First WinterFLES and ICTFL Call for Proposals

Just in time to help us get through the winter blues, arrived our first WinterFLES!  This first event for elementary and middle school teachers was presented by Kathleen Priceman, Mary Perkins and Valerie Shull.  It focused on developing proficiency in young language learners, age appropriate activities and supporting learning under Common Core.  We're looking forward to bringing WinterFLES back next year for elementary teachers, and developing it into an annual event!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS EXTENDED!  Please consider submitting a proposal for the fall ICTFL Conference. ICTFL is again planning to offer a FLES track for elementary and middle school language teachers and we want you! Do you have a system for tracking progress? How about ways you're already supporting Common Core in the language classroom? Lessons and assessments that develop proficiency?  Come and share at the conference.  Click here to submit a session proposal.

See You at WinterFLES

Happy New Year!  Valerie, Mary and I just spent the afternoon working on our presentation for Illinois FLES teachers.  This is a dream come true for us!!!  We have visited other states' FLES workshops in the past and longed to have something special for FLES teachers in Illinois.  NOW WE DO!

This workshop called "FOR ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS, BY ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS,"  is just that.  We will address

• How World Language teachers can enhance student performance and  support Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and in Math
• ACTFL Foreign Language Standards
• Developmentally Appropriate Tasks for Learners Ages 5-13
• Staying in the Target Language 90-100 Percent of the Time

Join us at one of the two locations and dates-February 21st at Glenbrook North HS or 28th at Mahomet-Seymour HS.  Registration includes lunch, prizes, and coffee. Most importantly come and join our FLES network!!  Click here for more information and to register!

WinterFLES Workshop Coming in February!

"For Middle School and Elementary Teachers BY Middle School and Elementary Teachers!"

Saturday February 21 at Glenbrook North HS 

Saturday February 28 at Mahomet -Seymour HS

Check out the link below to find out more about this great opportunity for Illinois FLES teachers to learn more about Common Core and developing proficiency at the Elementary and Middle School levels:

WinterFLES Workshop Information 2015

Latest News from NNELL

If you have not joined NNELL-make it your New Year's Resolution to do so!  As a holiday gift I cave my internship a membership(Yes-they have gift membership!).  Do you know someone with young children or a new teacher?  Consider giving the gift of language advocacy.  

The following are a couple of excerpts from the recent NNELL eNews:

2014 Illinois Foreign Language Teacher of the Year: NNELL Member, Kathleen A. Priceman

It is our pleasure to announce that NNELL Member Kathleen A. Priceman is the 2015 Illinois Foreign Language Teacher of the Year. She will compete this spring for the honor of 2015 Central Sates Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.In 1997 Kathleen began teaching at Oak Park Elementary District 97 as one of the original immersion teachers in the district. Mrs. Priceman is passionate about students’ learning the cultures and traditions of the Spanish-speaking countries around the world. She teaches students traditional Latin dances in preparation for the annual Gran Fandango performance. She exposes students to the many different foods in Spanish cultures. In addition, she coordinates all the immersion students and their parents in preparation for their participation and performances during the District 97 Ethnic Festival and Parade.

Congratulations Kathleen!

Generation Study Abroad

On behalf of Institute for International Education (IIE)'s Generation Study Abroad Team, I'd like to thank you for the amazing work you are doing with early language learners to open up the minds of students to the world beyond our borders. We would greatly appreciate it if you would "Take the Pledge" and share this initiative with fellow teachers and administrators in your town, across your state and the US. In addition to signing the pledge -- just a commitment to keep doing what you're doing -- you will find all kinds of great resources on the site that has been created for teachers. We recognize that teachers are busy, and would benefit from a centrally-located source of materials, so we've organized resources in the following categories: 1) ways to internationalize the classroom, 2) Study Abroad stories, 3) opportunities for professional development, 4) local, global connections, and 5) information on Generation Study Abroad.

Our goal is to double the number of students studying abroad while in college, and administrators like you can support your teachers as they open the world to students and help plant the seed for study abroad in college.

The official launch of the #I'mOnBoard campaign won't be until January, but we're trying to gin up support and pledges before then to announce! So please take the pledge and share the site with as many people as possible!

It's never too early to talk to our students about opportunities for study and travel abroad!

Thanks,
Stacie Berdan, author and parent
www.stacieberdan.com

A Bilingual Brain is a Smarter Brain

Looking for a good article to help you advocate for language learning? Click here to access the Medical Daily article.

Illinois at ACTFL

Both Kathleen and I are are so pleased to be able to network with other elementary teachers and our colleagues at NNELL here at the ACTFL Convention in San Antonio.  NNELL has just announced their summer workshop information and I will soon post that for you to be able to consider it in your summer plans.  We know for sure it will feature Helena Curtain. If you are on social media-check out NNELL's new hashtag: #EarlyLang to network with other early language teachers.

If you are not a member of NNELL-sign up!  Let's advocate for our early language programs!

 Pictured: New NNELL President, Nadine Jacobsen-McClean, Kathleen Priceman, Valerie Shull, Leann Wilcoxen

Teacher of the Year finalist Carrie Toth-from Illinois- at ACTFL Opening General Session

 The Illinois delegation at ACTFL Opening General Session

Recruiting new members for NNELL at the Exhibit Hall

Gearing up for ACTFL!

Are you headed to San Antonio for this year's ACTFL Convention? There's a lot happening for FLES teachers. Be sure to check out some of these sessions for FLES Teachers:


NNELL Sponsored Workshops 

• Multi-Dimensional Thematic Units with a Global Perspective # 162
• Connecting with the Common Core in the Early Language Learning #2259
• Common Core and FLES: Language Learning with Nonfiction Texts #1867

Illinois FLES teacher Valerie Shull 's workshop

•  Assessing and Developing Proficiency at the Elementary Level #112

NNELL ACTFL Activities:

• NNELL Networking Breakfast :The NNELL annual breakfast provides attendees an opportunity to network with other early language-learning professionals. Join us for conversation on the latest in early language learning from leading professionals in the field. Sponsored by ACTFL and Santillana USA. Admission is by ticket only. 

Location: Grand Ballroom C2 (Convention Center), Saturday, November 22, 7:30-9am. The keynote presentation for this event “ Reaching Our Littlest Ones From Day One” by Leslie Davison

Sign up for the NNELL Networking breakfast and you could win one of these great prizes:
-One NNELL membership ($30 value)
-One free NNELL webinar ($35 value)
-One Free Registration to the NNELL Summer Institute ($200 value)

• NNELL Membership Meeting       5:00 PM - 6:00 PM; at The Grand Hyatt Hotel