| Ahlan ya colleagues, Welcome to the Arabic K-12 Bulletin, a biweekly resource for elementary, middle, and high school Arabic teachers, administrators, and researchers. As we approach the winter holiday season, this may be a good time to catch up on some of the activities and books recommended in this and previous editions of the Bulletin--there are new suggestions in every issue. There are also quite a few recently added resources for your students and classroom. Have a happy Thanksgiving! As always, if you would like to reach us please send a message to arabick12@gmail.com. Lucy Thiboutot, 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 .
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES NEW RESOURCES FOR YOUR STUDENTS AND CLASSROOM GRANT OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS NADA'S WEBSITES: "Delicious" BELAL'S ACTIVITIES: "Charade Speed" MEOC BOOK RECOMMENDATION: "Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books" CURRENT RESEARCH: "Close Reading 101" FOCUS ON LEARNING: "Group demands California high school change 'Arab' team name, mascot"
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Workshops and WebinarsThe Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP), funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides your school with a language teacher from Egypt or China to teach Arabic or Mandarin for one year. Join a free online webinar so that you can learn more about TCLP and hear from program alumni about how your school can benefit by hosting an Arabic or Mandarin teacher. To register for the TCLP Webinar on Tuesday, December 10 at 4:00pm EST: http://bit.ly/17DrSRK To apply by January 22, 2014, please visit www.tclprogram.org The Center for Advanced Study of Language (College Park, MD) is interested in seeking participants for a study on how learners of Arabic understand and decipher cultural allusions in Arabic. Participants who are native speakers of English, at least 18 years old, not native or heritage speakers of Arabic, and have completed at least 3 years of university-level Arabic courses are welcome to apply. Each participant receives $25 cash after right taking the test. Testing will be conducted at a convenient location near the participant. Contact kburk@casl.umd.edu for more information. Professional ConferencesThe 2014 International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence: "Preparing and Supporting K–16 Language Teachers to Teach for Intercultural Competence in and beyond the Classroom" will take place January 23-26, 2014, in Tucson, AZ. The conference aims to bring researchers and practitioners across languages, levels, and settings to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices; to foster meaningful professional dialogue; and to enhance teacher effectiveness in teaching for intercultural competence in and beyond the classroom in order to support all students' development of intercultural competence. The conference is attended by faculty, administrators and students at post-secondary institutions, as well as K-12 teachers and individuals from a wide range of other non-traditional educational contexts who are interested in language teaching/learning and cultural competence. For more information, view the conference website: http://bit.ly/IeH6B9 Call For Proposals and PapersThe TexFLEC Committee at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce that we are now accepting proposals for the 15th annual conference that brings together researchers, educators, and students in the fields of foreign language education, TEFL/TESL, linguistics, and applied linguistics: "Shaping the Future of Foreign/Second Language Education to Cross Cultural Boundaries: Integrating Theory and Practice." Conference dates: February 14-15, 2014. Proposals can be submitted online: http://bit.ly/1duDmJu. Proposals received before December 1, 2013 will receive priority with the final deadline for proposal submission on December 31, 2013. More information about the conference: http://bit.ly/18AgTHd. Questions can be directed to: texfleccommittee@gmail.com. The National Foreign Language Center solicits proposals from schools, post-secondary institutions, school districts, state and regional educational agencies, language associations, and community-based organizations to participate in the STARTALK project. STARTALK's mission is to promote the learning and teaching of critical languages in the United States through summer programs that follow best practices in language instruction. To learn more and create a new proposal, visit STARTALK's proposal page: http://bit.ly/15rzc1u |
