The Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

Volume 32 Number 3

Affiliated with the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching, the Central States Conference and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

IN THIS ISSUE
Its August and Im rejuvenated after a wonderful summer of traveling with students and family and a lot of doing what I cant seem to fit in during the school year. I am now ready for whatever the 2013-14 school year wants to throw at me. However, if I go into the school year with an attitude that I can do it all by myself, I know I will quickly burn out and only look longingly ahead to the next break. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a network to support a teachera Personal Learning Network, or a PLN. One of my goals this school year is to increase the area that the net of my network covers and to bring in as many people to help me as possible. In this day and age that is easy to do virtually, as well as face-to-face. I can get the expertise of others from around the country and even the world without having to spend money to go anywhere. I am not a tweeter and have never used a hashtag, but I do know how to follow people who do those things. I use my Twitter account to follow other language and education professionals who share their thoughts and ideas via messages of 140 characters or less. These tweeters share links to great ideas that can help me become a more effective language teacher. CCFLT member Kelly Hass has written a great article on how and why to be a tweeter. See her article on page 22 to start tweeting today! contd...
Presidents Letter
Board of Directors President Elect Letter Fall Conference Flyer Fall Conference Workshop

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Tributes TOYs Letter

Presidents Past, Present, and Future CCFLT Awards Nomination Form Why Serve? JNCL-NCLIS The Nation's New Language Czar Essay Contest Form Video Contest Form Technology Mentoring Program CSCTFL Conference Flyer Fall Grants Spring Conference Flyer

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Register Online for the Fall Conference

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

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Facebook is another place where I virtually stalk others to glean ideas for my own use...and for yours! When I see a post on FB that I think is pertinent to other language educators, I ll post it to the CCFLT Facebook page. I also post links to great websites that I discover. I encourage all our members to use our Facebook page to share ideas and ask for suggestions! To get great ideas from FB, all you have to do is Like the page of language-oriented people or organizations and their posts will show up in your News Feed when you check your FB. For example, Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages posted this article on their FB page, it showed up in my News Feed this morning, and then I Shared it with the CCFLT FB group! Oh, the hours I have lost to Pinterest! This is one of those sites that just suck you in and before you realize it hours have passed! Once again, on this site you can follow others who find great ideas on the web and create an online scrapbook-type page in order to share it all with you in just one-click (or many clicks once you get sucked in). You can find wonderful ideas for all languages, cultural topics, authentic resources, grammar and vocabulary activities, general fun teaching ideas, and so much more! Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages has created a Pinterest board to help you get started Of course, it is great to be able to get mini-professional development sessions from your couch or your preferred location to surf the net, but dont forget about the value of face-to-face time at conferences and workshops. This year CCFLT is not only offering our annual Fall and Spring Conferences (Registration is now open for the 2013 Fall Conference), we are offering shorter, more informal workshops throughout the year. On September 14th, we will have our first workshop, which is on SB 191 and how you can be prepared for it as a WL teacher. For more information, see page 13. Mark your calendars today! I hope all teachers find a network of colleagues to help them become the best teacher they can be (did you know CCFLT has a mentor program? See page 24 ). Take some time to think about who you can throw your net over and bring in to your networkyou wont regret it! Sincerely, Cristin Bleess CCFLT President bleessccflt@yahoo.com

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Officers Cristin Bleess, President Debbie Cody, Past-President Diana Noonan, President-Elect
Congress of Foreign Language Teachers Published Quarterly August, October, January, April www.ccflt.org Julie Doyle, Editor julieannedoyle@live.com Have a question about dues? Please email Kristen Boehm CCFLT Executive Secretary: execsec@ccflt.org Advertising rates and policies: You are invited to advertise in the CCFLT Newsletter. Commercial ads, which support the mission of CCFLT and are of interest to the profession, including tour and book ads, are accepted for the following rates: Size of ad Charge Size of Copy Full Page $250 (7 X 9) Half Page $125 (7 X4) Half page $125 (3 X 9) Quarter Page $75 (3 X 4) Prices indicate a one-time submission in the newsletter. If you have questions regarding appropriate software or design files for ads, contact the Editor at julieannedoyle@live.com Advance payment is appreciated. Make checks payable to CCFLT and send to: Kristen Boehm, CCFLT Executive Secretary P.O. Box 270065 Louisville, CO 800279998 If you would like to pay for your advertising using a credit card, use the following link and passcode http://www.regonline.com/ newsletteradvertfees Code: ccfltadvert For questions on advertising costs, email execsec@ccflt.org

Castle View HS South HS Denver Public Schools

bleessccflt@yahoo.com codydebbie@hotmail.com diana_noonan@dpsk12.org

Elementary and Secondary Representatives Jenny Beltman Lisa Bloomer Amy Flynn Becky Loftus Deborah Ormsby Kristy Swartwood Heather Witten Post-Secondary Representatives Fawzia Ahmad Kathleen Bizzarro Courtney Fell* At-Large Representatives Teresa McNeil* Jian Lin Non-Voting Appointed Members Kristen Boehm Julie Doyle Susan Murray-Carrico Executive Secretary Newsletter Editor Web Master execsec@ccflt.org julieannedoyle@live.com susan.murray@asd20.org Colorado Springs District 11 Denver Language School teresa.mcneil@d11.org jianlin1231@yahoo.com USAFA/DCSD Colorado College CU Boulder fawzia.ahmad@ucdenver.edu KBizzarro@coloradocollege.edu courtney.fell@colorado.edu East Grand Middle School jbeltman@egsd.org Pine Creek HS Bear Creek HS Oberon MS lisa.bloomer@asd20.org aflynn@jeffco.k12.co.us rloftus@jeffco.k12.co.us

The International School deborah.c.ormsby@adams12.org Englewood MS Elizabeth HS kdswartwood@gmail.com hwitten@esdk12.org

*Replacing Board members who resigned after one-year of a two-year term.

