiday. Celebrations are normally conducted the day before, where students usually get half a day off.

·         September 5 Teachers’ Day in India: It is considered a "celebration" day, where teachers and students report to school as usual but the usual activities and classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance.  At some schools on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the senior students to show appreciation for their teachers.

·         September 8 International Literacy Day

·         September 10 Teachers’ Day in China: In the People's Republic of China, there are some activities for the students to show their appreciation for teachers, such as presenting gifts including cards and flowers.

·         September 11 Teachers’ Day in Argentina

·         September 15 – October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month

o    September – October Art Exhibit by Yesenia Traverso – Monroe Public Library The Alcove Gallery
316 East Windsor Street, Monroe, NC 28112

o    September – October  Art Exhibit by Angel Lasso Indian Trail Public Library 123 Unionville-Indian Trail Road, Indian Trail, NC 28079 704-821-7475

o    September – October  Art Exhibit by Oscar Ortiz Waxhaw Public Library 509 South Providence Street Waxhaw, NC 28173

o    Scholastic Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/?eml=TNL/e/20110830//txtl/September_Update/0/topclicks2/Generic_SPS_SL1//////&ym_MID=1362314&ym_rid=9165037

·         September 21 International Day of Peace

·         September 28 Teachers’ Day in Taiwan The Republic of China uses this day to honor teachers' virtues, struggles, and contribution not only to their own students but also to society in general. People often make use of the day to express their gratitude to their teachers, such as paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, believed to be the model master educator in ancient China.

·         October 5 Teachers’ Day in Germany

·         October 8 Yom Kippur The “Day of Atonement” in the Jewish calendar marks the end of the Ten Days of Penitence that begin with Rosh Hashanah.

·         October 15 7:30 p.m. ¡A bailar salsa de verdad con la Orquesta Mayor! (Real Salsa Dancing with the Orquesta Mayor) Wingate University 220 N. Camden St. Wingate, North Carolina 28174

·         October 16 Teachers’ Day in Chile

·         November 6 Eid Al Adha – Islamic “Feast of Sacrifice” concludes the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and is a three-day festival

·         November 9 Kristallnacht  Commemorates the 1938 pogrom against Jews throughout Germany and Vienna.

Professional Development

·         October 6-November 16 2011 Online Globalization Course for K-12 Teachers Registration for the fall Online Globalization Course for K-12 teachers and administrators is $275 per NC educator, but only $225 for World View Partners. Partner team of 4 is $800. Sample syllabus http://www.unc.edu/world/OnlineCourses/TCSyllabus3-08.pdf Before the course begins, please purchase the new edition of "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century" (“Further Updated and Expanded//Release 3.0”) by Thomas Friedman To register http://www.unc.edu/world/regform.shtml

·         October 14-15, 2011 FLANC 2011 Conference - 45^th Annual Fall Conference is in nearby Winston-Salem, NC  As always, Pre- and Post-Conference workshops will be offered as well Pre-Conference Workshops Oct. 13 / Post-Conference Workshops Oct. 15. Dr. Charles Moore (Program Chair) has lined up over 80 concurrent sessions Friday and Saturday A great opportunity to earn yourself CEUs for renewal With 16 additional workshops planned Pre- and Post-Conference, you have an incredible opportunity to earn over 20 hours of CEU eligible credits  all focused on foreign languages Early Bird Discount!! Save $40 on a full registration before Sept 16^th Hotel Room Block will be held until September 16^th If you have any questions, please contact FLANC Executive Director- Kc. Kasserman Phone: 336-705-6278 Email: kc.kasserman@flanc.org  

