All professional development (PD) workshops will be held at the PSE&G Conference Center in Edison, NJ. They run from 9:00-3:00 and include lunch. A certificate with 5 hours of PD credit will be awarded at the conclusion of the workshop.   Member Registration Fee for Series: $175, per Session: $100 Non-Member Registration Fee for Series: $250, per Session: $135   [Paper Registration Form for PO and check orders]
Strand I: Communication à la Mode   PART I High Yield Practices for the Interpretive Mode October 19, 2012   This highly interactive workshop will focus on the interpretive mode of the first National Standard, Communication. In our enthusiasm for focusing on oral proficiency, we often forget that input (through the interpretive mode) is the proven key for all language acquisition. Ironically, our textbooks continue to lack theoretically sound input activities of high quality, leaving educators to create their own. During this workshop, teachers will participate in numerous interpretive mode activities that they can then take back to their classrooms to provide the critical input so necessary for student progress.   Presenter: Joe Goebel College of NJ           PART II Interpersonal Communication: What's in Your Tool Box? January 18, 2013   Students are often discouraged when speaking a foreign language because there are words and structures that they want to use, but may not know. This workshop will offer tools and ideas for creating activities that foster increased learner confidence in speaking, with a particular focus on interpersonal communication. First, a common understanding of speaking objectives (Performance, Transaction, Interaction) will be established, followed by a demonstration of strategies that will achieve these goals. Participants will engage in activities that can be used to build confidence and skills in speaking exchanges so that they have a clear understanding of how to implement these tools in their classroom. Topics will include circumlocution, creating and accessing semantic maps, group activities, partner activities and listening comprehension in relation to speaking. Participants will explore techniques that modify or extend what they already do in the classroom so that their students will begin to engage in conversations with more confidence. Presenter: Joshua Cabral Brookwood School Manchester, MA     Strand II Assessment: Measuring Learner Outcomes   PART I Assessment Down Pat: Planning for Performance and Transfer Thursday, December 6, 2012   This workshop guides teachers through a model protocol, aligning backward design with the ACTFL Standards (5Cs) for planning articulated, thematic world language curricular units and developing performance assessment tasks with the communicative modes and performance in mind. Participants come away with examples and tools to continue design work in their school.   Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Eddy Queens College of the City University of NY             PART II Integrated Performance Assessment: Making it Work for You! Friday, February 8, 2013   The number one goal of learning a language is to communicate. Yet, sometimes we still follow the “teach, test and hope for the best” paradigm. In this workshop, teachers will learn what is an IPA, how to easily implement it in their classroom and assess for proficiency. They will see how using the IPA improves proficiency; they will learn strategies and activities that can be used effortlessly in the classroom. Sample IPA's and resources will be provided at various levels of proficiency.   Presenters:   Ericka Collado West Orange Schools     Glennysha Jurado-Moran Edison Schools     Jose Pan Edison Schools

FLENJ AT THE NJEA CONVENTION

CANCELLED

2013 ANNUAL FLENJ SPRING CONFERENCE

March 15-16, 2013
New Location: The Hotel Somerset Bridgewater
110 Davidson Avenue Somerset, NJ 08873

Keynote: Paul Sandrock
ACTFL Associate Director of Professional Development

Below, you will find information pertaining to Paul Sandrock's presentations at the Spring Conference:

5 hour workshop to be presented for FLENJ on Friday, March 15, 2013
Developing and Assessing Students’ Language Performance
Standards identify what students should know and be able to do as they progress in their language learning from their first experience through their professional applications of their skills. Assessment makes the standards real in the classroom, focusing instruction for teachers and learning for students. Together we explore how to design performance assessment tasks that motivate students and provide effective feedback. Examine how to assess student performance in a standards-based program.

Keynote address to be presented for one hour on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Building Our Common Core: Creating World-Ready Students
World languages are an excellent means to help students achieve the literacy skills of the Common Core State Standards – when we teach and assess world languages as envisioned by our common standards for language learning (focusing on the three modes of communication in meaningful and engaging contexts). The 21st Century Skills Map for World Languages also helps us design instruction to provide our students with critical skills while developing their ability to communicate in another language. Languages add value to help students be college-, career-, and world-ready.

One hour break out session to be presented on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Improving Interpersonal Communication: Motivating and Empowering Learners
Language learners’ prime motivation is to communicate with real people. How can we engage students in more authentic interpersonal exchanges around topics that tap their interests? Examine practical approaches to develop and expand students’ repertoire of communication strategies. Identify what counts to move students from beginning to more advanced levels of performance and how to provide feedback that improves students’ performance.

Helena Curtain

5 hour session to be presented on Friday, March 15, 2013

Thematic Planning: Responding to the Diverse Needs of the Learner

Well-planned standards-based thematic units can be the basis for a powerful curriculum based on motivating experiences that will respond to the diverse needs of our learners.. This workshop will focus on how to plan units centered on meaningful themes using a basic adaptable template that is based on standards and backward design and that leads to interpersonal, interpretive and presentational performance assessments. Teachers will see examples of quality thematic units and will participate in the process of designing a unit. Participants will also examine some of the major questions involved in preparing curriculum for language learners: What is most important about this topic? What is affectively engaging about this topic? Why should it matter to learners?

One hour break out session to be presented on Saturday, March 16, 2013

Staying in the Target Language: Comprehensible Input and Beyond

We take for granted that teachers will use the target language at least 90+ % of the time, but we do not always take the time to clearly delineate how this is to be easily accomplished. This session will provide teachers with practical strategies for establishing and maintaining a target language environment including how to answer the difficult questions related to the use of English during the language class.

Registration will open in Fall 2012 - stay tuned for details!