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

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The Challenges of Teaching in the 21st Century: there are so many that it is difficult to list them but a few come to my mind:

Staying in the target language 90% of the time or more. Aligning our day-to-day practice with not only Colorado Academic Standards but also the Common Core. Creating reliable and valid assessments which inform us as to the progress of our students without over testing them. Facing critical evaluation by administrators who do not speak other languages. Finding smart ways to integrate technology that actually works and supports teaching for proficiency. Finding TIME to learn about better ways to teach. Pleased to be CCFLTs President Elect and given the charge to send a message to the membership, I reflected on my rather long career (39 years and still counting) in world language education both as a teacher and now as coordinator of World Languages for the Denver Public Schoolsone word comes to mind: passion. Passion for teaching, passion for working with kids, passion for working with and learning from gifted colleagues, passion for continuing to learn about better, new and improved ways to educate our students using the best practices for second language acquisition. Passion to meet the challenges imposed on all of us in education. Passion to pay it forward. I attended my first CCFLT Conference in the early 70s when I was in the middle of student teaching. The ways in which we teach languages 40 years later has changed dramatically from the methods and strategies I learned then but there is one constant with CCFLT, the membership relies on the board to bring the latest, most innovative and best ways to teach second languages to the world language teachers of Colorado. Throughout the decades of attending CCFLT, I always felt inspired to continue to work on my craft of teaching. During most of my teaching career of 30 years, textbooks still drove the curriculum and learning about ways to make grammar fun were popular sessions. This years conference focus was technology and finding ways to use it effectively towards our objective of teaching for proficiency. Performance and proficiency are now the key words in most CCFLT sessions. In the mid-90s my colleagues and I at East High School faced challenges forcing us to seek out better ways of reaching our students. Consequently, I learned more about how acquisition of language truly happens and, as a result, became passionate about new ways to ensure the success of our students. What I learned was really rather simple: we acquire second languages in the same way we acquired our first language, that is, through understanding messages. We acquire language when the message is interesting and even compelling. It is that simple. The next question then was: how do we, who speak the language fluently with advanced or better proficiency, make the language comprehensible to our students, thereby ensuring that they are acquiring? That was 1996 and now it is 2013. While I no longer teach kids, I now teach teachers and facilitate their learning of these best practices based on research of language acquisition and the best ways to teach for acquisition. Im more passionate about my work today than ever before. Im quite surprised actually that after all of these years, I now have accepted the new challenge of becoming president of CCFLT but Im super excited to bring my experience to the board and to continue to learn from all of those dedicated towards our common goals as world language teachers. Diana Noonan, President Elect

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Register Online for the Fall Conference

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CCFLT 2013 Fall Conference

Are you on Target? How to Maintain 90% Target Language in the Classroom

CTFL set an ambitious goal for teachers and students to use the target language in the classroom 90% of the time. This goal is supported by current research on the value of using the target language almost exclusively; however, attaining this goal can certainly be challenging for both students and teachers. This full-day, interactive workshop will be filled with engaging and effective strategies to help all teachers and students maximize their use of the target language and reach or exceed the 90% mark. This workshop will address a variety of topics including teacher strategies for staying in the target language, encouraging students to use the target language, approaches to grammar instruction in the target language, reconsidering curriculum design, using technology to stay in the target language, differentiation, and assessment. For each topic, participants will learn proven strategies that they can use immediately in their classrooms. By the end of the workshop, over 50 strategies will be presented!

The goal is that teachers will feel empowered to increase their use of the target language and will leave with a specific plan for how they can reach this goal.

Participants will have ample opportunity to discuss the strategies and ideas as well as address concerns or questions. A focus of this workshop will be how participants can realistically apply this information in their classrooms. The goal is that teachers will feel empowered to increase their use of the target language and will leave with a specific plan for how they can reach this goal. About the Presenter Rebekah Stathakis is a National Board Certified Teacher, author, and awardwinning presenter. She has taught immersion classes for children as young as 12 months old and currently works with college students; however, Rebekah particularly enjoys teaching at the middle-school level. She has been honored with many educational awards including a 2006 national Disney Teacher award, which recognizes creativity and innovation in teaching. Previous attendees have commented on Rebekahs warm and comprehensive presentation style and the wide variety of games, activities and ideas provided. Register Online for the Fall Conference

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The Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award

Each year the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers awards the Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award to an outstanding educator for dedicated and long service to the teaching profession as well as commitment and leadership in serving CCFLT. This award embodies the spirit of a passionate professional who for most of her career was a Latin teacher in Denver Public Schools. During the last two decades of her career she was the Supervisor of Foreign Languages for DPS.

Recipients of the Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award should feel honored to know that they have followed in the footsteps of a great foreign language educator. After she retired from DPS, Genevieve continued to serve the profession for almost a decade. Many of the current structures and successes of CCFLT are, in large part, due to Genevieve s influences.

The Kris Wells Creativity Award

The Kris Wells Memorial Creativity Award is in honor of Christine Kris Schmader Wells, who lost her battle to pancreatic cancer on Saturday, September 30th, 2006 at age 56.