·         October 19-20, 2011 2011 K-12 Global Education Symposium “Peace and Conflict: Ten Years after 9/11” sponsored by World View. Featured sessions: It happened on the way to way; America’s Global Role After 9 / 11; Why there are so few Muslim Terrorists. The Friday Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina This symposium offers general sessions, concurrent sessions, and support for school-based teams in creating an Action Plan for globalizing schools and school systems.  The program is designed for administrators and teachers in all disciplines. Educators will leave the program with strategies for helping their students learn about and with the world 1.5 CEU credits will be offered. Co-sponsors: NC State Board of Education; NC Department of Public Instruction; UNC School of Education. Cost (North Carolina educators): Registration is $175 per person.  A Team of 4 is $600 (save $100).  A Team is comprised of 4 or more individuals from a school or district.  Only $150 for each additional team member. Local Hotel Information:  World View has arranged for group rates at several local hotels. Please visit www.unc.edu/world  for more information. Please note that space is limited.  This program has “sold out” the last five years. Register today! For more information contact Katharine H. Robinson, Program Manager tel: 919.843.6795 or krobinson@unc.edu

·         November 1, 2011 Deadline: 2012 CIBER Business Language Conference Call For Proposals for Conference: March 21-23, 2012  University of North Carolina CIBER in Chapel Hill The theme for this year’s conference is Building Bridges from Business Languages to Business Communities and calls for an exchange of ideas on how foreign language educators can best assess and meet the current and future linguistic and cross-cultural needs of professionals operating in diverse and global environments.  http://www.ciber.unc.edu/cblc/

·         DPI – World Languages will offer evening “DPI World Languages Update Webinars” to all interested NC world language teachers on 3 DPI Update webinars open to all NC World Language Educators at 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings. Registration and sign-in details will be forthcoming.

o    November 10 Supporting Proficiency-Based Teaching in Every World Language Program . Focus: Formative Assessment and LinguaFolio

o    January 12 Assessing Proficiency in World Language Programs Focus: Comprehensive Balanced Assessment System & Proficiency 101

o    May 10 Overview of 2012-2013 Plans & Introduction to NCWORLDLANG Social Bookmark

DPI Updates

·         Instructional Improvement System (“IIS” – “The Cloud”) Update: A major cultural and pedagogic shift is underway in North Carolina to provide educators with a central location that offers instructional/learning tools, resources, and data to improve and enhance both the teaching and learning process. NCDPI seeks to achieve this goal by providing an online resource for all school districts that will enable educators to use and evaluate instructional materials, strategies, and approaches for educating all students. For the IIS to be effective, it must provide all school districts with equal access to rich instructional resources and a complete collection of information needed to improve instructional practices, make learner-centered decisions, enhance staff productivity, and assess overall effectiveness over time. The presentation for the August focus meetings is found at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/acre/improvement/resources/iis-regional-focus.pdf Resources Page http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/improvement/resources

·         Public Schools Have Cut More than 8 Percent of Staff since 2008-09 - North Carolina public schools have lost more than 16,678 positions and laid off 6,816 people since the 2008-09 school year in response to state budget cuts, according to the most recent data reported by local school districts just released by the NC Department of Public Instruction. Teacher positions made up 35 percent of the positions lost. Teacher assistants made up 33 percent of the overall positions lost since 2008. Local school districts also cut central office staff, principals and assistant principals, instructional support positions and other non-certified staff. It is important to note, that over that same period of teacher and educator job cuts, North Carolina public school enrollment has grown. To read more, as well as access job loss information by state and local districts, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org  and click on the appropriate link under “News.”

·         Mini-Grants to Benefit Youth Groups - The N.C. Youth Advisory Council of the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office in the Department of Administration is accepting applications for mini-grants available to youth groups to conduct community projects. Up to $6,292 is available to North Carolina organizations composed of young people, ages 13 to 18, which implement programs to benefit their peers. The mini-grants will range from $100 to a maximum of $500 each. Examples of projects that have received funding since the program started in 1977 include after-school tutorial programs, purchases of recreational equipment and orchestral music, an alcohol-free graduation celebration and books for children in a hospital critical care unit. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Sept. 30. Recipients will be announced in December. For regulations or to download an application, visit www.doa.state.nc.us/yaio/councils-minigrant.aspx  or contact Cynthia Giles of the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office at 919/807-4400.

