ccflt newsletter january 2012

A letter from the President

COLORADO CONGRESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS VOLUME 31 NUMBER 1 January 2012

President’s Letter

Board of DirectorsPage 2

Spring Conf. PreviewPage 3

President Elect’s LetterPage 4

Election ResultsPage 5 & 6

Dr. Lynn Sandstedt Art.Page7

Membership /OutreachPage 8

ACTFL Photo collagePage9

Grants&Awards WinnersPage 10 & 11

ACTFL/CCFLT Why joinPage 12

Volunteer Thank youPage 13

TOY ArticlePage 14

Why Serve? Page 15

Govenor’s letterPage 16

Guest ArticlePage 17 & 18

Technology ArticlePage 19

Grants&Awards InfoPage 20

CSC InfoPage 21

Spring ConferencePages 22

World Language DayPage 23

Regional ConferencesPage 24

Boren Scholarship InfoPage 25

In This Issue

Affiliated with the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching, the Central States Conference and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were healthy and happy! May 2012 bring you everything you want. I also hope you agree with me when I say, ACTFL was amazing. It was a great chance to learn, network and have fun. I have received so many compliments and positive remarks on CCFLT’s part in co-hosting the convention. We were hospitable, helpful and hard-working! If you attended ACTFL, I know you found out what a good reputation Colorado has nationally for professionalism and expertise in World Languages. Our own Toni Theisen has been elected president of ACTFL for 2013! We have such a rich heritage, and thanks to Toni, it will continue.

I want to acknowledge, congratulate and thank the 13 Colorado teachers who presented sessions, Toni Theisen and Noah Geisel who conducted workshops, the 32 members who volunteered, my board who worked so hard planning and putting on events at the convention, the past presidents whose work over the years has made us into the excellent organization we are. So much and so many to be proud of! As we continue to move ahead in 2012, I want to encourage you to take part in our one day Spring Conference on assessment. Anna Crocker, Toni Theisen and I have much to share with you on the subject. We will be together on Saturday, February 25 from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm at the impressive Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Due to security concerns, there will be no on-site registrations allowed, so sign up online today. We have kept the cost low and are including breakfast and lunch in the $45 registration fee. 2011 was a great year to serve you. There were many new experiences for us, and all brought growth in many ways. I’m looking forward to even more! See you in February, Debbie [email protected]

COLORADO CONGRESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS www.ccflt.org January 2012 Page 1

Board of Directors 2011 – 2012Officers

Debbie Cody, President, South High School ........................ [email protected] Crocker, Past-President, Jeffco [email protected] Rebecca Schwerdtfeger, President-Elect ...... [email protected]

Elementary/Secondary Representatives:Greg Breitbarth, Littleton Academy........................................... [email protected] Bloomer, Pine Creek High School..................................... [email protected] Davison, Brekenridge CO............................................lesliejdavison@gmail.comGrace Koda, Littleton Academy ................................................... [email protected] Maldonado, Pine Creek High [email protected] Sexton, Fossil Ridge High School................................ssexton@psdschools.orgElisabetta Kaufman, South High [email protected] Noonan, Denver Public Schools...............................diana_noonan@dpsk12.orgMichael Verderaine, Doherty High [email protected]

Post Secondary Representative:Anne Becher, CU Boulder...................................................anne.becher@colorado.edu

At-Large Representative:Stefan Betley, Holyoke High School.................................................betleyst@hcosd.orgLilliana Endicott, World Language [email protected]

Non-Voting Appointed Members:Cristin Bleess, Executive Secretary, Castle View High School [email protected] Cody, Editor .................................................................... [email protected] Murray-Carrico, Web Master.......................................susan.murray@asd20.org

CCFLT website: http://www.ccflt.org

CCFLT Listserv E-mail Address: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CCFLT/Use this address to send a message to the Listserv after joining

To change the email address to which your CCFLT Listserv email is sent, go to: http://www.ccflt.org/listserv.pdf and follow the instructions.

The Newsletter of the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language TeachersPublished 4 times yearly:August, October, January, Aprilhttp://ccflt.org

Valerie Cody, [email protected]

Have a question about dues?Please emailCristin BleessCCFLT Executive [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 a the following rates:Size of ad Charge Size of CopyFull Page $250 7¼” X 9”Half Page $125 7¼” X 4½”Half page $125 3½” X 9”¼ Page $75 3½” X 4½”

Prices indicate a one-time submission 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:Cristin BleessCCFLT Executive SecretaryP.O. Box 1703, Castle Rock, CO 80104

Questions on advertising costs, call: 612-481-1798or email [email protected]

COLORADO CONGRESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS www.ccflt.org January 2012 Page2

COLORADO CONGRESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS www.ccflt.org January 2012

CCFLT Spring ConferenceFebruary 25, 2012

United States Air Force AcademyColorado Springs, Colorado

8:30 am – 4:30 pm

PASSPORT TO SUCCESS: ASSESSMENT

What you test is what you get. Want students to communicate better in the language? The proof will be in the pudding and the pudding is performance-based assessments. Learn how to design performance-based assessments both formative and summative. Learn how to motivate students and get them to produce in the language.

Come and participate and get answers to these questions:• How can assessments be used to provide a body of evidence of student learning and proficiency?• How can the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and Performance Guidelines be embedded in

assessments?• How can assessments inform instructional plans and sequences?

