2018 Spring Voice of WAFLT by Voice of WAFLT

The VOICE of

WAFLT

Spring 2018 Volume 45 Number 1

The VOICE of WAFLT

Table of Contents WAFLT Executive Board Contact Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 From Your President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SuAnn Schroeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 From Your Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katy Dueppen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Pedagogy, Methodology, and Policy Public Relations/Advocacy Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karen Fowdy & Keely Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Delfosse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 From Your Conference Program Co-Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paula Johnson-Fox & Susan Loeffler-Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Using Digital Storybooks to Increase Student Language Proficiency . . Zhuxin Karoliussen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Discover Languages 2017! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin Gerlach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2017-18 Contributor Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2017 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Linda Havas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy Stresing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 WAFLT Annual Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Affiliate Organization Newsletters The National Network for Early Language Learning – NNELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 American Association of Teachers of French – Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 American Association of Teachers of German – Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Wisconsin Latin Teachers Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

WAFLT Mission: The purpose of WAFLT shall be to promote, strengthen, and facilitate the teaching and life-long learning of world languages and cultures in schools and communities to meet the needs of our increasingly interdependent world.

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WAFLT Executive Board & Contacts for Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers President

Finance Committee Chair

Grants & Scholarships

SuAnn Schroeder Medford Area High School president@waflt.org

Cathy Stresing Greendale Schools catherine.stresing@greendale.k12.w i.us

Becky Murphy Golda Meir Middle School, Milwaukee rmurphyrm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Communications & Publications Chair

Paula Meyer Appleton North High School meyerpaula@aasd.k12.wi.us

Past-President

Lauren Rosen University of Wisconsin webmaster@waflt.org

Jeanne Schueller UW-Madison jmschuel@wisc.edu

Josh LeGreve Green Lake School District joshlegreve@gmail.com

Member Services Subcommittee Chair

Karen Lound Fowdy kfowdy@gmail.com

Victoria Carter Onalaska High School carvi@onalaskaschools.com

Professional Development Chair

Secretary

President-Elect Linda Havas Greendale Schools awards@waflt.org

Brian Wopat Onalaska High School wopbr@gmail.com Treasurer Kellie Michels Muskego High School treasurer@waflt.org DPI International Education/World Languages Consultant Pam Delfosse pam.delfosse@dpi.wi.gov NNELL Representative Jessica Owens Stormonth Elementary School jowens@foxbay.org Fall Conference Program Committee Co-Chairs Paula Johnson-Fox Susan Loeffler-Bell Muskego High School program@waflt.org Local Arrangements/Exhibits SubCommittee Rebecca Mai Cassville High School Rebecca Seegert Lancaster High School exhibits@waflt.org

The VOICE of WAFLT Subcommittee Chair/Editor Katy Dueppen Middleton High School voice@waflt.org Advertising Subcommittee Chair Josh LeGreve Green Lake School District advertising@waflt.org Public Relations / Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs Karen Fowdy kfowdy@gmail.com Keely Lake Wayland Academy klake@wayland.org Discover Languages Contest Coordinator Justin Gerlach Mishicot High School advocacy@waflt.org Grants & Scholarships Committee Chair Victoria Carter Onalaska High School carvi@onalaskaschools.com

Jamie Gurholt Beloit College gurholtj@beloit.edu Future Teachers/Career Changers Subcommittee Chairs Andrea Behn Janesville Parker High School abehn@janesville.k12.wi.us Ellen Onsrud Lake Mills High and Middle Schools Ellen.Onsrud@lakemills.k12.wi.us HS Guests Subcommittee Chair Danielle Chaussee Oconomowoc High School chausseed@oasd.org Amber Little Stoughton High School amber.little@stoughton.k12.wi.us Mentoring/Leadership Project Karen Fowdy kfowdy@gmail.com

Summer Professional Development Chsair Debby Bowe-Wielgus Waukesha West High School dbowewie@waukesha.k12.wi.us Language Association Representatives AATF-WI President Ellen Onsrud Lake Mills Middle & High School presidentAATFWI@gmail.com AATG-WI President Jeanne Schueller UW-Madison jmschuel@wisc.edu WiATJ President Shinji Takahashi UW-Milwaukee takahash@uwm.edu WLTA President Nate Kolpin Wauwatosa School District kolpinna@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us OWL Vacant WACLT President Zona Karoliussen The Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted Learners zfkaroliussen@gbaps.org AATSP-WI President Erin Nienas Neenah Joint School District erin.nienas@neenah.k12.wi.us

MOPI Training Coordinator Jody Ziemann jziemann@berlin.k12.wi.us The VOICE of WAFLT appears twice annually, in the spring and fall, with copy deadlines of January 1 and May 15. Manuscripts describing world language pedagogy as well as study and travel opportunities and experiences are always welcome, and, if accepted, generally will appear in the next issue. Submissions for publication should be saved as a Microsoft Word document and sent as an email attachment to the editor. Any photos or graphics must be sent as separate attachments in a .jpg format.

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From Your President ... t has been an honor to serve you in this first year as WAFLT President, and I am still always awed by the genuine dedication and passion of world language teachers in our state. We have an amazing resource among us and yet a continuous desire to better our practice. Thank you for your continuing commitment to the world language education profession.

The many facets of our jobs start and end with advocacy. As educators, we are constant advocates for our programs and our students. We learn the latest teaching methodologies so that our students and parents will speak to the high caliber of our teaching. We publicize our language events so that our administration and communities will see the products of our efforts. We speak out about the importance of learning languages to make our country and world into ones of respect and acceptance. We are continuously working to advocate for language learning and multilingual opportunities. WAFLT is here to support and assist you in these endeavors. WAFLT offers grants and scholarships for you or your students to have experiences that will impact lives and practices. You are invited, and encouraged, to apply for grants for Special Projects and the Central States Extension Workshop. Also remember the Scholarships for Tomorrow’s Teachers, Professional Development, and Student Travel. Each of these opportunities was developed with WAFLT members and their students in mind, in hopes that these experiences would complement and further our work in the classroom.

The WAFLT Public Relations committee works on state and national levels to advocate for language study. They work closely with organizations around the state, supporting languages and global literacy in our schools. On the national level, we are active alongside the JNCL-NCLIS (Joint National Committee for Languages–National Council for Languages and International Studies) who translates our language education priorities into national policies. It is a critical time in education with the teacher shortage. The success of our language programs is dependant upon having talent in our classrooms. Remember those amazing students we have? We need to remind them to consider teaching languages as a profession. Let’s grow our own talent and make them our colleagues. Professionals who are considering a career change to language education may also be looking for guidance. WAFLT supports new teachers before and after they enter our profession with mentoring and ongoing professional development. If you know of teachers entering our profession, please encourage them to seek out WAFLT for collaboration and mentorship. WAFLT offers some of the best options for world language professional development in the Midwest. Throughout the year, you are invited to Curriculum Writing Days and Share Fairs, where members find help in creating thematic units and using instructional methods. Coming soon is MOPI training, on June 18-19, 2018, in Stevens Point. What is MOPI? It is an intensive two-day introduction to the techniques of administering and rating the ACTFL

SuAnn Schroeder

Oral Proficiency Interview at the Novice and Intermediate levels. WAFLT is proud to offer this workshop to our membership to advance our knowledge of proficiency and to support our conversations as we continue to hone our practice. Register for the upcoming Summer Institute in Madison, July 28-August 2, Digging Deep: Comprehensible Input, Authentic Resources and Growing Professionally. Coming soon are professional development webinars on our website. Additionally, WAFLT helps to sponsor FLESFEST, which brings us PD for all levels of language instruction, K-16. The WAFLT Fall Conference 2018, Unlock the Door: Explore the World of Opportunities, will be November 1-3. Be sure to make plans to join colleagues from across the Midwest. Mark you calendars! Let WAFLT help you to make sure that your professional development is leading you toward better teaching. WAFLT offers workshops, conferences, publications, and other offerings, keeping in mind the ACTFL Proficiency Standards, Can-Do Statements, Performance Descriptors, and the World-Readiness Standards

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From Your Editor ...

pring Greetings!

I always look forward to spring. With the arrival of warmer weather, longer days, and signs of renewal, I feel rejuvenated and motivated to finish the school year strong. How about you? In this issue of The Voice, our new DPI World Languages Consultant, Pam Delfosse, introduces the Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative. Our National Advocacy Chair, Keely Lake, reminds us of the resources available to us to promote language learning in our communities. WACLT President, Zona Karoliussen, explains how she uses digital storybooks as an instructional method to increase language proficiency. Highlights from the 2017 Fall Conference are included in this edition of The Voice, including WAFLT award winners, and our 2017 Distinguished Language Educator, Cathy Stresingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspirational speech.

WAFLT, as well as our affiliate organizations, offer many opportunities throughout the year right here in Wisconsin to help you to rejuvenate and keep moving forward as you develop your own best practices. Throughout this edition of The Voice, you will find information about upcoming events that are centered on best practices for the students we have in our classroom now. Are you trying something new in your classroom that is working well? Has your department recently developed something amazing that you would like to share? Please consider writing an article for the next edition of The Voice! We are always looking to showcase great things that are happening with our language teachers here in Wisconsin. I wish you all the best of luck as you begin preparing to close out this school year. Happy Spring! Katy Dueppen

Continued from previous page ... for Learning Languages. WAFLT provides us support in working across disciplines, while collaborating with colleagues, to globalize curriculum. As world language teachers, we are in a great position to advocate for language learning, global citizenship, and action. For language study to be viewed as important, not only at home but across the country, it needs our continuous advocacy. Together, we can provide quality language programs for our students that produce proficient speakers who are culturally adept and globally-prepared. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continue on this journey together. Yours in world language and global education, SuAnn Schroeder

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Public Relations / Advocacy Update by Keely Lake & Karen Luond Fowdy s we enter a new year together as a profession, it is good to be reminded of all we have accomplished and all the resources we have available as we consider how to add advocacy to our already busy lives. Thanks to the work of ACTFL, JNCL-NCLIS, and the many partner organizations of each, we have good reading material, electronic resources, and handy avenues of communication as we look for steps to take. Wisconsin continues to lead the way in advocating for students by making the Global Education Achievement Certificate and the Seal of Biliteracy available in our schools. We have much to draw on as we work to continue the momentum of language education and promotion in our communities.

The Lead with Languages website has a wealth of materials. There are sections on “Success Stories,” “Language Programs,” “Language & Careers,” “Language Advocacy,” and “News & Views” right along the top banner and therefore easy to find. You will also discover a section devoted to resources about why one should learn a language, as well as pages devoted to many individual languages. While there, sign up for updates and enjoy the language fact of the day. This is a great resource for your work to advocate for languages.

If you have not given yourself time to do so yet, please visit the American Academy of Arts & Sciences webpage to familiarize yourself with the Commission on Language Learning. Their final report, America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education for the 21st Century, was designed to address a bipartisan request for answers to the following: C “How does language learning influence economic growth, cultural diplomacy, the productivity of future generations, and the fulfillment of all Americans?” C “What actions should the nation take to ensure excellence in all languages as well as international education and research, including how we may more effectively use current resources to advance language attainment?”

C Language and the Fulfillment of the Potential of All Americans Terrence Wiley, Ph.D., with Beatriz Arias, Ph.D., Jennifer Renn, Ph.D., and Shereen Bhalla, Ph.D., Center for Applied Linguistics C America’s Languages: Challenges and Promise Richard D. Brecht, American Councils for International Education C The Contributions of Language to the Economic Interests of the United States Prepared by the Joint National Committee for Languages C Language and Productivity for all Americans Judith F. Kroll and Paola E. Dussias, Center for Language Science, The Pennsylvania State University C Foreign Language, Cultural Diplomacy, and Global Security Gail H. McGinn All of these documents contain clear, digestible material which we can use in making the case for language education in our state and country.

The report, therefore, “offers concrete recommendations to improve access to as many languages as possible, for people of every age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background.” Beyond the report, there are five “white papers” addressing topics important to the profession:

According to the year-end message from Bill Rivers, Director of JNCL-NCLIS, there were more than twice the typical number of Action Alerts last year—have you signed up to help yet? It is so simple to visit the ACTFL website and sign up to receive these alerts. Once enrolled, responding in a time of crisis takes just a minute or two. Please, join us in the fight to protect the languages and profession we love. Our senators and representatives need to hear from us and our families and friends too—have them sign up along with you! There will

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The former recognizes students who have demonstrated achievement in bilingualism, biliteracy, and sociocultural competence in two or more languages (English and a partner language); the latter recognizes students who have demonstrated a strong interest in global citizenship, including a commitment to four years of language instruction. By cultivating our students’ interest and recognizing their achievements, we are encouraging lifelong learning, celebrating what our students can do, and promoting the value of languages and global education with our parents, administrators, and wider communities.

be much to do as the 2019 budget begins to be outlined in Washington, D.C. as early as February of 2018. Please sign up now! Turning to resources within Wisconsin, do not forget about the great benefits of the Seal of Biliteracy and the Global Education Achievement Certificate.

If you are looking for more ways to stay informed and take action, please visit the archive of Advocacy in Action articles on the WAFLT homepage. Good luck for a productive and successful 2018! Keely Lake

Professional Development Opportunities Curriculum Writing Days | June 19-21, 2018, Greendale High School | Information: www.wi-nell.org WAFLT Summer Language Leadership Institute | July 30-August 1, 2018, UW-Madison | Information: waflt.org MOPI Assessment Workshop | July 18-19, 2018, UW-Stevens Point | Information: waflt.org Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers (WAFLT) Fall Conference | November 1-3, 2018, Appleton, WI | Information: waflt.org American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference | November 16-18, 2018, New Orleans, LA | Information: www.actfl.org FLESFEST Spring 2019 | Information: www.wi-nell.org Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages March 14-16, 2019, Columbus, OH | Information: www.csctfl.org Join a Language Listserv : Communicate with other language teachers; post and/or read notices of importance to teachers of specific languages. Through DPI: To subscribe, send an email message to: majordomo@badger.state.wi.us. Write nothing in the “Subject” line. In body of message write: Subscribe French (or German, Japanese, Spanish, Latin) Through Your Language Association: Go to: waflt.org – On the home page, click on Wisconsin Language Associations. Contact the organization to find out how to join their listserv.