Global Studies / Global Views

·         As school begins in many nations, the Christian Science Monitor features photo slide show of School Children Around the World http://www.csmonitor.com/CSM-Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Schoolchildren-around-the-world

·         Arabic Studies As 9-11 approaches, estimates show that as of November 2009, one list counted 93 public schools studying Arabic in 22 states, plus 220 private schools, according to data compiled by the National Capital Language Resource Center at George Washington University. A survey by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages showed that public-school enrollment in Arabic-language classes nearly tripled between the 2004-05 school year and 2007-08, to nearly 2,400. But those figures pale in comparison with the 60,000 who were reported as studying Chinese and the millions studying Spanish. In Virginia’s 178,000-student Fairfax County district, nearly 1,000 students took Arabic at the elementary and secondary levels as of last academic year. In Utah, about 450 students study Arabic across nine public schools. At least two universities, Boston University and Michigan State University, are launching new teacher-certification programs in Arabic at the secondary level this fall. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/08/31/02sept11_ep.h31.html?tkn=YYVFBpMMWklHPhNFncwpryt2PeYhkRR4WHW8&cmp=clp-sb-actfl

·         US Funding for Foreign Languages National Resource Centers, so designated by the Education Department to teach foreign languages and culture at universities around the country, lost 47 percent of their budget for fiscal year 2011 in the last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown in April -- a surprise to observers who had not thought the program was especially vulnerable. Since relatively few students opt for Bengali or Burmese over Spanish or French, federal funding was often the factor that made such courses financially feasible. The cut was across-the-board, so every center is facing the loss of half its federal funds.

·         Bloomberg magazine ranks Chinese as the most useful language for business after English: Mandarin, spoken by 845 million people, scored highest in a ranking of languages, excluding English, based on business usefulness. The ranking scored languages according to the number of speakers, number of countries where the language is official, along with those nations’ populations, financial power, educational and literacy rates, and related measures. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-30/mandarin-chinese-most-useful-business-language-after-english-1-.html  

o    French, spoken by 68 million people worldwide and the official language of 27 countries, was ranked second, followed by Arabic, which is spoken by 221 million people and is official in 23 nations.

o    “Speaking the language confers a huge advantage for anyone who wants to do business in a non-English-speaking country,” he said. “It gives you flexibility, knowledge that you need, and personal connections that can make a difference in the speed and effectiveness of your negotiations.”

o    Spanish, the official language of 20 countries and spoken by 329 million people, came in fourth, the rankings showed.

o    Spanish was the top foreign language studied in U.S. college classrooms in 2009, according to research from the Modern Language Association in New York. Chinese tallied seventh by the number of U.S. students enrolled in classes that year, after Spanish, French, German, American Sign Language, Italian and Japanese, according to a December 2010 report by the association. Arabic was eighth.

·         International House of Charlotte offers the opportunity to serve as a cultural ambassador and host foreign guests at your home for dinner:

o    Dinner Hosting: Spend a fascinating evening learning about a different culture, sharing the American way of life and making new friends by hosting a group of visitors for dinner. Dinner hosting is an ideal way to participate in citizen diplomacy and experience the exhilaration of world travel in your own dining room. To host a dinner, contact Lara Printz, Program Director, at lprintz@ihclt.org or 704.333.8099.

o    Home Hosting: You can also participate in diplomatic efforts by opening your home to an international guest. Home hosts are responsible for: Transportation for the guest to International House in the morning and evening. Breakfast and dinner for your guest. Making your guest feel welcome. Helping him or her get the most out of their experience in Charlotte. In return, you and your family experience a new culture, promote Charlotte and the US, and make lifelong friends! If you’re interested in home hosting, contact Lara Printz, Program Director, at lprintz@ihclt.org or 704.333.8099

·         President of Burundi visits Charlotte September 22 http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/12/2521248/burundi-president-to-visit.html

·         Globalization in Latin America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGmG_OJjlU0

·         Resource for Monthly Celebrations: http://www.teachersfirst.com/calendar