Hand-outs in the hands-on workshop will include:• Planning for performance• Planning for learning• Designing a rubric• Examples of performance-based assessments

Based on Backwards by Design from Understanding by Design this workshop will address the various aspects of assessment; determining appropriate standards-based evidence, designing authentic language tasks and accompanying rubrics, and using performance assessments to engage learners and focus instruction. We will explore how to assess for learning and suggest practical ways in which formative assessments can inform teaching and learning.

GET YOUR FEET WET WITH PERFORMANCE-BASED TASKS AND ASSESSMENTS AND TAKE HOME A PACKET FOR NOT ONLY MONDAY MORNING BUT FOR THE REST OF YOUR SEMESTER!

ADDED BONUS;TONI THEISEN, ACTFL PRESIDENT-ELECT, WILL PRESENT IN THE AFTERNOON.

CCFLT Spring Conference “Passport to Success - Assessment” registration will begin on January 1st, 2012! The cost for this conference is $45 for current members. This includes the full day workshop presented by three of Colorado’s best (Toni Theisen, Anna Crocker, and Debbie Cody), plus breakfast and lunch! Being this year’s conference is at the Air Force Academy, we will need your driver’s license number on the registration for entry onto the base and there will be no on-site registration. You must pre-register online by February 21st. To register, go to www.ccflt.org and click on the registration link!

Rebecca Schwerdtfeger

Tis the season… the season of mid-year assessments, that is. I write this as teachers and students alike are looking forward to a well-earned vacation, hoping that we are all also finding joy in this opportunity for students to show-off the growth in language skills that they have achieved so far this school year.

As you continue to contemplate ways for students to demonstrate their learn-ing into the new year, I encourage you to keep our Colorado State Standards at the foreground. The winter months, with so many holidays, are ripe with opportunities for students to explore cultural practices and products, in the target languages, and to make comparisons and connections at every turn.

A letter from the President-Elect

Great instructional strategies for consideration include: exploring culture in the target language through explicit vocabulary teaching and level-appropriate foci; use of word walls to highlight cognates; comparison and contrast of languages through Venn diagrams and various graphic organizers; purposeful communi-cation through sheltered Socratic seminars; and grammar studies through looking at language in context. Make up lots of stories and ask lots of level-appropriate questions so you can stay in the target language. Check often for comprehension, and adjust your students’ target language experience according to what they are demonstrating.

Most importantly, mark your calendars now for the Spring conference on assessment: February 25 at the Air Force Academy outside of Colorado Springs. At this one-day training you will explore strategies for pur-poseful assessment creation, and interact with colleagues across the state.

Wishing you a safe, relaxing, and joyful winter!

Sincerely,Rebecca SchwerdtfegerCCFLT President-Elect


WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF CCFLT? Need to renew your membership? Want to update your contact information? It’s only a couple of clicks away at www.regonline.com/ccflt. Whether you’re joining for the first time, renewing, or just updating your information, click on the “Join Now” button to begin the process!

CCFLT membership pricing (all memberships are valid for one year from date of enrollment):

• Current teacher - $40.00

• Retired or first-year teacher - $30.00

• College student - $20.00

If you have any questions about membership, please contact CCFLT’s Executive Secretary at [email protected].


Congratulations to our new Board MeMBers for 2012-2013

President eleCt:

Cristin Bleess, douglas County school district

i am passionate! i love languages and the culture they represent. i am currently in my sixteenth year teaching and am at Castle View High school in Castle rock, Co, where i teach spanish full-time and am the world language Coordinator for douglas County school district. i have also taught english at the universidad de guadalajara, Mexico and in Bogotá, Colombia as a fulbright exchange teacher.

i believe in professional development and its ability to help us keep abreast on what is happening in education and world languages. i have attended the CCflt conferences every year since i have been in Colorado and attended the conferences in my previous states, as well. in the past six years, i have completed two Master’s with degrees in spanish for language teaching and education with a focus on integrating technology in the Classroom. it is important to belong to professional organizations as they are advocates for us and world language issues. Because of this, i have been a long-standing member of aCtfl, aatsP, and CCflt.

i first became involved with CCflt in 2008-09 as the executive secretary for the organization. i am now currently filling in as executive secretary again for the 2011-12 school year.

Post seCondarY rePresentatiVe:

fawzia aHMad, university of Colorado-denver

i’m excited to bring eighteen plus years (fourteen of them have been in Colorado) of teaching french language, francophone literature, and culture to the community of world language teachers in our beautiful state. i look forward to combining my service on intercultural issues in diverse learning environments with an academic grounding in publishing and research in my field to energize and advance the languages program in all Colorado teaching communities.

My own experience of living in three different languages in both my personal and professional life is a privilege that turns into various opportunities of sharing knowledge.”

at large rePresentatiVe:

stefan BetleY, Holyoke High school

i have served on the board the last two years and look forward to serving again. i teach spanish to different area schools through an interactive television feed. it is an amazing way to teach a language. there are always challenges and difficulties that face me everyday; will the system work? Can the students understand me? Can i understand them? are they really listening? are just a few of the questions i face on a daily basis. i love how technology has made it possible for the districts i service to be able to offer a quality language program without much cost to them.

these are tough economic times for all of us. we are just one of the many organizations that need to do more with less. i look forward to continuing to use my experience to help CCflt progress in the 21st Century.


eleMentarY/seCondarY rePresentatiVes:

BeCkY loftus, Jefferson County Public schools

i am delighted to join the board this year. teaching spanish is my third career after the army and being a stay home mom. in the first few months of teaching i was invited to the CCflt linguafest, this was an amazing experience of teachers sharing activities and practicing our languages. i made a great friend and felt very welcomed to a new profession! i have attended a conference every year and have taken away exciting new ideas for my classroom. i have encouraged my student teachers to attend conferences for tremendous instructional ideas as well as the ability to network to find a future job. i am honored to serve with an organization that is helping me and so many others become better teachers. ¡Muchísimas gracias!

katie loriMer, denver Public schools

as an elementary spanish teacher, i am very passionate about teaching students other languages from an early age and inspiring in them a lifelong love of languages and connections with other cultures. i desire to represent this often underrepresented demographic through CCflt board membership. i plan to advocate for students and teachers alike at all levels in helping to create, continue, enrich, and expand foreign language programs. through my experiences as a bilingual teacher, a public school 1st grade teacher, and now as a charter school k-5 spanish teacher, i can contribute an array of knowledge about various school systems and collaboration between them. i hope to support and enhance CCflt and the board using my skills in organization, creativity, leadership, and curriculum development as a teacher who has developed much of my school’s spanish program. i am also passionate about spending time with my husband, playing tennis, and scrapbooking.

lisa BlooMer, academy 20

i hope to serve as an active and consistent representative of the elementary/secondary community on the CCflt Board. i am currently serving a one-year term filling-in for a former voted-in member. i have been a member of CCflt since 1992, am a current member of aCtfl, sponsor of spanish national Honor society, taught spanish in Colorado since 1993, love my students, and love teaching a world language. i enjoy traveling, singing, playing guitar, camping, and writing poetry. i am pleased to be able to continue working to promote a great organization and work with CCflt long-term.

aMY H flYnn, Jefferson County Public schools

My involvement with language instruction began after i earned a B.a. and M.a. in german from the university of wisconsin, Madison. after spending a year in austria as a fulbright scholar, i realized that teaching others would be part of my future. i have been teaching High school german for the last decade, and am a gaPP (german american Partnership Program) coordinator. i also serve as a member of the Jefferson County world language advisory team and Curriculum writing team.

in the all years of honing my craft as an instructor of world language, i have found my collaboration with other teachers to be of the greatest benefit. Part of this collaboration has been with other members of CCflt, which i am excited to support as a board member. i am especially interested in the promotion of world language curriculum and providing other teachers the opportunity for learning and growth that i have enjoyed from this organization.


Dr. Lynn A. Sandstedt lynn a. sandstedt is a native of Colorado and a Ph.d. graduate in spanish language and literature from the university of Colorado, Boulder. He taught at the university of northern Colorado for 22 years and served as Chairman of the foreign language department and the department of Hispanic studies. dr. sandstedt has co-authored several textbooks for use at the university level, and has been very active in the profession.

dr. sandstedt was the first CCflt president, paving the way for 50 years of successful conferences. He was elected to serve on the aCtfl executive board and later was elected to serve as aCtfl president. He was elected president of the aatsP and several years later

was selected to be the executive director.

lynn has received several prestigious awards for his work in foreign language education. two of the most recent honors have been the receipt of the robert g. Mead, Jr. award for distinguished leadership and scholarly Contributions to the Profession given by the aatsP, and the Cross of alfonso X given by king Juan Carlos and the Ministry of education of spain for outstanding contributions to the teaching of spanish.

we honored this accomplished, innovative man at the CCflt luncheon on friday, november 18.

dr. sandstedt

debbie Cody & dr. sandstedt

Jan Herrera, toni theisen, nancy oakes, Janine erickson

Thanks for all you’ve done for

CCFLT, Lynn!!

A Word from the Outreach Committee:For over sixty-five years CCFLT has fulfilled its purpose of promoting a sense of community between those involved in language teaching across Colorado as well as provide those interested in language in academia with an opportunity to communicate with others who share their passion.

As a member of the CCFLT, you have the opportunity to expand your current knowledge of language teaching as well as explore new techniques for the classroom and beyond. Our mission is to provide you with the necessary skills to establish the highest standards of proficiency among students of foreign languages at the elementary, secondary, college and university levels.

Membership gives you access to our two conferences held each year, during which recognized speakers present keynote lectures on language in academics and teaching developments in a changing world. Not only will you be able to attend these lectures, but you will also have the opportunity to participate in our language workshops that focus on the most current issues in the advancement and teaching of world languages. Many scholarship and grant opportunities abound for CCFLT members.

Share this with a friend.

CCFLT Membership is online!!You can now easily manage your CCFLT membership.

Do you need to renew your membership or update personal information?

Have a colleague or friend who would like to become a CCFLT member?

Then go to: www.regonline.com/ccflt

If you are a member, go to the website, click the join now button, put your email address in the boxes on the next page and click the already joined link which will take you straight to your membership information. Here you can update your contact info or renew your membership. When your membership is close to the expiration date, you will receive an email from Regonline indicating the date your membership is due to expire. Keeping your personal info current is the best way to ensure communication from CCFLT. Also, please check that your computer’s filter does not bounce out emails from Regonline or CCFLT.

If you have colleagues or friends who would like to become members, they will start the process by clicking on the join now button, putting in the email address, and then continuing through the rest of the process.