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The Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative by Pam Delfosse, International Education and World Languages Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

he Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative (wisconsinlanguageroadmap.wi scweb.wisc.edu/about/ ) is aimed at enhancing the economic competitiveness of Wisconsin by strengthening language education for students across the state. Wisconsin is the seventh of eight states to embark on this initiative including Hawaii, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Indiana.

Funding for the Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative is provided to the University of Wisconsin–Madison through a two-year federal grant from the National Security Education Program of the U.S. Department of Defense. Letters of support, which were instrumental in obtaining the grant, were provided by Governor Scott Walker, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and State Superintendent Tony Evers. The Roadmap for Language Learning in Wisconsin will be informed by research-based findings summarized in the Wisconsin’s Language Landscape report (wisconsinlanguageroadmap.wiscweb. wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/356 /2018/01/Wisconsins-Language-Lands cape-1.pdf ) and by recommendations that emerged through The Wisconsin Language Summit (wisconsinlanguageroadmap.wiscweb. wisc.edu/summit/ ), held on January 26th on the UW-Madison campus. The Summit was co-sponsored by UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, with support from the Wisconsin Economic

Development Corporation and was attended by business, government, education, and community leaders from across the State. WAFLT leadership and members were well represented and contributed valuable guidance from the field.

for updates and identify ways you can collaborate with diverse stakeholders within your local school communities to build sustainable pathways to proficiency for your students.

Themes that recurred throughout the Summit included the need for elementary through post-secondary pathways to attain Advanced language proficiency, the importance of relevance through disciplinary literacy and field-specific language content, and the value of programs designed to support additive bilingualism. The need for collaborative leadership and advocacy for language learning, across all sectors, was stressed throughout the day.

DPI – World Language News and Views

The Wisconsin Language Roadmap Initiative project team will examine the recommendations shared by Summit attendees and collaborate with key stakeholders to prepare and disseminate the Wisconsin Language Roadmap—a document that will identify action items to address Wisconsin’s workforce and community language needs. This is a tremendous opportunity to build a world-ready Wisconsin through K-16 to college, career, and community pathways that target language, intercultural and global skills development. Areas for development targeted through this initiative include 1) public policy and investment, 2) sustainable program development, access and accountability, 3) student success and equity, and 4) educator recruitment and effectiveness. Watch

World language and global educators now have a new liaison at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Pam Delfosse returned to DPI, in November, after serving as faculty with the National Foreign Language Center STARTALK Program and working with Madison Metropolitan School District as their World Language Program and Professional Developer. Focal areas for the agency and Pam’s role this year include partnership with UW-Madison on the Language Roadmap Initiative, review and likely revision of Wisconsin’s Academic Standards for World Languages, Seal of Biliteracy Program development, and global educator leadership development. Pam hopes to create avenues for collaboration among bilingual, heritage, and world language educators in the state with an emphasis on equity in access to the benefits of language learning. Connect with language education colleagues, resources, and projects through DPI social networks at dpi.wi.gov/world-language. Pam may be reached via email at pamela.delfosse@dpi.wi.gov, or by phone at (608) 267-9265.

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2018 WAFLT Fall Conference November 1-3, 2018 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton, WI

Unlock the Doors: Explore a World of Opportunities We have two exciting announcements:

Thursday Workshop

Keynote Speaker

Laura Terrill Pathway to Proficiency: Using Proficiency Benchmarks and Performance Indicators to Guide Instruction

Ted Zarrow 2016 ACTFL Teacher of the Year

Both of these speakers bring years of experience and expertise to our conference, and we look forward to the new ideas, methodology, and insight they will share. The WAFLT APP was a big hit and will be back this again this year. Will you win the socialite award by posting photos and comments during the conference? New this year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we are offering an Electronic Poster session which will be held in the Exhibit Hall Friday morning. Check out the descriptor on waflt.org to learn more and determine if you would be interested in sharing with your colleagues in this new format. We are excited to get your feedback about this new opportunity for sharing ideas with colleagues. To receive notification when the pre-conference booklet has been posted to the website, your membership must be current. Please head to our website at waflt.org and take a moment to renew your membership and ensure your account information is correct. Also, visit the website throughout the year to learn of the many opportunities your WAFLT organization offers. We look forward to the 2018 Fall Conference ... itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shaping up to be a great conference with sessions on CI, TPRS, games, technology, advocacy, and more! Thank you once again for your input and feedback. Should you have any questions, please contact us at program@waflt.org. Your Conference Program Co-Chairs, Paula Johnson-Fox Susan Loeffler-Bell

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Using Digital Storybooks to Increase Student Language Proficiency by Zhuxin Karoliussen, WACLT President, Chinese & Math Teacher, Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted Learners, Green Bay, WI n the past three years of my role as a Chinese language teacher, I have struggled to teach students the language concept while keeping learning engaging and fun. Too many times, I witnessed my students buried in vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns drill. When assessing my students’ ability of using Chinese language, I often find that their vocabulary and conversations were limited to the textbook language. The language from the textbook is very standard and formal. It does not provide my students the authentic language learning experience that students studying Chinese in China would. My students do not have enough exposure to authentic Chinese reading materials to improve their language literacy skills. The lack of resources for students to practice Chinese at school and at home does not help students retain their language skills. To make the language learning experience more authentic and more engaging for my students, as well as to provide students with resources to practice at home, I decided to take the approach of creating and teaching digital storybooks.

There are many benefits of storybook reading as an instructional method. According to Hoggan and Strong (1994) and Owens and Robinson (1997), “Storybook reading interventions use storybooks as a context for presenting instructional strategies promote language and literacy” and “address deficits in oral language and reading” (as cited in Bellon & Oglftree, 2000, p. 75). Reading is one activity enjoyed by

most children. Storybook reading provides the opportunities for students to learn various skills, such as “sound-symbol correspondence, sound-letter pattern recognition, and rhyming. It also promotes the vocabulary development and other receptive and expressive language abilities” (Bellon & Oglftree, 2000, p. 76). Furthermore, storybook reading is an effective instructional method to reach all learners in the classroom. “Storybooks can provide a natural and fun learning context for today’s educator working in inclusive settings. They can facilitate language and literacy development in children with and without disabilities” (p. 76). Storybook reading naturally blends vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns all in one place. Students can learn the language skills while enjoying reading the book and participating in class activities. In addition, “storybook reading events are clearly interactive experiences and the adult storybook reader plays a key role in mediating the text for children” (Martinez & Teale, 1989, p. 133). Students’ language will improve through strategic class conversations led by the teacher. Research has shown that dialogic storytelling (reading books while supplementing interactive conversation) has a

“positive effect on oral language development, a cornerstone of emergent literacy” (Arnold, Lonigan, Whitehurst, & Epstein, 1994; Crain-Thoreson & Dale, 1999; Dale, Crain-Thoreson, Notari-Syverson, & Cole, 1996; Lonigan & Whitehurst, 1998; Valdez-Menchaca & Whitehurst, 1992; Whitehurst, Arnold, et al, 1994; Whitehurst, Epstein, et al., 1994; Whitehurst et al, 1988,1999) (as cited in Doyle, Brooke Graham & Bramwell, Wendie, 2006). Moreover, Martinez and Teale (1989) positively affirm the learning effects for students. Teachers may choose to discuss different aspects of stories with students, and “these differences in the focus of their talk contribute to divergent storybook reading styles” (p. 129). Therefore, dialogic reading allows teachers to mediate stories in different ways to accomplish different language goals for the students. The tool I used to create the digital storybook is Story Jumper (storyjumper.com). According to Kilpatrick, Dostal, Saulsburry & Wolbers (2014), “Story Jumper is a site that allows you to create digital books. After stories are created, they can be read online. A hard copy of the book can also be purchased” (p. 613). In addition, Story Jumper (2017) also highlighted the features of illustrating stories using students’ own photos or artwork, adding their own voices, background music, and sound effects. Story Jumper provides a free library that can store many digital storybooks. It provides easy classroom management tool for the teachers to manage class storybooks. Teachers

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can record and play storybooks for students to study or review inside or outside class. It is also a beneficial tool for students. Students are used to writing essays, completing worksheets, and using structured conversational activities to practice their skills, but Story Jumper is a unique way for students to increase their output in the target language. Computers and other forms of technology “can provide the contexts that will inform meaning and create an interesting, anxiety-free learning experience that will foster foreign language acquisition and cultural understanding” (Muyskens, Judith A., Ed., 1997). This context is important for students to find meaning in their language studies. Designing a storybook is a free, creative way to express themselves which will further motivate students to engage in language output. Story Jumper is a free and easy tool for students to use individually, in small groups, or even as a whole class, depending on the age and ability of the students. The interface of Story Jumper encourages online collaborative learning. While creating a story, students can actively edit the document in real time from their own personal tablets or computers. Research has supported the benefits of online collaborative learning. Jonassen & Kwon (2001) stated that online collaborative learning “promotes metacognitive processes, reflective interaction, and problem solving” (as cited in Zhu, 2012, p. 128). According to Nurmela, Palonen, Lehtinen, & Hakkarainen (2003), “Educational research has shown that more effective learning takes place if learners are actively involved, rather than being passive listeners” (as cited in Zhu, 2012, p. 128). In my classroom where computers are available for each student, it is convenient for

students to work on the same project simultaneously. In addition, online collaborative learning enables students to collaborate anytime and anywhere outside classroom.

References

Other features of Story Jumper allow teachers to teach to a large variety of student needs. For example, it allows any new user to sign up as a student or a teacher. When a new teacher account is registered, there is then an option to create a classroom and add students to a roster. By utilizing this, classrooms that are 1:1 will allow students to view the storybook on their device, making it easier to view and read for individuals. This class feature further allows the teacher to share the text with students for purposes outside of class, providing students with access that will permit them to revisit or review the material, which can help to promote self-paced learning.

Doyle, B., & Bramwell, W. (2006). Promoting emergent literacy and social-emotional learning through dialogic reading. The Reading Teacher, 59 (6), 554-564. Retrieved from jstor.org/stable/20204388

The storybooks will contain repetitions of frequently-used Chinese vocabulary and sentence patterns. Instructional method TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) will also be used during the instruction. Specifically, students will be engaged in dialogic storytelling to promote their deep understanding of the story. At the end, students will have the opportunity to practice their language proficiency by creating and presenting their own digital storybooks. Through the teaching using the digital storybooks, I hope to increase student language proficiency in a fun and engaging way.

Bellon, M. L., & Ogletree, B. T. (2000). Repeated storybook reading as an instructional method. Intervention in School and Clinic, 36(2), 75-81.

Gross, S. (2007). The three steps of tpr storytelling. Retrieved from susangrosstprs.com/articles/THREES TEPS.pdf Kilpatrick, J. R., Dostal, H. M., Saulsburry, R. & Wolbers, K. A. (2014). The Integration of Digital Tools during strategic and interactive writing instruction. Handbook of research on digital tools for writing instruction in K-12 settings (pp.608-628). Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, an imprint of IGI Global Martinez, M. G. & William H. T. (1989). Classroom storybook reading: The creation of texts and learning opportunities. Theory Into Practice 28(2), 126-135. Story Jumper (2017). Retrieved from storyjumper.com/ Frommer, J. (1997). Cognition, context, and computers: factors in effective foreign language learning. Muyskens, J. A. New Ways of Learning and Teaching: Focus on Technology and Foreign Language Education. (199-223) Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers Zhu, C. (2012). Student satisfaction, performance, and knowledge construction in online collaborative learning. Educational Technology & Society, 15 (1), 127–136.

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Discover Languages 2018! by Justin Gerlach, Discover Languages Contest Coordinator n 2008, WAFLT and Discover Languages Wisconsin launched the first edition of the Student Video & Postcard Contests. These contests are based on the ACTFL Discover Languages Campaign. Fast forward to 2018 and our contests are continuously celebrating and recognizing our studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connections to world languages in Wisconsin. Our contests are designed for all students in Wisconsin from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary school to demonstrate how much languages mean and how important they are in their daily lives.

parents of the progress of their child in your classroom or to showcase current and upcoming events in your language program. Additionally, consider using the postcards to inform your administration, school board, and community members of the great things that are happening in world languages with your students. The videos can be used in a similar format to showcase your students and program during orientations and open house events in your school district. Ultimately, you are providing your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective of why languages are so very important to all students in Wisconsin.

Entries are due by October 1, 2018, and winners will be honored during the Friday Luncheon at the WAFLT Fall Conference in November. Check out the Public Relations tab at the WAFLT website for contest details.

Be a part of the Discover Languages Wisconsin Student Video & Postcard Contests at waflt.org.

The postcards are an outstanding vehicle for language program awareness and promotion. Use them to inform

We hope to hear from you and please keep up the outstanding work educating your communities on the importance of languages. Let Wisconsin Discover Languages!

Congratulations to our 2017 Contest Winners

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Thank You, Contributors! WAFLT thanks the following individuals for their contributions in 2017–18.

