NECTFL Workshop: Making Data-Driven Decisions Based on STARTALK 2007

NFLC Review of 2007

Increased national capacity Every program demonstrated

success Every program enrolled sufficient

numbers Participants reflected positively on

their program Students are committed to

continuing studying

Number of Programs : 2007 and 2008

2007 2008Student Programs

Arabic 8 19Chinese 18 37Hindi 4Persian 2Urdu 1

Teacher ProgramsArabic 13 16Chinese 17 27Hindi 5Persian 2Urdu 3

# of Programs

Program Duration: 2007

Student Programs: 1 – 9 weeks Majority 4 weeks

Teacher Programs: 1 – 8 weeks Majority 1 week and 4 weeks

Program Duration: 2008

Student Programs: 30 – 240 contact hours Majority 80 and 120+

Teacher Programs: 40 – 192 contact hours Majority 80 and 120+

Enrollments: 2007 and 2008

2007 2008Student Programs projected

Arabic 193 563Chinese 681 1884Hindi 95Persian 85Urdu 5

Total Students 874 2632

Teacher ProgramsArabic 156 322Chinese 282 688Hindi 49Persian 11Urdu 13

Total Teachers 438 1083

# of Participants

Students: Who?

  Arabic Chinese

Non-Caucasian 53% 58%

Female 66% 56%

No priorArabic/Chinese 55% 49%

Students: Grade Levels

  Arabic Chinese

Sophomore 28% 30%

Junior 23% 36%

Senior 33% 26%

College Freshman 16% 8%

Students: Why Study Arabic/Chinese?

Over 90% reported:Get a better jobEnjoy learning languagesGet along better with people who

are different To learn about other people and

places

Major Lessons Learned: 2007

Programs need: More guidance in planning and

implementation More effective teacher training and

monitoring More guidance on integrating culture into

their curricula Better ways to measure program

outcomes

Planning Student Programs

What should students learn?

Imagine that you are planning a 3 week summer program for students who have not previously studied Arabic or Chinese. Classes will meet 6 hours daily.

1. Using the handout, determine what you would expect students to be able to do in their new language.

2. Decide what the culture objectives for your program would be. Be prepared to explain WHY you think these outcomes are important.

What should students learn?

If your program were to be 6 weeks long, what additional language outcomes would you include?

What should students learn?

If your program were to be 8 weeks long, what additional language outcomes would you include?

Using Backward Design

Using the outcome statements you developed for a 3 week summer program, outline one (or more) units of instruction, describing specifically the content of the unit and the performance task(s) that would demonstrate that students had attained the learning objectives.

What might be some of the lessons within your unit(s)?

STARTALK Summer 2007

Project Evaluation

LinguaFolio: Interpersonal Speaking Can do Statements

I can do this easily and well

This is one of my goals

I can greet people in a polite way.

I can say hello to a person that I do not know

I can say hello to my teacher

I can say hello to an adult

Students: Program Evaluation

  Arabic Chinese

Good teachers 93% 94%

Good experience 93% 98%

Helpful field trips 70% 76%

Available technology 97% 91%

Students: What Did They Learn?

STAMP Tests in Chinese

OPI

Students: Chinese STAMP Results

1 2 34

56

Reading

Speaking0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

LevelPercentage

Summary Chart N=260

ReadingSpeaking

STARTALK 2007

Focus on Teacher Programs

2007 Data: Profile of Teachers

Teacher Participants: Who?

  Arabic Chinese

Native Speakers of Target Language 97% 96%

Female 81% 83%

40 or Older 67% 46%

Teachers: Educational Background

Arabic

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Teachers: Educational Background

Chinese

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

Docto

rate

Mas

ter's

Some

grad

uate

Bache

lor's

Assoc

iate

Some

colle

ge

High sc

hool

Teachers: Teaching Experience

  Arabic Chinese

10+ years 38% 19%

5 - 9 years 26% 17%

1 - 4 years 28% 49%

None 8% 15%

Teachers: Who are they teaching

Chinese

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%

Chinese

Teachers: What they learned

Over 90% of the teachers feel better prepared to: Teach in the target language Use technology to reinforce language learning

skills Present culture as a natural component of

language Develop assessments that reflect ALL teaching

goals Design tasks that simulate real-life use of

language

Teaching Chinese and Arabic: Same or different?