Kris was an extraordinary woman who will be celebrated and loved forever. She touched many lives during her 56 years through her involvement in many local and national organizations. She retired from Cheyenne Mountain School District in 2004 after 22 years of teaching junior high Spanish. In 1989, she received the Rose Award in recognition of outstanding service to education from the Cheyenne Mountain School District and she was named Colorado State Foreign Language Teacher of the Year in 2004. Her passion and teaching inspired many. Her creativity, energy, and enthusiasm for life were displayed not only in her teaching but also in everything she did!

We encourage current CCFLT members to continue the path of these extraordinary women. Nominate a colleague for one of these awards today! http://www.ccflt.org/contests/contests.htm

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2013 CCFLT FALL CONFERENCE AWARDS NOMINATION FORM

NEW TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP (TO ATTEND FALL CONFERENCE) Two scholarships will be awarded to new World Language teachers (in their first 3 years of teaching) to attend the CCFLT Fall Conference on October 5, 2013 at UCCS in Colorado Springs Please submit the following documents to be eligible for this CCFLT award: If self-nominating, include: A current CV or Resume Nominees name, Award category, School, Years of teaching experience, Phone (H), Phone (W), Address, City, State, ZIP, Email A brief cover letter Please write a brief cover letter about yourself and your teaching If nominating someone else, include a letter with the following information: About the nominee: Nominees name, Award category, School, Years of teaching experience, Phone (H), Phone (W), Address, City, State, ZIP, Email About the nominator: Nominators name, Phone (H), Phone (W), Address, City, State, ZIP, Email About the nominees supervisor: Supervisors name, Title, Phone (W), Email address, School, School address, City, State, ZIP, School district name Combine these components into ONE document and send it as an email attachment to Cristin Bleess at bleessccflt@yahoo.com In the message line, write: CCFLT Awards Nomination Applications must be received by September 3, 2013 Recipients will be informed of the Grants and Awards Committees decision by September 15th

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My son doesnt learn languages easily.., My daughter has an A in all of her classes, except in Spanish.., What can I do to help my son improve his grade in French? Do these sound familiar? I hear them all of the time, every year, over and over, again and again. A parents concern for their son or daughters language acquisition is understandable; however, it is sad to admit that most of the phobia around language learning has been created by our society. As the SWCOLT Teacher of the Year I will compete in November for the ACTFL Teacher of the Year. My message will be to promote dual language programs. Their goal is to immerse students in a second language beginning in Kindergarten and as a tool for learning all school subjects. Most people have a natural predisposition to learning one school subject over another, my difficult subject, for example, had always been mathematics. I explain to the parents that this did not mean that I was incapable of learning math, it just meant that I needed to work harder in math than say, in language arts. While there are certainly some biological aspects to some students language-learning ability, I do not agree that a large percentage of a students language-learning ability comes from some biological advantage. Under our current typical system, students are not exposed to second language learning until they enter middle school, and in some cases, not until high school. Under this old-school classroom method students begin by learning rules, memorize vocabulary out of context, and students exposure to the target language is often limited to approximately 1 hour a day or less. Students enrolled in dual language programs enjoy a very different experience. Dual language programs have half of the students already fluent in English and half of the students fluent in another language. As published in an article published in the Daily Herald titled Dual language programs prepare students for a global society, schools teaching students to be truly biliterate begin kindergartners with 80 to 90 percent of instruction in the foreign language giving English-dominant students the chance for more immersion and doesn't take away from nonEnglishspeaking students' acquisition of their second language. During the next few years, the foreign language instruction is reduced until it makes up 50 percent of the school day. It's hardly surprising that little kids in a dual language program are at such an advantage! As ACTFL-TOY, I will do whatever I can to promote dual language programs and to have them not only be accessible to all students, but that it becomes the standard for language teaching and learning in every district in every state. I am so proud to represent Colorado as SWCOLT-TOY and it will be my honor to represent us for the third timeas ACTFL Teacher of the Year! Hablando el mundo se entiende Norma Arroyo SWCOLT-TOY

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OPEN DOORS TO OPPORTUNITIES!

Earn a Masters degree in French, German or Spanish at COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY Our Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures offers three options of M.A. degrees:
1. Literature, Language, and Culture (2-year program); 2. Interdisciplinary course of study, along with language concentration (2 -year program); 3. Joint M.A.s, one in Foreign Language and Literatures and one in English (TESL/TEFL) (three-

year joint program). Teaching assistantships available For highest consideration, please submit applications by February 1 Visit our website: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/FLL/graduate.html

Presidents Past, Present, and Future

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org August 2013 Page 10 HOME

Language Technology Program for K-12 Teachers at CU Boulder

The Anderson Language & Technology Center at CU Boulder offers a one-year program in language technology for K-12 teachers. The Foreign Language Technology Program will begin in September of 2013 and span across 8 Saturdays over the course of the 2013-2014 academic year. Participants may attend as few or as many workshops as they wish but they must attend all eight events to receive the certificate of completion in May 2014. The first 6 meetings will cover technical skills as well as how to realize and assess the educational potential of the tools presented. During each workshop, attendees will develop a full lesson plan ready to implement in the classroom the following week. On Saturdays 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, guest speakers from the K-12 language teaching community (Heather Witten, Peggy Veal, Toni Theisen, etc.) will present on their own uses and experiences with technology in the classroom. The last 2 Saturdays will be devoted to the portfolio intensive workshops during which participants will be guided in the process of building their own multimedia portfolio. Upon completion of each workshop, participants will receive a certificate of attendance that they may submit to the CDE to obtain recertification credits. They may also receive up to 4 graduate credits from the School of Continuing Education at CU Boulder.