·         2011 Calendar of Cultural Festivals and Religious Observances http://www.adl.org/education/2011_Calendar_of_Observances.pdf

·         2012 Calendar of Cultural Festivals and Religious Observances http://www.adl.org/education/2012_Calendar_of_Observances.pdf

·         Target currently has landmarks from around the world cards at 36 for $1.00

Technology

·         What is Edmodo?Edmodo is a secure, social learning platform for teachers, students, schools and districts. It is a safe and easy way for a class or classes to connect and collaborate, share content and access homework, grades and school notices. The goal is to help educators harness the power of social media to customize the classroom for each and every level. Edmodo is free for all teachers, students, schools and districts.

·         Court Decision - Missouri Judge Blocks Limitations on Student-Teacher Facebook Encounters http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/08/27/missouri-judge-blocks-facebook-limits-for-teachers/

Chinese Resources

·         Chinese Jump Rope web demo and instructions http://www.perocks.com/gpage3.html

·         The sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster, "Kung Fu Panda 2" has hit the big screen worldwide. Kung Fu Panda 2 successfully combines Chinese culture with Hollywood production design. A heavy dose of Chinese culture and culinary delights characterizes the sequel, which has been expected to be a big draw for Chinese and worldwide audiences. http://english.cntv.cn/program/centerstage/20110821/101199.shtml

·         In the southern city of Nanjing, China, one primary school headmaster took 300 first graders to a Confucian temple on the first day of school to join in an ancient Chinese ceremony that the anti-Confucian government banned for many years. At the “First Writing Ceremony,” the children, dressed in traditional costume, took up calligraphy brushes to write the Chinese character for “person” before having their foreheads daubed with a red dot, signifying the eye of wisdom. Then they rang the temple bell and burned some incense before a statue of  Confucius, the Chinese sage who attached enormous importance to a good education. “I wanted a fresh back-to-school ceremony to make the kids look forward to the term,” the headmaster told a reporter from The Oriental Guardian newspaper “I hope it will inspire them to study.”

French Resources

·         From AP French List Serv-

o    Cliché – short, videoclip in French with animated characters about many famous French stereotypes. Great for beginners as well as advanced students. http://www.cedric-villain.info/cliche/index_cliche_fr.html

o    Introduce your students to Babar. There are several You Tube videos that are in French (and some in English).  You can use this shortcut-- http://www.youtube.com/user/olrik31   Right now at Target in their dollar section you can find activity books of Babar and toddler dishes with the designs also.  Although the books are in English I'm sure that you could devise something from them in French.  I have shown the video "Babar Roi des elephants" to my sophomores and they enjoyed it!

o    Teaching Descriptions of Oneself – use the online horoscopes in French for lots of adjectives with the connection to birthdates and zodiac animals

Spanish Resources

·         Karaoke online with Justo Lamas –choose  instrumental, choral, vocal versions  http://www.justolamas.com/karaoke.php

·         AP List Serv Suggested Resources for units on Immigration – The movies “El Norte”, "Voces inocentes",  "La misma luna", “Y no se lo trago la tierra” Songs on the same topic: "Pobre Juan" (by Maná), "El mojado" (by Ricardo Arjona), "Los mandados" (by Vicente Fernandez) y others from Los Tigres del Norte. The book  “Cajas de carton”  

Quotes / Signatures

·         "I have always imagined that paradise will be some kind of library." — Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine writer, essayist and poet.

·         “We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.” - Kofi Annan, Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations

·         "Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher." -- Japanese proverb

·         “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” – Confucius, Chinese thinker, thinker, political figure, educator

Curriculum Day Edition

Polyglot Press

Messages for the World Language Teacher

August 22, 2011

The Polyglot Press aims to inform the UCPS World Language teachers and keep them abreast of valuable links, news, professional developments, accomplishment, etc.  This information is housed on www.polyglotpress.blogspot.com Feel free to access it there in the future. You can also add comments. No personal news or names will be included in the blog version.

