Staying One Step Ahead: Becoming A Proficient 21st Century World Language Teacher

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Debbie Varga, OFLA Public Relations and Advocacy Chair

I have been reflecting quite a bit this school year on what an effective 21st-century world language teacher entails. Many things keep crossing my mind: the use of technology, student engagement and focus, global citizenship, and authentic formative assessment. I have come to the realization that what I did 20+ years ago does not work for today’s students. I constantly need to keep one step ahead so that my class can be a place for meaningful learning. Here are my reflections on some challenges and small victories that will hopefully lead to big outcomes. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Beginning of the Year Advice and Resources for New Teachers

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Nicole Hanlon, OFLA Beginning Teachers’ Chair

The start of a new year is always full of feeling: excitement, nerves, anxiety, and motivation – and sometimes just a feeling of being plain overwhelmed. As a newish teacher myself (this is Year 4), I still very much remember the stress and confusion I felt during my first year as I was learning to navigate the classroom and all of its responsibilities. In an effort to help those who are also entering the profession, here are some resources and tips that really helped me to get through the first few years (and can even help veteran teachers as well!) Continue reading →

Posted in Committee News, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Student Travel is Advocacy in Action!

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Lisa Sobb, OFLA Secondary Language Learning Committee Chair
Spanish Teacher, Sylvania Schools

To me, nothing can compare to the look on students’ faces when they use their language for the first time with a native speaker and are understood. It’s like a whole new world has opened when they realize that what we’re learning in class isn’t just some secret code that I’ve made up; it’s a real language that real people use to communicate! Many teachers bring guest speakers to our classrooms for a day to interact with students, but have you ever considered going a step further and taking students abroad? Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Fall 2017, General | Leave a comment

Revisiting Vygotsky: TPRS in the Primary Grades

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Jonathan Harris, Executive Recorder and Editor of the Cardinal
Spanish Teacher, St. Gabriel Consolidated School, Cincinnati

As a teacher of younger learners, I am on the lookout for research and theories to assist me in the classroom. Sometimes, this involves learning and/or re-learning something from long ago. As a teacher that uses TPR (Total Physical Response), and in re-visiting why I use this method, I found these two quotes. “The TPR (Total Physical Response) teaching method is a continuous application of Vygotsky’s Scaffolding Strategy, which is defined as the teacher demonstrating the meaning of the new word and gradually withdrawing assistance as the new word is learned (Cantoni 1999:54).” Lev Vygotsky developed this strategy and it relates to his concept of the zone of proximal development, defined as “The distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky 1978:84).” Continue reading →

Posted in Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Changing Colors of the Season

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Holly Haputa, Professional Development Chair
Spanish Teacher, Avon Lake High School

As I look out the window, I’m reminded what a beautiful time of year this is in Ohio – that seasonal transition where summer gives us its last dose of warmth. The autumn colors are beginning to bloom, the days are getting shorter and stores are tempting us for the upcoming holiday. It’s that time of year during which it seems three seasons descend upon us all at once. Ironically, the start of the school year seems to reflect nature’s carefully coordinated chaos. New students, staff, curriculum, buildings, technology, classes, resources—it all seems to converge on us at once. Yet, we manage to juggle the chaos with resolve, much like Mother Nature guiding the shift of seasons. Continue reading →

Posted in Fall 2017, General, Professional Development, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Let Them Be Noisy

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Channeling Enthusiasm while Learning

Samantha Bremner, OFLA Early Language Learning Chair

I’ve been told many times that my classroom is the loudest. I get headaches; the kids get tired, my classroom is in a constant state of organized chaos. But, you know what? The kids are making memories while expressing themselves in Spanish. Is it insane to witness? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely.

Picture this: children come into the room and find their seats based on cards. This cues a ruckus around who has the pez morado or the tigre azul. Who’s sitting where? The kids chatter as the classroom fills and it’s a moment before they settle down enough to listen to what’s happening today in class. Chaos? Check. Meaningful language practice? Check.

Moving on. Now we warm up with a song and some good ole TPR gestures that include Continue reading →

Posted in Committee News, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

AATG Updates

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Dennis Boyd, Brunswick High School
Ohio AATG Treasurer/AATG Liaison to OFLA

OHIO AATG FALL CONFERENCE

The 2017 Ohio AATG Fall conference will be held on Friday/Saturday, November 3-4 at the Hyatt Place in Dublin (n.b.: new location). The Ohio AATG business meeting will be held there on Friday evening. The conference will begin on Saturday morning with two speakers: Kevin Richards from The Ohio State University and Leeni Martinkari from the German Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA). The afternoon will feature several short presentations relevant to both high school and university German instruction, featuring, among others, current Ohio AATG President Julie Schonauer and past Ohio AATG President Deb Page. Continue reading →

Posted in Affiliates, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Travel, Good for the Soul

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Have you traveled with students lately?

Julie Frye, OFLA Membership Chair
French Teacher, Lexington High School

This issue, I am deviating from my usual “perks of membership” article and talking about something near and dear to my heart: TRAVEL!

My Schoology French 1 page uses this image of a woman holding her packed suitcase, ready for adventure, and I can relate. When I was young, my parents would plan a trip for the family at least once a year. We ate lobster on a pier in Maine, toured the chocolate facilities in Hershey PA, stopped to appreciate the view on the Blue Ridge Parkway, rented an oceanfront condo in NC and visited Disney World (several times!), just to name a few. My parents would also travel annually out of the country, just the two of them with friends, but no kids. Continue reading →

Posted in Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Advocating for Bilingual Education: Meeting the Needs of ELL Students and Foreign Language Learners

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Derek Braun, TESOL/OFLA Liaison
Columbus City Schools, ELL Science Teacher

“I was born here, pero soy de México.” This was the statement made by a student introducing herself to the class on the first day of school. The setting is a high school biology classroom in a diverse urban school district in Columbus, Ohio; however, this is not a traditional classroom. This class is made up of part English Language Learners (ELL), whose home language is Spanish, and part English dominant heritage Spanish bilinguals. The class is taught by a bilingual teacher and a bilingual instructional assistant. This particular student was born in Columbus, Ohio but later moved to México where she spent much of her childhood until later returning to the United States. This is just one example of the diverse linguistic backgrounds in which many students in urban districts now grow up. Students often live and interact in very linguistically diverse settings and have complex language practices as they move in and out of their various communities throughout the day. Continue reading →

Posted in Affiliates, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Coming Soon: Rubrics to Guide Your IPA and PD Proposals

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Cardinal Editor

Lesley Chapman, OFLA Executive Vice President 
Sycamore High School

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! At OFLA we have been working hard to continue supporting the stellar work our World Language colleagues are doing across the state. One of our initiatives in 2017 has been to create a document for teachers who wish to share their materials online with our OFLA colleagues.

In order to ensure that the IPAs (Integrated Performance Assessments) we publish on the OFLA site conform to ACTFL’s guidelines, we have created a rubric for teachers’ use. This rubric has been approved by the OFLA Board, and will soon be available on our website. Teachers who wish to submit an IPA for publication will be asked to send their IPA in together with the completed rubric, after which the Professional Development committee of OFLA will verify that all essential criteria have been checked. Continue reading →

Posted in Executive News, Fall 2017, General, Uncategorized | Leave a comment