For more information about the curriculum, schedule, cost and registration, please visit http://altec.colorado.edu/fltp/K12.shtml Please help us spread the word! Questions? Please dont hesitate to e-mail me at Edwige.Simon@colorado.edu

I loved it! Thank you so much. The

course has made me so much

more confident in using technology in the classroom.

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CCFLT Spring Conference Awards Program CCFLT Conference 2014 Awards Nomination Form
We want to make it even easier for you to acknowledge a fellow teacher with a special recognition award. The person in your department who goes above and beyond! The one who always develops innovative and exciting activities for students! The teacher who has increased enrollment and has led the way to academic excellence! Express your appreciation, your admiration, and your gratitude by nominating him or her for a CCFLT Special Recognition Award that will be presented at the Spring Conference next year. Only teachers who have been CCFLT members for a full year prior to nomination may qualify for an award; members of the Board of Directors are not eligible.

The Genevieve Overman Memorial Service Award Presented to a world language educator for dedicated and long service to the teaching profession, as well as commitment and leadership in serving CCFLT. The New Educator Award Presented to a world language educator in the first five years of teaching, who exhibits a great deal of potential in developing ideas for world language education. The Kris Wells Memorial Creativity Awards Presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in the field of world languages, whether teaching, administration, or materials development. The Excellence in Teaching Award Presented to a world language educator who has excelled in classroom instruction.

The Friend of Foreign Languages Award Presented to an individual or group from outside the world language teaching profession who has made significant contributions to the teaching and learning of world languages. New Teacher Scholarship 2 Scholarships will be awarded to new World Language teachers (in their first 3 years of teaching) to attend the CCFLT Spring Conference in February. Program Leadership Award Presented to a world language educator who has provided exceptional leadership and innovation in programs beyond the classroom level.

Please create one Word document in which you include the following: (1) a cover page with the required information given below (2) a letter of nomination of two pages or less (3) a maximum of three letters of support of one page each. The cover page must include the following information: About the nominee: Nominees name, Award category, School, Years of teaching experience, Phone (H), Phone (W), Address, City, State, ZIP, Email About the nominator: Nominators name, Phone (H), Phone (W), Address, City, State, ZIP, Email About the nominees supervisor: Supervisors name, Title, Phone (W), Email address, School, School address, City, State, ZIP, School district name Combine these components into ONE document and send it as an email attachment to The CCFLT Grants and Awards Chair. (Please see the CCFLT website for the 2013-2014 Chair- TBA 8/13). In the message line, write: CCFLT Awards Nomination and attach the electr onic copy of your nomination packet. Winners will be presented a plaque at the 2014 Spring Conference Awards Luncheon. Applications must be received by December 1, 2013.

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How Does SB191 Affect YOU?

Its arrivedJuly 2013 and the new teacher evaluation system is officially in place. As a world language teacher, how does Senate Bill 191 specifically affect you? Anna Crocker, Jeffco Public Schools World Language Coordinator and former CCFLT President will discuss how the new evaluation system will impact language teachers. Who: When: Time: Where: Price: CCFLT members September 14th 9:00 11:00am TBA (in Denver Metro area) $15 pre-register $20 on-site For those interested, after the workshop there will be a bring-your-own-brown bag lunch to discuss ideas and concerns. Registration information will soon be available at www.ccflt.org. Make sure to save the date for this informative workshop!

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Are you interested in serving on the CCFLT Board of Directors? Do you know a colleague who might be? Serving on the Board provides great opportunities for networking, collegiality, giving back to your profession, and most of all, FUN. To express your interest in running in the next election, to nominate a colleague, or to get more information, please contact: Fawzia Ahmad : (fawzia.ahmad@ucdenver.edu) I look forward to hearing from you.

Why Serve on the CCFLT Board?

The Board of Directors positions, which last for two academic years, give members the opportunity to: Practice Communication skills in at least two languages Promote Connections at state, regional, and nations levels Make Friendships all over the state Gain Leadership and professional growth opportunities Share Teaching tips, experiences and concerns

The responsibilities include:

Serve for two academic years (beginning the May after you are elected) Attend monthly meetings from August to May Attend fall retreat in August (2 days, 1 overnight) Work at the Spring Conference Serve on a minimum of two committees; one Standing and one Spring Conference committee Chair a committee in your second year

Reimbursements and benefits include:

Up to twelve hours CDE recertification credit All phone calls Mileage at 25 cents per mile Spring Conference registration and two luncheon meals Fall Conference registration Certificates for volunteer hours Easy to nominate yourself Build statewide networking connections

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The Joint National Committee for Languages and National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) is a trade council that represents the language profession in the United States. As professional organizations and companies in teaching, translation, interpreting, testing, research, and many other fields, we raise public awareness of language as an enterprise vital to national wellbeing. The objectives and activities of JNCL-NCLIS include lobbying the Legislative and Executive branches for support and federal-funding for language education and research, as well as visa reform to meet critical language demands in the U.S. We have a busy summer and fall ahead of us, with work on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act, the America COMPETES Act, as well as ongoing work on appropriations for FY14. JNCL-NCLIS continues to work with the Office of Science and Technology Policy on how language and international education fit into STEM policy.

