some core “best practices” that lctl teachers need to know: lessons from startalk
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Some Core “Best Practices” that LCTL Teachers Need to Know: Lessons from STARTALK . Dr. Catherine W. Ingold Dr. Frederick H. Jackson Dr. Mouna Mana University of Maryland. Program. Overview of STARTALK Teacher Education Teacher responses STARTALK “Best Practices” What Teachers Need - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Some Core “Best Practices” that LCTL Teachers Need to Know:
Lessons from STARTALK
Dr. Catherine W. IngoldDr. Frederick H. Jackson
Dr. Mouna ManaUniversity of Maryland
Program
Overview of STARTALK Teacher Education Teacher responses
STARTALK “Best Practices” What Teachers Need
What the experts say
What the teachers say
A Waystages Model of teacher development
Importance of teacher certification Discussion
STARTALK Languages
2007 – Arabic & Chinese2008 – Hindi, Persian, & Urdu2009 – Swahili & Turkish2010 – Dari & Russian2011 – Portuguese
STARTALK Focus
Policy
Practice
Knowledge
Managing for Quality
Collaboration Among Experts
Continuous Improvement Model
ResearchBest Practices
DesignRFP
Select Programs Orient
and Train
Observe Programs
Collect Data
Evaluate Outcomes
Revise Process
Clearer Process
Rigorous ReviewNetworksand Teams
Mentoring
Enhanced Surveys and Data
STARTALK “Best Practices”
Align Standards-based, thematically organized curriculum, instruction, and assessment
Facilitate student-centered learning Use the target language for instruction and interactions
with students; ensure input is comprehensible Stimulate meaningful interaction in the target language Integrate language, culture, and content Differentiate instruction based on learner needs Use age-appropriate authentic materials Assess learners’ progress and performance
Who Are the STARTALK Teachers?
• Typically native speakers– Not always (but almost always very proficient)– Some programs select NNSs
• Typically well-educated (M.A. or better)
• Typically have taught before
• Open to “transformation”
Who are the Teacher Trainees?
• 89% native speakers of the target language• 86% female• 47% earned a master’s degree• 77% will teach the target language in the fall• Excited about what they are doing
– Many have returned every year– Want to teach Americans about their language and culture
STARTALK Teacher Programs Numbers of Teacher Trainees 2007-11
2007 2008 2009 2010 20110
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Program YearTeacher Trainees
Affective Impact on Teachers and Teacher Trainees• Increased confidence in teaching• Increased willingness to implement effective strategies• Increased collaboration together
Topics
STARTALK TEACHERS ARE TYPICAL OF LCTL and many CTL Teachers in the US
• Native fluency in the language, understanding of the culture
• Ability to manage language demands of a wider range of program types and levels, including ability to ad lib, innovate
• Often, tremendous enthusiasm and commitment
What these teachers bring
• Orientation to culture and norms of US schools and universities
• Communicative language teaching methods, Backward Design, assessment methods, effective use of authentic materials, etc.
• Staying in target language while making their language/culture comprehensible to learners
• Opportunities to observe expert teaching, practice with guidance, and reflect on their teaching; access to communities of practice
What these teachers need:
What the teachers say their top priority needs are:
Sample of STARTALK teachers surveyed (from programs for teachers of Arabic)
Main goal for professional development: Increasing knowledge & gaining skills for their classrooms Not for certification
Top 3 areas of need expressed (aligned with top 3 challenges): Differentiated Instruction Teaching using a standards-based approach Maintaining Target Language/ Comprehensible Input
What the teachers report as being lower immediate priority
Language-specific issues
Orientation to US educational system, its culture and norms
Opportunities for practical implementation
Language of professional development & training
More respondents indicated preference for their professional development to be conducted in both their native language and English
Why? Linguistic support (Present content in English, explain and
support and clarify in Arabic) Desire to be part of broader profession
Top 3 challenges
1. Differentiating instruction To Diverse learners (Native, Non-Native, & Heritage)
2. Comprehensible input Maintaining target language within context of diverse
classrooms
3. Using a standards-based model in everyday lessons Translating the conceptual into daily activity
*****
Why examine what teachers say they need and find challenging?
• Identifying areas for professional growth that teachers are aware of
• Need for unpacking reasons for experiencing challenge
• Understanding processes of learning and applying STARTALK Best Practices
• Stages of professional growth in implementing Best Practices
• Responses about challenges and needs help guide PD and training
Waystages of Teacher Development
ApprenticeNoviceJourneymanMaster
Possible Examples of Teacher “Can-do” Statements I: Novice waystage
Can teach communicative lessons from a standards-based curriculum.
Can introduce and facilitate small-group task activities. Can facilitate student-centered learning. Can stay in the language in routine interactions and teaching at
least 90% of time. Can notice when students do not understand and adjust to make
speech more comprehensible. Can state learning goals and assess students’ ability to perform
them successfully. Can select appropriate authentic materials and realia. Can reflect productively on own teaching and class response.
Possible Examples of Teacher “Can-do” Statements II: Journeyman Waystage
Can design original communicative lessons for a standards-based curriculum.
Can plan and deliver lessons based on student needs and the goals of the course.
Can introduce and facilitate many communicative activities. Can differentiate instruction so that each student learns as much as
possible. Can attend to every student’s learning and make principled adjustments
to maximize learning. Can assess students’ abilities to perform course goals in new contexts
and can provide constructive feedback. Can integrate language, culture and meaningful content in instruction
Possible Examples of Teacher “Can-do” Statements III: Master Waystage
Can plan and develop a theme-oriented standards-based curriculum for groups of students.
Can effectively mentor and coach apprentice and novice teachers.
Can counsel and advise individual students to help them learn effectively.
Can lead a course-development team. Can design and interpret the results of assessments of
communicative effectiveness
Building Alternate Routes to Teacher Licensure (Certification)
STARTALK Teacher Development Materials Collection1. Teacher Training Videos2. Multimedia Teacher Workshops3. Collection of Curriculum Plans and Resources4. Online Curriculum Guide
STARTALK RESOURCES ARE FOR ANY TEACHER OF ANY LANGUAGE. http://startalk.umd.edu
Teacher Development Materials:• Classroom Video Collection ( in ST languages)• On-line Curriculum Development Guide (any language)• On-line lesson planning guide (any language)
STARTALK Resources for Teachers
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