Ahlan ya colleagues, Welcome to the Arabic K-12 Bulletin, a biweekly resource for elementary, middle, and high school Arabic teachers, administrators, and researchers. In this issue we bring you professional opportunities including grants and job openings, as well as new webinars. We also offer suggestions for a classroom game, a useful website, and for the first time a book recommendation, too. As always, if you would like to reach us please send a message to arabick12@gmail.com. Steven Berbeco, Editor |
The Arabic K-12 Teachers Network consists of more than 1,000 educators, administrators, and researchers interested in the Arabic K-12 field in the U.S. It is a free membership provided by the National Capital Language Resource Center's Arabic K-12 Project. Recent issues of the Bulletin are archived here: http://bit.ly/10KRZi3 . All members are welcome to submit posts in English or Arabic and may do so by e-mailing their content to arabick12@gmail.com specifying their content for the listserv. This listserv is focused on elementary, middle, and high school Arabic teaching. Job openings at the university level can be found on the AATA's website . |
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES NEW RESOURCES FOR YOUR STUDENTS AND CLASSROOM GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS NADA'S WEBSITES: "Mixbook" BELAL'S ACTIVITIES: "Battleship" MEOC BOOK RECOMMENDATION: "Folktales from Turkey" CURRENT RESEARCH: "Dealing with a Defiant Student" FOCUS ON LEARNING: "Federal Funding Cuts Hit Southern Lehigh's Arabic Class" |
Workshops and Webinars The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA) is offering a two-part webinar: From Social Media to Social Welfare: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Studying the Arab Uprisings on May 14 (7-8 pm EST) and May 21 (7-8 pm EST). Explore how twitter feeds, GIS mapping, and demographic data inform innovative research on political change in the Arab World. Educators will gain insight into ongoing political change in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as skill building in analysis of graphs, maps, and close reading of new media sources. For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/10VPDRJ . Occidental College is offering Technology as the Core of Standards-Based Arabic Instruction, a workshop for teachers at California State University, Long Beach, June 20-26. Participants will learn to effectively use technology to enhance a standards-based approach, including locating authentic materials on the web; using technologies to make authentic materials accessible to students; facilitating interpersonal communication through instant messaging, video, audio and written chats, emails, interactive assignments and homework; supporting presentational communication using online postings, webpages and GoogleDrive. For more information, contact Iman Hashem ihashem@oxy.edu. Concordia Language Villages is offering Qatar Professional Development Workshops this spring and fall with full scholarships, substitute teacher reimbursement, and travel stipends for current and future teachers of Arabic, October 10-13. These workshops will bring together K-16 Arabic language teachers from across the United States to explore innovative instructional strategies. All Arabic language teachers are invited to apply for one or both of these workshops. To register: http://bit.ly/Xm0v7y . New York University (New York City, NY) will conduct a STARTALK teacher-training workshop June 10-21, 2013. All current and prospective teachers at any level can apply, from community to college; graduate students are also welcome. Grant covers on-campus housing, course transcript, and need-based travel assistance. To apply: http://bit.ly/151VnK4 . Georgetown University (Washington, DC) will present Approaches to Teaching the Middle East, a one-week workshop for K-12 teachers, June 24-28, 2013. This program offers a multidisciplinary approach to teaching about the countries of southwestern Asia and northern Africa. There will be readings and hands-on activities, and plenty of opportunities to ask questions and engage in discussions. Each teacher participant will receive $100 worth of resources, background information, and teaching materials. Deadline for application: May 10, 2013. Contact Zeina Azzam seikalyz@georgetown.edu with questions or to apply. The Developing Materials for Less Commonly Taught Languages institute at CARLA (Minneapolis, MN; July 15-19, 2013