General Endowment Fund Linguiphile ($100+)

Benefactor ($50-99)

Sponsor ($25-49)

Contributor ($1-24)

Donna Clementi Richard Olson

Anne Chartier (In memory of Jim Oakley) Jaci Collins Lisa & Andy Hendrickson Charles James

Justin Gerlach Linda Havas Jean Hindson Lynn Sessler Neitzel Janet Rowe Deb Bowe-Wielgus

Sharon Bradish Danielle Chaussee Diane Flanders Amber Kraus Lauren Rosen Jeanne Schueller Deana Zorko

Professional Development Scholarship Fund

Student Travel Scholarship Fund

(Honoring Dr. Roma Hoff, Dr. Connie Knop & Dr. Irène Kraemer)

(Honoring O. Lynn Bolton)

Linguiphile ($100+)

Contributor ($1-24)

Linguiphile ($100+)

Contributor ($1-24)

Donna Clementi Paul & Nuria Hoff Richard Olson

Sharon Bradish Natalia DeLaat Diane Flanders Karen Lound Fowdy Katelynn Jensen Amber Kraus Lynn Sessler Neitzel Julia Price Lauren Rosen SuAnn Schroeder Deana Zorko

Terry Bothun (In memory of Sandra Rettschalg) Richard Olson

Sharon Bradish Natalia DeLaat Diane Flanders Katelynn Jensen Amber Kraus Lynn Sessler Neitzel Barbara Olsen Lauren Rosen SuAnn Schroeder Deana Zorko

Benefactor ($50-99) Charles James Anne Chartier (In memory of Jim Oakley) Peter Hoff Sy Kreilein Sponsor ($25-49) Wanda Meyer-Rimestad Justin Gerlach Michelle Nielsen

Benefactor ($50-99) Anne Chartier (In memory of Jim Oakley) Peter Hoff Charles James Sponsor ($25-49) Danielle Chaussee Kelly Ferguson Justin Gerlach Janet Rowe

Your Contributions Are Appreciated! Please consider contributing to one or more of these funds for 2017-18. You can do this online at waflt.org – log into your online account, and click “Endowment Contributions” on the top of the page to make your contribution, or mail your check to P.O. Box 1493, Appleton, WI 54912, noting to which fund(s) you would like your donation assigned.

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2018 WAFLT Summer Institute July 30-August 1 Lowell Center — UW-Madison

Digging Deep Comprehensible Input with Content-based Storytelling, Working with Authentic Resources, Growing Professionally Presentations include: C Comprehensible Input and Content-based Storytelling – Janice Holter-Kittok C Authentic Resources – Erin Nienas and Kathy Varda C Growing Professionally – Anita Alkhas and Brett Lipshutz Team Discounts Available!

Go to waflt.org/Conferences & Events/Summer PD Options \ Summer Institute

WAFLT Modified OPI (MOPI) Assessment Training Workshop July 18-19, 2018 UW-Stevens Point The Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI) Workshop is an intensive two-day introduction to the techniques of administering and rating the Oral Proficiency Interview at the Novice and Intermediate levels. Enrollment is limited to 10 participants per workshop. Four workshops are available in the following languages: C Spanish C French C German C English / Mixed language

Go to waflt.org/ Conferences & Events / Summer PD Options / MOPI Workshop

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2017 Awards/Grants by Linda Havas Every year, in an effort to celebrate the exceptional work of our membership, WAFTL recognizes students, teachers, and collaborators in language education in the state of Wisconsin. Thank you to members for recognizing colleagues, students, and stakeholders, inspiring and encouraging them to continue their successes in world languages and global awareness.

professionals. A former colleague reflects on the support that Cathy offered her in her first year of teaching: “Cathy would never hesitate to coach me when I sought advice regarding making classroom activities engaging, meaningful, and culturally relevant.”

Thanks also to this year’s Awards Committee members who volunteered their time to review each nomination and thus facilitated the recognition of many of our dedicated colleagues.

2017 WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator Each year, WAFLT honors one of its members as the Distinguished Language Educator. This award recognizes excellence in language teaching and/or administration, long-term achievements, and service to WAFLT and the language profession at the local, regional, and national levels. WAFLT is proud to recognize Cathy Stresing as its 2017 WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator honoree. Cathy currently teaches French at Greendale High School and is also a teacher consultant for Wisconsin Virtual School through CESA 6. Her 29-year career includes previous positions at Jefferson High School, Fennimore High School, Homestead High School in Mequon, and Wauwatosa East High School. Cathy has long been on the leading edge of proficiency-based instruction. As one colleague states, “Cathy has an innate gift for making French come alive in her classroom. The French language and

Cathy Stresing is presented the Distinguished Language Educator Award by WAFLT President SuAnn Schroeder.

culture transform from abstract concepts to deep connections because of Cathy’s willingness to share her personal experiences along with her generous sense of humor. The result is a lively classroom environment that energizes her students. I often seek Cathy’s advice because she will invariably suggest an approach that is challenging yet engaging, allowing students to approach and take ownership of the material in ways I could never have imagined.” Adds a former student, now a French teacher herself: “She encouraged critical thinking through oral and written communication in the target language, while gently pushing us to achieve our best. We grew in our proficiency while having fun in the process.” Over the course of her career Cathy has not only been a key player in world language departments and on various school committees, but also as a mentor to colleagues and pre-service

In addition to her exemplary work in the classroom, Cathy is actively involved in professional organizations. Cathy has co-presented at the WAFLT Fall Conference, the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL), and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). She served as an active member of WAFLT as co-chair of the WAFLT Fall Conference from 2013-2016, and now serves on the Board of Directors of CSCTFL as co-chair of the 2019 conference and also chairs the CSCTFL Leadership Program. Further, as a member of the Xperitas Educator Advisory Council, she regularly facilitates workshops designed to support educators traveling abroad with their students. For this work she was honored in 2016 with the Eva Rederick Award For Leadership. Cathy believes that as educators,“we do not exist in a bubble and, especially when teaching in smaller districts, language teachers may not have any language teaching colleagues. This situation makes state professional organizations all the more vital and important. Furthermore, these organizations do not exist without the input, work, and ideas of professionals who come to offer and to receive support, ideas, and leadership. I can only hope that my contributions are serving the greater good of the organization. This imbalance inspires me even more to support our mission of serving the world language teachers and students of our state.”

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A former colleague states: “I continue to look up to Cathy Stresing as a model of an exemplary language teacher and will always consider her a role model to the profession.” WAFLT shares this sentiment wholeheartedly and is proud to recognize Cathy Stresing as its 2017 Distinguished Language Educator. Félicitations, Cathy!

2017 Anthony J. Gradisnik Award Established in 1998, the Anthony J. Gradisnik Award commemorates Mr. Gradisnik’s exceptional enthusiasm and advocacy for language education. Mr. Gradisnik began his career as a Spanish teacher after World War II and served as a foreign language curriculum specialist for Milwaukee Public Schools from 1959 to 1979. The award commemorates Mr. Gradisnik’s advocacy for language education and is presented to an individual or group – especially from outside the world language teaching profession – in such areas as international education, early language learnin, and creative initiatives in language education.

curriculum and instruction, the Institute advises undergraduate students interested in languages and international relations, providing guidance in both the academic and career realms. Especially noteworthy within the Language Institute’s work is its diverse range of K-12 outreach initiatives. Its High School Tutoring in Less Commonly Taught Languages Program, the brainchild of Assistant Director Wendy Johnson, allows high schools to offer a broader range of languages while also providing UW-Madison students an opportunity to speak the language with younger learners as well as provide their experience and expertise as tutors via videoconferencing. “Beyond personal fulfillment, the student tutors gain valuable experience for their future careers,” Johnson says. “Several of the student tutors in this program have indicated an interest in teaching after graduation. More broadly, though, all of the student tutors

WAFLT is honored to name the Language Institute at the University of Wisconsin as this year’s recipient of the Anthony J. Gradisnik Award, for its continued support of K-16 world language education in Wisconsin. Through a comprehensive slate of initiatives including outreach to K-12 language programs, support of undergraduate students, and advocacy for language education, the Language Institute exemplifies all the values espoused by Mr. Gradisnik over the course of his career. The Language Institute was founded in 2004 with a mission “to promote collaboration for research, education, and community outreach in languages, literatures, and cultures.” In addition to its work to support innovation in

gain valuable practice in leadership and mentoring that might apply to their future careers no matter what they go into.”* The Experience Languages! “college for a day” program, in which Wisconsin middle and high school students attended language courses on campus to help their students better understand the range of language learning opportunities at the college level. The Institute’s very popular annual World Languages Day, drawing over 600 students and 60 teachers from around the state, offers introductory language lessons and workshops regarding world cultures. Finally, the annual Wisconsin Global Youth Summit for high school students features mini-lessons in language and other topics relevant to global citizenship. In nominating the Language Institute for this award, University of Wisconsin faculty associate Jeanne Schueller cites “the dedication and passion the Institute puts into everything they do, whether in research, education, curricular development, or community outreach in languages, literatures, and cultures.” WAFLT congratulates the Language Institute for its continued innovation and tireless efforts to connect Wisconsin’s language educators and students to relevant experiences and applications related to language learning. WAFLT is proud to recognize the Language Institute for so exceptionally honoring Mr. Gradisnik’s legacy. *Source: Posted on March 29, 2016 by International Division — by Kerry G. Hill http://international.wisc.edu/wisconsin-id ea-uw-madison-language-learners-assist -high-school-students/

Dianna Murphy accepts the Gradisnik award on behalf of the Language Institute at the University of Wisconsin.

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2017 Frank M. Grittner Award The Frank M. Grittner Award is presented to a new member of our profession who has shown excellence in teaching and has provided leadership in service to school, community, and professional organizations. The award honors Frank Grittner, a tireless promoter of high standards for language teacher preparation in our schools as the Wisconsin State Foreign Language supervisor from 1961 to 1991. This year, WAFLT is proud to award the Frank M. Grittner award to Sarah Thompson, who teaches French at Greendale Middle School. True to the Grittner spirit, Sarah is an exceptional new talent in our state’s language education field. Sarah’s commitment to creating authentic experiences for her students is borne out in her tireless development of thematic units to support her instruction. States a colleague, “in addition to putting in much of her time and her abundant energy into creating solid and innovative lesson plans and materials for her students, Sarah has pursued from the very start as many professional development opportunities as possible, including attendance at the WAFLT and FLESFEST conferences and at meetings of the Southeastern Wisconsin Academic Alliance in French (SWAAF). She is the type of teacher who will never become complacent, but will always seek to grow intellectually and professionally.” States her administrator: “Ms. Thompson’s classroom environment allows her to differentiate her instruction to meet the individual needs of all students and develop lessons that are challenging and promote student involvement and voice.” Sarah’s colleagues cite her

Sarah Thompson receives the 2017 Frank M. Grittner Award.

work ethic, professionalism, and commitment to student-centered learning as evidence of her being most deserving of this award. WAFLT congratulates Sarah Thompson for her leadership and vision and is proud to name her as its recipient of the 2017 Frank M. Grittner Award.

2017 Recognition of Merit Awards The Recognition of Merit Award may be presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or who have made significant contributions to the language teaching profession. This year the awards committee is pleased to present this award to the following incredibly worthy recipients. Anita Alkhas, UW-Milwaukee Anita Alkhas has taught French at UWM since 1998 and since 2007 has held the position of Associate Professor. Her passion for the French language is exceeded only by her desire to support

educators and lifelong learning. Her service to language educators across the state is wide-ranging, including her work as a key committee member of FLESFEST as well as her innovative ideas connected with the WAFLT Share Fair. While much of her work is done behind the scenes, Anita’s commitment to world language education, outreach and advocacy has had a positive impact throughout the state of Wisconsin. Says Anita, “Perhaps my greatest satisfaction in teaching in my field is the opportunity it affords me to study and promote lifelong learning. In a small language program such as ours, I have had the privilege of working not only with students at all levels (from absolute beginners in French for Travelers and first-year French to native speakers returning to graduate school to pursue careers in teaching or translation), but also with many students as they progress through all the stages of the curriculum.” Kyle Gorden, Elkhorn Area High School Kyle Gorden began his career in Elkhorn in 1981 teaching German, Russian, and Social Studies. Through his dedication and leadership, Elkhorn’s 6-12 German program has grown over the years from a handful of sections to three full-time teachers. His longtime service to the WAFLT Executive Board in many roles, including President and Finance Chair, has been invaluable to the board and WAFLT members. For this work he was named WAFLT’s Distinguished Language Educator in 2008. Still, he believes his most impactful work is in the classroom: “It is my hope that my students will leave my class with a better understanding of other cultures and instead of prejudging another person or people as being wrong that they have an appreciation and respect for that culture [and] our differences.” Adds a colleague: “Kyle has had a wide and long-lasting positive impact on the careers of many

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German language educators. He has generously given his time and expertise to advance knowledge within our profession, and to serve as a role model for current and future leaders.” Keely Lake, Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam Keely Lake, Ph.D., teaches Latin, Greek, and AP Seminar at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam. A longtime WAFLT board member, Keely’s contributions to our profession can best be summarized by her nominator: “She has been active both as attendee and leader/presenter at nearly every association of the Classics and world language: American Classical League, Classical Association of the Middle West and South, the Vergilian Society, American Philological Association [Society for Classical Studies], Women’s Classical Caucus, Nation Committee for Latin and Greek, in addition to WAFLT, CSCTFL, and ACTFL. Not only has she built up her own practice through this involvement, but she even advocates for languages on the national stage at JNCL-NCLIS. For her colleagues and her profession, she is a true leader in our region.” Still, Keely feels that her greatest accomplishments are in the classroom: “I ask a lot of my students, and they rise to the challenge time and again, whether learning Latin in their first language or third. That is the ultimate joy—watching them realize that they are making connections, are seeing the patterns, and can let go of the idea that there is one right answer in language or in life.” Melanie Lasee, Ashwaubenon High School Melanie Lasee has taught German at Ashwaubenon High School since 1999. An innovator both within and beyond the classroom, she has served in a variety of capacities on the board of the Wisconsin

Recognition of Merit Awards were presented to Angela Zeman, Amy Ticknor, Melanie Lasee, Kyle Gorden, Anita Alkhas and Keely Lake; Natalia Roberts was unable to attend.

