More Institutes to Accept TOEFL Score

The number of institutions signing in to use TOEFL scores continue to increase at a fast pace. An additional 383 institutions have become TOEFL score users within the last year. Globally, around a million students appear for the test every year. The TOEFl test has been accepted by the top ranking universities around the world for the last 45 years. ...

To see the entire article --
http://toefl.learnhub.com/news/532-more-institutes-to-accept-toefl-score?src=utm_source=nl-wtf-lay4-19-nov-09&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=fr:rn-

Budget woes frustrate foreign language goals

In Fairfax schools, the debate becomes fundamentals vs. frills

....In tough times, parents and board members are debating whether foreign language instruction, particularly in early years, is fundamental or a frill...

To see the complete article by Washington Post Staff Writer Michael Alison Chandler (Tuesday, November 17, 2009) see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/16/AR2009111603611.html

How Involved Should Teachers be in Testing?

Education Week article on proposed new assessements states:

Raising an issue that has proved controversial in the past, several of the panelists invited by the Education Department to testify said that teachers should be intimately involved in the design of those tasks, even to the point of contributing to the scoring process.

“What we have found in the use of our testing program is that people become very familiar with what the standards are for their particular area of the curriculum,” said Jim Dueck, the assistant deputy minister of accountability and reporting in the Canadian province of Alberta, which relies on panels of teachers to score parts of its grade 12 tests.

Greater teacher involvement also creates better opportunities for professional development and teacher buy-in, said Jeff Nellhaus, the commissioner of education for Massachusetts.

“Teachers end up being the best ambassadors of your [testing] program when it’s being criticized,” Mr. Nellhaus said. “Having teachers involved in item development, [and] scoring of performance tasks, to the extent feasible, is critical to ensuring the quality, transparency, and integrity of the system.”

For complete article see:
Funding for Common Assessments Poses Challenge
By Stephen Sawchuk,
Published Online by Education Week: November 13, 2009

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/11/13/12stim-assess.h29.html?tkn=U[VFkW5xkQtThTGw9Sr%2BXmy2JFDKXZA5%2FaEz

Finding fluency in language lessons

Finding fluency in language lessons
Silver Spring school mixes instruction in English, Spanish

Whether someone speaks English or Spanish to you at Kemp Mill Elementary School can be a matter of walking a few feet in one direction or another....
By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 9, 2009

See complete article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110818227.html

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

The article, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, By Marc Prensky
from On the Horizon (MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001)presents vital issues that need to be considered in all discussions of educational reform.

http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf.

Greg Russak writes:

Prensky's article was spot on in 2001 and has proven to be incredibly prescient about one of the main reasons for the declining state of education in America. It seems to me that until educators and administrators accept the reality that "change" is the one constant, and that it is part of their job to adopt and adapt to that change - whether they like it or not - American education will be hard pressed to realize the potential that exists in our students. Case in point: My son has decided not to pursue his dual-degree in Japanese and to only take courses that involve speaking because he's frustrated by the approach taken to language education at his university. In other words, he wants to speak the language and has little interest in writing papers using pen - yes, pen and paper - when he's had a keyboard converter on his own laptop for years.

Not to be cruel or unkind to anyone, but isn't it a little short-sighted and narcissistic for educators and administrators to think that what's best is based upon what they have always done? I think Prensky makes the point that of all the professions and professionals in America, education and educators need to be among those who embrace change the most. I agree that it's part of their responsibility; to teach children in ways that work best for the student and not just the teacher. I also agree completely with Prensky that it seems well past time for the Digital Immigrants in education to stop their grousing and accept the fact that they are dealing with Digital Natives, or as I like to call them, the "YouTube-Facebook Generation." It's time for educators to embrace change, and to forcefully and tirelessly lobby their administrators to spend more money on technology that has the potential to improve learning instead of on things like football stadiums."

Grant readers needed

One of the best ways to become a successful grant writer is to first be a grant reader. Here are some opportunities:

Panel Readers Needed For US Department Of Education InternationalPrograms

The International Education Programs Service (IEPS) in the U.S.Department of Education administers a variety of international programs. IEPS continually seeks language and area studies specialists to serve as readers for grant competitions.

Readers participate in a panel review of applications (usually no longer than one or two weeks), and are provided with modest compensation. Most reviews are conducted electronically, via the U.S. Department of Education’s e-Reader system, and travel will not be necessary. In cases where travel is necessary, readers are provided
with roundtrip travel, hotel room, and meal allowances. The review process involves orientation, reading of the applications, and daily discussions with other panelists. Scores are based on U.S. Department of Education selection criteria. Programs include:

Fulbright-Hays Programs

• Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad • Faculty Research Abroad •
Group Projects Abroad • Seminars Abroad

Title VI Of The Higher Education Act Programs

• American Overseas Research Centers
• Business and International Education
• Centers for International Business Education • Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships • Institute for International Public Policy • International Research and Studies • Language Resource Centers • National Resource Centers • Technology Innovation and Cooperation for Foreign Information Access • Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language

If you or anyone you know is interested in serving as a reader, please visit the U.S. Department of Education Field Reader System Web site at:

http://opeweb.ed.gov/frs/frsHome.cfm to enter your information.

Thank you for your assistance in expanding and enhancing our reader
pool!
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE CONSULTANTS

The National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland is seeking Foreign Language Consultants with a solid understanding of the ILR Language Skill-Level Descriptions and native or near-native proficiency in one of the languages below.

Bosnian, Croatian, Danish, Greek, Hassaniyya Arabic, Mandarin, Pashto, Serbian, Southern Min, Syrian Arabic, Sub-Saharan French and Wu

Duties may include:

• Locating and selecting authentic reading and listening content in the target language according to guidelines

• Creating a glossary

• Creating background notes.

• Reviewing content and online lessons

Requirements:

• Native or near-native speaker of the target language

• Solid understanding of the ILR skill levels

• Must have permission to work in the US

• Good basic computer skills

• Ability to type and read in both the target language and English

• Experience developing language learning materials (preferable)

• Experience teaching the target language (preferable)

The work will begin immediately and continue through January. It is part-time and done from ones home computer. Those interested should send their resume to-- jedwards@nflc.org.

Hebrew, Hindi, other scripts get Web address nod

SEOUL, South Korea - The nonprofit body that oversees Internet addresses approved Friday the use of Hebrew, Hindi, Korean and other scripts not based on Latin characters in a decision that could make the Web dramatically more inclusive..
For the complete article, see Yahoo!Tech:

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20091030/ap_on_hi_te/as_tec_internet_names