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) has produced an Arabic Oral Proficiency Guide for Students. Through their website, students can learn to self-assess and improve their progress toward oral proficiency in Arabic. View the site at http://www.cal.org/aop/index.php The Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is launching a new website for Arabic K-12 teachers Al-Masdar (almasdar.oercommons.org). Al-Masdar provides a platform for you to discover free resources through search strategies, to author or upload your own resources, to review resources, join groups and conversations, and collaborate with others. The site is intended to be a hub - the source - for language teaching materials, opportunities, news and events relevant to Arabic instructors. You are invited to explore it and offer your feedback by completing this survey: http://bit.ly/1gvdkWS American Councils for International Education offers a program called the Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) to help U.S. K-12 schools start or grow their Arabic language programs. This program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and provides your school with a language teacher from Egypt or China to teach Arabic or Mandarin for one year. The application deadline is Wednesday, January 22, 2014. If you wish to apply, please visit www.tclprogram.org Your advanced students may enjoy this new simplified version of Lebanese author Hoda Barakat's novel, Sayyidi wa Habibi, which comes with a set of pedagogical activities and a companion website: http://bit.ly/16vBpEc Al-Jazeera news is currently developing a special news site for Arabic language learners. Although some of the features are still in progress, it may be worth keeping an eye on as a resource for your classes: http://learning.aljazeera.net/arabic The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad Program offers scholarships to American high school students to spend the 2014-15 academic year in countries that may include Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mali (semester), Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey. This post 9/11 program focuses on increasing understanding between people in the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations. Applications due January 9, 2014. For more information: www.yes-abroad.org The National Middle East Language Resource Center (NMELRC), in cooperation with Qatar Foundation International and Brigham Young University Independent Study, is offering a hybrid online course for high school students. The high school implementation of Arabic Without Walls, winner of the 2010 Distance Education Course Award, covers the basics of both spoken and written Arabic and enables students to acquire real-world communication skills. This process starts with students attending a one-day course in their region and continues as they work online with a tutor and a cohort of students who form a tight-knit learning community. Students who have done so have gone on to win NSLI-Youth Scholarships to study in the Arab world. For more information on registration, cost and credit please visit: http://bit.ly/1bfmfcG . The Institute for Middle East Studies (IMES) Title VI Outreach Program at The George Washington University (Washington, DC) maintains a film and book library and Skype-a-Scholar program that is free and available to area educators. You can view a list of all of the library resources and find out more about the films using our new Film Guide which contains synopses of the films and classroom usage ideas for educators. The Skype-A-Scholar program brings university experts to your classroom through Skype, to converse with students for an in-depth, innovative learning experience. Contact imesnrc@gwu.edu for more information on these programs. American Councils for International Education coordinates the U.S. Department of State's FLEX, YES, and A-SMYLE programs, where students from the Middle East and other areas of the world have competed against their peers and earned a scholarship to come to the U.S. for a full academic year. The students live with an American host family, attend school and become a part of the family. Anyone interested in hosting an exchange student for a period of two months to a full academic year, and the ability to provide a safe, supportive, English-speaking environment is welcome to contact the programs for more information. For more information: http://inbound.americancouncils.org . The Peace Corps offers the World Wise Schools website, with cross-cultural learning resources including lesson plans, videos, publications, an online game, and more. Take advantage of these free resources to develop your students' global competencies and prepare them to be engaged, 21st century global citizens. Connecting With TeachersConnect 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 . |
