Dear World Language Colleagues, What an amazing week! The CCFLT Spring Conference, February 21-23, 2013 was an amazing experience. From our Thursday evening 2-hour ses- sions to the general session Keynote address, from our wine and cheese recepons to our Awards Luncheon, from the incredible (almost profes- sional!) student singers from Fossil Ridge High School, from the on-target, well-presented sessions to the outstanding talent and leadership of Colo- rado foreign language teachers, it was the crème de la crème of confer- ences! Thank you all for aending, for presenng and for stepping up to the challenge of leadership in Colorado! And, most especially, thank you to the Board of Directors for CCFLT who worked relessly for an enre year to make sure that everything was in place and ran smoothly --- you are very simply THE BEST! Then February 27, 2013, Toni Theisen, ACTFL president, Noah Geisel, ACTFL Teacher of the Year, Janine Erickson, Past ACTFL President and Debbie Cody and myself had the privilege of advocang for foreign languages to the Joint House and Senate Educaon Commiee at our State Capitol. Please take a moment to read through our presentaon in this newsleer. And be prepared for GREAT things to happen, be- cause we are not done yet! I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as your CCFLT presi- dent. This has been a great learning experience for me and has given me the chance to connect with Colo- rado teachers and teachers from all over the world at our regional and naonal conferences. I have brought back so many of your ideas and foresights to my district and to the state commiees I have served on. Working with the two Boards during my tenure has been such a pleasure and just plain fun! When I ran for the Board in 2007 I thought that I would be giving back to an organizaon that has given me so much throughout many years. The truth is that I gained so much more than I gave and for this I thank all of you. Thank you for your support, suggesons, and guidance as I made this journey. It is teach- ers serving students who are at the heart of CCFLT. « Le monde est un livre dont chaque pas nous ouvre une page. » Alphonse de LAMARTINE, Voyage en Orient VIII The world is a book; each step opens a page for us. I’ll see you next year at the CCFLT 52 nd Annual Spring Conference! Anna Crocker President 2010-2011, Co-President 2012-2013 IN THIS ISSUE Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 1 The Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers Volume 32 Number 2 Affiliated with the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching, the Central States Conference and the American Council on the Tea ching of Foreign Languages Co-President’s Leer Page 1 Co-President’s Leer Page 2 Board of Directors Page 3 President Elect Leer Page 4 Fall Conference Flyer Page 5 Thank You! Page 6 Genevieve Overman Service Award Page 7 2013 TOY Page 8 TOY Nominaon Form Page 10 TOY Nominaon Form Page 11 CCFLT Awards Page 12 Elecon Results Page 14 Why Serve? Page 15 Presentaon to Joint House and Senate Educaon Commiee Page 16 Technology Page 22 ACTFL Awards Page 23 2014 Spring Confer- ence Page 25 Register Online for the Fall Conference (Coming Soon)
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Colorado Conference
of Foreign Language
Teachers
Affiliated with the Southwest
Conference on Language Teaching, the
Central States Conference and the
American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages
Dear World Language Colleagues,
What an amazing week! The CCFLT Spring Conference, February 21-23,
2013 was an amazing experience. From our Thursday evening 2-hour ses-
sions to the general session Keynote address, from our wine and cheese
receptions to our Awards Luncheon, from the incredible (almost profes-
sional!) student singers from Fossil Ridge High School, from the on-target,
well-presented sessions to the outstanding talent and leadership of Colo-
rado foreign language teachers, it was the crème de la crème of confer-
ences! Thank you all for attending, for presenting and for stepping up to
the challenge of leadership in Colorado! And, most especially, thank you
to the Board of Directors for CCFLT who worked tirelessly for an entire year to make sure that everything
was in place and ran smoothly --- you are very simply THE BEST!
Then February 27, 2013, Toni Theisen, ACTFL president, Noah Geisel, ACTFL Teacher of the Year, Janine
Erickson, Past ACTFL President and Debbie Cody and myself had the privilege of advocating for foreign
languages to the Joint House and Senate Education Committee at our State Capitol. Please take a moment
to read through our presentation in this newsletter. And be prepared for GREAT things to happen, be-
cause we are not done yet!
