A Guide for Developing World & Critical Language Teachers Catherine Ingold, Mouna Mana, & Anna Jacobson National Foreign Language Center NECTFL 2013

Overview STARTALK background STARTALK teacher programs STELLA introduction

Teacher Program Mission Teaching critical need foreign languages Engaging summer experiences Best practices in language education and in language teacher development Provide a community of practice Continuous improvement Outcomes-driven program design, standards-based curriculum planning, learner-centered approaches Excellence in selection and development of materials, and meaningful assessment of outcomes.

STARTALK Principles Implementing a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum Facilitating a learner-centered classroom Using the target language and providing comprehensible input Integrating culture, content, and language Adapting and using age-appropriate authentic materials Conducting performance-based assessment

STARTALK & Pathways to Certification Certification/licensure requirements vary by state STARTALK white paper (2010) The Teachers We Need: Transforming World Language Education in the United States Can STARTALK teacher programs form part of a certification/licensure pathway? How?

STARTALK Teacher Programs

Professional Development for Teachers of Critical Languages Professional development for teachers of: Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, Turkish and Urdu. Teacher programs include the following: Language specific programs for teachers of a particular STARTALK language, sometimes offered in the target language or in a combination of English and the target language Multilanguage programs

Resources Developed by STARTALK for Teacher Development 1. Teacher training videos 2. Multimedia teacher workshops 3. A collection of curriculum plans and resources 4. An online curriculum guide

Number of Teacher Participants in STARTALK Programs from 2007-12

What STARTALK Teacher Programs Provide for Participants Conceptual and practical information on best practices in teaching world languages and cultures Hands-on teaching experiences Microteaching with students Demo-teaching with colleagues and instructors Course credit Credit towards certification or recertification Credit for continuing education But not all programs award credit.

Who are the STARTALK Teachers?

Background -2012 The majority of STARTALK teacher program participants in 2012 Were not born in the US Were between the ages of 30 and 49 Had taught their language in a public pre-k 12 setting STARTALK teacher preparation programs in 2012 lasted from two to five weeks, depending on language and focus

Education & Experience Typically, STARTALK teachers are educated native speakers But not always (some teachers are non-native speakers who have demonstrated high levels of proficiency in the TL) Some programs deliberately select non-native speakers By and large, STARTALK teachers are well-educated, holding master s degrees or higher Usually, STARTALK teachers have taught before Participants find the STARTALK program transformative

Teacher Participants prior knowledge Participants know The language they teach Participants may or may not know Child development National standards/state standards Performance-based language learning Planning Assessment The culture of US public schools

Thoughts from Teacher Program Participants Planning the lesson plans in class had created a rich learning environment; it's really great as it's from paper to practice. This program was very useful for me. I am a linguist but I did not have any [experience] in teaching Persian. This workshop was very crucial for me.

Three Main Issues Observed in STARTALK Teacher Programs The level of teaching experience varies among participants The short duration of program Follow-up mentorship The pursuit of state certification or licensure

STELLA Contributing to a Solution STELLA = TELL framework + STARTALK principlesand context STELLA modules Allow for different levels of teaching experience. Prioritize activities to counter the time constraints of STARTALK programs. Address identified needs. STELLA will impact the new teacher program curriculum template and guide, but will not prescribe a set curriculum

TELL domains Environment Planning The learning experience Performance and feedback Learning tools Collaboration Professionalism

STELLA Differentiates by Skill Level Novice (beginning teacher) Focus on understanding concepts Emerging (experienced teacher) Focus on applying concepts Leading (master teacher) Focus on owning concepts

STELLA Module Sneak Peek

STELLA Development Schedule March August, 2013 Develop and pilot modules for four domains: Environment Planning The learning experience Performance and feedback

STELLA Development Schedule September December 2013 Edit the four piloted modules Add modules for three final domains Learning tools Collaboration Professionalism

What s Next? Implementing the pilot of STELLA, making modifications, and adding three final domains Investigating potential certification paths Developing a new teacher program curriculum template Developing a new teacher program curriculum guide

Questions/Discussion

Thank you!