All teachers All foreign language teachers Teachers of Chinese

Teachers of Arabic and Chinese: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty!

Program developer Program advocate Curriculum developer Textbook selector Materials developer

Who might be or become a teacher of Arabic or Chinese?

Non-Arabic or non-Chinese background speakers of these languages

Heritage language speakers who grew up in the U.S.

Native speakers who teach at HL schools Native speakers who are teachers of other

content areas Native speakers educated in their own

countries Visiting teachers/Guest teachers

What Influences What Prospective Teachers Need to Know?

1. Personal background and prior experience

2. Linguistic & cultural background

3. Prior education

4. Pedagogical Training

5. Belief systems about language teaching and learning

Teaching Languages:21st century pedagogy

Aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Unit and Lesson Planning

21st century pedagogy

Teaching then and now

Characteristics of Effective Teachers

What does good foreign language teaching look like?

Performance indicators Review of StarTalk observation

guide

What do we need to do to produce highly effective teachers?

Teaching as decision making…

Repertoire

Choosing wisely

Decisions vs. Recipes

Challenges to Professional Growth

Time for professional development and what happens in PD

Incorporating knowledge into performance

Demands on teacher attention and energy

What teachers need to know NOW

Improving Instruction:Too Much to Learn

Generic: Multiple Intelligences/learning styles Strategies based instruction Nurturing low achieving students Teaching diverse learners Technology integration Reading/writing across the curriculum Standards (state and national) and related

external assessments Implementing new resource materials as they

become available (e.g., newly adopted textbooks, new curriculum)

Cooperative learning Authentic assessment

Teaching is Hard Work!Too Much to Learn

School district priorities: Human relations/cultural diversity training Recognizing student potential for violence Identifying symptoms of student

substance abuse Identifying and reporting requirements of

child abuse Motivating reluctant learners

Teaching is Hard Work!Too Much to Learn

Trends in Language Teaching: Knowledge of national/state

standards and implications for classroom instruction.

Familiarity with new/updated curricula that reflect standards and trends in the profession.

Research and its application to the development of listening, reading, writing skills, and intercultural skills

Teaching is Hard Work!Too Much to Learn

Technological resources that are available, how to evaluate them, and how to use those that meet quality criteria.

Assessment of students that is aligned with standards-driven curricula.

Continued growth in language proficiency

Updating of cultural knowledge and intercultural communication skills

Beliefs and Practices

Implicit beliefs Espoused theory Practices

Beliefs and Practices

Teachers base a great deal of their practice on their own classroom experiences.

‘experience is the best teacher,’ mandatory pre-service or

continuing education courses taken vs. the power of personal experience

They Are Not Like Us

Language teachers were language learners language learners

Experience and success

Beliefs and Practices

Beliefs are consistent with practice Beliefs are reflected in lesson planning Beliefs are reflected in lesson

implementation Beliefs shape our reflection on what

worked Beliefs shape what we assess and how

(how we know it when we see it)

Belief Systems and FactsA Summary

When facts fall outside the belief system, they may be rejected or suppressed.

When facts do not fit the belief system, they may be re-interpreted to fit existing mental models.

Beliefs may be contradictory and the holder not recognize internal inconsistencies.

What happens next?

1. Identify desired results.2. Determine acceptable evidence.3. Analyze the gap between desired

performance and current performance.

4. Set priorities.5. Develop an action plan.

Standards-based Program Outcomes

What do Teachers Need to Know?STARTALK TEACHER PROGAM MATRIX

Program:

Program Duration: Participants:

Goals:

Category/Foundation Work

Topics Curricular Objectives

Approaches and Methods

Curriculum and Lesson Design

Instructional Planning and Strategies

Materials Development and Adaptation

Assessment

What do Teachers Need to Know?

Structure of the target language/ pedagogical grammar

Second Language Acquisition

US Educational Systems and Classroom Mgmt

Technology

Reflective Practice and Leadership

Pathway to Certification

Applying for a STARTALK Program

Report from the Field: Rutgers/Princeton/West Windsor Chinese Student and Teacher Program

STARTALK 2008 Programs Applying for STARTALK 2009