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How do students learn?

how do we build engagement?

Student engagement is directly correlated to achievement. As educators, we must teach with multi modalities in order to reach our learners. Follow us to gain hands on strategies on building student engagement.

Teaching that Engages

Moving across the proficiency continuum

9/28/2014

2 Comments

 

Remember these?

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Remember the info graphic displayed to the left?  How can we enhance the skill set of our learners in order to move through proficiency levels? Let's start talking about transforming the classroom one level at a time!

First, let's reflect on a series of questions. What does it take to guide learners to the next level of proficiency? How do the three modes of communication interact? What does both learner and the teacher need to demonstrate performance?

Does this sound familiar? By the end of a level one-language class, most students have learned how to conjugate verbs in the present tense.  By the end of level two, most likely the story is in the past tense.  Amongst department members teams share with each other the chapter they are on and where they will leave off in June. Why is that we are having conversations on how much students have mastered by the chapters and themes that are covered? 

Now, what if this conversation went a bit differently?  What if teachers were having conversations about what students can do with the language within the different modes of communication?  What if teachers were actually using proficiency levels by which to hold these conversations? How can we shape this path for both teachers and learners?


I believe that there are two paths, the Teacher Path and the Learner Path.  In the teacher path we create:
  • A tool box for students
  • Integrated Performance Assessments
  • Tasks and assignments stating proficiency levels and Can Dos.
  • Strategy rings
In the learner path we create:
  • Reflections on comfort levels of skills and activities
  • Competence Matrices by skills mastered and function at task.
  • Ways to get proficiency language in the hand and eyes of students.
Take a look at the continuums below by skill as listed in the ACTFL Can Do Guide:

Ask yourself the where do you fall on this continuum?  What can you do to move students across this path to develop a higher proficiency.




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teacher tool box:  Strategy cards

  1. Use these strategy cards to help students develop skills that will help improve their proficiency! 
Moving Across Continuum Strategy Cards.docx
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2.  Think about designing tasks using a Performance Design Task Template.
Performance Design Task.docx
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Share your thoughts with us!  We would love to hear from you!

2 Comments

Building Proficiency Infographics 

7/4/2014

6 Comments

 
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Building Proficiency Path.docx
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More Resources

Foreign Language Methods Texas
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    Author

    Thanks for exploring CWL!

    I have experience being a District Supervisor, teaching all levels of Spanish from I-VAP, serving as a Master Teacher, being a teacher trainer for Startalk and am a co author for the Entre Culturas Spanish III series by Wayside Publishing.

    In order to achieve student success, I believe in providing teachers with hands on resources that will impact their teaching immediately.  This is my passion and I hope you enjoy the site!
    

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