) will provide Instructors with practical tools and hands-on experience in developing a wide range of materials. Grounded in the latest research on effective language pedagogy and second language acquisition, this institute will focus on proficiency-oriented approaches to teaching. For more information: http://bit.ly/16rRtIp . The Center for Language Education and Research (East Lansing, MI) is offering summer professional development workshops in July and August. These workshops offer hands-on experience and concrete ideas for language teachers: Writing in the Foreign Language Classroom; Revisiting the Learning and Teaching of Vocabulary; Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques; and Assessing Speaking: For Placement Testing, Classroom-based Assessment, and Proficiency Exams. Early bird deadline is May 17 ($150/workshop), regular deadline is June 3. For more information: http://bit.ly/16KTFeh . Professional Conferences The International Conference on Language Teacher Education will be held May 30 - June 1, 2013 at George Washington University (Washington, DC). Designed for practitioners and researchers involved in the preparation and ongoing professional development of language teachers, LTE 2013 will address the education of teachers of all languages, at all instructional and institutional levels, and in many national and international contexts in which this takes place including: English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instruction; foreign/modern/world language teaching; bilingual education; immersion education; indigenous and minority language education; and the teaching of less commonly taught languages. For more information: http://bit.ly/THAevN . Call For Proposals and Papers The Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (JNCOLCTL) is soliciting articles for publication. The Journal, published annually by NCOLCTL, is dedicated to the issues and concerns related to the teaching and learning of Less Commonly Taught Languages such as Arabic. The Journal primarily seeks to address the interests of language teachers, administrators, and researchers. Articles that describe innovative and successful teaching methods that are relevant to the concerns or problems of the profession, or that report educational research or experimentation in Less Commonly Taught Languages are welcome. For more information: http://bit.ly/12gmiRT . To submit an article: Danko.Sipka@asu.edu . The Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA) will be holding its annual conference Oct 3-4, 2013 at Williamsburg, VA. FLAVA is seeking papers, panels, and workshops on teaching Arabic L2. Last year we had eight sessions on Arabic that where well-attended by teachers of Arabic, French, Spanish, Chinese, and more. School teachers as well as college professes are strongly encouraged to share their teaching and research with teachers of other languages attend this annual meeting. For more details: http://bit.ly/Xf3aBL . |
The Middle East Outreach Center offers a free gallery of member-contributed photographs taken in the Middle East: http://bit.ly/112sDjS. These copyright-friendly photographs are licensed for use in the classroom or for non-commercial projects. ExamTime (http://www.examtime.com) is a website that middle and high school can use to help them prepare for tests, using different visualization techniques. Students can create flashcards, mind maps, and practice quizzes, and also arrange their materials into topics to help them study. Their materials can be shared with other students through the website, too. For a video that walks you through the website: http://bit.ly/18csz1a . Shareor (http://www.shareor.com) is a free website that lets teachers share resources using collaborative virtual workspaces. This helpful video explains what it is capable of: http://bit.ly/12UIFcu . Class Pager (http://bit.ly/112y1hT) offers teachers a free way to poll students during class, give exit tickets, or "page" students after class by text message to remind them of assignments. Say goodbye to students forgetting their books at home! High School Summer Programs Aldeen Foundation (Pasadena, CA) is offering Stay Fit and Healthy June 17-July 5, 2013, a free Arabic summer program for beginner and heritage learner high school students. Language activities include sports, fitness, nutrition and role playing. Students who complete the online and onsite sessions will receive an allowance for mileage and college credit. Deadline to apply is May 31, 2013. For more information: http://bit.ly/Yjwab6 . The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy recently received a grant from the Qatar Foundation International to provide student scholarships for this summer's four-week immersion Arabic Academy at Pomona College (Claremont, CA). For more information: http://bit.ly/17p1IP4 . Columbia University Middle East Research Center in Amman and King's Academy in Jordan are offering a summer program for 11th and 12th grade high school students June 23- July 20, 2013. Students combine substantive reading and coursework with first-hand experience in an Arab country, studying at Columbia University (NYC) and King's Academy (Manja, Jordan), and traveling extensively in Jordan.Students emerge from this program with a working knowledge of the history and cultures of the modern Arab world and rudimentary conversational Arabic. For more information: http://bit.ly/11HiFDo . King's Academy is offering a summer program for middle school and high school students on its campus outside of Amman, Jordan (June 30-July 25). The program will offer separate tracks for heritage and non-heritage speakers. Students will also engage in afternoon and weekend activities to explore the culture, traditions and history of Jordan and the Arab world. Students will live in King's Academy dormitories, supervised by school faculty. For more information: http://bit.ly/XUSgLB or email Joe Silvestri jsilvestri@kingsacademy.edu.jo. Choate Rosemary Hall is offering a high school summer program in Amman, Jordan (June 10 - July 10, 2013). The program will offer Modern Standard Arabic (at a level appropriate to proficiency) and intensive Jordanian colloquial classes. Students will also explore Jordanian History and learn about traditional Islamic arts, and students will live in pairs with Jordanian families. For further information: http://bit.ly/10CGmYr or email Georges Chahwan gchahwan@choate.edu. University of North Georgia is offering the Federal Service Language Academy, an intensive first-year and second-year Arabic program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in international-related careers with the federal government. Includes a daily fitness program, career counseling from federal agency representatives, and possible high school credit. For further information: http://bit.ly/TYKd3B . Connecting With Teachers Connect with hundreds of Arabic teachers in America and from around the world on the Teachers of Arabic Language K-12 (TALK12) page on Facebook. Teachers can chat, swap ideas, and give each other advice: http://www.talk12.org . Arabic teachers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut: the New England Association of Arabic Teachers has been supporting K-12 Arabic teachers since 2008 with workshops, material and resources, and regular meetings. To join, contact Steven Berbeco berbeco@bu.edu. The Marhaba! Project is facilitating biweekly Virtual Coffee Hours, where a small group of teachers "meet up" on a conference call to talk about classroom teaching, materials and resources, and educational technology. The next coffee hour will be May 11 at 11am EST. Contact coffeehour@marhabaproject.org if you have any questions or would like to participate. |
The ACTFL Arabic SIG has announced the Dora Johnson 2013 award for K-12 teachers who wish to attend the ACTFL 2013 convention in Orlando, FL. To be eligible, teachers must be ACTFL and Arabic SIG members, and either first-time attendees or confirmed conference presenters. The revised application deadline is June 2, 2013. To apply: http://bit.ly/ZZMfio . For more information: arabicsig@gmail.com. Job Openings Aldeen-Startalk Teacher Assistant Program (Pasadena, CA) is looking for summer-time teaching assistants for the "Stay Fit and Healthy" program, June 24-July 5. Sophomore and junior college students are needed to help students improve their Arabic skills. Stipend is $750. Application deadline is June 1, 2013. To apply: aldeenstartalk09@aldeenfoundation.org . Salem Public Schools (Salem, MA) anticipates a job opening for an Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. For additional information, contact Jeanine Dentremont at (978) 740-1115. Orange Crescent School (Garden Grove CA) is seeking a full-time K-8 Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. To apply, send a letter of introduction, letter(s) of recommendation, and a resume to: hr@orangecrescent.com . South Brunswick Summer Institute (North Brunswick, NJ) is seeking a summer-time high school Arabic teacher for 60 hours or 120 hours of instructional time. To apply: http://bit.ly/YgS27M . ABC Languages (New York, NY) is seeking a part-time Arabic teacher for classes in Westchester county. To apply, send your resume to: westchester@abclang.com. The American School of Dubai (Dubai, UAE) is seeking a Director of Arabic Language as well as an elementary school Arabic teacher, both for the 2013-2014 school year. To apply: http://bit.ly/10I1woV . Roland Park Country School (Baltimore, MD) is seeking a full-time high school Arabic teacher for levels 1 to 4. Candidates should be able to teach Levantine or Egyptian in addition to Modern Standard Arabic, and they are expected to integrate technology into the curriculum. To apply send your resume to Associate Head of School Carla Spawn-van Berkum: vanBerkumC@RPCS.org. Chicago Ridge School (Chicago Ridge, IL) is seeking a full-time elementary school Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information: http://bit.ly/16yGbjH . Newark Collegiate Academy (Newark, NJ), a KIPP school, is seeking a full-time high school Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information: http://bit.ly/WL05YE . American Councils for International Education is seeking a Summer Assistant Resident Director for the NSLI-Y program for high-school students in Amman, Jordan (June 11-August 1, 2013). For more information: http://bit.ly/16Ck3XJ . The Awty International School (Houston, TX) is seeking a Classical Arabic language teacher to teach in the middle and high school IB program for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information: http://bit.ly/13PbScW . Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences (Los Angeles, CA) is seeking a part-time high school Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information: http://bit.ly/13MlNzK . Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, CT) is seeking a full-time high school Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. For more information: http://bit.ly/YKDtDe . E.L. Haynes High School (Washington, DC) is seeking a full-time middle school Arabic teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. To apply: http://bit.ly/YcJBE3 . |
Nada Shaath (Bell High School, CA) suggests: Mixbook (http://www.mixbook.com), an easy and fun way to make completely customizable photo books, cards, and calendars on the Web - for free! With Mixbook, you aren't limited to static pre-designed templates. Instead, the powerful design software gives you the freedom to lay out and design your creations to your heart's content. It's also a great way to do digital scrapbooking for your classroom. |
Belal Joundeya (Renaissance Academy, UT) suggests: Battleship. Download a Microsoft Word file from a Google search on "Battleship template". Divide the class into two teams or partners and players decide where to place their ships on their grid. Each of the rows and columns have categories such as weather, countries, etc. When a player successfully combines the row category with the column category in a sentence, they earn the spot on the grid. The first team that sinks all of the others' ships wins (as in the original Battleship game). |
The Middle East Outreach Council (http://www.meoc.us) recommends the picture book Folktales from Turkey: From Agri to Zelve by Serpil Ural, illustrated by Dilara Arin (Citlembik Publications). Folktales from Turkey is a wonderful combination of folktales and stories in combination with historic, geographic, and cultural content. Evaluators especially enjoyed the format: short stories with side panels that offer information on a wide variety of topics. The book is well-written, nicely illustrated, and offers teachers many opportunities for follow-up research or art projects. Overall, "it is an unusual book and reflects tremendous research and creativity on the part of the author and illustrator." |
Dealing with a Defiant Student
By Kim Marshall | Marshall Memo #483, April 29, 2013, http://www.marshallmemo.com "When children are defiant, their goal is not to annoy, disrespect, or frustrate us," says Margaret Berry Wilson in this article in Responsive Classroom Newsletter. "Rather, their goal often is to feel significant." Teachers sometimes get into power struggles with defiant children, she says. "But teachers never win power struggles. Once you're in one, you've lost. And so has the child: No one wins a power struggle." What's the alternative? Orchestrating things to prevent defiance in the first place, says Wilson, and if it occurs, calmly working with students in ways that address their need to feel significant – while holding them accountable for following the rules. Some specifics: • Build positive relationships. Potentially defiant students need to know that you'll still care about them whatever happens. Focus on positive attributes, learn about their interests, and channel those strengths into playing an important role in the classroom – for example, a student might be the expert at fixing jammed door locks. • Reinforce progress and effort. Notice and give specific praise for positive, cooperative behaviors, however small. Wilson believes teachers should avoid saying "I like", "I appreciate", and "I want", which convey the idea that it's about pleasing or complying with the teacher rather than doing the right thing. Such language may also make a student feel manipulated. Better to talk about positive results – for example, "When you helped Kevin this morning, I think he felt valued." • Teach how to disagree respectfully. "It's empowering for all children – especially those who struggle with authority – to know that they may disagree with adults," says Wilson – as long as it's done appropriately. Students should be taught to use phrases like "I feel that" and "I suggest" when they believe something is unfair or should be changed. • Channel children's energy in positive directions. If students are fired up about an issue, they should be encouraged to write letters to the school or community paper, get involved in service projects, or do their own research on it. • De-escalate defiance. The goal is to keep the child safe and cool things down. Wilson suggests:
- Avoid pushing the student's buttons; don't do anything that will heighten stress or invite more resistance.