AATG and is a frequent and popular presenter at the WAFLT Fall Conference. Melanie champions the German language outside of her classroom through regular participation in the UW-Madison German Day, excursions to German-related sites such as the Goethe-Institut in Chicago and a long-running GAPP exchange program. As World Language team leader in Ashwaubenon, Melanie has facilitated the implementation of new initiatives such as MOPI training and external assessments at key grade levels. Melanie sees her role in the classroom as its own reward: “It is so rewarding to speak with students who have continued with German; some that I would never have imagined and they even studied abroad. They tell me they will never forget how much I loved to teach them, and many of them remember the places I have taken them and say it is still the best time of their life. The time I devote to their education often becomes their passion too, and that is why I teach.”

Natalia Roberts, UW-LaCrosse Natalia Roberts, professor of Russian, is based at UW-LaCrosse but extends her reach to multiple UW campuses through videoconferencing, blended learning, and a variety of other technological innovations. Despite the inherent challenges in teaching a less commonly taught language within such a model, student evaluations provide generous evidence that her approach is working. States Natalia: “I am committed to the success of my students and consider myself a ‘warm demander.’ When I communicate with my students who insist on the use of English, I state with warm words of encouragement, ‘I believe you can do it speaking only Russian,’ which sends a positive but demanding message. Unless all students are engaged, the learning process is not the most effective.” A colleague states: “Professor Roberts is always enthusiastically making efforts to integrate the new ideas she gathers. She willingly tests new ideas and

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technologies to determine the best course of action for increasing student interaction across sites. Furthermore, she has made presentations to share her learned expertise with other educators as well as co-authoring articles and book chapters on her teaching techniques.” Amy Ticknor, Onalaska High School Amy Ticknor teaches French at Onalaska High School and also co-advises an active French Club, French Forensics, and French National Honor Society. Charged with implementing an accelerated high school program to prepare students to take the AP French Language and Culture exam, Amy has developed a curriculum that has resulted in a high pass rate for her students. Far more importantly, says her nominator, “Beyond engagement, she is always pushing them beyond their comfort zone, to create with language, to consistently use the language, and become amazing communicators in French.” Amy believes that “learning French (or any second language) can broaden a young person’s horizons, open doors, open minds, and contribute to a student’s success in many different areas. I strive every day to use my role as an educator to expand students’ views of what they believe they are capable while using a path toward language and culture proficiency as a means to achieve this goal.” Angela Zeman, Appleton East High School Angela Zeman currently teaches Spanish at Appleton East High School and has been teaching Spanish in Wisconsin since 2007. In both her previous and current positions, Angela has served in a variety of leadership roles both within and beyond the World Language department. Colleagues describe her as “an excellent collaborator …. [She] willingly shares her

experience from other school districts while offering to help and mentor teachers to build their teaching skills repertoire. Angela is kind, collegial, and motivating [and] makes me want to be a better teacher.” Angela sees her role as that of a facilitator, believing that creating a valuable and meaningful experience for each and every student is paramount: “I want students to be able to do something with the language! I strive to create a welcoming environment where students feel safe and comfortable stepping out of their comfort zone with the language. I continuously ask for student feedback so that students feel empowered about their own education.”

Certificate of Professional Service Award The WAFLT Professional Service Award may be presented annually to recent retirees who have served both the profession and their students in providing quality world language education. This year, WAFLT recognizes two dedicated language teachers with this award. Sabine Beirold, German, retired from Milwaukee Public Schools Sabine Beirold retired from Rufus King International High School last spring leaving a vibrant and top-performing German program as her legacy. For 20 years she served as State Coordinator for the WI-AATG Pronunciation Contest, choosing poems and devising speaking topics, soliciting volunteers to set up regional competitions, identifying and training judges, arranging for prizes, and running the largest regional competition as well as state. As an active participant in the Wisconsin AATG, she regularly attends the annual immersion weekends and is a champion for German programs that may be threatened. In addition to the Recognition of Merit certificate from

WAFLT and the ISE Language Matters Award, Sabine was twice named a WI-AATG Duden Award winner. Sabine believes that her greatest accomplishments have been in the classroom: “I am proud to look back at my career and the many accomplishments I achieved. I had the opportunity to influence many student lives and I am very much touched reading the many notes my students gave me since I announced my retirement .... It is very gratifying and humbling to see that the bond between my students and I is strong. This I regard as my highest accomplishment.” Kit Chase, French/German, retired from School District of Marshfield Kit Chase taught French and German for 30 years prior to her retirement. While certified in French and German, she is also fluent in Norwegian. Prior to earning her teaching certification, she worked as an interpreter for Northwest Airlines and also as a Norwegian language instructor. Upon earning her Wisconsin teaching certification, Kit began her career in Marshfield and prioritized engaging students in all four of the language skills both in and beyond the classroom. In addition to advising a very active French Club, she ensured a high level of student participation in French and German pronunciation contests. As a result of her efforts, the vast majority of her students earned top honors at the highest level of these competitions. Her honors and accomplishments include having been twice named Teacher of the Year in Marshfield, a WAFLT Recognition of Merit Award, and the Concordia Language Villages Leadership in Language Award. A colleague remarks: “[Kit] has worked tirelessly to prepare lessons that are interesting, engaging, informative, and fun….The students in Marshfield have been blessed to have her as a teacher.”

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Jamie Gurholt, French, retired from School District of Beloit Jamie Gurholt taught all levels of French at Beloit Memorial High School for 28 years and chaperoned numerous student trips to both France and Quebec. Jamie’s commitment to sharing her expertise with colleagues is evidenced by her frequent presentations at WAFLT and the AATF conference. Jamie also has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction helping to develop world language curriculum and serves on the Advisory Board for the UW-Madison Department of French and Italian. According to a longtime colleague, “Jamie creates learning opportunities that encourage students to demonstrate their ability to communicate…[she is] an example of service to our field.” Reflecting on her career, Jamie adds: “Knowing that I’ve played a small part in [my students’] achievements, whether it relates to French studies or solely upon my support system to them in school when they had little or none, is the gratification all teachers should feel! ….I can look back and believe in my heart that I’ve made a positive difference in the world of language instruction and in the lives of our future generations.” JoAnne Himebauch, French, retired from Waukesha School District JoAnne Himebauch taught all levels of French in Waukesha from 1983 until her retirement. A passionate and dedicated educator, she developed high-interest thematic units that students recalled fondly long after having completed her courses. Outside of the regular school day she encouraged her students to participate in the annual Concours Oral, spending many hours working with her students so that they could advance to higher levels in the competitions. An active French Club complements this work and contributes further to a robust

Certificates of Professional Service are presented to Carolyn Maguire, Cathy Lau, Joanne Himebauch, Jamie Gurholt, Kit Chase and Sabine Beirold.

French offering in Waukesha. Says JoAnne: “Everyone can and should learn to speak at least one or several other languages. But the trick is... to get our students so excited about the language and the culture that they want to learn it! … I keep learning all the time, too, adding new tricks to my repertoire. I learn many of these new tips and tricks by coming to the WAFLT convention every year, by working with my fellow colleagues in Waukesha and beyond.”

Award, and Marshfield Middle School Teacher of the Year. Cathy considers one of her greatest career highlights to be the development of a Sister Cities partnership between Jauregui, Argentina and Marshfield, Wisconsin. Cathy states, “World language educators know that we do so with the greater good in mind: that we are enabling young people to have a better understanding of their world. Who could ever claim that not to be a goal worthy of a life of dedication?”

Cathy Lau, Spanish, retired from Colby School District

Carolyn Maguire, French and Spanish, retired from School District of Loyal

After over 30 years of teaching in Wisconsin, Cathy retired from the Colby School District in spring 2017. Over the course of her career, Cathy taught all levels of Spanish and served as a College Board AP reader. Further, she advised an active Spanish Club which hosted events such as bonfires, movie nights, Spanish cuisine and dance, and cultural field trips. For her work, Cathy has earned a number of awards, including the Toyota International Educators Award and study trip to Costa Rica, the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Crystal Apple

Carolyn Maguire taught French and Spanish for 43 years in several districts in Wisconsin before her retirement. Her reputation as an exemplary Spanish educator earned her numerous professional accolades and also resulted in a number of neighboring districts enlisting her skills as a Spanish teacher via distance learning. She led student trips to Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Argentina, France, and Monaco, believing that “we change the world one student at a time.” According to her district administrator,

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“Carolyn epitomizes what it means to be a professional educator. Her tireless work ethic, attention to detail, and caring heart are what defines her.” A colleague adds, “She exemplifies everything a world language teacher should be. Her classroom includes cultural activities to enhance the ultimate goal of student immersion in speaking and writing the language. She shares her ideas for making the classroom more dynamic with other teachers as well.”

Future Language Teacher Award The WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award may be conferred annually on students in teacher-training programs who have shown exceptional promise and potential to become outstanding world language educators. This year, three individuals are honored with the award. MaryGrace Floeter – German, Milwaukee German Immersion School MaryGrace Floeter graduated from UW-Madison in spring 2017 and is currently working at Milwaukee German Immersion School as a paraprofessional, supporting instruction through small groups and individualized instruction. Her administrator states, "We love having her here!" MaryGrace has chosen the teaching of world languages as a profession “so that [she] can help students to feel safe and wanted at school while also providing a space where students develop confidence as they grow not only in their language skills but as citizens of their community and world.”

2017 Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon School Award for Excellence in World Language Programs While most WAFLT awards honor individuals who are outstanding in our field, we also understand that collaboration is a hallmark of an exceptional world language program. Teamwork allows groups to ensure that courses, curricula, and programs serve their students at an optimal level. The Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in World Language Programs was created to honor schools and/or programs that are exemplary role models. This award is conferred in honor of Dr. Donna Clementi, who continues to make significant contributions to the teaching of and research about world language learning. This award recognizes her contributions of talent, knowledge, and message so that students, teachers, and quality world language programs continue to be cultivated and expanded. WAFLT is proud to present the 2017 award to the Verona Area International School (VAIS).

Created in 2010 by the Verona Area School District (VASD) as a charter school devoted to the learning of Chinese at the K-5 level, the Verona Area International School has an articulated curriculum based on a 50-50 model. 50% of the time students spend

in school is completely in Chinese, with 50% of their time in English.The teaching staff consists of teachers from China who have received preparation in language teaching in their home country, plus supplementary education courses needed for certification by the State of Wisconsin. Teachers of other subjects, such as Global Arts, English, and Special Education, are US citizens with DPI elementary certification for teaching grades K-5. According to the VAIS website, “[the] curriculum follows a thematic unit approach ... the core content is taught through a common theme that is integrated across languages and subjects. This approach assists in the transference of literacy skills as students learn in both languages ... The main focus is to study a topic in-depth by integrating all curricular areas. This also allows our English teacher to collaborate with our Chinese teachers to coordinate lesson plans and ensure that essential vocabulary is taught in both languages.” The VAIS vision statement is perhaps the best indicator of why it is so deserving of the Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon School Award: “At the core of the VAIS philosophy is the importance of educating children in two languages simultaneously; while developing global competency to prepare them to work and solve problems in tomorrow's rapidly evolving and increasingly interconnected world.”

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WAFLT’s 2017 Teacher of the Year (TOY) Nominee Each year, WAFLT nominates one of its members for the ACTFL Foreign Language K-12 National Teacher of the Year (TOY). This year’s nominee is Janet Rowe, Spanish Teacher at Hortonville High School. Janet is a National Board Certified educator as well as a previous winner of the Kohl Award for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching. Throughout her career, Janet has been a leader in world language education. In her position as District Coordinator of World Language Education in Hortonville, Janet oversaw a district-wide world language program spanning from grades 2 to 12. As a frequent presenter at WAFLT conferences and past WAFLT

board member, Janet’s contributions to the Wisconsin language teaching community have been diverse and robust. Further exemplifying her commitment to language education is her work as adjunct Spanish instructor with UW-Oshkosh’s Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP). Finally, since 2016 she has served as a Table Leader for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam. WAFLT is proud to have Janet as its representative at the 50th Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL), which was held in Milwaukee in March 2018. ¡Felicidades, Profe Rowe!

Janet Rowe presented with the 2018 WAFLT nomination for ACTFL Teacher of the Year.

Honors in Language Study Awards The Honors in Language Study Award is conferred on students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in and commitment to their school’s language programs. High school and university students must be enrolled in the highest level of study of their program. Student

Nominator

School

Language

Valentina B. Sam F. Jenae G. Nayeli G. Elena G. Jarret H. Emily J. Abby J. Brianna K. Isabella L. Mya L. Judy L. Molly M. Colleen M. Kelsey M. Michael O. Karina P. Alexis R. Madeleine S. Sara W.

Keely Lake Qiuhong Zhang Jodi Reif Ziemann Andrea Behn Kari Ewoldt Jeff Dyer Mark Wagner Ellen Onsrud Alma Rivera Stephanie Krenz Erin Nienas Magara Maeda Maria Wallis Leah Weyers Theresea Kruschke-Alfonso Lisa McFarland Carley Goodkind Josh LeGreve Linda Meyer Jolene Wochenske

Wayland Academy Notre Dame Academy Berlin High School Parker High School, Janesville DePere High School Oregon High School Nicolet High School Lake Mills High School Appleton East High School Stoughton High School Stoughton High School UW-La Crosse Nicolet High School New Berlin West High School Greendale High School Greendale High School Greenfield High School Green Lake High School Appleton North High School Middleton High School

Latin, German, Spanish Chinese Spanish French Spanish German German French Spanish German Spanish Japanese Spanish French Spanish French German Spanish Spanish German

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Excellence in Language Study Awards The Excellence in Language Study Award is conferred on students who have demonstrated great achievement and progress in language study and who exhibit great potential for further achievement in the language. Students of any level may be nominated into order to give recognition to their success and potential. Name

Nominator

School

Language

Alex A. Kaeson B. Rachel B. Yaritza C. Ava C. Francisca C. Olivia D. Megan F. Amber F. Ava G. Alison H. Mary J. Joseph K. Shelli K. Benjamin K. Kendra K. Cierra M. Aaron M. Rachel P. Ella Q. Evan R. Emily R. Tyler S. Alexis S. Alyssa S. Madeline S. Marlene S. Robyn S. Karley T. Samuel V. Anthony V. Ally V. Dorothea W. Kennedy Z. Bronwynn Z.

