Resolutions

It’s that time again!

Debbie McCorkle, Unioto High School
Chair, Secondary Language Learning Committee

Your Secondary Language Learning Committee has two 2014 Resolutions for OFLA members.

We resolve to:

1) Compile and disseminate information on the OFLA website gained from a recent survey of Ohio World Language Department heads in order to update the Ohio Foreign Language Association’s Guide to the Study of World Languages at Ohio Colleges and Universities. Our goal is for this information to be ready before the annual conference.

2) Create or adopt a tool for Ohio administrators to use in the new Teacher Evaluation process that is specifically geared towards teaching in the World Language classroom.

As for me, an individual teacher, I resolve to:

1) Create a student-centered learning environment. Design the classroom that every student wants to be in.

2) Strive to stay in the target language for 90% of the class period. Why do students want to be in this classroom? To speak and hear the language, of course!

3) Create in-class activities, assessments and homework assignments that are meaningful and rigorous for all students (I remember when I was studying language in high school I had to learn to say, “I’m afraid of the dragon.” I remember wondering why and when would a person need to say this?)

4) Infuse my lessons with the target culture(s) products, practices and perspectives. For many reasons, some of my students will only ever be classroom travelers. So, my classroom will be the window to the world.

Lastly, to continue to search out the ways and means to stick to my resolutions. The Ohio Foreign Language Association is just the ticket!