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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

integrated performance assessments (IPAs)

7/2/2015

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What do you think of when you hear IPA's?  I had the pleasure of writing a session for the Maryland College and Career Readiness Academy.  World Languages was able to be included and the session I designed was around Integrated Performance Assessments! The presentation is below and I have added the examples of activities in which participants engaged.
Step 1:  Always do welcomes, introductions, and celebrations!  Love this to build community and relationships!

Step 2: Activating prior knowledge of IPA's through a Padlet room!

Step 3: Why IPA's and a definition via CARLA

Step 4: Connections that are made to World Readiness Standards, Can Do's, Common Core and Instructional Shifts through articles via ACTFL Language Educator.  There were two examples based on readiness level.

Step 5:  Look at the cyclical approach to IPA's as stated by Paul Sandrock and ACTFL.

Step 6:  Review modes of communication and sort activities_ by the different modes.

Step 7:  Watch a short video clip of assessment in action with a processing guide.

Step 8:  Look at examples of different IPA's

Step 9:  Explore resources to develop IPA's like authentic text, ACTFL rubrics, ACTFL planning templates, etc.

Step 10:  Time to create, develop, and reflect!

Want to design your own IPA?

A lot of planning does need to go into the development of IPA's!  Think about the following:

1.  What is your targeted proficiency?
2.  What will students do with the language within each mode of communication?
3.  How will you provide feedback to students before they move onto the next task?
4.  What tools will you use to assess learning and meaning?
5.  Which AP Global theme can be aligned to topic?
6.  What Can Do indicators will students be able to reach?
7.  Which authentic materials will be used?
8.  How will students decode text and comprehend?
Download a planning template here
planning_for_an_ipa.docx
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Examples and More!

Here are some examples of IPA's:

1.  Toni Theisen
2.  CARLA
Purchase your own copy of the book Integrating Performance Assessments via ACTFL!  It is a great read and has wonderful resources!
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What can i do over the summer?

6/2/2015

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According to the National Summer Learning Association, all children experience learning loss when they do not engage in educational activities over the summer and on average, students lose about two months of grade level equivalency over the summer months.  We know that in World Languages, we tend to see dips in skills when students return to us at the start of the following school year.  


Allow your students the opportunity to improve or enhance their proficiency. Below are a few ways to keep students engaged in World Languages this summer along with templates and links!  Hope you enjoy!

1.  Read books in the Target Language.  Visit the World Language selection of your local library and give the links to students.

2.  Use your online textbook tools to review material from the year. Most texts have sites that do not require a login for practice.

3.  Read or Listen to a series of current events in the Target Language.  Record any notes or summaries on template.  Use online sites and templates listed below.

4.  Attend a Language Cafe session or peer conversation drop in class. Check your local area for details and provide to students.

5.  Comment on class discussion outlets like GAFE or Edmodo folders that contains readings, prompts, etc.  If you have a learning management system like Blackboard or Canvas, you can create class discussion threads and allow students to post and comment too!

6.  Watch your favorite movies set to the Target Language or listen to songs!  Click here for music databases.

7.  Create a GOOGLE VOICE and have students leave recordings on a variety of given prompts or assignments.

8.  Look up local events in your area that feature targeted culture or language.  Give students the dates and have them write a reflection of their day.  Every city is going to have a lot of tourism events at local restaurants or museums during peak months. After students have attended, they could turn reflections into you via email.

9.  Practice Target Language through online sites.  A few are listed below.  Others are listed on our website: http://www.connectwithlanguages.com/teaching-world-languages-through-technology.html

want to download the document above? see template below!

summerpracticeactivities.docx
File Size: 27 kb
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respond below with your thoughts!

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AP:  building proficiency & Global Competence!

11/20/2014

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When you think of Advanced Placement courses in World Languages, what comes to mind?  Perhaps you think of some buzz words like rigor, scores, stress, etc!  Well, in this post, you will find resources in helping to get students to the advanced proficiency range in a way that will touch all modes of communication!  This post will also help students in beginning courses by giving examples of resources that will help pave the way for advanced level courses.

First,  what are the goals of AP:

1. Develop proficiency in the Advanced Low-Mid range in each of the three modes of communication.  By this we mean students are expected to:
  • Engage in spoken interpersonal communication
  • Engage in written interpersonal communication
  • Synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual, and audiovisual resources
  • Synthesize information from a variety of authentic written and print resources
  • Plan, produce, and present spoken presentational communications and
  • Plan and produce written presentational communications.
The fine balance of the course is giving students tools to develop proficiency and yet make sure that students are successful on the AP exam.  