If you have any questions, please contact Cristin Bleess at [email protected].



aCtfl 2011


AWARD NOMINEE/WINNER NOMINATOR SUPERVISOReXCellenCe in teaCHing none

friend of foreign languages dr. Judy skupa

Ms. diane lauer

thompson school district

toni theisen dr. ron Cabrera

superintendent


kris wells MeMorial CreatiVitY award

spring conference

new eduCator award nicolas Henry

french teacher

fossil ridge High school

fort Collins

norma arroyo dierdre Cook, Principal

fossil ridge Hs

geneVieVe oVerMan MeMorial serViCe award

dr. alain ranwez

Professor of french

Metro state College

dr. ann williams dr. sixto e. torres, Chair, dept. of Modern language

Metro

ronald w. walker MeMorial grant of 1,000

none

new teaCHer ConferenCe sCHolarsHiP -1

Maria Blair

french teacher

Pine Creek Hs

linda trumbauer

susan Murray-Carrico

Jim lucas

Pine Creek High school

new teaCHer ConferenCe sCHolarsHiP – 2

Julie togbe

french and spanish teacher

lucile erwin Ms

loveland

toni theisen diane worner, Principal

lucile erwin Ms

2011 grants and awards winners

(Presented during CCftl luncheon at aCtfl)

see you saturday, february 25th!

http://www.regonline.com/sC2012

friend of foreign languages dr. Judy skupa

Ms. diane lauer


geneVieVe oVerMan MeMorial serViCe award

dr. alain ranwez

Professor of french

Metro state College

new teaCHer ConferenCe sCHolarsHiP -1

Maria Blair

french teacher

Pine Creek Hs

new teaCHer ConferenCe sCHolarsHiP – 2

Julie togbe

french and spanish teacher

lucile erwin Ms

loveland

new eduCator award nicolas Henry

french teacher

fossil ridge High school

fort Collins

teacher of the Year 2012

noah geisel


Why join CCFLT?For more than sixty-five years CCFLT has fulfilled its purpose of promoting a sense of community for Colorado language teachers, as well as providing opportunities to communicate with others who share our passion.

As a member of the CCFLT, you will have the opportunity to expand your current knowledge of language teaching and explore new techniques for the classroom and beyond. Our mission is to provide you with the necessary skills to establish the highest standards of proficiency among students of world languages at the elementary, secondary, college and university levels.

Membership gives you access to our two conferences held each year, during which recognized speakers present workshops on the development of language teaching in a changing world. Additionally, you will have access to the abundant scholarship and grant opportunities offered to CCFLT members.If you’re not yet a member but wish to become one, please visit www.ccflt.org and click on “Membership and Renewal.”

Why join ACTFL?Membership in ACTFL shows you are a professional, plus saves you money, keeps you informed and opens up opportunities. Become a member of ACTFL and enjoy the following benefits:• FREE subscription to The Language Educator (6 issues).• FREE subscription to Foreign Language Annals (4 issues).• FREE subscription to ACTFL SmartBrief (weekly e-newsletter).• FREE subscription to ACTFL Connection (periodic e-mail).• Member-only news and information.• Member-only discounts on: • ACTFL workshops• ACTFL’s Annual Convention and World Languages Expo• ACTFL books and products• Oxford University Press purchases• Variety of insurances ranging from professional liability to international travel• SCOLA Individual Subscriptions• Present at the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo.• First-time attendee scholarship to attend the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo.• Join an ACTFL Special Interest Group (SIG).• Recognition for your accomplishments through the ACTFL Awards program.• Show you are a member of your professional national organization.• Expand your horizons by connecting with colleagues from around the world.• Be mentored and mentor someone else.• Be a part of the solution by adding your voice as ACTFL speaks up for language education and receiving information and assistance from ACTFL when you speak up for languages.• Be represented in the development of national guidelines, standards and frameworks.• Become published in The Language Educator and Foreign Language Annals.• Earn CEU, college credit equivalency and teacher certification.• Apply for summer study-abroad scholarships.• Receive an official rating of your proficiency.• Become an ACTFL Tester or Trainer.• Share in the development of the profession’s positions. To join on-line please visit http://myactfl.actfl.org/actfl_imispublic/ibc/signup.aspx


CCflt wisHes to tHank our aCtfl ConferenCe Volunteers for tHeir generous serViCe and HelP in Making tHe ConferenCe a suCCess:

fawzia ahmad

dominic alarid

anne Briotet

david Burrous

Judy Cale

Mira Canion

Pamela Centeno

Monica Colceriu

Veronica eggert

Patrick gallardo

Melitta wagner Heaston

Bess James

Christa Jiménez

Carol koch

sunny kruschwitz

Becky loftus

dawn lee Mayo

tanya Mayo

trudy wejebe Mcdowell

stacy Muenzenmayer

Barbara Muñiz

lora Perea

Molly ratterman

María rey lópez

alison rivera

kristin rock

Jeff shroyer

debbie singer

lorna soto

tina stroman

donna stutzman

kristy swartwood

ruth warner

ann williams

Who Will be our next Colorado teaCher of the Year?

is there a colleague in your department who is not only an excellent teacher, but a leader in the profession, a strong advocate for world languages, involved in the school and district in helping to advance language learning for all? do you have a colleague who presents and/or shares best

practices to other colleagues either through school, district, state (such as CCflt) or regional (such as SWColt) professional development meetings? how about colleague who would be an excellent

voice for our profession? Maybe You are this person?

the deadline for the 2013 Colorado toY is fast approaching!

Who can nominate? anyone! district supervisors, department chairs, colleagues, principals, parents. Can you self-nominate? absolutely!

What’s the purpose of this award? to elevate those who dedicate their energy to World language advocacy and instruction and provide a greater public profile to our profession. it also recognizes best practices and excellence in the teaching and learning of world languages.