Melanie Lasee Charlotte Wichert Carley Goodkind Celena Smith Reuter Kathy Varda Deana Zorko Erin Wheelock Jeff Dyer Jolene Wochenske Qiuhong Zhang Keely Lake Natalia De Laat Kari Ewoldt Sarah Thompson Alexandra Sprager Lynn Neitzel Sarah Seidler Kari Ewoldt Jairo Granados Barquero Ellen Onsrud Anita Alkhas Sarah Seidler Heidi Kolodziej Andrea Behn Josh LeGreve Nicole Thompson Maria Wallis Magara Maeda Stephanie Krenz Leah Weyers Joanne Himebauch Jodi Reif Ziemann Susan Hinkley Natalie Glaze Erin Nienas

Ashwaubenon High School Nicolet High School Greenfield High School Eau Claire Memorial High School Stoughton High School Madison West High School Bartels Middle School Oregon High School Middleton High School Notre Dame Academy Wayland Academy Whitnall High School DePere High School Greendale Middle School Nicolet High School Marinette High School Ripon Middle School DePere High School Berlin High School Lake Mills High School UW-Milwaukee Lumen Charter High School DC Everest High School Parker High School, Janesville Green Lake High School New Berlin West High School Nicolet High School UW-River Falls Stoughton High School New Berlin West High School Horning Middle School Berlin High School Woodlands School Amherst High School Stoughton High School

German French German French Spanish Spanish German German German Mandarin Latin, Ancient Greek French Spanish French French Japanese German German Spanish French French German German French Spanish Spanish Spanish Japanese German French, Mandarin French Spanish French Spanish Spanish

As we celebrate the 2017 Award Honorees, please consider nominating a colleague, student, or friend of language education for a WAFLT award. More information can be found at waflt.org.

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Other Awards Presented 2017 Tomorrow’s Teachers Scholarships Honoree

Language School/University

Elsa Aparnieks Becky Cairati Alison Carriere Kennedy Fitzgerald Hannah Schneeman Alexandria York

Spanish Spanish German Spanish German Spanish

St. Norbert College Northern Michigan University UW-Madison UW-Stevens Point UW-Eau Claire Northern Michigan University

Central States Extension Workshop Grant Siggi Piwek & Sarah Mankowski Student Travel Scholarship Simran Guhman, Nathan Hale, West Allis Serena Kay Lynn, North High School, Eau Claire Spring Special Project Grants Lauren Rosen, UW Collaborative Language Program – Language Marketing Project

Professional Development Scholarship Linda Schumacher 2017 CSC Best of Wisconsin Presentation Lauren Rosen, University of Wisconsin Deana Zorko, Madison West High School State Language Association Awards 2017 American Association of Teachers of French-Wisconsin Chapter (AATF-WI) Distinguished French Educator: Sage Goellner Prix de Reconnaissance/Recognition: Ramona Armour Héros du Français: Christopher Laue Concours Pédagogique: Excellence in French Award: Elle Leary American Association of Teachers of German-Wisconsin Chapter (AATG-WI) Distinguished German Educator: Martina Lindseth

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WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator Speech Delivered by Cathy Stresing at the 2017 WAFLT Fall Conference n my career, I have known several very successful teachers in the classroom, who, when required to speak to a group of parents, experienced heart palpitations and sweaty palms and were concerned that they had forgotten to put on antiperspirant that morning. I have to admit that when I made a short speech several years ago in front of colleagues, I understood that fear. This made me wonder why this happens to people who are normally comfortable speaking in front of one group but not another. It occurred to me that perhaps when we are in front of students we KNOW that we are smarter than they are, even if only in our subject area. (That is why they are in our class after all, right?) But when we are in front of those students’ parents or our colleagues or the like, we KNOW that there are people in front of us who are MUCH smarter than we are. And here I am right now. There are many of you who are much smarter than me with more and richer experiences. I don’t claim to have any other insights than what you know already but I have this incredible opportunity to share some thoughts with you and I thank you for your indulgence.

When I started teaching, I recall one of my goals was that if, as adults, my students were to speak with a French teacher, they would be able to say, “I had French in high school. I liked it. I learned some stuff. It was fun. I liked my teacher.” At the time, this seemed reasonable since what I was hearing in my own interactions was closer to, “I had French in high school and I don’t remember a thing.” I literally had this very conversation with one of my principals on Monday. These were very

low expectations, I fully admit. But they seemed reasonable at the time. As time went on, my focus definitely changed. I started asking students to show me what they could do. To use the language in ways that were fun and interesting. My goal was to encourage them to put into practice the vocabulary and grammar that had been presented in class. They would do skits, presentations, demonstration speeches, essays, and versions of Extreme Makeover. For a long time, it didn’t really occur to me that my students would or could use French beyond my classroom. Nonetheless, we have all certainly had students who have done just that, be it as exchange students, hosting a student, or even becoming a language teacher. I have been lucky to have students use French in ways I could have never imagined. Wednesday evening, I spoke with a former student who has given tours in French at the tennis hall of fame. At this moment, one of my former students is living in Brussels with her husband and their soon-to-arrive daughter. I have had several other students teach English in France for a year or more. I have even been blessed to now refer to a former student as a colleague. In the last few years, our focus as language teachers has turned to proficiency and helping our students use the language in real life situations. We seek to answer the questions, to what extent can they speak and write in their new language and to what extent can they understand what they read and hear? We must not forget that all of this must be done in a

culturally appropriate fashion. To paraphrase Charlotte Whitton, “We, world language teachers need to teach kids to read, write, speak, and listen and perhaps dance, draw, and cook with cultural competency to an intermediate proficiency level by the end of their senior year all in a different language. Luckily, this is not difficult.” I guess I did a bit more than paraphrase. Sorry Charlotte. I guess I may need to take back the part about our job not being difficult because it can be. It is a great job but it’s hard. There are challenging parts each day and in each job, new ones and ones where we have been for years, and then every once in a while, there’s that kid (excuse me, that student) …that class… that year – 2010-11 for example, not that I have been keeping track or anything. But check it out, and this is huge, who else gets to teach what is in his or her heart? Yes, I know that science teachers love science and math teachers love math, etcetera. They

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figuratively and literally perform magic in their classrooms every day. And I must admit to love teaching grammar from time to time which is not your soft and loving sort of topic. And as beautiful as French is to listen to, you can seriously get me in a long conversation about the various uses of the subjunctive or how and when to make the past participle agree with the subject or the direct object or how to construct a complex sentence with the perfect relative pronoun. But the best thing about what we teach is that we get to teach that thing that we use to interact with people we love. I’m not just talking about those awesome store owners who open their store for you because you may not be back for two years. I’m not talking about the hotel concierge who calls the cabs because the bus you were supposed to have was not ordered and you need to get 15 people to the airport at 6:30 in the morning. I am not talking about the hospital workers who help your students after a run in with salmonella. Don’t get me wrong, we really love those people! I am talking about those people we love and have known for years. I am talking about the former roommate whose family has become your own. I am talking about the exchange teacher who does not hesitate one second to say, “COME AND SEE ME. I MISS YOU.” I am talking about the nieces and nephews and in-laws you have once you marry into the family. I am talking about your parents who came to this country and nurtured their love for their language and culture in you and now you get to teach it. We use our subject matter to talk “Love.” We don’t just talk about how much we love our subject matter. HOW COOL IS THAT!

I would like to inspire and encourage you all to continue to teach that LOVE. Show those little and big kids that learning to conjugate a verb helps you to talk to amazing people. Show those kids that while the United States is a beautiful and wonderful place, there are SOOOO many other places to see, fragrances to smell, foods to taste, moments to experience in those places you love. Help them love it even if they don’t get a chance to do it in person. Show those kids how they can take control of their learning so that they can go and find those things to love on their own. As amazing and sometimes as difficult as our job is, it has never been more important than it is right now. Our students are getting the message that we should be afraid and suspicious in one way, shape, or form of those people who are different from us. Too many people are feeding that fear and encouraging it to grow. Our job also involves the fight against that fear. And it is not easy but remember that we have the best weapon against that fear. LOVE! We need to help students see and digest the concepts that different is not bad, that we as Americans do not have the market cornered on “how to do things the right way,” that in each moment it is ok to ask ourselves, “why in the world are we doing this this way?” and then to ask the next and harder questions, “how can we do it better and who can we look to as an example to help us do it better?” We are educating our future and they need to be ready to interact linguistically and culturally with people that they may have never even known existed or never wanted to know existed. Their experience with

us will aid them in being culturally aware to the point that the brand new and/or seemingly strange will be just one more opportunity to use the love that we instilled in them. In all of this wonder that is “being a teacher,” we realize that we are not islands and that our job cannot be done in isolation. I am also grateful at how much we can and must learn from and count on each other. The WAFLT organization is one that has provided me with a community full of amazing teachers and people. Among many other things, we support each other and provide each other with techniques and strategies to help us help our students develop and use various language skills. I would like to share one example with you now. We, language teachers understand all too well how word order can get the better of our students. Parenthetically, Japanese teachers, I bow to your abilities at helping kids with that word order. WOW! So, in French and Spanish, adjectives go after nouns… usually. And direct objects come before the verb… usually. We work hard and get them to digest that concept, so they can readily say, “je t’aime” and “elle m’a touché” or understand why they say “me gusta” versus “me gustan.” You have the subject, the direct object and then the verb. And you cruise along for a while, they are trying and sometimes succeeding at using those pronouns correctly, and then comes that day when a student wants to say, “I miss you.” You take a deep breath and try to explain that in French the English subject becomes the indirect object and the direct object from English

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becomes the subject in French. And you get the confused puppy look. You say it’s the equivalent of “you are missed by me.” Still puppies. My next step is to then ask the student, in the statement “I miss you” who is the most important person? They always answer correctly and say, “You.” That “you” becomes the subject, I tell them. A light goes on. “YOU” are the most important person. In that same vein, I am only here because of people who have supported me, loved me, and held me up. So far, I have used the pronoun “I” a lot when in fact there are many important “yous” who are here with me and today I would like to take a moment to thank you. First, Carlos, you and your sister (who is on her way to the Dells right now to play in a soccer tournament) are my reasons for being. You show up in my class more than you know. And with little complaining you understand when I leave to share my time here at WAFLT, accompanying groups to France, or attending meetings at places in between. You are always on my mind and in my heart. I am so very proud of you. Mom and Dad, I am so grateful that you are here. I thank you for your support, love, encouragement, understanding, and for being there with my family when I am gallivanting all over the world. Marianne and Matt, (my sister and brother-in-law) you have been such a support for me. You have always been there when I needed you, be it for a place to crash or an ear to listen or an amazing hug. I am so grateful that you are here are a part of my life. Thank you for being here this evening.

To my new department, you are such an amazing source of support and encouragement. I am truly blessed to be able to work with you. Thank you for all you are, have done, and continue to do for me. Linda, to quote Bette Midler, “you are the wind beneath my wings.” You inspire me. You push me to do and achieve things I truly never would have done were it not for you. Everyone needs and deserves to find a friend like you and I am lucky and blessed to not have to look anymore. Chuck, somehow you get it! You get me! Being married to a teacher is not easy especially one who is taking off every time you turn around.

Somehow, before pictures are even downloaded from my most recent trip, you are already talking about when my next trip will be because you understand how important these experiences are for those travelers, be they teenagers or adults. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your love, trust, and support. You are my rock and soft place to fall! To conclude, I would like to thank all of you for sharing this moment with me this evening but mostly for the support and love that I feel from you. I only hope that in my time with WAFLT, I have given back a portion of what you have given me. Thank you!

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WAFLT Annual Meeting Minutes Saturday, November 4, 2017 Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton, WI I. Greetings – SuAnn Schroeder

III. Secretary’s Report - Brian Wopat

II. Fall Conference Committee – Paula Johnson-Fox & Susan Loeffler-Bell As of Thursday, November 2, we had 532 pre-registered attendees with 29 onsite registrations on Friday morning. Over 59 people attended the pre-conference workshop. About 351 people attended the Friday morning workshops. We are grateful to all of the board members, volunteers, and presenters who have helped make this conference possible and successful. A survey regarding the conference will be available through the app, and a link is on the website. There are signs posted around the conference center with directions about how to access the survey as well. Suggestions/observations will be implemented to continue to best serve our membership and be a model for other state associations. Proposals for the 2018 conference, Unlock the Doors: Explore a World of Opportunities, will be accepted beginning in December. We encourage all members to consider sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with their colleagues.

November 5, 2016 Annual Meeting

C Local Arrangements – Rebecca Mai and Rebecca Seegert Majority of our exhibitors returned. If you have any ideas of who to contact next year, please contact us. 30 exhibitors and we have 2 new exhibitors – TPRS and Avant Assessment. $1,075 plus lanyards from Interact - All sponsorship. Door prize session was a huge hit.