Cristin Bleess, the President of the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers, attended the annual Delegate Assembly of JNCL-NCLIS and participated with other delegates in a two-day advocacy effort consisting of a total of over 100 meetings with congressional staffers and members, and officials from the Executive Branch, with representation from language associations and organizations in 27 states. Delegates were asking for support from their Senators and Representatives for the Foreign Language Education Partnership Act (FLEP), which would create a federally-funded grant competition to establish K-12 language programs. The bill has bipartisan support and we are working with our contacts in Congress to push for its inclusion in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In addition, we are excited to have recently learned of legislation being introduced by a California representative that would furnish grants for states to implement a seal of biliteracy to be given to high school graduates that demonstrate competence in at least one language in addition to English. The biliteracy seal concept is already being implemented in California, New York and Illinois and could get a significant national boost if this legislation passes.
Another objective of JNCL-NCLIS is to raise the profile of the language profession in the US and raise awareness about the importance of language. On this front, weve been working with the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) on publicizing the lobbying effort. With the help of GALA, weve placed three articles so far in Politico, a widely read on-line newspaper about the workings of Washington, DC; in the Washington Post, and in VoXXI, an online, national newspaper geared to the Hispanic market in the US. It has been a pleasure working with Hans Fenstermacher, the CEO of GALA, on raising awareness in DC and nationally that we have a unified voice for the Language Enterprise. Just this month, JNCL-NCLIS delegates approved revisions to the founding bylaws of the organization, which combined with the new dues structure, enable us to recruit from the private sector of the Language Enterprise. In order to help with that effort, Monique Roske has joined JNCL-NCLIS with an appointment Of Counsel. She will work with the staff and Executive Director to recruit from the private sector and to integrate the policy priorities of the private sector in to the overall agenda of JNCL-NCLIS. JNCL-NCLIS exists to serve and represent its members and we are always eager to hear from any them not just organizational delegates! Particularly with regard to our legislative branch lobbying, the more constituent voices we can amplify, the greater impact we have. We regularly send out language news digests and policy alerts notifying members of opportunities to act and voice their support for language to their members of Congress. If you do not receive our mailings, but would like to, you can sign up on our website www.languagepolicy.org or send a request to rhanson@languagepolicy.org. And if you are ever traveling in the DC area, we are happy to schedule and accompany you to meetings with your Representative and Senators to get the word out about language. Thank you for your enthusiasm and engagement in advancing foreign language in the United States.

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The Nations New Language Czar Clay Pell Speaks with Language Magazine Editor, Daniel Ward

Last month, the Department of Educations Office of Postsecondary Education announced the appointment of a new Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education Clay Pell, the grandson of former senator Claiborne Pell, after whom the Pell Grant program is named. Pell comes from the White House, where he served as director for strategic planning on the National Security Staff and helped advance President Obamas key national security priorities. He brings critical experience from a breadth of departments and agencies including the White House, State Department, and CIA, and he has a personal commitment to foreign language study as a speaker of Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic. Pell studied law in Argentina and China, earned his JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and graduated from Harvard College with high honors in social studies and a citation in Modern Standard Arabic. He also has military expertise as a reserve officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, including nearly four years on active duty and legal experience as appellate government counsel for the U.S. Coast Guard. Before Pell had a chance to get his feet under the desk, Language Magazine editor, Daniel Ward, asked him some key questions: Clay Pell: Let me just say how thrilled I am to be here, and thank you for reaching out in my first couple of days at the Department of Education. I am so excited to join Secretary Duncan and to continue to serve President Obama in advancing Americas global competitiveness. We are laser-focused on doing everything we can to make sure our country and next generation of students are fully prepared to lead and thrive in the 21st century, including with critical foreign language and international skills. LM: What languages do you speak, how did you learn them, and how have they improved your professional and personal lives?

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The Nations New Language Czar Speaks with Language Magazine Editor, Daniel Ward contd...
CP: Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. I studied Spanish first in elementary school, then both Spanish and Chinese as an exchange student in high school. I began studying Arabic in college and have continued each ever since. Without a doubt, foreign languages opened up the world to me. They exposed me to the people and places beyond our borders and gave me the skills to work on international issues with the military, State Department, law firms overseas, and most recently on President Obamas National Security Staff. So you can imagine what an enormous privilege and thrill it is for me to come full circle and work with Secretary Duncan and President Obama to equip the next generation of American students with the foreign language and international skills they will need to lead and thrive in the global economy.

LM: Why do you believe it is important to speak more than one language?
CP: At a strategic level, the United States represents about 5% of the global population and a quarter of the global economy. Our growth and competitiveness demand that we find new ways to connect with, work with, and take advantage of opportunities in the rest of the world. Foreign language and international expertise are critical skills to bridge that divide and proactively reach opportunities and cultures around the globe.Of course, there are many other benefits that come from learning another language and probably everyone who has built fluency in another language can speak in their own way to how it has enriched their life. Certainly, learning a second language has Our growth and competitiveness been shown to improve cognitive development and learning demand that we find new ways to outcomes across the board. And some of the findings Im most excited about show how study-abroad experience can help connect with, work with, and take close the achievement gap between minority college students advantage of opportunities in the and their majority peers. rest of the world. LM: What role do you see for the Department of Education in promoting language education across the states in the light of budget cuts? Does technology have a role? CP: The Department of Education has a critical leadership role in promoting 21st -century skills in our nations schools, institutions of higher education, and beyond. We are encouraging state and local institutions to weave global competencies into common academic core subjects, into college-and-career-ready standards, and into expected learning outcomes. Personally, Im really looking forward to meeting and working with everyone in the days and months ahead students and schools, partners in government and private sector, and the foreign language and education communities as a whole. My message is that foreign language is a critical skill for the 21st century and there are a lot of innovative ways we can work together to make sure our students develop foreign language skills all the way through from school to career. Certainly, technology is an important part of this, as are partnerships across the board. And the federal government will continue to play an important role, including the Title VI and Fulbright Hays programs that we administer and other international education programs at the Departments of State and Defense, among others.