Deadline: May 30, 2012Winner to be announced at the CCflt luncheon at the Spring Conference 2013


COLORADO TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOAH GEISEL ON THE LOVE THAT FUELS HIM

the moment that i decided to be a teacher came in november of 2000, when i saw a magazine cover declaring that half of the nation’s teachers would be retired by 2010. four years prior, i had had the opportunity to travel to israel and was impacted by seeing my teenage counterparts not preparing for college but to serve their country. i returned with a profound sense of a need to give back to my own country. when i saw a headline about america’s need for new teachers, i realized that i could make a bigger difference by joining the ranks of educators than soldiers. that day decided the path of my service.

september 11th 2001 was my first day in the classroom and the emotional struggle of the days and months that followed reaffirmed my decision to join the teaching profession. i had entered education with the idea that it would be two or three years of service and self-discovery. i immediately became invested in the daily struggle to do my best in planning engaging lessons for my students and working on my shortcomings so that i could continually do better. i forged meaningful relationships with my students and genuinely cared about helping them prepare for a better future. Before long, i discovered the love. the love is what makes teaching not just a job, but a career. we choose to be a part of one of the most challenging professions because we love it. this love runs especially deep in world languages teachers.

to be a world languages teacher is something very special. without exception, we are people who love language. More importantly, we love the languages we teach. i love the sound of spanish rolling off peoples’ tongues. i love the feel of it reaching out and grabbing me at latin music concerts. i love the look of it on the pages of la invención de Hugo Cabret and the taste of it in paella, arroz con coco y salsa lizano. i even love the smell of spanish. as a world languages teacher, i get to wake up every day and immerse myself in something i love and my job is to share that love with my students. this is what makes what we do special.

now, none of this would mean much if we were teaching about our love for operating telegraphs. the world doesn’t need telegraph operators. what the world does need are connected, empathetic, inquisitive and understanding citizens. lucky for us, we specialize in this brand of instruction. our state standards call for us to help students to better understand their own lives through comparisons to the world around them. we show students new ways of communicating and comprehending. we are encouraging empathy and understanding. even if one of our students graduates high school without scoring intermediate-low on the aCtfl oral Proficiency interview, 5, 15 and 25 years from now she will be a better person for having taken our classes.

My love for what i do inspires me every day to create the best experiences i can for my students. for the last 8 years, the learning and sharing with my CCflt colleagues have helped me immensely. i am flattered that my presentations are now enthusiastically received by the same colleagues who have inspired and supported me for so many years. Being selected by my fellow language teachers for this award is one of the greatest honors i can imagine. i know that this recognition is not just a prize but a responsibility to be an ambassador for our state and for our profession and you can count on me to continue to advocate for world languages education and educators every chance i get!

ACTFL has always been a powerful source for learning and networking in our profession. As a member for over 25 years, ACTFL has definitely shaped the way I teach and learn. But now our profession, like many in the world, is experiencing a major metamorphosis. How do we embrace this monumental shift and move our profession down a path that honors our 21st century learners? How do we continue to collaborate in order to create powerful learning environments that authentically engage our learners, encourage their creative and critical thinking, challenge them to be flexible and adaptable to new situations while also guiding them to participate in collaborative leadership roles in our global community? Furthermore, how can we collectively revitalize teaching in order to truly turn the power and passion of learning over to our students? If elected, I will explore new collaborative paths to respond to these questions. I will advocate for

ways to provide more access and support teachers in the use of technology and I will propose possibilities to include the voices of our students in the design of their language learning. For me, developing a 21st century global community spirit is essential to make language learning thrive.

Congratulations, toni! 2012 aCtfl President eleCt

Why Serve on the CCFLT Board?

the Board of directors positions, which last for two academic years, give members the opportunity to:

• Practice Communication skills in at least two languages

• Promote Connections at state, regional, and nations levels

• Make Friendships all over the state

• gain Leadership and professional growth opportunities

• share Teaching tips, experiences and concerns

the responsibilities include:

• serve for two academic years (beginning the May after you are elected)

• attend monthly meetings from august to May

• attend fall retreat in august (2 days, 1 overnight)

• work at the spring Conferenceserve on a minimum of two committees; one standing and one spring Conference committee

• Chair a committee in your second year

reimbursements and benefits include:

• up to twelve hours Cde recertification credit

• all phone calls

• Mileage at 25 cents per mile

• spring Conference registration and two luncheon meals

• fall Conference registration

• Certificates for volunteer hours

• easy to nominate yourself

• Build statewide networking connections


2013 CCflt Board Candidates

Visit www.ccflt.org to run for the Board.

Voting will take place at the CCflt spring 2013 Conference .

Hope you decide to join us!

COLORADO CONGRESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS www.ccfl t.org January 2012

STATE OF COLORADO

november 18, 2011 Greetings: On behalf of the citizens of the State of Colorado, it is my pleasure to congratulate the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers on 40 years of commitment to the study and teaching of foreign languages in schools, colleges, and universities throughout Colorado. Education is of the utmost importance to this state and this administration, and the service your organization provides adds to the educational community here. Thank you for all you do to help Coloradans succeed in school and in life. you have my best wishes, now and in the years to come. Sincerely, John Hickenlooper Governor

EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS 136 State Capitol Denver, CO 80203 - 1792 Phone (303) 866-2471

____________________ John Hickenlooper Governor


WORLd LAnGUAGE LEARnInG In THE 21ST CEnTURy

What are the skills that our students will need in order to successfully participate in the global community of today’s world? How do we engage them in meaningful contexts that are relevant and challenging? How do we provide learning opportunities that help students reach higher levels of proficiency? How do we help students set personal learning goals? How do we help others understand what language learning looks like now?

