Teachers, University Faculty and ODE Connect at Annual OVFLA Meeting

Mary Jane Kelley, Ohio University, OVFLA Co-Director

The Ohio Valley Foreign Language Alliance held its annual fall meeting at Ohio University in Athens on Saturday, November 1, 2014. This year’s featured speaker was Kathy Shelton, World Languages Consultant at the Ohio Department of Education.  Kathy led a workshop that provided the framework for creating an Integrated Performance Assessment using authentic cultural resources.  Participants examined resources, templates and sample activities and discussed how to stretch tasks for various levels of language learners.

Before and after Kathy’s presentation, participants had ample opportunity to share ideas informally over coffee and other refreshments.  The “mini-lessons,” a series of short presentations on successful classroom activities from attendees, featured Paula Park on “Warm-up Exercises to Write about a Painting,” Carmelinda Chilelli on “Broadening Vocabulary Through a Song,” Barb Reichenbach on “Subjunctive in Noun Clauses,” and Eric Rittberger on “Parent Child Commands.”

The OVFLA has met for 31 years, and there are clear signs that we’ll make it to our fifth decade and beyond!  Each year we attract both new and veteran teachers to our meetings, all of whom benefit from dialogue with each other and, as was the case this year, leaders in language education from the State of Ohio.

Featured speaker Kathy Shelton chats with OVFLA Co-Director Fred Toner (left) and participant Mbaye Ngom.

Lunch with (from left to right): OVFLA Co-Director Fred Toner, participants Eric Rittberger and Ila Hennig, featured speaker Kathy Shelton, Ohio University Department of Modern Languages Chair Betsy Partyka, and Co-Director Mary Jane Kelley.