I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as your CCFLT presi-
dent. This has been a great learning experience for me and has given me the chance to connect with Colo-
rado teachers and teachers from all over the world at our regional and national conferences. I have
brought back so many of your ideas and foresights to my district and to the state committees I have
served on. Working with the two Boards during my tenure has been such a pleasure and just plain fun!
When I ran for the Board in 2007 I thought that I would be giving back to an organization that has given
me so much throughout many years. The truth is that I gained so much more than I gave and for this I
thank all of you. Thank you for your support, suggestions, and guidance as I made this journey. It is teach-
ers serving students who are at the heart of CCFLT.
« Le monde est un livre dont chaque pas nous ouvre une page. »
Alphonse de LAMARTINE, Voyage en Orient VIII
The world is a book; each step opens a page for us.
I’ll see you next year at the CCFLT 52nd Annual Spring Conference!
Anna Crocker President 2010-2011, Co-President 2012-2013
IN THIS ISSUE
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 1
The Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers Volume 32 Number 2
Affiliated with the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching, the Central States Conference and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Co-President’s Letter Page 1
Co-President’s Letter Page 2
Board of Directors Page 3
President Elect Letter Page 4
Fall Conference Flyer Page 5
Thank You! Page 6
Genevieve Overman Service Award
Page 7
2013 TOY Page 8
TOY Nomination Form Page 10
TOY Nomination Form Page 11
CCFLT Awards Page 12
Election Results Page 14
Why Serve? Page 15
Presentation to Joint House and Senate Education Committee
I certainly hope you thoroughly enjoyed yourself at our Spring Conference! We have heard so many compliments on the sessions, food, keynote and new layout. If you weren’t with us this year, you picked a bad one to miss! There was some-thing for everyone. Our keynote speaker, Yo Azama, alone was worth the price of registration.
We elected several new members to the CCFLT board, and I want to personally welcome them all. They are dedicating their own time to serve you. Please thank them as you see them throughout the coming year. CCFLT could not do all it does
without members willing to sacrifice their time and work on our behalf.
We gave out many awards this year. Congratulations to our recipients! Unfortunately, a few went un-claimed. This year, make it a priority to nominate someone for one of our many awards, encourage your colleagues to apply for all our grants and awards, nominate yourself for an award or apply for a grant. It’s easy to do. All grants and awards forms and information is in this newsletter and on our website at www.ccflt.org.
I have again enjoyed my year as co-president. We have been busy, but productive and always knew the board had our back. They were there with encouragement, help and a lively sense of humor (which I love!). No one knows how much work goes into a successful year with CCFLT like a dedicated board member. They truly worked tirelessly, and I am very thankful for each one of them.
I wish you much continued success as we head toward the end of another school year. I also wish you a restful and rejuvenating summer.
Published Quarterly August, October, January, April www.http:ccflt.org Julie Doyle, Editor [email protected] Have a question about dues? Please email Kristen Boehm CCFLT Executive Secretary: [email protected] Advertising rates and policies: You are invited to advertise in the CCFLT Newsletter. Commercial ads, which support the mission of CCFLT and are of interest to the profession, including tour and book ads, are accepted for the following rates: Size of ad Charge Size of Copy Full Page $250 (7¼” X 9”) Half Page $125 (7¼” X4½”) Half page $125 (3½” X 9”¼) Quarter Page $75 (3½” X 4½”) Prices indicate a one-time submis-sion in the newsletter. If you have questions regarding appropriate software or design files for ads, contact the Editor at [email protected] Advance payment is appreciated. Make checks payable to CCFLT and send to: Kristen Boehm, CCFLT Executive Secretary P.O. Box 270065 Louisville, CO 80027-9998 If you would like to pay for your advertising using a credit card, use the following link and passcode - http://www.regonline.com/newsletteradvertfees Code: ccfltadvert For questions on advertising costs, email [email protected]
It seems like when we finally figure out the latest and greatest movement in education and/or language teaching and are feeling confident about the direc-tion our teaching is heading, something new comes out and throws a wrench in our newly found comfort.