As teachers we have many resources that guide us to respond to many of these questions. The Colorado Academic World Languages Standards are in alignment with the national standards and many other state documents. This means that there are many opportunities

to collaborate with world language teachers around the country. Since the Colorado World Languages standards are benchmarked according to proficiency levels and not grade levels, it is easier to explain to learners what they know and can do. These proficiency levels are clearly defined in the ACTFL Proficiency guidelines. The Colorado World Language standards range from novice-Low to Intermediate-mid. Why these ranges? The charge was to define what all Colorado students should know and be able to do to be successful in the post-secondary workforce, as well as be reasonable goals for students in the P-12 range. For example, in many of our schools where students start in 9th grade, students’ proficiency levels for classes such as Levels I and II are in the novice-mid to novice-high range. The AP and the IB exams are targeted at the Intermediate-Mid to Intermediate-High Range.

When we talk about what students “can do”, we also have another resource called the LinguaFolio. Based on the european language Portfolio coming from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, a section of the linguafolio provides a list of “can do” statements for each proficiency level. for us, the “can do” statements are a perfect resource to use to create learner targets for each of our thematic units, help students set personal goals and provide a clearer explanation to parents about what their children are learning in their language classes. the Jefferson County school district in lexington, kentucky has done some groundbreaking work with the “can do” statements and learner target. Check out their curriculum site: Jefferson County School District, Kentucky.

Finally, what are those 21st century skills and what do they look like for world languages? Quite often 21st century skills are equated with technology. True, technology is a part of the skills learners will need to master, but this concept is much broader. In 2010 ACTFL in collaboration with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills organization, created the ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map for Pre-K-16. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills P21 is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student framed within twelve skill areas and five interdisciplinary themes. in the world languages document you will see the definition of each of the twelve skills and how it relates to world languages and sample student outcomes for the novice, intermediate and advanced, all provided by educators in the field. Here are the skills statements and the five interdisciplinary themes for the ACTFL World Languages 21st Century Skills Map:

1. Communication Students as effective communicators use languages to engage in meaningful conversation, to understand and interpret spoken language and written text, and to present information, concepts, and ideas. 2. Collaboration Students as collaborators use their native and acquired languages to learn from and work cooperatively across cultures with global team members, sharing responsibility and making necessary compromises while working toward a common goal. 3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Students as inquirers frame, analyze, and synthesize information as well as negotiate meaning across language and culture in order to explore problems and issues from their own and different perspectives.

4. Creativity and Innovation Students as creators and innovators respond to new and diverse perspectives as they use language in imaginative and original ways to make useful contributions.


5. Information Literacy Students as informed global citizens access, manage, and effectively use culturally authentic sources in ethical and legal ways. 6. Media Literacy Students as active global citizens evaluate authentic sources to understand how media reflect and influence language and culture. 7. Technology Literacy Students as productive global citizens use appropriate technologies when interpreting messages, interacting with others, and producing written, oral, and visual messages.

8. Flexibility and Adaptability Students as flexible and adaptable language learners are open-minded, willing to take risks, and accept the ambiguity of language while balancing diverse global perspectives. 9. Initiative and Self-direction Students as life-long learners are motivated to set their own goals and reflect on their progress as they grow and improve their linguistic and cultural competence. 10. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills Students as adept language learners understand diverse cultural perspectives and use appropriate socio-linguistic skills in order to function in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. 11. Productivity and Accountability Students as productive and accountable learners take responsibility for their own learning by actively working to increase their language proficiency and cultural knowledge. 12. Leadership and Responsibility: Students as responsible leaders leverage their linguistic and cross-cultural skills to inspire others to be fair, accepting, open, and understanding within and beyond the local community. Interdisciplinary Themes Global Awareness Language education and cultural understanding are at the heart of developing global awareness for students. In order to understand and address global issues, it is important to understand the perspectives on the world that speakers of other languages bring to the table. By learning other languages, students develop respect and openness to those whose culture, religion, and views on the world may be different. Language students are able to interact with students from the target language in order to discuss and reach solutions regarding global issues. Financial, Economic, Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy Students in language classes learn about the financial and economic issues from the target language culture and are able to compare and contrast with those of the U.S. According to the Committee for Economic development (CEd), “…cultural competence and foreign language skills can prove invaluable when working on global business teams or negotiating with overseas clients.” Those who are able to communicate with others in their native language will naturally feel more empowered to negotiate with those around the world as they engage in entrepreneurial activities. Civic Literacy Language learners become aware of the judicial, legislative and government functions of the target language country(ies) and are able to compare and contrast those with the civil liberties and responsibilities in the U.S. Because they can communicate in the target language, they are able to engage in discussions with other students to participate in activities in which they discuss civic life in their respective countries. Health Literacy Language learners are engaged in a value-added activity as they can address global health and environmental issues in the target language and understand materials that were written for native speakers of that language. They have access to information because they can understand the language and can thus engage in global discussions on health, environmental, and public safety issues as they prepare for careers in these fields.