Professional Development

·         October 19-20, 2011 World View Peace and Conflict: Years after 9-11 Fall Symposium 10 Registration for the K-12 Symposium is $175 per NC educator.* Reduced registration fees are available for schools registering 4 or more persons. A team of 4 is $600 for the symposium. Only $150 for each additional team member..http://www.unc.edu/world/2011K12Symposium.htm

·         October 14-15, 2011 FLANC 2011 Conference - 45^th Annual Fall Conference is in nearby Winston-Salem, NC  As usual, Pre- and Post-Conference workshops will be offered as well Pre-Conference Workshops Oct. 13 / Post-Conference Workshops Oct. 15. Dr. Charles Moore (Program Chair) has lined up over 80 concurrent sessions Friday and Saturday A great opportunity to earn yourself CEUs for renewal With 16 additional workshops planned Pre- and Post-Conference, you have an incredible opportunity to earn over 20 hours of CEU eligible credits  all focused on foreign languages Early Bird Discount!! Save $40 on a full registration before Sept 16^th Hotel Room Block will be held until September 16^th If you have any questions, please contact FLANC Executive Director- Kc. Kasserman Phone: 336-705-6278 Email: kc.kasserman@flanc.org

ACTFL Fall Webinars

·         Wednesday, September 7, 2011; 3:30-4:30 pm ET Designing Lessons to Engage Learners Building on her publication Keys to the Classroom, Paula Patrick outlines effective structures for creating an effective flow in a lesson, planning for warm-ups, guided practice, independent practice, and closing strategies. Learn a variety of ways to incorporate all three modes of communication in a lesson. Learn to apply techniques to improve class management while also increasing student engagement. $75 / $99

·         Wednesday, September 21, 2011; 3:30-4:30 pm ET Differentiating to Support Each Learner Acquire instructional strategies that support each learner. This webinar establishes a rationale and provides specific ideas for differentiating within daily lessons as well as through assignments and assessments. Participants also learn effective class management techniques to conduct a differentiated classroom. . $75 / $99

·         Wednesday, October 5, 2011; 3:30-4:30 pm ET Communicating Students’ Learning In communicative classrooms, students demonstrate their learning through real performances with language. Learn to plan for and use this assessment as stronger evidence of student learning, reframing accountability. Take away ideas for communicating with parents, demonstrating achievement of learning targets for administrators and the next year’s teacher, and showcasing learning for the community. . $75 / $99

·         October 6-November 16 World View Fall 2011 Online Globalization Course
Registration for the fall Online Globalization Course for K-12 teachers and administrators is $275 per NC educator, but only $225 for World View Partners. Partner team of 4 is $800.

·         Wednesday, October 12, 2011; 3:30-4:30 pm ET Creating Content: Teaching Strategies for the Presentational Mode This webinar will consider the types of tasks that students are typically given to develop their ability to present in written and oral formats. Easy-to-implement strategies designed to help students articulate their ideas effectively while advancing a student’s proficiency level will be shared. Strategies for providing effective feedback while minimizing the paperwork often associated with the presentational mode will also be considered. . $75 / $99

·         Wednesday, December 7, 2011; 3:30-4:30 pm ET Discussing Content: Teaching Strategies for the Interpersonal Mode This webinar will present ways teachers can create lessons that build toward real-life, unrehearsed communication so that students at all levels are prepared to communicate in meaningful ways. Participants will consider strategies designed to maximize use of the target language and learn effective classroom management strategies essential for interactive classrooms. Easily adapted activities for working with language learners at novice, intermediate and advanced levels will be shared. . $75 / $99

Chinese Guest Teacher Training 176 Chinese guest teachers arrived in the US this summer to work in US schools. 17 will work in North Carolina.  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/07/study_older_students_may_learn.html

Events of Interest

·         August 1 - 30, 2011 Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting for many Muslims in the United States. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars (fundamental religious duties) of Islam. It is a time of self-examination and increased religious devotion.