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The Nations New Language Czar Speaks with Language Magazine Editor, Daniel Ward contd..
These programs support foreign language, area, and international studies and infrastructure building at U.S. colleges and universities. And they ensure a supply of graduates with expertise in less commonly taught languages, world areas, global issues, and transnational trends all critical for Americas students, businesses, and workforce as a whole. LM: Do you have any specific goals in terms of improving language education in the U.S.? CP: Yes! I really want to hear from the community about all the many ways we can work together. But some areas where I am looking forward to working together include: Building bridges Making sure that we are building bridges at all levels so that our students and workforce develop, retain, and leverage foreign language skills from school through employment. Inclusion Continuing to expand the participation of underrepresented groups in foreign language and international education. Technology Leveraging advances in technology to connect students with cutting-edge language-learning materials, as well as their peers around the world. Strategic regions Continuing to support less commonly taught languages, including in strategic regions of the Asia-Pacific and Africa where the President has elevated focus across the U.S. government. LM: What are your views on bilingual and dual -language education programs? CP: We support both bilingual education and dual -language programs (dual language being the one of the models by which students with limited English proficiency can learn English and simultaneously maintain their native language). The general support both for bilingual education and dual-language programs comes from Secretary Duncan and President Obamas emphasis on language as an important skill for the 21st century. LM: What do you think we can do to improve retention of heritage languages and preserve this valuable national resource? CP: Heritage languages are a really powerful resource, both for individuals and the country as a whole. One of the most important things we can do is encourage parents and families to continue to use both their heritage language and English with their children. At the federal level, we have funded projects through our Title VI portfolio that support heritage language programs, and I look forward to strategizing with the language community about other ways where we can play a role. LM: How can we encourage more American students to study in non -English-speaking countries? CP: Im really excited to help get out the word to students about the relevance of study abroad and to continue to work to make sure these programs are as accessible as possible. The Department s emphasis on advancing global competencies for all students is important in this regard, as are opportunities that we support through our overseas programs in Fulbright-Hays and Title VI. I look forward to working hard to make sure more students and institutions know whats available and are finding new ways to partner together. This article originally appeared in the May 2013 edition of Language Magazine visit www.languagemagazine.com for the latest language education news.

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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18th Annual CCFLT Student Essay Contest

Students are our best voices for world language education! CCFLT is seeking student essays in the student s target language for the annual student essay contest. Winning essays will be posted at the CCFLT Spring Conference and may be shared with representatives and senators to make them aware of the voices of their young constituents. Each sponsoring teacher must be a current member of CCFLT. Each teacher may only submit up to three (3) essays. Elementary and middle school winners will receive $25, while high school and university winners will receive $50; winners also receive a certificate commemorating their accomplishment. The teachers of the winning students will be invited to attend the Spring Conference Awards Luncheon to accept the award on behalf of their students.

The essay topic reflects the theme of the CCFLT 2014 Spring Conference, The Real World of Real Languages Reflect on a personal experience that exemplifies/illustrates the importance of knowing another language in the real world. Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2013. Length and presentation: One page maximum, typed, double spaced Times New Roman font, 12-point font size Written in the target language with attention to the rubric below Cover sheet to include: Students name Students grade level (i.e., French, 3rd grade) Students age Students address, phone number Sponsoring teachers name Name of school School address Send essays to: The CCFLT Grants and Awards Chair (Please see the CCFLT website for the 2013-2014 Chair) (TBA August of 2013) Essays must arrive by December 1, 2013 By entering the contest, all participants acknowledge that CCFLT has their permission to edit and use their entries as deemed appropriate to the purpose of the contest.

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

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August 2013

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18th Annual CCFLT Student Essay Contest Rubric

Strong
Ideas and Content (development) Clear and focused, holds readers attention. Relevant anecdotes/details enrich central theme. Organization enhances/showcases central idea/ theme. Order, structure/ presentation of information is compelling/moves reader through text. Writer speaks directly to reader in individual, compelling and engaging way. Crafted with awareness/respect for audience/ purpose Conveys intended message in precise, interesting and natural way. Words are powerful/engaging Easy flow, rhythm and cadence; strong varied structure Spelling, grammar, punctuation have few errors Form/presentation enhance message

Developing
Writer is beginning to define the topic, even though development is still basic or general Organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without much confusion.

Not yet
Paper has no clear sense of purpose. Details are sketchy or missing, Requires much inference Writing lacks clear sense of direction. Ideas, details or events seem strung together in loose or random fashion; no identifiable internal structure. Writer seems indifferent, uninvolved, or distanced from topic and/or audience.

Students Assessment S D NY

Organization

NY

Voice

Writer seems sincere but not fully engaged or involved. Result is pleasant or even personable, but not compelling. Language is functional but lacks energy. Easy to figure out the meaning on a general level. More pleasant than musical; more mechanical than fluid. Errors are distracting and impair readability Message is understandable in format

NY

Word Choice

Writer demonstrates limited vocabulary.