What are the skills that our students will need in order to successfully participate in the global community of today’s world? How do we engage them in meaningful contexts that are relevant and challenging? How do we provide learning opportunities that help students reach higher levels of proficiency? How do we help students set personal learning goals? How do we help others understand what language learning looks like now? Hopefully this article will give you some new perspectives in world languages learning for the 21st century.

Toni TheisenThompson School districtLoveland, CO.

[email protected]


Plugged-inadj \ˈpləgd-ˈin\Def: technologically or socially informed and connected <plugged–in teenagers> (“plugged-in”)

How do I get started building a PLN on Twitter of my own?• Build an account at https://twitter.com/ . • Point out interesting things happening in your classroom.• Share links to neat things in your institution and/or community.• Promote your students’ stories, but be careful to maintain student anonymity.

Ideas About WHAT to Tweet (adapted from Carol Cooper-Taylor’s list)• Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”• When promoting a blog post, ask a question or explain what’s coming next, instead of just inserting a link.• Ask questions. Twitter is GREAT for getting opinions.• Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.• Tweet about other people’s stuff. • When you DO talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, pictures, etc.• Share the human side of your institution. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value

for human connections. Additional Hints and Helps:

• You don’t have to read every tweet. • You don’t have to reply to every @ tweet directed to you.• 3rd party clients like Tweetdeck make it a lot easier to manage Twitter. • Learn quickly to use the URL shortening tools like TinyURL or Bityly and all the variants. It helps tidy up your

tweets.• Commenting on others’ tweets, and retweeting what others have posted is a great way to build community.• Be active.• Find other educators in your subject area to follow by following edtech leaders or use Educator listings, such as

http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/ Positives and Negatives:

• There are other ways to do this.• It doesn’t replace face-to-face (who said it does).• Twitter’s only a few million people. (only)• Twitter doesn’t replace email.• Twitter helps one organize great, instant meetups (tweetups).• Twitter can be used as an opinion poll.• Twitter in the classroom helps people build an instant “backchannel.”• Twitter breaks news faster than other sources, often (especially if the news impacts online denizens).• Twitter brings great minds together, and gives everyone daily opportunities to learn (if you look for it, and/or if you

follow the right folks).• Twitter helps with staff development: you can find other teachers.• Twitter can augment parent feedback.• You can get immediate response to your questions or requests for help.• There is an active educator community online who love to share resources and ideas.

There are those of us ready to jump into an idea like this and those of us hesitant to do so. I would encourage readers here to take a chance: try, observe, lurk. This is just one medium where our students are today and one from which there is so much to learn. Encouraging PLNs is not meant to belittle any of the structured professional development days our districts put together for us, but rather to augment that learning and provide extension opportunities.

CCFLT has a twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/CCFLT. Here we share information and links related to conferences, grants, awards as well as other items that might interest our membership. Find some of your fellow CCFLT members here and follow us as well!

Susan Murray-CarricoCCFLT Webmaster


CCFLT SPRING CONFERENCE 2013 AWARDS NOMINATION FORMTHE KRIS WELLS MEMORIAL CREATIVITY AWARD - is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in the field of world languages, whether teaching, administration, or materials development.

NEW TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP (TO ATTEND SPRING CONFERENCE) - 2 scholarships will be awarded to new world language teachers (in their first 3 years of teaching) to attend the spring Conference.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP AWARD - is presented to a world language educator who has provided exceptional leadership and innovation in programs beyond the classroom level.

Please create one word document in which you include the following:

(1) a cover page with the required information given below

(2) a letter of nomination of two pages or less

(3) a maximum of three letters of support of one page each.

Combine these components into one document and send it as an attachment to aixa Maldonado, the CCflt grants & awards Chair at [email protected].

the cover page must include the following information:

About the nominee: nominee’s name, award category, school, Years of teaching experience, Phone (H), Phone (w), address, city, state, ziP, email

About the nominator: nominator’s name, Phone (H), Phone (w), address, city, state, ziP , email

About the nominee’s supervisor: supervisor’s name, title, Phone (w), email address, school, school address, city, state, ziP, school district name

Please email this information and supporting letters as noted above to

CCflt grants and awards Chair aixa Maldonado: [email protected]

no onsite registration available.

register at www.ccflt.org


g

National exhibitors from Thursday evening until Saturday noon

Almost 200 sessions on Friday and Saturday on a variety of topics in multiple languages.

Special sessions and more for every classroom to take back and share with all of your colleagues

20+ workshops ranging in language and topic throughout the conference (Thursday, Friday, & Saturday)

Hyatt Regency Milwaukee

Touch the World - Plan now to attend the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee on March 8–10, 2012.

CSCTFL events on Thursday: Immersion workshops, Delegate Assembly for all 17 states, Leadership Program, Extension Workshop, Advisory Council Reception/Business Meeting, Exhibit Opening Gala (See website for details on each event: www.csctfl.org)

CSCTFL events on Friday: Welcome, keynote speaker, and CSCTFL Awards. Keynote Speaker: Linda Mornell, founder and former president of Summer Search

CSCTFL events on Saturday: NNELL breakfast, FLES strand in conjunction with the FLESFEST including a “make & take” session, and an additional FLES keynoter

Go to http://csctfl.org to find the

Central Connection: Preliminary Program

information

P.O. Box 251

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0251

uniVersitY of Colorado, Boulder

WORLD LANGUAGE DAYApril 18, 2012

Mark your calendars for April 18, 2012 and come join the fun!This daylong event includes competitions, workshops, cultural presentations and many

other language immersion activities in which high school students from throughout Colorado and Wyoming may participate. UNC has sponsored World Language Day for over 40 years and last year we welcomed over 1200 students and teachers.