- Don't try to reason or make an emotional appeal when the child is too angry to process it.
- Slow down. Taking a few minutes before saying anything raises the probability that the child will listen.
- After the incident, reflect on what the trigger might have been – an unexpected schedule change, perhaps? • Intervene early. At the first sign of defiance, set clear limits. The earlier the teacher intervenes, the less likely the child will be to dig in and escalate. Use brief, direct statements, speak in a calm, matter-of-fact voice, avoid questions, and keep body language neutral – for example, "Andrew, take a seat. You can read or draw for now." • When using consequences, offer limited choices. Because students who have escalated to defiance are often seeking power, it's smart to give them a selection of consequences – for example, "Anna, either you can come with us now, or I can have Mrs. Bell come sit with you. Which do you choose?" • Avoid negotiating in the moment. Once a teacher has decided on a consequence or redirection for a defiant child, it's wise to stick with it. "Negotiating during the incident will invite further testing," says Wilson. "It also sends the message that children can avoid a redirection or consequence by resisting." And don't get into a power struggle. "Max, we're done talking about that for now. Everyone, get your writing journals out and start on your stories from yesterday." • Give the child time and space. Once a consequence has been given, it's best to step back and give the child space to comply in a reasonable amount of time. Asking for immediate compliance invites further defiance. "When Children Are Defiant" by Margaret Berry Wilson in Responsive Classroom Newsletter, Summer 2013, http://bit.ly/YdzUcY . |
Federal Funding Cuts Hit Southern Lehigh's Arabic Class
By Melinda Rizzo | The Morning Call, April 23, 2013
Source: http://bit.ly/15XDpc1 Students studying Arabic in the Southern Lehigh School District will have to head to the virtual classroom in the fall because federal budget cuts have hit a teacher exchange program. "The good news is the teacher we currently have on staff will head back to Egypt, but we've made arrangements for her to continue to teach our students remotely through K12 Blending Learning, an online provider," Superintendent Leah Christman told directors at Monday's school board meeting. Christman said the details were being worked out, but that students who have studied Arabic in the classroom during the last two years will retain continuity in their studies. "Our students will have the benefit of a teacher they already know, and studies they are already engaged in," Christman said. The Arabic teacher had been provided under the Teachers of Critical Languages Program through the U.S. Department of State. It is designed to increase the number of Americans teaching and studying Arabic and Mandarin. The district has two teachers from China teaching Mandarin. In Grades 7-12, 42 students are studying Arabic and 190 are studying Mandarin. About $1 million, or 30 percent of the funding, is slated to be cut next year. Christman said the program had originally planned to bring 24 Arabic teachers to the United States for the 2013-14 school year, but that the number was slashed to 16. "We have had two consecutive years of Arabic exchange teachers, so that's one of the reasons we were dropped from the list for the fall," Christman said. The Southern Lehigh program is facilitated through the Berks County Intermediate Unit, Christman said. Southern Lehigh plans to continue with Chinese teachers in the classrooms. Two new Chinese teachers, both men, will arrive in the fall. "This will be the first time we've had male exchange teachers," Director Dorothy Mohr said. In February 2012, the district reported 151 students were studying Arabic and Chinese. Christman was one of the Americans sent to Egypt to interview eligible applicants to come to the United States and teach in American classrooms. |
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