MOTION: Keely Lake moved and Josh LeGreve seconded to dispense the reading of minutes and accept as written. The motion passed unanimously. IV. President’s Report – SuAnn Schroeder SuAnn thanked the membership and the Board. She recognized the great work of the Fall Conference Chairs and Local Arrangements team. She talked about our Path to Proficiency together as world language professionals and encouraged members to volunteer, present, and collaborate. V. Treasurer’s Report – Kellie Michels Balance through October 31, 2017 is $231,842.31. The WAFLT General Endowment balance is $94,322.92. MOTION: Jodi Ziemann moved and Karen Fowdy seconded to approve the treasurer’s report. The motion passed unanimously. VI. DPI World Language Consultant’s Report – Pam Delfosse October 30, 2017 Dear WAFLT Colleagues, Best wishes to all for a wonderful and learning-filled conference. We all benefit from the WAFLT legacy of commitment to excellence in professional learning and practice. Our students benefit from the degree to which we invest in professional growth and share resources, strategies and practices with others. I hope everyone leaves the conference having shared and learned something of value. Savor

this time with colleagues and take advantage of the opportunity to make new friends! I look forward to working with you as WI DPI World Languages and International Education Consultant, beginning November 13th. Please contact me to share success stories, goals, and ideas related to your school community’s world language and international education programs. Thank you for helping students in WI build their language proficiency, intercultural skills, and global competence. Have a wonderful Conference. Pam Delfosse VII. NNELL Report – Jessica Bradley Mark your calendars for February 3 (Curriculum Writing Days at Greendale). Also watch for announcements for another Curriculum Writing Days in June (dates TBA). Be sure to attend FLESFEST on February 24!! VIII. Professional Development Committee – Anita Alkhas C Mentoring - Karen Fowdy Program is under evaluation. The future of the program will be determined soon. C Summer Institute/MOPI – Lisa Hendrickson C MOPI Training – Jody Reif Ziemann Summer ACTFL MOPI training will be held on June 18 & 19, 2018. Training will take place at UW-Stevens Point. I am working on the scholarship form for the 8 scholarships to be awarded for $250 each using the Professional Development and

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Tomorrow’s Teachers scholarship for MOPI training. C Share Fair – Anita Alkhas April 2018 – Is working on finding volunteers to offer share fairs in different regions of the state. C Career Changers – Andrea Behn & Ellen Onsrud C Curriculum Writing Days – Jessica Bradley IX. Summer Professional Learning Committee – Lisa Hendrickson & Debby Bowe-Wielgus C Summer Institute – Debby Bowe-Wielgus The dates for the 2018 Summer Institute are set for July 30-August 1, 2018. It will be held again in Madison at the Lowell Center. The theme is Digging Deeper: Comprehensible Input and Authentic Resources. C MOPI - Jody Ziemann Last summer we had two full sessions of Spanish. No French. No German. Summer 2018, MOPI Training will be at UW-Stevens Point in June 18-19, 2018 8 Scholarships will be offered to French (x2), Spanish (x2) German (x2) and Other (x2) X. Grants, Scholarships, & Awards Committee C Grants & Scholarships – Victoria Carter Go to waflt.org/member-resources/ to find Awards, Grants, and Scholarship information. $500 WAFLT Special Projects grant deadline is December 1st. There is another one in the spring on April 15th. CSC Extension Workshop Grant deadline is December 1st. The WAFLT Student Travel Scholarship deadline is December 1st.

The WAFLT Scholarship for Professional Development deadline is April 15th. Take a look at website for the opportunities. WAFLT supports teachers in Wisconsin. C Awards – Linda Havas Congratulations to our major award winners: the UW-Madison Language Institute (Anthony J. Gradisnik Award), Sarah Thompson (Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award), Janet Rowe (WAFLT Teacher of the Year), and Cathy Stresing (Distinguished Language Educator). Verona Area International School is this year’s recipient of the Donna Clementi Award. We had a robust year of awards including over 50 student awards, 7 Recognition of Merit, 6 Certificate of Professional Service, and 1 Future Language Teacher award. Please consider nominating your students and colleagues for awards! See the conference program or the Awards website (waflt.org/member-resources/scholars hipsawards) for complete information. C High School Guests – Amber Little & Danielle Chaussee There are 9 high school students attending this year’s conference. We had a guest from Illinois observing our program to bring it back to the Illinois Conference. XI. Public Relations Committee – Karen Fowdy & Keely Lake National level: The Fall Board meeting of JNCL-NCLIS was October 23rd. The Fall meeting is regularly held via WebEx at this point. Keely will travel to Washington, DC, in February for the Spring Board meeting and Advocacy Day, which is the the main outreach event for the organization’s members. Keely also continues to make monthly

contact with staff members of her Representative and Senators. State level: Karen and Keely continue to submit bimonthly articles for the eVoice, to contribute an article for each Voice issue, and to do an advocacy session at the Fall Conference. Karen arranged the materials for the Fall Conference display table. C Discover Languages – Justin Gerlach The Postcard & Video contest this year was a success. We chose to award two winners for the ES, MS, and HS contests. We received over 50 entries for the HS contest, 10 entries for the MS contest, and over 20 entries for the ES contest. There was one video submission which received an award. Unless there is opposition, I plan to continue both contests for next year as well as establish a new online submission format for the videos. XII. Communications & Publications Committee – Lauren Rosen C Membership – Victoria Carter Our membership for 2017 is currently 1,017 members with 753 active (paid during 2017) members. C VOICE – Katy Dueppen We invite all members of WAFLT to submit an article for publication. Our spring deadline is January 1st and the fall deadline is June 1st. Additionally, if you presented at the conference, I invite you submit an article that supports your presentation. If you attended a great presentation, please invite the presenter to submit an article. Please email submissions to voice@waflt.org Please refer to guidelines for submitting articles or affiliate reports to the Voice. Guidelines are also posted

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on the WAFLT website under the publications tab. Spring 2018 Theme: Momentum Topics to consider: – How can we, as language educators, continue to build momentum as we look forward? – How can we, as language educators, move our profession forward, while building on the success of the past? – How are you moving forward in terms of creating and building curriculum? – How do you build momentum in your teaching practices while still keeping your sanity? – What do we need to anticipate for the learners of the future? – What resources do you use to help build momentum in your lessons and assessments? C eVoice – Andy Schwei Like Lauren, I am unable to attend this year’s conference. I enjoy putting the monthly eVoice together and would welcome any suggestions for improvement. Although I do not know this for certain, I think that we could use some help generating ideas for the High-Tech/Low-Tech and Advocacy in Action columns as well as contributors to write them. C 21st Century Committee – Jennifer Florio If you don’t like us on Facebook and Twitter, please do (username wafltwi). Our Facebook stands at 851 likes and on Twitter we have 1,414 followers. C Advertising – Josh LeGreve Current Advertising income is at $1275, which represents roughly 50% of the projected income budget. This is normal, as more ads will be sold during the Spring in preparation for next year’s pre-conference program issue. We are always looking for new advertisers, so please email advertising@waflt.org with any ideas.

C Website – Lauren Rosen Thanks to Josh for covering for me. Sorry to have missed this year’s conference but I hope everyone has enjoyed using the App. I look forward to getting feedback on that as we look to next year’s edition. If you are a presenter or friends with a presenter please encourage them to email a link to their session content or handout to webmaster@waflt.org. Include the ID number and session title in the subject line.

XIII. Announcements / other business, etc. CSCTFL 2018 is in Milwaukee from March 8-10. We hope that you can join us there for the 50th Anniversary of CSCTFL! Registration is now open and you can visit our table in the exhibit hall for more information. XIV. Adjournment MOTION: Keely Lake moved and Kellie Michels seconded to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

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Wisconsin Representative to NNELL Jessica Owens Stormonth Elementary School Fox Point-Bayside School District jowens@foxbay.org

Central States East Regional Representative to NNELL Julie Canady canady.julie@gmail.com

Wisconsin NELL: www.wi-nell.org Facebook /NNELL Wisconsin

National NELL: www.nnell.org Twitter Chat #earlylangchat

National Network for Early Language Learning provides leadership in support of successful early language learning and teaching of grades pK to 8. NNELL believes that all elementary school students should have access to high-quality, ongoing, articulated world language instruction of all language programs. Membership Benefits – Why Join NNELL? Membership in NNELL provides you with voice at the national level to support early language learning. It provides access to a network of hundreds of educators, workshops, webinar materials, articles, and various resources. “We Are Changing the World, One Thematic Unit at a Time ” r. Helena Curtain, Carol Hartman, and Theresa Kruschke Alfonso led the 7th Curriculum Writing Days on February 3rd. A group of educators of all levels met at Greendale High School to develop thematic units for their classrooms. Together, they offered support, peer collaboration, and powerful brainstorming. A thematic unit includes proficiency learning targets, essential questions, performance assessments, student activities, target functional chunks and vocabulary, grammar, cultural and content connections, and authentic materials.

What is the difference between a topic and a theme? A topic is a loose collection of ideas whereas a theme has a focused, organized collection of ideas. A topic tells students what they are going to talk about where a theme encourages students to explore some significance of a topic. The big

takeaway from this year’s Curriculum Writing Days was a defined set of criteria that a thematic unit needs in order to have a true, deep, and rich thematic center that will improve proficiency in students. To encourage students to improve their proficiency, the thematic unit must be deep and rich, intrinsically interesting, cognitively engaging, and culturally connected. In thinking about proficiency, novice students talk about themselves, intermediate students talk about daily life, advanced students can talk about communities and superior speakers can talk about the world. This is very important to consider when designing thematic units, as some units may be too high (or too low), based on the proficiency level of the students being taught. We are now developing new units for students that will be much more appropriate for where students are at

and will give them more of what they need in order to speak and move up to the next proficiency level more completely. Criteria for Choosing Topics and Converting to Themes 1. Proficiency: building on proficiency C Teach to appropriate proficiency level according to level of class taught. C Participate in simple direct conversations. C Ask and answer questions. C Handle basic uncomplicated communication needed in daily life (survival language). C Create with the language. C Use discrete sentences and strings of sentences. C Use sentence connectors. 2. Context: Deep and Rich Thematic Units

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C Move from topic to theme. C Simple language but complex thinking (Self, Daily Life, Community, World). C Age appropriate. 3. Intrinsically interesting? Cognitively Engaging? Culturally Connected? C Why should it matter to learners? C How will it engage them effectively? Applying these criteria for making changes in curriculum is ultimately going to be better for students and their experience in learning a language. I challenge you to look at units you use to teach and think about if your units fit the above criteria. If they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, are there changes that could be made? You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to change all your units, but just one. Just start with one. Then maybe next year, you could revise another unit. We are changing the world, one thematic unit at a time! We are also changing the world, one child at a time! I would like to thank Dr. Helena Curtain for her energy, understanding, expertise, and collaboration. She is changing the world, one teacher at a time.

FLESFEST celebrated its 30th Anniversary! Saturday, February 24, 2018 FLESFEST is a professional, Saturday-only conference that takes place each spring in collaboration with WAFLT. FLESFEST provides useful strategies to teachers of elementary programs, as well as beginning language teachers of any ages, that teachers can apply immediately after attending the conference. It supports elementary world language teachers from the ground up and has support from some of the most-knowledgeable in world language instruction today. It is an inspiring, motivational, and engaging conference, recommended for any world language teacher, regardless the level the teacher teaches.

CURRICULUM WRITING Visit www.wi-nell.org for more information and FREE registration June 19- 21, 2018 Greendale High School 9:00am-3:00pm each day Curriculum Writing Days offers a workshop model of professional development led by Helena Curtain and Carol Hartmann. Teachers of all levels and languages come together to build thematic units from beginning to end with performance assessments that aim to increase proficiency. This workshop model is FREE to any who attend and with student-focused curriculum that enables communication with a theme that is meaningful and deep to students. JOIN NNELL Join NNELL at www.nnell.org. You can pay via credit card or even by check. We hope to see you network with us here in Wisconsin. You can always visit our Wisconsin NELL website as well for more information at www.wi-nell.org!

Workshop of World Language Teachers at Curriculum Writing Days, February 3, 2018.

Jessica Owens

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Wisconsin Association of Chinese Language Teachers President Zona Karoliussen The Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted Learners (920) 448-2135 zfkaroliussen@gbaps.org Past-President Vacant

Secretary Yinghan Xue Neenah Joint School District (920) 751-6800 x19230 yxue@neenah.k12.wi.us Treasurer Ling Schoeneback Green Bay lingsusa@gmail.com

Nihao! s we begin a new calendar year and welcome the year of dog, I wish to take a few moments to review and share the accomplishments of WACLT in the past year. Your WACLT board is very proud of the important events and opportunities to promote our programs and Chinese language and culture.

Highlights in the Year of Rooster C Summer workshop On August 18, 2017, we held our first summer workshop at UW-Green Bay on standard-based grading. In this workshop, we were honored that Donna Clementi, our speaker and trainer, guided us on the topic of standard-based grading in world language education and discussed the important characteristics of assessing students, especially in speaking. Donna helped us develop the new rubrics for our Chinese speech contests as well.

C WAFLT Fall Conference 2017 On November 4, 2017, we held a successful business meeting; we appreciate the members who attended the meeting, as well as welcomed new members who joined us. We shared our thoughts on more effective communication and collaboration possibilities to support each other in teaching and further development of our programs. All of the teachers from high schools were excited and encouraged when we heard about the Chinese major with scholarships and study abroad opportunities from colleagues at Carthage College in Kenosha. They announced the number of students and scholarships that will be offered in the spring of 2018 and answered questions from teachers who were interested in learning more for their students. We are excited to announce that we will hold our annual Chinese Speech Contest at UW-Milwaukee again this year. We had a number of members stepped forward to volunteer for the contest.

Lastly, WACLT encourages teachers all over state to nominate students for the Excellence in Chinese Learning Award. This will be second year WACLT will recognize learners in Chinese. We heard so much positive feedback and appreciation from students, parents, and principals for the recognition of achievements. What to Expect in the Year of Dog C The 15th Annual Wisconsin Chinese Language Speech Contest The contest will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2018 in Bolton Hall at UWMilwaukee. This contest welcomes students from Kindergarten to college level, from beginners to heritage/native speakers. Participants can deliver speeches, recitations, or tell stories, so start encouraging and preparing your students to participate in this fun event now!

