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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

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Building Grassroots Constituencies to Promote Practice

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  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

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