The Digital PolyglotA publication of the Inland Empire World Language Association since 1985 May, 2013 |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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End of the Year ActivitiesIt’s that time of the year where everyone is tired and working hard to keep students engaged and focused as they head to the end of the year. Here are some great ideas: Jeopardy GameCreate a Jeopardy game on any (or all) of the topics you’ve studied. Better yet, have the students create the answers and the questions. Use one of the Jeopardy Powerpoint templates. (There’s a nice selection here, but you can Google “Jeopardy Powerpoint Templates” if you don’t find one you like.) Class YearbookCreate a class yearbook. Have students bring pictures or draw pictures from throughout the year and write captions. Have a tech savvy student put all of the pictures and captions together into a digital file. It’s amazing what sticks out in students’ minds. Create DialogueChoose a short clip of a movie and have students write the dialogue. This Oktapodi from les Gobelins de l’école would be fantastic for any language. Improv!Do Improv! Use a list of improv scenarios (or create your own- example: two gardeners talking to a flower about why it isn’t growing or two fish in a fish bowl trying to get out.) Divide the class into small groups of 2-3 people. Have each group pull out of a hat their scenario. (It works best if the scenarios are based around themes you’ve done in class.) Give the students two minutes to come up with a plan outside the classroom and then give them two minutes to do their “improv.” Read the situation to the rest of the class before they start. Hilarious! A true assessment of what your students can do on the fly. You can have one group of students outside preparing while another is going. DramaHave students do a sketch. (Via FLTeach) Write to themselve in the futureHave students write a letter to their future selves 15(?) years in the future. Give whatever parameters you think they can successfully talk about. (If you have access to technology, have students film themselves talking to their future selves.) In lower levels it could just be a prediction in the future and in the upper levels than can give themselves advice. Alternately, have students write a letter (or do a movie) to incoming Freshmen to tell them how they should navigate high school. AP Students Write to Next Year's Students giving them advice on how to survive AP Spanish. AP Students can write predictions where classmates will be in 10 years. |
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AP Summer ActivitiesAP Summer activities are a must for students who are serious about taking the test. Here are some ideas:
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Tour de France June 29-July 21
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Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla(Description from Fandango) Opened May 3, 2013 (Limited) On May 5th, 1862, a few thousand Mexican soldiers put their lives on the line against the world’s largest and most powerful army in one legendary battle for freedom and for México. Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla chronicles the story of Mexico’s Battle of Puebla, the most important battle in Mexico’s history. When the unbeatable French army invades Mexico to set up a monarchy, General Ignacio Zaragoza played by Kuno Becker (Goal!, From Prada to Nada), must defend the city of Puebla, commanding a poorly armed and outnumbered troop of men. Meanwhile, two young Mexican lovers manage to find love amidst the chaos of war. Cinco de Mayo chronicles the bravery of a people pushed to the limit, fighting for their nation, their families and their pride. Find movie times and locations at fandango.com |
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Honor’s ReceptionOn April 24 IEFLA together with CASLA (Center for the Advancement of Second Language Instruction) hosted its 14th Annual World Language Honor’s Reception. Over 190 students from all over the Inland Empire were honored and celebrated at Cal State San Bernardino. Thank you to everyone who nominated students and a special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put the event together. These are the schools that participated: |
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AB Miller High School |
Heritage High School Hesperia High School Ontario High School Palm Springs High School Patriot High School Perris High School Public Safety Academy of San Bernardino Ramirez Intermediate School Ruben S Ayala High Temecula Valley High School Valley View High School Victor Valley High School Yucaipa High School |
Dear PolyEvery month Poly responds to your questions. Assessing Oral Language SkillsDear Poly, Like many teachers, I will give my Spanish 2s a final exam. The dilemma I encounter each year, however, is how to best assess oral skills. I am looking for something that will demonstrate what the students know and are able to do, and that relies on their own efforts. In other words, students are fully accountable, and are not riding on the work of other students, as is common with group work. What do you do with the other students while you are conducting the oral phase of the exam? Marcy Webb ______ Dear Marcy, IEFLA has compiled a list of suggestions from classroom teachers. You can see their responses at http://www.iefla.org/assessingoral.html. Poly Make up work drives teacher crazy.Dear Poly, Every year at the end of the grading period I am swamped with students and parents asking if they can turn in make-up work or do extra credit to bring up their grade. I usually end up caving because I want students to have a good grade and then I am bombarded with work at the end of the semester. How can I manage this problem that makes me into a monster? Buried in Beaumont _____ Dear Buried in Beaumont- Poly _____ Dear Poly, I didn’t have a problem with students wanting to turn in late work to improve their grades. There are three reasons: 1. I didn’t accept late homework. 2. When a student missed the third homework, we called the parent right then and there – quietly over to the side. The student told the parent about the missing homeworks. 3. Therefore, I had few students missing homework assignments that needed to be made up. Most parents are very supportive. It's amazing the power that most parents have. Victorious in Victorville _____ Do you have a question for Poly? Submit your question by filling in the form here. |
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Summer Seminar - UC Santa BarbaraJuly 19-24, The annual Summer Seminar for World Language Teachers at UC Santa Barbara from July 19-24.Presented by CLTA and CWLP. You won't want to miss this exciting and rewarding opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues, learn more about what is happening in the field, and grow as a professional. Don't forget: the themes of Common Core and 21st Century Skills should be the key that opens the door to funding support from your school or district. Download the Program Brochure from: http://www.stanford.edu/group/CFLP/summerseminar.pdf and register online at clta.net/summer. |
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Tech CornerEach month we will explore a different aspect of technology that can help you in your classroom. This month Discovery Education. Discovery Education has been around a while, but has amazing resources for teachers – even more if your school subscribes to it. Click on the above link to take you directly to the puzzle maker page and amp up some of your activities. Choose the math puzzles to have students practice numbers. |
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YouTube Clip of the MonthComo hacer una ensalada de frutas para el Día de las Madres. Histoires Jeunesse: Un ogre qui avait peur des enfants. |
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Mother's DayA Mother's Day Lesson Plan for Spanish 3 and 4. Looking to celebrate Mother’s Day with your French students? Voici un carnet de fête des meres from Crapouilleries a French blog. |
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Calendar of Local EventsMay, 2013
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The Polyglot is a publication of the Inland Empire Foreign Language Association. For questions or comments, contact Bethany Thompson, editor, bethany_thompson@avusd.org or Trini Avalos, Trini Avalos, trios327@gmail.com. Would you like to help with the Polyglot? Contact Bethany Thompson, editor, at bethany_thompson@avusd.org. |
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