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C Excellence in Chinese Learning Award To recognize the students’ achievements in Chinese language and culture learning in the State of Wisconsin, our teachers and schools could hand out the reward and certification to the students by the end of the school year. Activities and Achievements to Share and Celebrate

language environments and different people to use and discover the language and culture. Students in Neenah Joint School District are going on a field trip to Concordia Language Village for a Chinese weekend camp in April, where students will be immersed in the target language and culture environment. Yinghan Xue

It’s the time of the year that all Chinese teachers around the state celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year with students and their community. Every year, teachers come up with diverse activities focusing on students’ experiences on distinctive culture and traditions. Green Bay Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners held another successful Chinese New Year parade during their school assembly, many other schools held New Year parties and galas to the community spreading Chinese culture. Students everywhere experienced and tried authentic food, made crafts, calligraphy, etc.. Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted Learners now has its own Spanish/ Chinese t-shirts. A t-shirt sale was organized by the world language department to promote world languages at the school. Over 130 t-shirts were ordered and delivered. Students can now wear their Chinese/Spanish t-shirts and show off their world language pride. Chinese programs in our state are flourishing every year, adding levels up as well as reaching to younger age groups of student. Teachers create diverse learning opportunities for students, not only in their classrooms, even outside of school. We want our students to reach out to authentic

Board Members

2017 Board Meeting

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American Association of French Teachers-Wisconsin Chapter President Ellen Onsrud Lake Mills Middle & High School presidentAATFWI@gmail.com President-Elect Kara Torkelson Wausau West High School presidentelectAATFWI@gmail.com

Secretary-Treasurer Brian Wopat Onalaska High School treasurerAATFWI@gmail.com

Concours Oral Margaret Schmidt Bay View High School, Milwaukee concoursoralAATFWI@gmail.com

Past President Andrea Behn Parker High School, Janesville pastpresidentAATFLWI@gmail.com

AATF Regional Representative Sheila Conrad sconrad@bettendorf.k12.ia.us

AATF-WI website: www.aatfwi.org Join us on Facebook: French Teachers in Wisconsin Group AATF website: www.frenchteachers.org Visit: www.theworldspeaksfrench.org

Mes chers collègues, s I begin my term as President, I would like to take the opportunity to thank both SuAnn Schroeder and Andrea Behn for all they have done for AATF-WI, for French teachers in Wisconsin, and for the language teaching profession as a whole. While their roles are changing, AATF-WI is lucky to still have them both continuing their leadership: SuAnn will be continuing as President of WAFLT and Andrea is transitioning to Past President of AATF-WI. In 2018, I also welcome Kara Torkelson as AATF-WI President-Elect and Margaret Schmidt as the State Coordinator for the Concours Oral. At the National level, I would like to thank Eileen Walvoord for her work as our AATF Regional Representative and welcome Sheila Conrad. Eileen will be continuing as chair of the AATF Teacher Shortage Task Force. I feel very fortunate to work with the dedicated French teachers not only in Wisconsin, but at the national level as well.

As French educators we know we are in a good profession. How can we encourage others to join us? One way is through regional workshops. In September, Andrea Behn and I, in conjunction with UW-Madison, hosted Un Atelier pour la rentrée, a workshop for both future and current educators. Our morning session focused on future educators both at the university level and those thinking about changing careers. In the afternoon, current educators met to discuss current needs and share resources. These mini-sessions revived us both personally and professionally. If you would like to host an event in your region, I would be happy to share ideas to help you get started.

conference, AATF-WI recognized the following award winners:

Another way to celebrate our future and current colleagues, as well as those who promote French language education, is through contests and awards. During our November Business Meeting at the WAFLT Fall

C Cértificat de Reconnaissance: Ramona Armour, Arrowhead Union High School

C Lillian Trottier awards for the Concours Oral were presented to Onalasaka High School, Aquinas Middle & High Schools, Prairie School Upper School and Elementary School, West DePere Middle School, Brookfield Academy Middle and Elementary Schools, and Milwaukee French Immersion Elementary School. C Excellence in French: Elle Leary, Lake Mills High School C Héros du Français: Christopher Laue, Principal, Parker High School, Janesville

C Distinguished French Educator: Sage Goellner, UW-Madison

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President Andrea Behn presents Sage Goellner with the Distinguished Educator Award

Does your school have local French awards? AATF-WI would be happy to help promote the great work you’re doing and to showcase your students. Please let us know! Did your students participate in our National French Week Kahoot! and meme contests? These are great events to write a short article about for your local newspaper or to post on your local Facebook group. Parents love to see what their children are doing inside the classroom and it is an easy way to promote your program. In the Kahoot! contest, students answered French trivia questions in a preliminary round, with the top 40 finishers competing in the final round to determine the top 5 finishers. In the meme contest, students competed in two divisions, intermediate (6-8) and secondary (9-12), around the theme of “A Day in the Life of a French Student.” Entries were judged on visual impact, relevance, theme, and originality. The Kahoot! winners and the winning memes, as well as all the students who entered memes, are featured on our website (www.aatfwi.org).

As you move toward the end of the school year, are you looking for units or small ideas to add to what you are already doing? Check out our AATF-WI Share Session folder from November’s WAFLT conference. This link (https://goo.gl/ffiKfi) will take you to the folder or you can access it from our AATF-WI homepage (www.aatfwi.org). Do you have a unit or resource you’d like to share? Please feel free to add it to our folder or email it to me. Are you looking for a different way to assess the proficiency level of your students? The Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI) training offered by WAFLT June 18th & 19th is a great way to do this. Sessions are offered specifically for French. For more information, see the WAFLT website or this link https://goo.gl/Cr68hx. Or maybe you are looking for a way to revive your own passion for French? The following are some easy ways shared by colleagues to re-energize for the end of the school year. C Games: City of Love Paris and 10 Destins C Podcasts C News in French from France or any of the Francophone countries C Francophone music on Spotify Have you considered attending the AATF National Convention? This year the conference will be held in Martinique, un coin de la France près de chez nous! In addition to the on-site convention, there are several excursions offered on the island and post-convention excursion to Guadeloupe. More information can be found at: http://frenchteachers.org/ convention/updatefiles/highlight.htm.

No matter which path you choose, keep the momentum you have going! Your enthusiasm and passion for the French language will be contagious! Speaking of momentum, following the tradition Andrea started, I will continue to email announcements to members as we continue the school year. Please let me know if there are any announcements you would like shared, have questions that I can answer, or have ideas that we can collaborate on. I look forward to sharing information about future workshops, graduate credit opportunities, and teaching resources, as well as working with all of you as President. Bonne continuation! Ellen Onsrud

2018 WAFLT Fall Conference November 1-3 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Appleton, WI Unlock the Doors: Explore a World of Opportunities. Watch for details at waflt.org and in the fall issue of The VOICE of WAFLT

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American Association of Teachers of German – Wisconsin President Jeanne Schueller UW-Madison jmschuel@wisc.edu

Past President Siggi Piwek Milwaukee German Immersion School piweks@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Vice President Jeffrey Dyer Oregon High School jmd3@oregonsd.net

Secretary Carley Goodkind Greenfield High School cgoodkind@greenfield.k12.wi.us

Treasurer Melanie Lasee Ashwaubenon High School mlasee@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us

An alle Deutsch lehrenden DeutschlehrerInnen! ow is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and the many ways that teachers and learners of German across the state of Wisconsin collaborated during 2017.

Die Flüchtlingskrise During our Immersion Weekend in February 2017, we explored the history of refugee migration to Germany and discussed how this critical chapter in history can be taught in the German language class. Our thanks to presenters Doug Phillipp (Colorado Springs, CO), Heidi Lechner and Ninja Nagel (IL), and Siggi Piwek (WI) for their insights and thoughtprovoking presentations and materials. The 20th immersion weekend, a collaboration between the Wisconsin and Northern Illinois chapters of the AATG, was organized by Siggi Piwek, Ingrid Zeller, Antje Starbird, and last but not least, Charles James, whom we thank for his work on the Immersion Weekend every year since it began! By the time this publication appears, we will have met for our 21st Immersion Weekend on Esskultur. We hope you were there!

beieinander, füreinander, miteinander “beieinander, füreinander, miteinander” was the theme of the 28th annual German Day at UW-Madison but it represents more than just a motto. Working together and being there for one another describe the collaborative spirit of German Day. Over 500 middle and high school students attended last year’s event, showcasing their enthusiasm for the German language and its cultures through poetry readings, spelling bees, skit presentations, Pictionary, charades, singing, both solo and ensemble, and a poster competition. Dozens of volunteers make the event possible. Special recognition goes to Mukwonago High School for 28 years of attendance and taking home 1st place among high schools. In addition, DeForest and Nicolet High Schools also participated an impressive 28th year in a row. Greenfield Middle School students took home top honors among the middle schools.

Deutsch lernen – mit Spaß und viel Musik! Around 1,600 German learners across the state experienced the excitement of a live concert by the band Einshoch6! With 3 concerts in Wisconsin, the band’s music – a unique mix of hip hop and classical sung in German – reached eager students and their communities in November. A shout out to local organizers Melanie Lasee, Siggi Piwek, Janelle Pfaller, and Kerri Patton for their hard work! Let’s join the band in their homage to ALL German teachers and those who have fun learning German: “An alle Deutsch lehrenden Deutschlehrerinnen, die den Deutschlernenden Deutsch näherbringen: Wir wollen mit Deutschlehrerinnen Deutsch lernen, denn nur durch Deutschlehrerinnen wird man Deutschlernerking.”

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German band Einshoch6 in Milwaukee Photo credit: dw.com/bandtagebuch

Ein Held in meinem Leben An impressive 365 middle and high school students from 20 schools in Wisconsin participated in the AATG German Exam/DSSV German Essay Contest. Congratulations to the students and their teachers for their hard work. More than $20,000 in prizes and scholarships were awarded! Our chapter thanks Michael Koch for his continued organizational support and dedication to promoting German in Wisconsin. 2017 Wisconsin AATG Distinguished Educator Our organization chose Martina Lindseth (UW-Eau Claire) as the 2017 recipient of the Wisconsin AATG Distinguished Educator Award. Martina’s professional involvement in advocating for German language

studies, her outstanding record as teacher, and her research in second language acquisition were some of the many qualities and accomplishments for which we recognized Martina at our annual business meeting in November. Those present enjoyed hearing highlights of Martina’s career, including poignant moments with students at home and abroad. More Accolades in 2017 for … C Melanie Lasee and Kyle Gordon for being awarded the WAFLT Recognition of Merit for demonstrated excellence in language teaching and for making a significant contribution to the profession. C Sabine Beirold for receiving the WAFLT Certificate of Professional Service Award and for many years of organizing the German Pronunciation Contest in Wisconsin. C Kit Chase for receiving the WAFLT Certificate of Professional Service Award. C Mary Grace Floeter for being recognized with the WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award. CUW-Stevens Point for winning the “AATG Teach German Student Video Contest”. C All presenters and participants at this year’s conferences – whether at FLESFest, Central States, WAFLT, or ACTFL – there was no shortage of opportunities to network with colleagues and engage in professional development. A Word of Thanks

Tobias Barske and Martina Lindseth (recipient of the Distinguished Educator)

My sincere thanks to Tobias Barske (UW-Stevens Point) for his four years of service as president and past-president. His steadfast support has been much appreciated, and board meetings will not be the same without his presence. My thanks as

well to outgoing secretary Stephanie Krenz for her dedication and to Melanie Lasee for her continued service as treasurer. We welcome Jeffrey Dyer (Oregon High School) as vice president and Carley Goodkind (Greenfield High School) as secretary. I look forward to collaborating with the board in our new leadership roles. To past president, Siggi Piwek (Milwaukee German Immersion School), I say “vielen Dank im Voraus” for two more years of advice and support. We need YOU! Our state has amazing German programs and incredible teachers. Through organizing German Day at UW-Madison, I have come to know many of you, but over the next two years as president, I hope to reach out to many more and learn about your schools and your programs, your challenges, and your successes. This year’s attendance at our annual meeting was low, and I’ve made it a goal to substantially increase attendance at the 2018 meeting (watch for incentives!). Please help me out by renewing your membership, recruiting colleagues, and reinvigorating interest in WI-AATG. Thank you for everything you do to promote the teaching and learning of German in our state. We are here to support you and to celebrate with you! Stay in touch by emailing us (see email addresses on previous page) and be sure to join our WI-AATG Facebook group. We look forward to collaborating with you. Finally, we are looking for people to serve as “County Membership Ambassadors.” Your task would be to contact school districts in your county in order to create an updated list of

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which schools offer German and if the German teachers are WI-AATG members or not. Please let us know if you would be willing to help with this project and sign up on the Google form via the link (https://goo.gl/DP2dd3) or the QR code.

Wir wĂźnschen euch allen ein gesundes und erfolgreiches 2018! Jeanne Schueller

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Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese President Shinji Takahashi UW-Milwaukee (414) 229-5650 takahash@uwm.edu

President-Elect Takako Nakakubo UW-Madison (608) 262-3473 tnakakubo@wisc.edu

Activities Director/ Secretary Yuko Kojima-Wert UW-Milwaukee (414) 229-5650 kojima@uwm.edu

Web Page Editor Masako Lackey UW-Milwaukee (414) 229-5650 lackey@uwm.edu

President ex-officio Richard Kania Franklin High School (414) 423-4640, ext. 2116 Richard.Kania@franklin.k12.wi.us

Treasurer Yu Kitamura Kitamurayu2017@gmail.com

Membership Information: Please visit the AATJ website – http://aatj.org/membership/index.html Please visit our website for K-16 Japanese instruction in Wisconsin: https://wisconsinatj.wordpress.com

Konnichiwa!

e hope your spring semester is off to a great start!

WAFLT Fall Conference 2018 It’s never too early to start thinking about the WAFLT Fall Conference. Please mark your calendars for November 1-3, 2018. The theme of this year’s conference is Unlock the Doors: Explore a World of Opportunities. We expect to have many presentations regarding Japanese pedagogy and we look forward to sharing ideas on educating our students. Our business meeting is on Saturday morning. We hope to have participation from many parts of Wisconsin. Events Held The Milwaukee Japanese Association and Franklin High School co-hosted Japan Fest on October 8, 2017. We had over 850 participants. WiATJ had a booth at this event and helped promote Japanese language and culture to the community members in Milwaukee.

