1 / 21

Building Grassroots Constituencies to Promote Practice

Building Grassroots Constituencies to Promote Practice. Teacher collaboration across districts to support instruction in world languages classrooms. Why build a network?. Teachers in SJ region need support at the local level, in their classrooms to improve practice

xanto
Download Presentation

Building Grassroots Constituencies to Promote Practice

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Building Grassroots Constituencies to Promote Practice Teacher collaboration across districts to support instruction in world languages classrooms

  2. Why build a network? • Teachers in SJ region need support at the local level, in their classrooms to improve practice • Most administrators evaluate without specific world language pedagogical background • Local networks build support capacity and create sense of immediate connection

  3. But – aren’t there already good support systems in place?- - - we will approach this question in the first activity

  4. Quick overview of the SJWLI • South Jersey World Language Institute • The confluence of three important streams • growing corps of former teacher prep students • county-wide professional day • state language organization work in region

  5. Quick history of SJWLI • 2004 pondered idea of networking • 2007 proposed model • 2008 hosted first full-day professional development for county at own school site • 2009 extended network to university site • 2010 invited expert speaker • 2011 full complement in place • 2012 extended to other county

  6. Structure of organization • Anyone may participate • No hierarchy • No dues structure • No funding • Grassroots in the truest sense • Name is misleading

  7. Things that made structure work • My own school district willing to host • My work at university made connection easy • Support from state language organization • Other dedicated teachers stepped up quickly • Small geographic region • Current and significant themes for workshops

  8. Challenges from beginning • No funding • No permanent home, fixed address • All volunteer, busy teachers • Attracting wider circle • Clear rationale among many p.d choices • Gatherings too infrequent • Communication

  9. Achievements • Participants return regularly • Various teachers have shared on wiki • Network recognized as resource by administration • Collegiality among participants • Expert presenters add value to programming

  10. 2012 a year of special challenges April- Mead Fellowship: a great chance to strengthen the constituency- focus of year May- short workshop, poorly attended July- Rutgers course canceled November- count-wide day canceled November- NJEA Convention canceled December- FLENJ board votes no to special webinars to replace canceled events

  11. …..but new opportunities emerge • Building network, extending to new county • hosting new group of out-of-county teachers in lieu of county-wide professional development day • Introduced them to the framework of SJWLI • Shared current best practices models- teachers left invigorated • Individual participants sharing new lessons from work done at SLWLI events the previous two years

  12. More opportunities…….. • Collaboration with University of Pennsylvania CIBER/Lauder Instiute in cooperation with Penn Language Center and the Wharton School of Business January 26, 2013 Philadelphia Pa • Chance to extend network into wider region • Well-attended, great sessions – a breath of fresh air after challenging year

  13. 21st Century Literacies for the World Language Classroom • Financial Literacy for Teachers: Diana Drake, Managing Editor- Knowledge at Wharton, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania • Common Core and World Languages: Lynn Fulton, Delaware Dept of Education • AP Curriculum: Christina Frei, University of Pennsylvania • Tech workshop: Eleni Miltsakaki, University of Pennsylvania

  14. Tech workshop • Role of inquiry-based activities in teaching world languages • Webquests: structured inquiry-based activities using web resources • Practical guidelines to create webquests • Hands-on training to create and use webquests

  15. ……..moving forward • Relaunch the county-wide day • Expand the connection with U Penn • Reach out to language resource centers • Extend SJWLI into more counties • Encourage participation at NJEA • Build more depth in wiki

  16. Ok….let’s get into a discussion • Argue for a grassroots constituency as viable professional development • Argue against a grassroots constituency as viable professional development

  17. Arguments for and against • Local connections • Access, easy meeting • Knowledge of issues • Live collaboration • Feeling of collegiality • cannot help with district issues • webinars meet needs • state language professional development opps • Best practices available in media 2.0

  18. How can we build a grassrootsconstituency? • Let’s brainstorm a list

  19. If YOU were to start a network, with which issues would you start?

  20. SJWLI themes • Update on new standards • Integrated performance assessment • Spiraling curriculum across the levels • Voice thread • Establishing elementary curriculum • Input as key in instruction • Using wikis and blogs

  21. Would it possible to link networks? • Shall we discuss connecting already existing organizations across the wider NECTFL region? • What possibilities can exist? • What role can each of us play? • gwinchristopher@gmail.com

More Related