Deborah Page, AATG Representative

Join us at the Central States Conference Meet & Greet

During the March Central States Conference in Columbus, the Ohio chapter will be hosting a Meet and Greet for all German instructors.  You will be able to meet instructors from the Central States region, which serves the 17 states of: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin!  This is a great way to network with colleagues you may not otherwise be able to meet.  Join us on Friday, March 15, 2013 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Ohio AATG Fall Conference

The annual conference was held November 2-3, 2012 at the Hyatt Hotel in Worthington, Ohio.  The conference began on Friday with a Meet and Greet.  The first workshop was presented by Dr. Elfe Dona (Wright State University) and Kristina Wassmann (Centerville HS), and was titled “Bringing the €uro Crisis into the Classroom: A Simulation of Economic Proportions.”  The workshop was lively and informative, with plenty of classroom-based activities for the participants.  Following the workshop, everyone enjoyed a screening of Erbsen auf halb sechs (Peas at Five Thirty), a film about a man’s struggle with his sudden blindness and the woman who helps him not only come to terms with that, but also improve his life.  Dinner at a local restaurant completed the day.

Saturday began with a workshop given by Dr. Adi King (Ohio University), and was titled “Exploring Germany with Four of Our Five Senses: Teaching Diversity through Disability.”  Tied to the film screened the previous evening, participants learned the basics of German Sign Language and explored Braille with suggestions on how to incorporate lessons into their classrooms.  Following lunch, the final workshop was “Zero to 300, or How to Articulate the German Classroom from Middle School to Lead Students to Success at the AP Level,” given by Linda Zins-Adams (Highland Heights HS, KY).  Stressing backward design, where teachers have the goal clearly in mind while designing activities at progressively higher levels, participants came away with many classroom ideas for beginning, intermediate and more advanced classrooms to lead to the level of proficiency needed to do well on the AP exam.

The final item on Saturday was a business meeting, where Kristina Wassmann was introduced as she began her two-year term as chapter president.  The chapter membership discussed future directions for activities.  Dr. Elfe Dona (Wright State University) was elected Second Vice President, beginning the 6-year commitment to the chapter.  Chapter finances were presented, and votes were taken to pay the obligations.

Ohio AATG Officers

President/Newsletter Editor, Kristina Wassmann
frauwassmann@gmail.com 2012-2014

Vice President, Debbie Page
deborah.page@uc.edu 2012-2014

Second Vice President, Elfe Dona
elfe.dona@wright.edu 2012-2014

Treasurer, Dennis Boyd
dboyd1@me.com 2011 –

Testing Chairperson, Darlene Lyon
fraulyon@yahoo.com 2011 –

Webmaster/Membership, Chair Mark Himmelein
himmelm@mountunion.edu ongoing

Listserv Moderator, Stephanie Libbon
slibbon@kent.edu ongoing

Membership Chair, Mark Himmelein
himmelm@mountunion.edu 2012 –