Formulating a World Languages Vision in SDW by Sharin Tebo

Sharin Tebo/WL Coordinator

virgilalligator — 2014-09-11 22:27:34 UTC

How did your building team respond to these 2 BIG Questions?

1. What does excellent WL instruction &learning look and sound like in SDW?

2. What should students know and be able to do in the Target Language

as a result of our World Languages instruction in SDW?

WL instruction would be in Spanish, authentic materials, hands on activities, real world, culturally relevant activities

2014-10-15 15:08:06 UTC

Students should be able to appreciate the language by understanding the culture, read, write, listen and have conversations in the target language.

2014-10-15 15:09:45 UTC

South

2014-10-17 20:12:58 UTC

Excellent WL instruction is at least 90% in the target language, material is broken down into comprehesible parts, a variety of authentic and level-appropriate material is used, and the communicative goals are clear. Activities are personalized. real life. Tasks are often differentiated and allow for student input. All four skills are emphasized and given equal or near-equal importance. Culture is often brought in as part of daily study. Units begin with essential questions. Lessons offer students the opportunity to write, collaborate, read, investigate, and use the language. Activities and assessments should be aligned closely with the state and ACTFL standards.

South

2014-10-17 20:16:23 UTC

Students should be able to use the language (read, speak, listen, and write) at a level appropriate to the year of study.

South

2014-10-18 11:51:13 UTC

Activities are personalized/ real life

West

2014-10-19 20:15:47 UTC

Students should be actively engaged learners who are as immersed as possible in the target language through instruction and use of authentic resources whenever possible at all levels.

West

2014-10-19 20:18:24 UTC

WL instruction in the SDW is a collaborative effort that results in all students at all buildings to seamlessly transition between levels. It has common benchmark assessments that are administered and graded with fidelity at all levels and all buildings. WL instruction thrives to attain and maintain the 90 /10 language recommendation and is aligned to match performance based assessments. Instruction is not driven by a book, but can be enhanced and supported through a variety of materials one of which may be a text series. WL instruction includes all four skills and assesses all 3 modes of communication as equally as possible. WL instruction provides students with as many outside resources, connections, and extension options as possible.

West

2014-10-19 20:27:59 UTC

SDW students will be able to speak, listen, read, and write in real life situations at various levels as they progress throughout the program. SDW students will better appreciate and understand other cultures besides their own. SDW students will successfully compete at higher education institutes as a result of multiple years of WL study.

North

aalwan3_3 — 2014-10-20 00:29:57 UTC

Excellent World Language Instruction encourages real-life, authentic communication with the focus on fluency.

Instruction uses a text as an "anchor" but is not driven by it. Rather, a teacher creatively uses the students' strengths/weaknesses/interests to

drive instruction. Instruction should balance formative skills that support the four main targets with an additional emphasis on culture. Finally, teachers

hold high expectations of all students and guide them to as many outside sources as possible so that language learning becomes more than a school day (10 month) experience.

World Language students should know how to access resources that will help them excel beyond the classroom - (safe Skype with students in the other countries, online reading materials,

daily news/audio reports.

eAchieve

2014-10-20 19:11:19 UTC

What does excellent WL instruction look like?

Teachers should have a good rapport with students, be excited about what they teach and nurture students.

Teachers should anticipate where students may struggle, be willing to explain and re-explain and allow students to practice with what they are learning.

What should students know and be able to do? Students should be able to speak, understand, read and write in the target language at an appropriate level.

They should be able to interact with the language and practice in real-life settings.

Should have a basic understanding of the culture of the countries studied.

Butler

2014-10-20 19:31:11 UTC

Excellent WL teaching/learning is interactive, culturally relevant, and uses the target language as much as possible (90% or greater goal). As a district, we need a common curriculum and performance benchmarks at each level to aid in the transition between schools (MS/HS) and levels. Communication within our SDW World Languages department is essential to achieve this goal. Students should be able to perform at their given level (within a range) within each standard.

Les Paul (Central) - summarized by Jenny Rath

2014-10-20 21:04:15 UTC

As long as we end up in the same spot, it should not matter how we get there. We have already started to collaborate more, which is important in moving forward. However, we should not have to "reinvent the wheel" after we each have spent a lot of time/effort to develop activites/assessments and tweak them to the point that we are happy with them.

Horning

2014-10-21 01:50:54 UTC

Collaborate / share as much as possible. Teachers should have a great rapport with students to that

they are comfortable asking and responding in the target language. While 90% target language is a

good goal, I don't think it always practical at the beginning levels. Students should speak, write, read,

and understand in the target language at an appropriate level.