Times are changing for all teachers. Even though we are already in the second decade of the 21st century, we are still struggling to figure out how to incorporate activities that will give our students the skills needed for a successful future. Just when we had ACTFL’s five C’s down, there are a bunch more C’s that we need to incorporate that go along with the 21st century skills our students need in order to become globally competent.
Now that we have a handle on the three modes of communication and performance-based assessment and feel like we are doing a good job at preparing our students to use the languages we teach them, we now need to worry about how to incorporate the Common Core Standards, too.
And speaking of assessment, we are also charged with understanding the new teacher evaluation system that has been put into place with S.B. 191. A successful evaluation of our teaching is directly related to us proving student growth in our classroom and schools
With all these new initiatives, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. We have been talking about how we, CCFLT, can help our members learn more about these initiatives and feel more confident about the changes that are upon us. In order to better serve you, we need feedback from as many members as possible regarding what kind of training would be most useful. Please, take a few minutes to complete a quick survey at http://tinyurl.com/CCFLTsurvey about possible trainings we can provide for you throughout the year. Forward it to your colleagues. The more feedback we can get about what your training interests are, the more we can work toward meeting them!
I hereby give my permission that any or all of the attached materials (other than home address, telephone and DOB) may be shared with persons interested in promoting the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program. I also acknowledge that if selected as the 2013 Colorado Teacher of the Year, I will be released from classroom responsibilities during the year of my recognition as needed in order to fulfill the obligations inherent in the honor.
I acknowledge that the nominee submits this application with my approval. If the nominee is selected as the 2013 Colorado Teacher of the Year, he or she will be released from classroom responsibilities during the year of recognition as needed.
Signature of School Principal___________________________________________Date_______________
Total Years of Teaching Experience______________ Years in Present Position____________
Signature of Candidate_______________________________________Date_____________
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 11 HOME
Required Documents to be submitted with the application for TOY:
Application form A current curriculum vitae that contains an account of the candidates teaching experience; professionally relevant service to com-
munity and profession (e.g. language-related extracurricular activities and programs, posts held in professional organiza-tion); any post graduate education; workshops or other professional developmental activity; and other information con-sidered relevant.
Three letters that support the nomination, one from each of the following groups: students or parents, faculty colleagues, and
school administrators. Referees should specify how long they have known the candidate and in what capacity. Support letters may be sent with the application, or referees may send letters individually.
A 500-word statement in first person on the value of learning language and culture. A 20 minute video (DVD) of classroom instruction. Via a brief dossier, any other material should be submitted relevant to candidacy. For example, the dossier might include descrip-
tions of programs the candidate has developed, newspaper coverage of sponsored events, certificates indicating partici-pation in professional and developmental activities and other evidence of professional accomplishments.
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 17 HOME
Students should be provided the opportunity to learn a second language as early as possible in school.
Young learners have an edge in developing bilingual skills
An early language learning experience
helps to develop native-like pronunciation
promotes higher levels of proficiency if the student continues in a well-articulated sequence of lan-
guage learning.
Additional benefits include:
strengthening of literacy in students’ first
language
raising standardized test scores in other
subject areas
developing comfort with cultural differ-
ences.
These benefits accrue with instruction that is:
continuous throughout the school year
connected grade to grade
more frequent than twice per week, adding up to at least 90 minutes per week, at both the elemen-
tary and middle school levels.
In recent years Immersion schools and Dual Immersion programs have been opening in Denver, around the state and nation. Content-based foreign language instruction in these programs uses foreign lan-guages as the vehicle for teaching subject content. I became involved in one such school, the Denver Language School (DLS), a K-8 charter in District 31. We teach the core content in a Mandarin Chinese program and Spanish program.
Contd...
“ CCFLT recognizes that today’s students will mature into a world that is more diverse and interconnected than at any time in our history. “
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers
Presentation to the Joint House and Senate Education Committee
In my position at DLS I experienced firsthand proof of research showing that: young children immersed in a second language acquire reading, writing and speaking profi-
ciency as if it were their native tongue. with their brains still developing, younger children are more able to think in the second lan-
guage, rather than just through translation. brain development is enhanced because students in an immersion program utilize greater
mental capacities when learning subject content in a new language, when that new language is not the commonly spoken language of the local envi-ronment.
