Sarah Shackelford, Finneytown High School
Publications and Advocacy Chair
For many of us, becoming a connected educator transformed our lives, giving us wide and immediate access to networks of experts and peers invested in improving education practices and willing to share their favorite tools, resources, and strategies. Continue reading
Ohio Association of Teachers of Chinese (OATC)
Ping Wu, Columbus School for Girls, OATC Representative
Founded in 2008, the Ohio Association of Teachers of Chinese (OATC) has been a major force for promoting the study of Chinese language and culture and supporting Chinese teachers in Ohio. With the growing popularity of Chinese study and the concomitant expansion of Chinese programs in the schools, OATC has witnessed a rapid growth in our membership. This has allowed us to undertake diverse tasks to assist our members and to provide opportunities for them and their students. Continue reading
Annual Meeting Summary, Congratulations, and A Look Ahead
K.C. Kless, OCC Affiliate
Latin Teacher, Indian Hill Middle School
The Ohio Classical Conference’s annual meeting was held on Friday & Saturday, October 4th & 5th, on the campus of Ohio University in Athens. Highlights of the program, put together by OCC President Jim Andrews, included a performance of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses and follow-up discussion with Director Rebecca verNoy, as well as a showcase of a team-taught distance learning course offered through both Ohio University and Miami University. Thanks to all for an excellent conference. The next annual meeting of the OCC will be in October 2014, with details to come through the OCC website, http://ohioclassicalconference.org/ Continue reading
LinguaFolio®: It’s MUCH More Than Just a Set of Can-Do Statements
Ryan Wertz, Kathy Shelton and Paula Sondej, World Language Consultants, Ohio Department of Education
With the introduction of the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation System, or OTES, there has been a surge in interest in the LinguaFolio® Student Self-Assessment Portfolio. As teachers rush to use the Can-do statements in the document, many of us have lost sight of the fact that LinguaFolio® is much more. Used as a whole, it is a tool for learners of all ages to record their history of language learning, to self-assess their language competencies and intercultural growth, to set language and cultural learning goals and to chart their progress. Continue reading
Mary Jane Kelley, Co-director OVLFA
The Ohio Valley Foreign Language Alliance celebrated its 30th anniversary at Ohio University in Athens on Saturday, November 2, 2013. The Alliance was established in 1983 with funding from a nation-wide NEH project under the leadership of Claire Gaudiani, whose vision was to create a language alliance of K-12 and college faculty in every state. Since 1983 the OVFLA has provided a forum for college and K-12 language teachers to share ideas on approaches to teaching and to discuss developments in the field, and perhaps most importantly to network with colleagues from around SE and Central Ohio. Continue reading
TESOL Update
Lillian Acker, TESOL Liaison
The Annual Conference for Ohio TESOL took place November 14-16, 2013, at the Columbus Hilton Hotel and the Convention Center. For the first time, site visits were held on Thursday, and each one was sold out. It became a great success, and we are currently looking for more programs to feature next year. Our featured speaker, Deborah Short, was very informative and was a big draw for our attendees. Continue reading
Beginning Teachers Committee News
Lucas Hoffman, Sylvania Schools
Beginning Teachers Committee
OFLA Committee Work
The OFLA Beginning Teachers Committee is looking to identify beginning teachers (teachers with one to five years teaching experience) across the state of Ohio. To identify yourself or someone else and become a part of our online professional learning community, email: lhoffman@sylvaniaschools.org. Continue reading
Judy McCombs, The Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy, Chair- Early Language Learning
It’s 2014! A new year! Time to make “New Year” resolutions. So many of us will resolve to lose weight, exercise more, save money, cut down on clutter, or to eat more veggies! While those are all valid commitments I would like to challenge all world language teachers to resolve the following…..(repeat after me): Continue reading
OFLA Scholarships for 2014
Jody Ballah, Assistant Professor of French, University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash
OFLA Scholarship Chair
As you begin the new school and calendar year, be sure you have the deadline marked to apply for one of the OFLA sponsored scholarships for conference attendance and professional development. This year, OFLA is pleased to offer the following scholarship opportunities: Continue reading
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. Continue reading
The Cardinal 