The 2012-2013 Program
Spiraling Themes Across the Levels – A Thematic
Approach to Language Learning
Foreign Language teaching is trending toward a
slightly new approach emphasizing overarching themes while continuing to
develop communicative skills: interpersonal, interpretative, and
presentational. Our objective is to provide a program that will allow teachers
to scaffold instruction across levels keeping the national standards in
mind. Six overarching themes will
provide the backdrop (thematic approach) for this instructional development. We will be exploring broad, universal themes
such as those developed for the new AP test.
This is in no way intended to be an AP workshop. It is simply a program intended to put us all
on board with the new trends in FL instruction.
The road to proficiency begins in Level ONE!
PDPs for this series will be Content PDPs!
The meetings
of the Collaborative will be held at the Elms College in Chicopee. Social time is from 3:00 to 3:30PM with the official program from 3:30 to 5:30PM. The meeting will be held in a location to be announced
– make sure we have your email.
*First semester meetings will be in Maguire, the Phys Ed complex*
MEETING DATES
October 11–Introduction
to the Thematic Approach and the Six Themes: We will establish the basis
for this year’s program and explore ways to apply the approach at our various
levels for one theme, starting with Global
Challenges.
November 8–Science
and Technology: How will students communicate about and through this
theme? What resources and tools will be
useful?
December 13–Contemporary
Life: Where does this theme appear
at each level? How can students access
cross-cultural experiences through this theme?
March 7–Personal
and Public Identities: Can we
guide students through a self-exploration using this theme?
April 11–Family and
community: What cultural comparisons will
they be able to make and what cultural empathy will they develop?
May 9–Beauty and
Aesthetics withSwap Shop:
Help
students see beauty of the target culture(s) in the “eye of the beholder.”
Share lessons/units/activities you have developed over the course of the
academic year.
May 16-(Snow day -
in the event of which, each session moves down a date)
Questions?
Collaborative
Officers
Nancy Kundl - Co-Chair
Agawam High School
413-532-4972 - Nkundl@aol.com
Steering
Committee
