District Workshops
NOTICE: All district trainings for school year 2022-2023 are being booked for in-person.
We are now booking in-person trainings with our Director of Training, Elicia Cárdenas, for the 2022-2023 school year! Elicia is available for half-day, full-day, and multi-day workshops at your facility. While virtual trainings do serve a purpose during unique times, learning together, in a single location, face-to-face, provides the most impactful training experience we can deliver.
OUR MISSION
To equip teachers with instructional tools that are grounded in a solid understanding of language acquisition and the belief that connection is at the heart of the human experience.
Core beliefs
1. All students are capable of acquiring a language.
2. The brain is already wired to recognize and use patterns of language.
3. Language is not built up from practice, but from exposure to consistent and constant comprehensible input.
4. Language is acquired when we understand messages; when we understand what people tell us and when we understand what we read.
5. Acquisition occurs through developmental stages.
6. What teachers call errors are indicators of developmental stages of learning.
TEACHING FOR ACQUISITION
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
The transition away from designing language courses based on a traditional grammar syllabus requires a shift in thinking as well as a shift in instruction. In this workshop, attendees will consider both the theoretical basis for Proficiency Oriented, Comprehension Based™ teaching and its practical application. Attendees will explore these concepts through interactive demonstrations.
Content:
-
Introduction to language acquisition theory and how it relates to comprehension based instruction.
-
Demonstrations of input focused strategies at a variety of language levels, experienced as a student.
-
Debriefing to unpack what teacher skills are necessary for a comprehension based class.
-
Examining how to scaffold activities into a unit plan and set reasonable expectations for student learning.
STEPPING INTO SOMOS
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
The transition away from designing language courses based on a traditional grammar syllabus requires a shift in thinking as well as a shift in instruction. In this workshop, attendees will consider both the theoretical basis for Proficiency Oriented, Comprehension Based™ teaching and its practical application. Attendees will explore these concepts through interactive demonstrations taken from the SOMOS Curriculum. This workshop is designed for districts and departments that have adopted the SOMOS, Nous Sommes, and Sumus curriculum.
Content:
-
Introduction to language acquisition theory and how it relates to comprehension based instruction.
-
Demonstrations of input focused strategies at a variety of language levels, experienced as a student.
-
Debriefing to unpack what teacher skills are necessary for a comprehension based class.
-
Overview of assessment and standards based grading with a focus on communicative proficiency, and reporting what students CAN DO in the target language in a classroom context.
-
"Unpacking" a SOMOS unit and tips for planning with SOMOS.
ASSESSMENT FOR ACQUISITION
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
Changes in instruction require changes in assessment. Teaching for communicative proficiency necessitates that we grade for communicative proficiency. Grades should communicate what students CAN DO in the target language, within the classroom context. They should be proficiency-based Performance Grades. And they should feel manageable for teachers.
Content:
-
Examine and discuss relevant research pertaining to Ordered Development for language acquisition.
-
Dive deep into standards based grading practices in the world language classroom.
-
See examples of practical assessment solutions.
-
Delve into grading practices that can reduce bias and promote equity.
-
Find practical solutions to common grading problems.
Advanced Series 1: Beyond the Basics
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
Departments that have adopted an acquisition based approach still have need for ongoing support. Our Director of Training can work with you to determine specific workshop topics to support teachers in developing their skills as acquisition based teachers.
Content:
-
Differentiation skills in a Comprehension-based classroom
-
Selecting and using appropriate texts and resources
-
Anti-racist practices for Comprehension-based classrooms
-
Creating a free reading program
-
Teaching with language learner literature
-
Using music and songs
-
Classroom engagement strategies
Cooperation and Engagement: a new way to think about "classroom management"
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
Classroom management is at the forefront of every teacher's mind these days. In this session, we will look at reframing classroom management to consider how we can build cooperation and engagement within a culturally competent framework. This session will be interactive, so be prepared to think, respond, and move around. Please bring something to write with!
Engagement Strategies
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
World Language teachers have a secret: there are a ton of ways to engage students in active thinking, reading, and learning, and we want to share it with you! This session will include demonstrations of activities such as The Unfair Game© and Running Dictation, as well as a deep dive into questioning strategies and why we might choose to use them. This session is full of movement and interaction, so be prepared to move and bring something to write with. This session will be presented in English, with English examples.
Reading Strategies to Engage and Interact
Instructor: Elicia Cárdenas, Director of Training
All subject areas can benefit from read alouds; they are known as the "Swiss Army Knife of Literacy" for a reason! This session will explore the reasons why we read out loud, how to select texts for readers, and a number of demonstration activities that engage readers and encourage interactions with a text. Be prepared to move around, engage deeply, and bring something to write with. This session will be presented in English, with English examples.
.jpeg)