CCFLT recognizes that today’s students will mature into a world that is more diverse and interconnected than at any time in our history. They deserve the opportunity to further their mental, emotional and civic development with the additional benefits available through learning more than one lan-guage and their associated cultures. By combining those approaches, Colorado Foreign Lan-guage teachers will produce students who meet and exceed state and local district standards and the performance of their non-second language peers. Your colleague Sen. Pat Steadman our 2013 Friend of Foreign Languages had this to say: "I see so much value beyond what we typically say about the pride and pleasure of knowing another language. For children, there is the particular benefit of stretching their cognitive abilities. Foreign language study increases the overall capacity to learn and enhances all other academic skills. We really need to value and recognize that foreign language is best taught at the elementary school level. There is no question that early exposure and instruction should happen during the point in time when children’s brains are quite literally “wired” to learn.” If it's true that everything we need to know we learn in kindergarten, then that is when we must start teaching world languages and cultures to our children. It's crucial for delivering the best possible education to our students.
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 18 HOME
“ We really need to value and
recognize that foreign language is
best taught at the elementary
school level .”
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers
Presentation to the Joint House and Senate Education Committee
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 22 HOME
At the Spring Conference I presented on Screen-casting in The Language Classroom. I shocked the group with the following statement, “Do not incorporate technology if you do not have the content or pedagogy to go with the new technology!” Pretty crazy for a technology guy at a technology conference to say wait on the tech-nology. I explained to the class it was all about the new thing I had learned about called Technological Pedagogi-cal Content Knowledge (TPACK).
The value a school places on technology can be viewed in many different ways. Among the ways we see the val-ue is to we assess technology needs. One way you or you school can assess needs is to administer a TPACK surveys. (Just do an Internet search for TPACK survey.) According to Mishra, Koehler, and Kereluik (2009), “The TPACK framework emphasizes the role of teachers as decision makers who design their own educational tech-nology environments as needed.” By administering a TPACK survey to the staff, schools show they value tech-nology and also that they value teachers individually working to integrate technology into instruction and management. As I worked on my TPACK survey, I saw places where I can improve my teaching and conse-quently improve my student’s learning.
Incorporating technology is not about the latest and coolest toy. Sometimes you have to make sure you are ready to use it. It has been a pleasure writing these technology articles for the newsletter this year. I will miss serving on the CCFLT Board.
Mishra, P., Koehler, M., & Kereluik, K. (2009). The song remains the same: Looking back
through the future of educational technology. TechTrends, 53(5), 48.
ACTFL Edwin Cudecki Award for Support for Language Education ACTFL-MLJ Emma Marie Birkmaier Award for Doctoral Dissertation Research in Foreign Language Edu-
cation ACTFL Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Instruction Using Technology with IALLT (K-12) ACTFL/Cengage Learning Faculty Development Programs Award for Excellence in Foreign Language In-
struction Using Technology with IALLT (Postsecondary) ACTFL-NYSAFLT Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education ACTFL-MLJ Paul Pimsleur Award for Research in Foreign Language Education ACTFL Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education (K-12) ACTFL Wilga Rivers Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education (Postsecondary) ACTFL Melba D. Woodruff Award for Exemplary Elementary Foreign Language Program ACTFL Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 23 HOME
SWCOLT is seeking nominations for Second Language Education Awards and Language Study Scholarships The nomination deadline for awards was January 15, 2013 The application deadline for scholarships is December 31, 2013
Awards - Excellence in Teaching - Honorary Lifetime Member - Friend of the Profession
Scholarships - SWCOLT 2013 Scholarships
SWCOLT Scholarship - Teacher of the Year*
* The current SWCOLT TOY is Colorado’s own Noah Geisel!
UNC has been the proud sponsor of World Language Day for over 40 years. The contin-
ued goal is to provide high school students with a unique opportunity to experience world languages and cultures beyond a classroom setting in a fun and educational environment.
Please browse the World Languages Day Website for information on this event. We look forward to another exciting event in 2013! Registration begins the week of January 14, 2013. Mark your calendars, UNC World Language Day, Wednesday, April 17, 2013!! For general information please email the faculty director, Melitta Wagner-Heaston
Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org April 2013 Page 24 HOME