Debbie Varga, Spanish Teacher
Revere Local Schools

Within the last five years or so, I brainstormed a mind map of what areas I should target for my unit and daily lesson planning. I named what I came up with “My Daily Pedagogical Practice”.  I include ten sub-topics: 

1. global connections,
2. scaffolded #authres (authentic resource/s),
3. daily blended mini-lessons (small-group instruction in a station format),
4. question/answer layering in the AAPPL format (more than one question asked at a time, for example at the novice level: ¿Cuántos años tienes? ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?),
5. literacy and input-enhancement,
6. 3Ps (products, practices, perspectives),
7. 3 modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, presentational),
8. culture leads, grammar and vocabulary in context (content-based instruction),
9. AP themes (at a preAP level), and
10. interculturality.  

Focusing on these areas in lesson design can guide students to reach a higher level on their path towards proficiency. In our district, a technology coordinator once said, “The lesson is engagement.” The creation of opportunities for differentiated assessment also can empower students to have control of the path to proficiency.

I try to keep in mind that lessons should be “meaningful, impactful, engaging, authentic, and have purpose.” Ohio’s Learning Standards for World Languages and Cultures keep proficiency at the forefront when making connections with these sub-topics in planning.

I should note that this mind map continues to evolve from the innovative world language practices that are continuously shared by our amazing peers in world language education via conferences and online. My experiences via the Ohio Department of Education’s PBLL (Project-Based Language Learning) cohort (Thank you, Kathy Shelton!) have fit perfectly into this mindmap, especially for global connections and interculturality. I wish I could give credit to everyone who has helped me on this journey but I know that space in this journey is at a premium! If you recognize one of the topics or ideas previously listed, please know that you continue to guide me on the incredible journey of professional learning and you receive all of the credit!