·         September 3 - 4 , 2011 Indian Festival of Charlotte - Performing arts, films, food, vendors, Knight Theater, 430 South Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 12 - 7 PM on Saturday, 12 - 6 PM on Sunday http://indiafestival.iacofcarolinas.org/

·         September 15–October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States is the period when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the US. http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/     

o    Latin American Timeline http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/latin.html

o    Latin America’s Independence Dates - http://latinostories.com/Latin_America_Resources/Latin_American_Independence_Days.htm

o    September 15  - Celebration of Guatemala’s Independence from Spain in 1821

o    September 15 – Celebration of Honduras’ Independence from Spain in 1821

o    September 15 – Celebration of Nicaragua’s Independence from Spain 1821

o    September 16 - Celebration of Mexico’s Independence from Spain 1810

o    September 18 -  Celebration of Chile’s Independence from Spain 1810

·         September 22, 2011 Peace Corps 50^th Anniversary - the Peace Corps Act in Congress was signed by John F. Kennedy.

·         September 29-30, 2011 Rosh Hashanah Jewish holiday in which Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. Rosh Hashanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.

·         0ctober 8, 2011 Yom Kippur - Jewish holiday. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between people and between individuals and God. According to Jewish tradition, it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being.

·         October 12  “Columbus Day”, “Día de la raza”

·         November 18 – 20, 2011 ACTFL Convention Denver, Colorado http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

Advocacy

·         Join FLANC ($25.00) and support your state foreign language association.  Receive access to online materials. Apply for mini-grants up to $500. http://www.flanc.org/?sec=membership

·         Join ACTFL ($75.00) and support your national foreign language association. Receive FREE subscription to The Language Educator (6 issues), FREE subscription to Foreign Language Annals (4 issues), FREE subscription to ACTFL SmartBrief (weekly e-newsletter), FREE subscription to ACTFL Connection (periodic e-mail), http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3303

·         Join NNELL ($30.00) and support the National Network for Early Language Learners for K – 8 students. Receive the professional journal Learning Languages twice a year. http://www.nnell.org/default.asp

·         Join AATF ($55.00) and support the American Association of Teachers of French http://www.frenchteachers.org/

·         Join AATG ($25.00 / $80.00) and support the American Association of Teachers of German. Get access to The German Quarterly or Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, online resources, scholarships, etc. http://www.aatg.org/

·         Join AATSP ($65.00) and support the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Get access to online resources, Hispania journal, scholarships, trips, National Spanish Exam resources, http://www.aatsp.org/  

·         Join ACL ($55.00) and support the American Classical Society for teachers of Latin and Greek  http://www.aclclassics.org/

·         Join CLTA ($30.00++) and support the Chinese Language Teachers’ Association Receive their journal, newsletter, conference information, list-serv info, etc. http://clta-us.org/

·         Business needs for language skills “Breaking down worker and employer survey responses demonstrates how businesses’ perceived language needs vary by industry. In the UPRI study, workers from all sectors reported low fluency in Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. However, employers in different industries had varying requirements for these languages. For example, corporate and manufacturing employers reported the highest current demand for Russian proficiency, whereas future demand for Russian was highest in the corporate and health care sectors. Current and future worker Spanish fluency, by contrast, was most sought by health care and education managers; Arabic was most desirable for corporate and education employers, and Chinese was most important to corporate and manufacturing companies. http://clomedia.com/articles/view/do-you-speak-the-language-of-business/2

Research

UPRI Study – “The UPRI study offers several recommendations for CLOs addressing language shortages:

·         Explain the value of language skills. The low rates of worker fluency and interest in learning new languages reported in the survey may indicate that workers are unaware of the benefits of knowing a second language. To counter this deficit, launch an awareness program.  

·         Publicize industry-sector language needs. Job seekers also may not recognize that a specific industry needs speakers of particular languages. Current and future worker Spanish fluency, by contrast, was most sought by health care and education managers; Arabic was most desirable for corporate and education employers, and Chinese was most important to corporate and manufacturing companies.  http://clomedia.com/articles/view/do-you-speak-the-language-of-business/3

·         Engage workers with military backgrounds. Responses from employees who were active-duty or reserve uniformed personnel, or who had been honorably discharged, revealed that these workers were more likely to acquire business-level skill in languages of interest. The UPRI study states that the U.S. Department of Defense has been investing in language learning, including Arabic and Chinese, via its Defense Language Institute.