NY

Sentence Fluency

Choppy, incomplete, rambling or awkward

Conventions

Presentation

Errors repeatedly distract reader and make text difficult to read Garbled message relating to presentation

NY

NY

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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CCFLT 2014 STUDENT VIDEO CONTEST FORM:

This is a fantastic opportunity for your students to create a 2-minute video of themselves in a conversation with another student. The conversation should reflect the theme of the 2014 CCFLT Spring Conference The Real World of World Languages. Pairs of students will create, present, and record an original conversation. They may determine the topic of their conversation, but they should demonstrate ACTFLs Communication standard: the use of language for communication in real life situations, "what students can do with language rather than what they know about language. A certificate and a $10 gift card will be awarded in each language at each level of language and school to students who create the best video according to the rubric. All students will receive a certificate for participating. Only teachers who are members of CCFLT may submit entries. Each teacher is allowed to send 1 video per language, per level of school (elementary/middle/high school/university) and per level of language (novice, intermediate, advanced, superior, heritage). We are only able to accept presentations in a digital format (e.g. DVD or a file sent via email). *New this year a student permission form (available on the CCFLT website) is required from each student participating to allow the CCFLT to showcase the student videos at our spring conference. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please fill out the entry form below and attach it to your DVD or via email. Teachers determine the level that is appropriate for their students - novice, intermediate, advanced, superior, heritage. Date________________________ Teacher Name & Contact Information (email and phone) ____________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ School & District _______________________________________________________________________ Students Names ____________________________________________________________________ Students Level of School (circle) elementary | middle | high school | university Language ______________________ Level of Language Study (circle) novice | intermediate | advanced | superior | heritage Title of Video ________________________________________________________________________ Please submit this form along with your video entry AND student permission form to the CCFLT Grants and Awards Chair (Please see the CCFLT website for the 2013-2014 Chair) Deadline: December 1st, 2013 In the message line, write: CCFLT Awards Nomination
DVDs can be picked up at the close of the Spring Conference

For further information see the following on the CCFLT website: Check-off List Scoring Rubric Student Release Form

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

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August 2013

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What the Tweet?! Getting started with Twitter for the World Language Educator by Kelly Haas

Twitter can be a fantastic way to build your professional learning network and connect with other language
teachers around the world. However, its one of those tools that many seem to find intimidating at first. Fear not! Ive compiled a no-nonsense guide to get your started. Step 1: Create an account: Go to https://twitter.com and fill in the New to Twitter? form on the main page to create an account. Follow the steps until you get to your homepage. Step 2: Create a profile: It is important to at least upload a picture of something and put a little bit of information about yourself on your profile. If you leave all of the standard images and no text, it can be a signifier to people on Twitter (Tweeps) that you arent who you say you are or that you are a spammer. Step 3: Follow some Tweeps: Following people on Twitter basically means you re subscribing to their Tweets, which will then show up on your Twitter homepage. A good way to start building your network is to find someone you respect on Twitter and look through the people they follow. You will probably recognize some and be inspired by others profiles. Dont hesitate to start following a lot of people: youre starting to build your network! The Top 2 Ways to Start Building Your PLN through Twitter 1. Use a dashboard application to follow World Language Hashtags As you get going, one of the things youll want to do but cant is follow Hashtags. Thats because only people can be followed on Twitter. To fix this, applications have been developed that will constantly search anything you desire, and then organize all Tweets that mention your query for you. This means that, if you know what to search, you can just sit back and watch some of the great conversations that go on in the language community. One such application is www.tweetdeck.com. Once you create an account on TweetDeck and add your Twitter account, itll create some columns for you. If you click the + button on the left, youll be able to add your own columns by typing in, for example, a Hashtag. TweetDeck will then create a column for that Hashtag, and any time anyone in the world sends out a Tweet that mentions that Hashtag, that Tweet will appear in your column. Try these great world language topics: #LangChat, #WLTeach, #21stEdChat, #EdChat, #AuthRes, to get started.

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

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April 2013

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What the Tweet?! contd...

2. #LangChat Every Tuesday at 6:00pm MST, world languages teachers around the world gather at their computers to discuss via Tweets a previously agreed upon topic using the #LangChat Hashtag in their Tweets. Topics this year have included Best Authentic Resources, The Role of Textbooks, and The Tyranny of Grades among many great others! So, teachers, heres your homework: use TweetDeck to observe (or participate in!) next Tuesdays #LangChat. Some of my favorite World Language Tweeps- Follow these! @CarolGaab - Carol Gaab, TPRS guru, author and teacher trainer @CoLeeSensei - Colleen Lee-Hayes, Japanese teacher, blogger and #langchat moderator @dr_dmd - Don Doehla, French teacher and project based learning guru @karacjacobs - Kara Jacobs, Spanish teacher, blogger and authentic resource buff @Musicuentos - Sara-E. Cottrell, Spanish teacher, 21st century consultant and blogger @placido - Kristy Placido, Spanish teacher and author of TPRS novels @SenorG - Noah Geisel, Spanish teacher and ACTFL Teacher of the Year @srtabarragan - Crystal Barragn, Spanish teacher, blogger and CI enthusiast @tmsaue1 - Thomas Sauer, World Language Specialist for Jefferson County Public Schools, KY Notes: #LangChat: If you want to look back at summaries of all of the LangChats that have happened over the years, you can find them by visiting to the chats Wiki: www.goo.gl/WP1eR (capital letters matter here). Other Education Chats: If you love LangChat, there are a ton of other education chats going on via Twitter! You can see a list of other chats Hashtags and their schedules by visiting Cybrary Mans compilation: www.goo.gl/ dlYUA (capital letters matter here). TweetDeck: One drawback to TweetDeck is that it is no longer available on mobile devices. Google TweetDeck alternatives to find some other options if this is an issue for you.