2. The other goal of AP is to develop Global Competence!  What does this mean to you?  For me, it is about authentic texts as well as immersing our learners in new perspectives and the products and practices of other cultures.  Take a look at ACTFLs newest position statement around Global Competence!
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How do we achieve this?  start with vertical articulation!

In order to get students to develop proficiency, we must start with vertical articulation!  This is where we back map and align skills needed in advanced courses into novice courses.  A great start is by taking ACTFL Can Do Statements and aligning to different levels! Also, take a look at the data.  You will want to look at AP scores as well as enrollment in classes from beginning to advanced in order to see trends. Take a look at the resources available below in order to begin this process.   Hope this encourages courageous conversations amongst team members, administrators, and others. The College Board has a great guide book to help you get started!  Below are some other ideas!
Vertical Team Manual Austin
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Curriculum Map.doc
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Resources:  Special Interest Groups

Free MOOC Boston University AP Prep

Culture

Here is a way to incorporate culture from the Novice level all the way to Advanced.  The idea came from an AP workshop with Jose Diaz and has been adapted.  Also, check out our page on Culture with ideas for making connections.
AP Culture Log
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Interpersonal Communication

Try the strategy small talk to help students improve on simulated conversations.  Vocabulary development is critical in assisting in spontaneous communication.
Strategy Small talk. docx
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Vocabulary Development.docx
File Size: 689 kb
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presentational communication

Give students effective feedback! For personalized feedback, record your notes using audacity or other voice recorder to listening prompts submitted by your students.  

Want students to keep a listening portfolio where they can track their progress?  Have them use Audio Boom!

For student reflection feedback, use the error corrections handout to help students self reflect when engaging in presentational writing.
Error Corrections.docx
File Size: 16 kb
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AP French Resources College Board.7.pdf
File Size: 670 kb
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AP Spanish Resources College Board
File Size: 1496 kb
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Interpretive communication

Here are a few resources around building skills within the interpretive mode. Engage students in active reading by completing the Draw, Speak, Summarize handout.  While reading, have students engage in active reading using decoding symbols! 
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Draw! Speak! Summarize!.docx
File Size: 104 kb
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Interpretive_Listening.docx
File Size: 102 kb
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Main_Idea_reading.docx
File Size: 67 kb
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Main_Idea_Reading_English.docx
File Size: 66 kb
File Type: docx
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College Board AP Spanish Reading Comprehension
File Size: 361 kb
File Type: pdf
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College Board AP French Reading Comprehension
File Size: 312 kb
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Rubric calibration

Allow students time to self assess and compare themselves to other AP students.  Rubric Calibration amongst students and teachers really goes a long way.
Rubric_Calibration.doc
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AP Conferences and Workshops

Ever want to attend professional learning around Advanced Placement?  Here are some resources!

College Board
Pre-AP Workshops

Resources for Less Commonly Taught Languages

Chinese
Chinese Lang. & Culture
File Size: 567 kb
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chinese_sf_iii.pdf
File Size: 3344 kb
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blogs.docx
File Size: 49 kb
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chinese_sf_i.pdf
File Size: 4825 kb
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chinese_story_narration_sf.pdf
File Size: 1698 kb
File Type: pdf
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German
06_german_language_special_focus.pdf
File Size: 670 kb
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cm_germanlanguage_june2010.pdf
File Size: 1199 kb
File Type: pdf
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ap-sf-german-lang-writing.pdf
File Size: 387 kb
File Type: pdf
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german_blogs.docx
File Size: 61 kb
File Type: docx
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ap-german-language-and-culture-course-overview.pdf
File Size: 589 kb
File Type: pdf
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ap-germansyllabus-new-2012-2013.pdf
File Size: 180 kb
File Type: pdf
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Italian
ap-italian-language-and-culture-course-overview.pdf
File Size: 893 kb
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italian_sf_i.pdf
File Size: 4933 kb
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italian_sf_iii.pdf
File Size: 3552 kb
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blogs_and_resources.docx
File Size: 57 kb
File Type: docx
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Latin
ap-latin-course-overview.pdf
File Size: 1233 kb
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wlunpackedcontentclassicallanguages.pdf
File Size: 272 kb
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latin_blogs.docx
File Size: 87 kb
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Latin for the 21st Century

what else do you do?  we would love to hear from you!

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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!

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Building Proficiency Infographics 

7/4/2014

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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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