·         The Modern Language Association’s 2009 survey of non-English higher education language enrollment lists Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese as the top five spoken languages being studied. Pertinent to the UPRI study, combined enrollment in Chinese, Arabic and Russian courses was about one seventh that of Spanish. http://clomedia.com/articles/view/do-you-speak-the-language-of-business/4

Collaborate

·         Join the American Association of Teachers of French on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AATFrench?sk=wall

·         Join the American Association of Teachers of German on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Association-of-Teachers-of-German/53662852206?sk=wall

Global Connections

·         Uruguay Educational Seminar - Bring the World to Your School with Educational Seminars! edseminars@americancouncils.org The Educational Seminars program is fully funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and is implemented by American Councils for International Education.  U.S. school teachers and administrators are invited to apply for short-term exchanges in Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Thailand, and Uruguay.  The program funding covers all costs and international travel takes place in the summer. While in the host country (for 3 to 8 weeks), you will shadow your international peer(s), network with educational leaders, and/or develop joint classroom projects and school partnerships.  To apply and learn about the unique programs offered in each country, visit: www.americancouncils.org/es  The deadline for the Uruguay program is September 12, 2011. Other program deadlines will be Winter/Spring, 2012. For more information contact us at: edseminars@americancouncils.org. Questions contact Kyler Randall T: 202-833-7522/F: 202-833-7523

·         World View Past-Symposium Presentations Online http://www.unc.edu/world/symposium.shtml

Global Efforts in UCPS

·         Global Schools Network (GSN), Union County Public Schools recognized 21 new VIF (visiting international faculty) teachers during a kick-off reception of the school system’s participation in the Global Schools Network (GSN), Tuesday (Aug.16, 2011). UCPS has a total of 28 VIF teachers, coming from Ecuador, Colombia, Philippines, Peru, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Finland, Canada, New Zealand and England. The school system joined the state's pilot GSN program back in June. Twenty-one UCPS elementary schools will launch the Global Gateway Program on Oct. 19, 2011. This is one level of participation in GSN, which is an alliance of schools, organizations and businesses committed to creating collaborative and multi-faceted approaches to international education. The gateway program is a grade-level program that provides teachers and their principals professional development that aims at helping the schools build “meaningful global classroom experiences and prepare students for success in a global society. VIF will provide a district-wide orientation to launch the Gateway Program on Oct. 19. http://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/news/jump.php?news_id=11191

Research

·         Older Students May Learn Language Rules Faster http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2011/07/study_older_students_may_learn.html

Technology

·         Cool Tools for School – organizes online tools by use – presentation, collaborative, research, video, slideshow, audio, image, drawaing, sriting, music, organizing, converting, mapping, quiz and poll, graphing, creativity, widgets, file storage and web pages. MANY useful resources. Bookmark this tool and use it frequently to find what you need or to grow in ability  http://colltoolforschools.wikispace.com

·         Edutopia’s 80 Online Tools –  Edutopia was founded by the George Lucas Foundation and has been instrumental in transforming education in the US. Try this link: http://www.edutopia.org/groups/technology-integration-high-school/57108

·         Saving You Tube videos - "saveyoutube.com" - you can either copy and paste the link to the youtube video into the box on the website, or, depending on your browser, you can just type the word "save" in front of youtube in the url itself. You then download it onto your computer in the format of your choosing and save it to your flash drive. There are other websites and free software packages that are out there which will do the same thing.