WiATJ had a fruitful business meeting at the 2017 WAFLT Fall Conference. We discussed our future events such as the Japan Bowl Competition, speech contests, and other outreach activities. The 5th Annual Japan Bowl Competition in Wisconsin took place on February 3, 2018, at Franklin High School. This competition is an academic competition for high school students who study the Japanese language. The winning team will compete at the National Japan Bowl in Washington, DC. WiATJ reached out to Anime fans who gathered at Anime Milwaukee from February 16-18, 2018. During this Anime convention, WiATJ organized academic lectures and cultural events such as origami (paper folding), traditional games, and calligraphy. UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison hosted intermural speech contests on March 2, 2018. We hope some of the participants will be able to participate in the speech contest held by ConsulateGeneral of Japan in Chicago. We hope to have more participants next year.

If you or your institution has any news, holds any events, or receives any awards or comments, please share them with us so we can include it here in future newsletters. We would love to hear from you. In closing, Wisconsin is one of the leading states in Japanese education and it is very important that we continue to be visible in the area of foreign language education. Your participation in WAFLT will make a huge difference. Please become a WAFLT member today. (waflt.org/member-resources/join-waflt) Finally, if you haven’t become a member of WiATJ yet, please do so by going to the AATJ website today (aatj.org/membership/index.html). We always welcome any ideas you have to help improve WiATJ and to meet your needs. Please let us know if you have any ideas to contribute. The door is always open. Shinji Takahashi

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Wisconsin Latin Teachers Association President Nate Kolpin Wauwatosa School District kolpinna@wauwatosa.k12.wi.us

Secretary Michelle Bayouth Elmbrook Schools bayouthm@elmbrookschools.org

Webmaster Keely Lake, Ph.D. Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam klake@wayland.org

Treasurer pro tempore Daniel Tess Brookfield Central High School tessdanielp@gmail.com

Salvēte Magistrae et Magistrī! LTA is happy to welcome Michelle Bayouth to our ranks. Michelle is taking over the middle school program in Elmbrook SD and filling the WLTA Secretary vacancy.

Michelle Bayouth

Language instruction is your second career, where did you begin? My work life started in the 1990s at NASA JSC in Houston. A newly graduated Aerospace Engineer, I immersed myself in a world where accuracy is critical given the inherent risks of space flight. Many years later I stayed home to raise our 3 children and failed spectacularly in an attempt to home-school my oldest daughter, who has special needs. There is such a thing as pedagogy, after all, but who knew? Certainly not me! In the process, however, I fell in love with Latin and I started studying in my spare time with a private tutor.

As our daughter was re-integrated into public schools, I marveled at the way in which several gifted teachers inspired her. Not all teachers had that ability—many were impatient and intolerant—but those teachers who made a difference made an enormous difference. These compassionate and dedicated teachers were the linchpin moving her from failure to success. It became clear to me that teachers give their students life: they share problem-solving skills which their students take with them into the world, and they share their passion for learning and growing which students take into their hearts and make their own. I felt that I could no longer sit on the sidelines: it was time for me to share my passion for Latin, my engineering-mindset that cherishes linguistic accuracy, and my dedication to students who are struggling and suffering. I enrolled at UW-Madison in the Classics program, and eventually transferred into the College of Education in order to learn all of the pedagogical tricks that I had needed those many years ago. This career is my way of honoring those teachers who gave my daughter life, and sharing what I have to give with any and every student who comes into my path.

Why Classics? I believe that the rigorous problem-solving skills that I learned in my engineering training can be taught through language, and uniquely so through the inflected Latin language. Engineers approach intractable problems by picking apart whole structures, understanding their intricacies, and putting them back together much as one would fix a clock. Latin, which beautifully reflects the engineering mindset of the Romans, can be approached in the same way. These critical problem-solving skills, once learned, can extend into every aspect of a learner’s education and life. I was not, at first, enthralled by the Classics as I was quite distracted by my love for the language itself! As I took more coursework, however, I came to realize how the Classics are foundational to our culture. For me, Latin was the entry point into appreciating the Classics. For many of our students, it is the other way around! Either way, they go hand-in-glove and can be used as a means to engaging our youth in thinking more clearly and cleverly.

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What is your philosophy of education? My philosophy is that education is a practice, much like yoga: each day, I try to improve what I am doing and how I am doing it. I am constantly watching for what my students “caught” and how they caught it, and what they missed and why so that I can come at it from a different angle. The students are my puzzle. How can I make the material accessible to each and every one? How can I motivate each and every one? Even more importantly, I believe that learning is all about the emotional space and try to create a culture that is joyful and exciting. I am always on the lookout for students who are stressed and try to make sure they are challenged but not emotionally taxed by my expectations. We are all about reflection. What are your initial reflections on your time in classroom so far? I am really grateful to be in a school district that provides more training and support than I could possibly take advantage of. If I have a concern, it is that my head-space is divided: I want my focus to be on pedagogy and student achievement, but often I have to redirect my attention to documenting things for the administration. I understand that this is all meant to ensure teachers are implementing best practices, which is important and right. This tension needs to exist, but as a new teacher, the SLOs, PPGs, UBDs, PPLs can become overwhelming. The beauty of studying Latin is that it is, in the end, about what Latin gives back to you. You can’t study it for 4 years and celebrate by running off to Rome and ordering a beer. So why do it at all?

No student wants to learn grammar by diagramming a sentence, but through Latin they learn grammar without realizing it. No one wants to study vocabulary, but when they understand and use words in Latin, English suddenly comes into colour. No one wants to learn problemsolving skills as a subject, but students learn these skills because they’re motivated to cleverly interpret a passage. Imagine the satisfaction on a student’s face when they catch a joke that was told 2000 years ago and are reveling in the fact that it is still funny, but only if you tell it in Latin. These skills give students momentum for the whole of their lives. They take the skills they absorb through language learning and apply them in every other aspect of their lives. They learn how to be discerning, productive, and satisfied. What more could we want?

Donna Clementi Blue Ribbon School Award for Excellence in World Language Programs Do you have a school or district World Language Program that is worthy of praise? Do you have an exemplary program model, well-articulated curriculum, stellar staff, advocacy and outside community support, and program/student achievement results that speak to the excellence of your school(s)? If so, then nominate your school(s) for this special award! Details can be found at waflt.org

Moved recently? Changed jobs? Changed names? Update your WAFLT profile! Your profile information is the main vehicle for WAFLT to keep in touch with you and pass on information about what is happening in our organization. Verify/update your own information today: 1. Go to waflt.org and click on “Login” from the right end of the menu bar at the top. — Don’t remember your password? Click on “Forgot Password” and retrieve it using your email address or login ID. 2. Type in your login ID or email address and your password to enter. — Still can’t login? DO NOT create a new login! Instead, contact webmaster@waflt.org for assistance. 3. On the left click account information. 4. Click edit at the top to make changes. Don’t forget to save! — If possible add a personal email address in addition to the school one as some schools block waflt.org.

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American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese President Erin Nienas Neenah Joint School District erin.nienas@neenah.k12.wi.us

Secretary Barb Olsen Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School barbara.olsen@kmlhs.org

Past President Treasurer Jeanne Kasza Port Washington School District Jessica Owens jeanne.kasza@pwssd.k12.wi.us Fox Point-Bayside School District jowens@foxbay.org President Elect Kathy Varda Webmaster Beloit Turner School District Shelly Krueger vardak@turnerschools.org West Bend School District skrueger@wbsd-schools.org

NSE Coordinator Victoria Carter Onalaska School District carvi@onalaskaschools.com

Concurso Oral Sara Ruiz Hartford Union High School sara.ruiz@huhs.org

Janet Jackson Sociedad Honoraria West Bend School District Hispánica jjackson@wbsd-schools.org Monica Lentz Elmbrook School District lentzm@elmbrookschools.org

¡Saludos a todos! ATSP-WI would like to take time to introduce our new board member. In November, 2017 we changed over leadership roles and held a vote at our annual WAFLT meeting for the role of President-Elect. Welcome Kathy Varda! Kathy is an experienced Spanish teacher, currently residing in Milton, WI and teaching Spanish at Beloit Turner Middle & High.

We have a lot of exciting, upcoming events. Please let us know if you’re interested in getting more involved in our organization and don’t forget to check out our beautiful website for more information: wiaatsp.org. Here’s what we’re up to this year: Concurso Oral The annual Spanish pronunciation contest, Concurso Oral, was held on March 17th at Badger Middle School in West Bend, WI. This event is open to students from all levels, including FLES and Heritage-speakers. Concurso

selections and more information can be found online at: wiaatsp.org/concurso-oral Please email Sara Ruiz at sara.ruiz@huhs.org with questions and for more information. Registration was open February 10–March 10, 2018. Wisconsin and National Poster Contest We asked that you encourage your students to create a poster for the Wisconsin Poster Contest. One poster per category (K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12) was selected to move on to the national contest. Submissions were due by March 17th at noon to Kathy Varda at vardak@turnerschools.org or Erin Nienas at erin.nienas@neenah.k12.wi.us. See this link for information: www.aatsp.org/page/postercontest. Profesor Sobresaliente Do you know a colleague who is an AATSP member and deserves to be honored? Please consider nominating

someone for Wisconsin AATSP Teacher of the year: wiaatsp.org/profesorprofesora-sobresa liente. Deadline was March 31, 2018. Contact Jeanne Kasza at Jeanne.kasza@pwssd.k12.wi.us with questions. Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Are you familiar with SHH? Check out the national site at the link below to see details about the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica or contact Monica Lentz at lentzm@elmbrookschools.org with questions about Wisconsin SHH Chapters. www.aatsp.org/general/custom.asp?pa ge=SHH Remember to follow us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/AATSPWI Erin Nienas

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WAFLT Awards, Scholarships, and Grants: Details & Forms available @ waflt.org WAFLT Distinguished Language Educator Award: WAFLT's highest recognition, may be conferred annually on an individual of the language teaching profession who has demonstrated long-term achievement and service to WAFLT and to the profession locally, statewide, regionally, and/or nationally. Nomination Deadline: March 15 Anthony J. Gradisnik Award: May be conferred on an individual or group especially from outside the world language teaching profession who shares Mr. Gradisnik's enthusiasm and advocacy for language education in such areas as international education, early language learning, and creative initiatives in language education. Nomination Deadline: March 15 Frank M. Grittner New Teacher Award: May be conferred annually on an individual new to the language teaching profession with one to three years experience who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and leadership in the promotion of language learning and international understanding; has given service to school, community, and state organizations; and has shown commitment to regional and national organizations. Nomination Deadline: March 15 WAFLT Excellence in Language Study Award: May be conferred on students who have demonstrated great achievement and progress in language study and who exhibit great potential for further achievement in the language. Students currently enrolled in a world language course offered at their school. Elementary, middle school, high school, and post-secondary students are eligible. Nomination Deadline: March 15 WAFLT Honors in Language Study Award: May be conferred on students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in and commitment to their school’s language programs. Students currently enrolled in the most advanced world language course offered at their school; high school and post-secondary students are eligible. Deadline: March 15 WAFLT Future Language Teacher Award: May be conferred annually on students in teacher-training programs who have shown exceptional promise and potential to become outstanding World Language educators. Students currently enrolled in a teacher-training program are eligible. Nomination Deadline: April 1 Donna Clementi Award for Excellence in World Language Programs: Recognizes one school and/or district that promotes language learning through quality programs.

WAFLT Professional Service Award: May be presented annually to recent retirees who have served both the profession and their students in providing quality world language education. Recent retirees with a minimum of ten years’ experience as World Language educators and who have been members of WAFLT a minimum of five years within the past ten years are eligible. Nomination Deadline: May 15 WAFLT Recognition of Merit: May be presented annually to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or who have made significant contributions to the language teaching profession. Nomination Deadline: February 15 WAFLT Student Travel Scholarship: Designed to help Wisconsin pre-collegiate world language students to participate in language and cultural immersion programs, this scholarship was established in 1999 to honor O. Lynn Bolton, a Spanish teacher in the West Allis-West Milwaukee school district. Nomination Deadline: December 1 WAFLT Scholarship for Professional Development: Designed to help World Language educators in Wisconsin improve their classroom teaching skills, this scholarship was established in 1995 to honor Professor Roma Hoff as she retired from the Department of Foreign Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The fund was expanded to honor Professor Constance Knop who retired from the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996, and again in 2005 to honor the memory of Professor Irène Kraemer who served in many capacities at Carthage College. Nomination Deadline: April 15 WAFLT Scholarship for Tomorrow’s Teachers: Designed to offer financial assistance to attend the WAFLT Fall Conference for up to 20 college-level students preparing to become language teachers. Deadline: September 25 WAFLT Special Projects Grants: Designed to support research efforts, exchange initiatives, special programs, and projects that clearly demonstrate an ability to benefit a broad constituency of World Language educators and students in Wisconsin. Deadlines: April 15 and November 15 WAFLT Central States Extension Workshop Grant: Designed to offer financial support for two WAFLT members to attend the Central States Extension Workshop each spring. Recipients of the grant are expected to work together to present a WAFLT Extension Workshop at the Fall Conference in Appleton. Deadline: December 15

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WAFLT Katy Dueppen, Editor WAFLT Membership Service PO Box 1493 Appleton, WI 54912

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Information & Address Change Help eliminate costly duplicate mailings. Mark appropriately, detach and return to: WAFLT Membership Services, PO Box 1493, Appleton, WI 54912 Please delete the address on the mailing label Please correct the address on the mailing label Please add the name/address shown to the WAFLT mailing list. Please send WAFLT membership information to the address shown below. Write address addition/corrections here: Name: Address:

PRSRT STND US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT19 GREENVILLE WI