A series in collaboration with MCTLC, the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), the Minnesota Coordinators of World Language (MNCoWL), and the Minnesota Department of Education.
Proficiency + Performance = Classroom Possibilities
Back by popular demand - a series of 5 workshops focused on what your students can DO with the language! Come learn how proficiency influences instruction and lesson design in the world language classroom. Let’s inspire students to use the target language in meaningful ways and move to the next proficiency level!
These workshops will explore how the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines and the Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) framework impact instruction and lesson design. During the sessions, we will work with performance goals for language learners of all levels to develop lessons and activities for each mode of communication that lead to successful student performance on their assessments / IPAs.
The series is open to teachers of all levels and languages and is intended for both immersion and non-immersion teachers. The series is also an excellent fit for teachers in dual language or immersion programs intending to measure the language development and proficiency levels of the non-English immersion language of their programs.
Location: Minnesota Department of Education Conference Center A or B
*All sessions include a light breakfast and lunch*
Graduate credits will be available
Session 1 - ACTFL Training - Unwrapping Proficiency October 27 9am-3pm Cost: $75
Presenter: Paul Sandrock, Director of Education at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), directs this national organization’s professional development and initiatives around standards, curriculum, instruction, and performance assessment. Previously, Paul was Assistant Director of Content and Learning at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). He earlier served as the DPI statewide consultant for world languages. Paul taught Spanish for 16 years in middle school and high school and authored The Keys to Assessing Language Performance and Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages.He previously served ACTFL as a board member and president and received ACTFL’s Florence Steiner Award for Leadership in Foreign Language Education, K-12.
This one day workshop will link Proficiency and Performance and how performance assessments can be used to measure growth in the three modes of communication and the World Readiness Standards. Identifying what makes a learner Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced will be addressed. Ideas for employing best practices using the best mix of modes for each level to help move students along the proficiency continuum will be shared using the Can-do statements. Participants will practice identifying key characteristics using ACTFL samples and distinguish strategies to support learners aiming to earn Minnesota’s bilingual seals.
Session 2 - I Can, Can You? December 1 @ 9am-1pm Cost: $42
How does proficiency influence instruction? Explore the updated NCSSFL-ACTFTL Can-Do statements to design performance-based lessons that build intercultural competence in a thematic unit. Examine ways to “hook” students on day one of the unit, using the target language to build rich cultural perspectives. Time will be given to work in language- and level-like groups to collaboratively plan performance-based lessons.
Session 3 - The Interpretive Dance January 26 9am-1pm Cost: $42
How does proficiency influence instruction in the interpretive mode? Explore a variety of ways to plan performance-based lessons, using the interpretive mode to build into rich and meaningful interpersonal and presentational activities. Time will be given to work in language- and level-like groups to collaboratively plan performance-based interpretive activities for daily lessons.
Session 4 - Let’s Get (Inter)personal! February 23 9am-1pm Cost: $42
How does proficiency influence instruction in the interpersonal mode? Explore a variety of ways to plan performance-based lessons in which students use the interpersonal mode to communicate in rich and meaningful ways. Time will be given to work in language- and level-like groups to collaboratively plan performance-based interpersonal activities for daily lessons.
Session 5 - Power Up the Presentational Mode April 13 9am-1pm Cost: $42
How does proficiency influence instruction in the presentational mode? Explore a variety of ways to plan performance-based lessons in which students use the presentational mode to communicate in rich and meaningful ways. Time will be given to work in language- and level-like groups to collaboratively plan performance-based presentational activities for daily lessons.
Presenters: Megan Budke, World Language Consultant and Teacher at Wayzata Public Schools. Megan has taught middle and high school Spanish for 10 years. She has extensive experience leading professional development around performance, proficiency, and IPAs. She has served as her district's world language resource teacher and led professional development events such as the MDE 2017 IP-YAY! workshops, which focused on using IPAs to create curriculum that focuses on teaching for proficiency, and the MDE 2018 Rate it! workshops, focusing on how to use performance rubrics to assess what students can do with the language. She is passionate about proficiency, IPAs, and social justice.
Karen Nickel, World Language Teacher and PLC (Professional Learning Communities) Coach at Wayzata Public Schools. Karen has taught for 30 years with experience in German and ELL in adult, elementary, junior and senior high education. She has led efforts toward aligning curriculum and equitable grading, integrating technology, personalizing learning, incorporating social-emotional learning, and promoting cultural diversity and social justice curriculum. She has facilitated student exchanges since 1987 and is a avid world traveler.
Kara Parker, World Language Consultant, Curriculum Writer, and Blogger with Creative Language Class. Kara is National Board certified and taught Spanish and ELL for 13 years in private, public and alternative schools in Louisville, KY. She was also a contributor on JCPS district cohort’s shift toward proficiency. Since 2015, Kara has been presenting professional development at districts and conferences across the United States as well as Asia. She is enthusiastic about proficiency-based instruction inspired by culture in order to positively impact students’ language learning experiences.
Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures
PO Box 11926, St. Paul MN 55111
Information: president@mctlc.org Membership and Fall Conference Registration: membership@mctlc.org or registration@mctlc.org Technical inquiries: webmaster@mctlc.org