·         WordChamp – free:  has audio vocab to listen to, tracks your studies, shows what you have mastered or not mastered; picture flashcards; personalize your learning by adding / subtracting your own flashcards and vocabulary; has web reader for translating online sites into other languages; has options of finding online tutors; demo on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o1mYVfOs4k Site located on www.wordchamp.com

·         Iphone apps - Free

o    Bueno entonces – Spanish Tutor

o    China Daily - news articles

o    Chinese Dialogue Pro – phrases for travel with audio, pinyin and characters

o    Essentials by AccelaStudy – Chinese, French, German, Spanish Essentials – personalized word bank, audio flashcards, audio quizzes, translation quizzes

o    Google Goggles – reader identifies landmarks, books, art work, logos and languages; speech recognition Google search feature

o    Latin Study Buddy

o    PLECO – Chinese / English Dictionary

o    Weather – follow cities around the world for the target country

Chinese Resources (thanks to Sharon Tian)

·         Joe Biden delivers speech at Sichuan University, China about strength of the US economy http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20110821/103431.shtml

·         Summer Palace – CCTV Documentary

o     Part 1- The garden of clear rippies   http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110524/102342.shtml

o    Part 2- Heaven and earth by Kunming Lake  http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110525/100457.shtml

o    Part 3- Unique architecture skills  http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110526/100645.shtml

o    Part 4- Tempest paradise http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110527/101003.shtml

o    Part 5 - Diplomacy in the imperial garden http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110528/100540.shtml

o    6.   Part 6- The survival and renewal http://english.cntv.cn/program/documentary/20110529/100107.shtml

French Resources

·         Designing a Map of Paris http://youtu.be/9V3K0Hvfszc

AP German

·         Test Format http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/german_lang/exam.html?germanlang

Spanish Resources

·         Listening Practice

o    BBC topics http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/news/topic/

o    CNN en espanol - http://www.cnn.com/espanol/

o    Radio Station World http://radiostationworld.com/

·         Spanish Spelling Bee in July, 2011, 11 students competed in the national Spanish Spelling Bee organized by the New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education. Spellers had to correctly identify capitalization plus accent marks. The 13 year old winner  emerged victorious after conquering the last two words in the competition: kanindeyuense, meaning a resident of a part of Uruguay, and bizantinismo, meaning Byzantinism. http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/article/San-Antonio-student-finishes-ninth-in-bee-1459287.php

·         Exposicion virtual de la Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango de Colombia: Puede ser muy util para incorporar la historia latinoamericana en una clase de lengua espanola. Se llama Palabras que nos cambiaron y en ella se exploran los conceptos que guiaron el proceso independentista de Colombia. Lo interesante es que todo gira en torno a las palabras. Es decir, los estudiantes podan aprender nuevo vocabulario y relacionarlo con la historia. La Biblioteca Virtual  Luis Angel Arango tiene muchisimos recursos que pueden ser muy utiles para nuestras clases: http://www.banrepcultural.org/palabras-que-nos-cambiaron/index.html and http://www.banrepcultural.org/blaavirtual/indice

·         "Una lengua", escribio Jorge Luis Borges, "es una tradicion, un modo de sentir la realidad, no un arbitrario repertorio de simbolos".

  

AP Spanish

o    Recommended AP reading from the AP List serv:

o     "Ciudad de las Bestias", "El Reino del Dragon del Oro" and "La isla de los pigmeos" by Isabel Allende.  "Ciudad de las Bestias", "El Reino del Dragon del Oro" are fantasy books, with themes that include ecology, coming of age and character growth.

o     Laura Gallego and Ana Alonso/Javier Pelegrin.

o    for 13-18 year olds:

§  Finis Mundi, Dos velas para el diablo, El coleccionista de relojes extraordinarios, La leyenda del rey errante, Las hijas de Tara, La emperatriz de los etereos, series Valle de los lobos/ La maldicion del maestro/La llamada de los muertos/ Fenris, el elfo

o    Ana Alonso who writes with Javier Pelegrin:  El secreto de IF and the 8 book series called La llave de tiempo. It includes:  science fiction, time travel, fantasy, teenage characters (by end of series are adults), strong male and female characters, modern themes of globalization, war, mind control, space travel, religion, personal vs. societal responsibilities etc.  ( order these books from Casa del libro)