Wednesday, May 2nd 3:30-4:30
US Library Innovation Hub
Agenda:
Announcements-
US Course appeals reminder
Curricular/professional development grants (conferences/ATLAS)
August Academics- Sara
National exam picture- vote for all together or by language
Daniel planning program to Spain and Morocco
Sara FETC share
continued SYA interaction and promotion (SYA Italy- SYA Strategic Plan)
Diana Flipgrid share
WL award names put forward
If time:
If time:
Travel Programs/Stipend proposal
Other items for discussion next year
Other items for discussion next year
Updates on Atlas: PD day, questions review, AP themes interwoven in previous levels
Next year by level of language- WL Sequence
Practices and Policies:
Please remember: Retakes of quizzes and tests are not allowed in the Upper School. However, there are ways that teachers still "release the pressure valve" for students who are concerned about one poor grade, such as by dropping the lowest quiz grade each semester or allowing the whole class to retake a quiz on the same material and keeping the highest score for each student from the two assessments. However, allowing an individual student to retake an assessment doesn't send the right message to our students who, by the time they are in US, need to know that there's not an endless fallback plan for poor performances on assessments. In other words, they need to know that they're held accountable for the work that they're asked to do on the day that they're asked to do it.
There are ways to continue offering students the opportunity to improve their work even after there is an assessment taken, but, in the Upper School, it's not appropriate for students to be allowed to retake individual assessments at their own choosing. If you'd like to brainstorm about some other options you might consider for your students, I'd be happy to do so.
Class Extensions to Discover in Spanish:
major producers such as
NBC Universal Telemundo and Atresmedia
--Hispanic Literature on Tape
One Size Does Not Fit All:
Differentiated Instruction - Starter Kit
You have probably come to this article for one of two reasons: Either you want to start differentiating instruction in your classroom and don’t know where to start, or you already differentiate, but want to see if you’re missing anything. I have combed through tons of online resources on how to differentiate instruction, and have put together this collection of the clearest, most high-quality resources for learning how to differentiate in your classroom. Off we go, then!
Global...in all we do
--Incorporating Global Citizenship into a STEM Career Path
--10 Tips for Raising a Global Child (Click here)
As parents, we all want what’s best for our children. But how to give them “what’s best” is not always clear. In today’s interconnected global world, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to prepare them to thrive in the new world marketplace. But what does that entail?
Digital Play for Global Citizens is an excellent
introduction to how educators and parents
can use a multitude of innovative technology
tools to help their students and children learn
about, understand, and engage with our
increasingly interconnected world.
--PLEASE TAKE OUR EDUCATOR SURVEY
| |
| STEM and Global Competence | |
 The Global STEM Alliance of the New York Academy of Sciences and the Center for Global Education at Asia Society are considering developing an educator training and certification program focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and global competence, which is defined as the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.This program would prepare educators to teach STEM content and skills in a global context, and help students develop 21st-century skills (capacities such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity) needed to succeed in today's global information- and technology-based economy. Please complete this brief survey to tell us about your professional learning needs. We expect it to take no more than 5 minutes. Thank you for taking the time to share your valuable insight and feedback! Start the survey » | |
--15 Amazing Reasons to Start Learning Language Right Now
The week prior to break was National Foreign Language week.
7th grade advanced Spanish students made posters to remind us why
learning another language is beneficial.
This article tells us why learning a foreign language is a must.
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/reasons-to-learn-a-foreign-language/
learning another language is beneficial.
This article tells us why learning a foreign language is a must.
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/reasons-to-learn-a-foreign-language/
--CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND GLOBAL AWARENESS (US Compass)
February can seem like a long month! As a way of bringing spirit and fun to the community during this time, our World Language teachers invited the other departments to join them in celebrating Carnaval and Chinese New Year. The fun included decorating, preparing and enjoying holiday specialties, and sharing stories.
Carnaval is most often celebrated in Europe and the Americas, while Chinese New Year is chiefly celebrated in China and other Asian countries. The latter holiday begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends when the moon is full, 15 days later.
These celebrations are examples of our faculty's ongoing enrichment in cultural competence and global awareness, which they then bring to their work in the classroom.
These celebrations are examples of our faculty's ongoing enrichment in cultural competence and global awareness, which they then bring to their work in the classroom.
FRENCH PEN PALS "EN VISITE" AT POTOMAC
If you came by Potomac on the first Saturday in April, you might have spotted a group of students in white caps, enjoying an all-American cookout with their buddies from IS French class. These students are from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a suburb of Paris. Potomac began an exchange with their school last year, and we are hoping that one day, Potomac students will be able to visit them, too.
After the picnic, small groups of students went to Tysons Corner, where they helped their pen pals pick out souvenirs. On Monday, the French students shadowed their American pen pals in school, following them to each of their classes. The IS offered them T-shirts as a tangible reminder of their Potomac experience. At the end of their visit, many said that they wanted to stay!
LE DÎNER EN BLANC
Junior and senior French students celebrated friendship and enjoyed good food while practicing the art of conversation during Wednesday's"Dîner en Blanc." This tradition began in Paris 30 years ago and has since become an international sensation. It features a dinner in which the location isn't revealed until the last minute, resulting in a pop-up affair with all-white décor that creates a true sense of magic for the participants. Nobody sits down until everyone has set the table together; dancing is encouraged; and everyone helps clean up at the end, so no traces of the meal are left behind. Un beau souvenir!
Project Based Learning... Summer Professional Development
The Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, PA) has some worthwhile summer professional development programming for teachers, department chairs, division heads and academic deans taking place in June. We will be hosting three workshops on Instructional Coaching, Problem-Based Learning, and Differentiated Instruction. We invite you to check out the details on our webpage here: https://www.episcopalacademy.org/about-ea/ hirtle. We hope that you would be willing to share the webpage and information with your fellow teachers and administrators. We think that the workshops will provide excellent opportunities for educators to develop pragmatic and effective approaches, lessons and tools for the classroom and beyond.
NAFSA:
