2009 Spotlight on ELL Assessment & Teaching

Education Week is offering a collection of articles (for just $4.95) which includes among other items:

• Accommodations to assess content knowledge
• Assessing English-language proficiency
• Determining where English-language learners should be placed at the time of enrollment
• Criteria used to identify students for ELL services
• Characteristics of effective technology-enhanced programs for ELLs

See: https://myaccount.edweek.org/epe/main.pl?action=Registration&iProdId=276&mkey=&ListSource=P9FQELL&source=http://www.edweek.org/products/spotlight/06032009/06032009SpotlightELLAssessmentTeaching.pdf&destination=http://www.edweek.org/products/spotlight/06032009/06032009SpotlightELLAssessmentTeaching.pdf

Also, be sure to check out the features on OWL testing software that make ELL testing easier: controlling individual student test times and options to include or exclude a word bank, aural instructions as well as written, visuals, an oral proficiency component, etc. The software makes it easy to create and edit tests and test items. For more information see www.owlts.com .

Lower Student Load = Higher Achievement

Here is a topic near and dear to our hearts--although it is not foreign language specific. The current issue of Education Week features interesting new research that shows a lower "total student load" is linked statistically to better student achievement. To which which many of us would probably say, "DUH!" -- but it is good to have this research at hand the next time the subject comes up in your school.

Management Guru Says 'Student Load' Key to Achievement

Study of Eight Districts Looks at School Autonomy
By Debra Viadero
Management expert William G. Ouchi wants to let educators in on a secret: The key to improving student achievement is lightening teaching loads.Mr. Ouchi lays out that message in a new book, The Secret of TSL, published this month by Simon & Schuster of New York City. The letters stand for “total student load,” which Mr. Ouchi defines as the number of students that teachers come in contact with each academic term and the number of papers they grade.

For the complete article see:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/09/30/05management_ep.h29.html?tkn=QSOFnxH3di6H2mtviWP18Yx%2BGbZj3o4HDnN6

How to Grow FL Programs

Foreign Language Week (see 2010 information below) is a great way to focus attention and promote excellent foreign language programs. Let administrators, community members, and students know about the exciting things that are happening in foreign language classes-- for example: new ideas garnered at conferences that were successfully implemented (to encourage support for future conference attendance); results of proficiency testing (solid data to show program effectiveness); awards and recognition of students, teachers, programs; field trips, travel abroad; service projects, etc.

Often we announce events as they happen, but it is powerful to collect everything and present it at one time. Be proactive! Get your students involved with letters to newspapers, posters, a special program/celebration, etc.! The Vista contest (described below) may result in some excellent promotional videos for use during Foreign Language Week. It is difficult to cut or downsize well-known, well respected programs.

2010 National Foreign Language Week Poster

National Foreign Language Week is March 1 – 7, 2010

Alpha Mu Gamma, the National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society & Official Sponsor of the Week, announces that the 2010 NFLW Poster will be available mid of October 2009…The Theme for this year's poster is: "Spread Your Wings! Learn a New Language" Poster size is 24"x18".

To see the poster and for purchasing information: www.lacitycollege.edu/academic/honor/amg/nflw.html

Vista Higher Learning Student Video Contest

Vista Higher Learning is sponsoring a video contest

Vista Higher Learning, the publisher, is sponsoring a video contest for language students at the middle and high school levels and the college/university level. Three $1000 prizes will be awarded to winning schools.

The goal of this contest is to support world language teachers and students, and promote the study of world languages. The theme is Communities, a strand of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Student participants should reflect on the importance and benefits of language study to their local and/or global community in a video format that effectively and engagingly conveys their message.

Complete submissions must be received between September 15, 2009 and October 31, 2009.

Winners will be announced November 20, 2009.

More information is available at http://www.vistahigherlearning.com/supportlanguages

4th International Wireless Ready Symposium

4th International Wireless Ready Symposium

Digital Asia: Language, Technology & Community

An IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG event

Friday, 19th February 2010, NUCB Graduate School, Nagoya, Japan

Homepage: http://wirelessready.nucba.ac.jp

Registration: http://wirelessready.nucba.ac.jp/registerdesk.html