Kelly Hass, @SraHass , Spanish Teacher and Learning & Leadership Technology Representative at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers

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August 2013

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CCFLT MENTORING PROGRAM

This year CCFLT is piloting a Mentoring Program for World Language teachers throughout the state. Designed and proposed by David Burrous, former CCFLT President, this Program provides an infrastructure for Colorado world language teachers to advance their professional growth and development, especially in the area of aligning their practice with the Colorado World Language Standards adopted in 2009.

CCFLT's Board agreed to sponsor the program for a It is nice to have the first pilot year, publicizing the program during the camaraderie with my mentor, recruitment phase last spring through e-mail to learn from her and to have blasts, buying books for mentors and mentees and her hold me accountable for supplying recertification credit for participants. Outgoing CCFLT Board Member Anne Becher joined the goals I outlined for myself. the effort and the two worked together on a volunteer basis during the summer to develop a program handbook and a website (ccfltmentoringprogram.blogspot.com) to guide mentors and mentees through the year's activities.

The main components of the program are weekly meetings (via phone or e-mail) between mentors and mentees, monthly readings in the program's two books, Keys to the Classroom and Keys to Assessment (both excellent resources published by ACTFL), and once-a-semester observations by the mentor (usually done via skype or facetime) with pre- and post-observation conversations. Some pairs have decided to have mentees observe mentor's classrooms as well. Mentors provide support and advice as more-experienced peers, not as supervisors or evaluators, and our hope is that this ar-

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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CCFLT MENTORING PROGRAM CONTD...

Perhaps because this first assignment required a fair amount of time and came at an already busy period of the school year, a few mentees dropped out. Our numbers dwindled to 12 pairs, with one more mentee dropping out in the past month. This program does require a serious commitment of time and energy, and we think that this might not have been clear in our initial recruitment e-mails. In a recent participant survey, several respondents indicated that they had perhaps been overambitious in thinking they would have as much time as was required for the monthly readings and weekly meetings. On the other hand, our survey also indicated that many participants are satisfied so far. Mentee Lorie Shetter told us that "My experience with the mentoring program so far has been great. It is nice to have the camaraderie with my mentor, to learn from her and to have her hold me accountable for the goals I outlined for myself. The best part is that she not only is holding me accountable for my goals, she is also lending her support and encouragement which will ensure my success." And Kati Helzer said "My experience has been great! My mentor is so helpful and the resources to which we've been given access are really helping me to generate new ideas." We've also received some constructive feedback from our participants that we will try to implement, should the CCFLT Board decide to continue its sponsorship of the Program for another year, such as putting mentors and mentees in touch with each other before August so they have the summer to develop goals and get to know each other a little bit, arranging for a face-to-face orientation and/or mentor/mentee meetings, and requiring time logs to be submitted more often than just at the end of the year. We're excited about the successes our participants have experienced so far, and about the potential as we continue to refine the program. If you'd like to learn more about it, consider attending the Mentoring Program presentation at the CCFLT Spring conference. --Anne Becher & David Burrous

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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Teacher Innovation Grants Program Application for Fall 2013 Grants

Application deadline... September 3, 2013 Each spring, the CCFLT presents three monetary grants to teachers. Innovation grants will be formally presented to recipients at the CCFLT Fall Conference on October 5, 2013 at UCCS in Colorado Springs If you have an idea for a project for your classroom, please consider applying for one of the following grants:

25th Annual Fall Innovation Grant ...$500 25th Annual Fall Innovation Grant ...$250 (2)
The CCFLT Grants Committee is looking for project proposals that are: Innovative, Creative, Interesting, Practicable, Student -oriented, Feasible and Can be shared with colleagues To apply for one of two monetary grants, please submit the following in ONE document: 1. Cover letter Include your name, home address/city/state/ZIP, home phone, email address, school name, school address/city/state/ZIP, school phone, and the date of your application. 2. Project goal and rationale What is the goal and rationale of your project? How is your project different from projects already in existence? What does recent research say about the potential success of your project? 3. Steps toward project completion ____ ____ Describe the individual steps you are planning to take to reach your goal. What is the proposed date of completion?

4. Benefits to students and program ____ ____ ____ How will your project directly affect student learning? How will your project enhance your foreign language program? Will you submit an article to be published in the CCFLT Newsletter?

5. Budget detail ____ ____ What is the amount of your request? $250 or $500? Specify your expected expenses.

6. Two letters of support ____ Include a letter of support for your project from one colleague and one administrator, no longer than one page each. Notes: Grant recipients will be informed of the Grants and Awards Committees decision by September 15th and will be responsible for their own registration and payment to attend the conference. To be eligible for the grant, the applicant must be a current CCFLT member and have been a member for at least one year. Also, note that the CCFLT does not fund requests for release time, textbooks, or materials to be marketed for profit.

Proposals for Innovations Grants must be postmarked by September 3, 2013. Please send your completed application to Cristin Bleess at bleessccflt@yahoo.com In the message line, write: CCFLT Awards Nomination

Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers www.ccflt.org

August 2013

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