Competitions are scheduled for high school students in grades 9 through 12 of Spanish, French, German and Chinese while cultural activities and entertainment are open to all attendees.

The University of Northern Colorado will also award Outstanding World Language Teachers in recognition of their language teaching accomplishments. These awards will be presented at the teachers’ luncheon by the Departments of Modern Languages and Hispanic Studies to honor professional excellence among teachers of world languages in secondary schools.

Visit the WLD website at http://www.unco.edu/wld for additional information and to view photo galleries and videos of previous events.

If you have questions or would like additional information please contact the UNC faculty director: Melitta Wagner-Heaston at: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your support of this event.


Making foreign language learning More aCCessiBle to students wHo struggle witH learning languages

all world language teachers encounter students who struggle to learn foreign languages: it’s a difficult situation for the

student and the teacher alike.

do you wish you knew why they have such difficulty with second language acquisition? do you wish you had more teaching techniques and materials to serve the needs of struggling students?

Come to an all-day workshop sponsored by the Cu-Boulder outreach Committee and taught by Cu faculty who

coordinate and teach the Modified foreign language Program classes offered by Cu’s Center for language and learning.

When and Where:saturday, January 21, 2012 at Cu-Boulder, 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Ceu credit available.

Cost: $35.00 if you register by January 14th, 2012. register by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling 303-492-4951

uniVersitY of Colorado, Boulder

THE CCFLT NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION SERVING EDUCATORS OF ALL LANGUAGES AT ALL LEVELS

• do you have a great unitthat you teach?• do you have some ideasfor activities that addressthe Colorado Standards?• do you have sometechniques that helpstudents achieveproficiency?Or perhaps you have some differentiated activities or tried and true methods to motivate students. Are there ways you include culture in your teaching? How do you make connections with language to other contents; perhaps you coordinate with an art or social studies teacher.


touCH tHe world

2012 Central states Conference on the teaching of foreign languages

March 8-10th, 2012

Hyatt regency Milwaukee

333 w. kilbourn avenue

Milwaukee, wi 53203

Central states Conference,

Po Box 251 Milwaukee, wi

(414)405-4645

Visit www.csctfl.org. for more info

Up-coming Regional Conferences

Join us in Phoenix, arizonasheraton Crescent Hotel

2620 w. dunlap ave., Phoenix, arizona 85021

aPril 12-14, 2012 the southwest Conference on language teaching is a regional foreign language teachers’ organization that hosts an annual conference in partnership with state foreign language teacher associations. the participating states in swColt are arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, nevada, new Mexico, oklahoma, texas, and utah.

The CCFLT newsletter would like to include articles about teachers and teaching in its publication so that we can benefit from one another’s expertise. Please consider sharing your successes in the classroom. Articles and ideas for submission should be sent via email to the president, debbie Cody at [email protected]. Articles and ideas should be in the form of an MS word.doc attachment. If you wish to submit photos, please submit them as jpg files and the submission should include a brief bio of the author.


Boren sCHolarsHiPs and fellowsHiPs

the applications for the 2012-2013 david l. Boren scholarships and fellowships are now available at www.borenawards.org. Boren awards provide unique funding opportunities for u.s. undergraduate and graduate students to study in africa, asia, Central & eastern europe, eurasia, latin america, and the Middle east, where they can add important international and language components to their educations.

Boren scholars and fellows represent a variety of academic backgrounds, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to arabic, Chinese, korean, Portuguese, russian, and swahili. as part of the african languages initiative, Boren award applicants have the opportunity to further their study of akan/twi, Portuguese, swahili, wolof, Yoruba, or zulu. for a complete list of languages, visit our website.

undergraduate students can receive up to $20,000 for an academic year’s study abroad and graduate students up to $30,000 for language study and international research. in exchange for funding, recipients commit to working in the federal government for a minimum of one year.

national application deadlines

Boren fellowship: January 31, 2012

Boren scholarship: february 9, 2012*

*Many institutions have an earlier on-campus deadline. Visit our website for information about your campus deadline and Boren campus representative.

for more information about the Boren awards, to register for one of our upcoming webinars, and to access the on-line application, please visit www.borenawards.org. You can also contact the Boren awards staff at [email protected] or 1-800-618-nseP with questions.

tHe language flagsHiP

the language flagship is a breakthrough in foreign language and culture instruction in the united states designed to help individuals achieve superior-level proficiency in critical languages including arabic, Chinese, korean, and Persian. flagship students participate in advanced language programs offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

the language flagship fellowship is an award for up to two-years for graduate students to support their intensive language study at flagship institutions in the u.s. and overseas. flagship fellowships are available for the study of arabic, Chinese, korean, and Persian at designated flagship Programs. eligible applicants for flagship fellowships must be u.s. citizens with advanced proficiency in the flagship language of study. Past recipients of Boren scholarships or fellowships are eligible to apply for the flagship fellowship. in addition, students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate flagship programs may apply for Boren funding to participate in overseas flagship programs.

flagship fellowship application deadline: January 12, 2012.

application information can be found online at www.flagshipfellowships.org. You can also email [email protected].

the Boren awards and the language flagship are initiatives of the national security education Program (nseP) and are administered by the institute of international education.

ccflt newsletter january 2012

Documents

president of actfl

colorado teachers

toni theisen

language teaching

president elects letterpage

presidents letterpage

colorado springs

world language daypage