Grant OpportunitiesQatar Foundation International has announced Teacher Initiative Grants (maximum award: $1,000) to enhance Arabic programs and promote excellence in the classroom. Arabic teachers working in U.S. public or public charter schools may apply for funding to purchase books and materials; host cultural events or workshops; take students on field trips; or attend professional development conferences. Applications are due on the first of each month for awards to be announced by the end of that month, from Nov. 1 until April 1. To download the complete Request for Proposal, follow the link: http://bit.ly/17lD6I0 Job OpeningsMinneapolis Public School District (Minneapolis, Minnesota) is seeking an Arabic World Language Teacher. Minnesota teaching license, or proof of pending license, required. Urban teaching experience preferred. For more information: http://bit.ly/1ga26ED The University of Oklahoma is seeking an Arabic Flagship Coordinator for their program. In order to view a complete listing of the position, please go to jobs.ou.edu and search for the requisition number: 18169. Orange Crescent School, a private, non-profit, Islamic School in Garden Grove, CA, is seeking a highly qualified K-8 Arabic Language teacher to teach for the 2013-14 school year. Teaching credential and successful teaching experience preferred. Respond to hr@orangecrescent.com The Tucson Unified School District is seeking a K-8 Arabic teacher for Safford School in Tucson, Arizona. Arizona Elementary Teaching Certificate required. To learn more information and apply, follow the link: http://bit.ly/1941IHl . |
Nada Shaath (Bell High School, CA) suggests: Delicious (http://www.delicious.com/) Delicious helps you find cool stuff and collect it for easy sharing. Dig into stacks created by the community, and then build your own! A great way to bookmark. Do you have a favorite website to share? Send us a link and a short description, and don't forget to include the name and location of your school! |
Belal Joundeya (Renaissance Academy, UT) suggests: Charade Speed Divide the class into two teams. The teacher holds cards with verbs, hobbies, sports, etc. on them. One student from each team acts out the card nonverbally and the team tries to guess as quickly as they can. As their team guesses correctly, the player hurries and begins the next card. After a specified amount of time, the team who guessed the most correctly wins. |
The Middle East Outreach Council (http://www.meoc.us) recommends the picture bookHands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt's Treasured Books by Karen Leggett Abouraya, illustrated by Susan L. Roth (Dial). This remarkable picture book features beautiful and varied illustrations of an actual event, with photo montages at once captivating and playful. It makes the Egyptian uprising accessible to young children through the lens of the library and offers useful background information and possible extensions across the curriculum. Reviewers were pleased to note the inclusion of Arabic writing, details in illustrations with Alexandria's seacoast setting, colors and significance of the Egyptian flag, and issues important to those protesting. Highly educational and suited for extension on many topics and subject areas. |
Close Reading 101
By Kim Marshall | Marshall Memo #508, November 18, 2013, http://www.marshallmemo.com In this article in Reading Today, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey (San Diego State University) say that close reading is "a form of guided instruction in which the teacher questions, prompts, and cues the learner. It's part of the gradual release of responsibility, not a comprehensive instructional effort." The first step is choosing a text that is complex, challenging, and worthy of scrutiny. "We're not suggesting that first graders read War and Peace," say Fisher and Frey, "but rather that the selected text requires repeated readings and deep discussions to ensure understanding." English teacher Marisol Thayre puts it this way: "You don't need to closely read Seventeen magazine." A key skill for students to develop is annotation – underlining key ideas, circling words and phrases that are confusing, and writing questions or reactions in the margins. Annotation helps students develop a deep understanding of the text and marshal evidence for three types of activity:
- Text-dependent questions – These "invite students back into the text as they look for evidence or consider something new," say Fisher and Frey. Questions elicit understanding of key details, vocabulary, text structure, author's purpose, and comparing two texts.
- Discussion with classmates – This is an opportunity for students to express themselves clearly, make claims and back them up, see the text through the eyes of their peers, and build on each others' ideas.
- Follow-up tasks – These can include writing prompts or Socratic seminars and should draw on key information in the text and insights from peers, not merely students' personal experience. "What's the Secret to Successful Close Reading? Strategic Preparation and Follow Up" by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey in Reading Today, October/November 2013 (Vol. 31, #2, p. 16-17), www.reading.org; the authors are at dfisher@reading.org and nfrey@mail.sdsu.edu. |
Group demands California high school change 'Arab' team name, mascot
By Lateef Mungin and Michael Martinez | cnn.com, November 7, 2013
Source: http://cnn.it/1iIxlc6 Los Angeles (CNN) -- A Southern California high school sports team is not scoring any points for its name, the Arabs. In a letter this month, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee accused Coachella Valley High School of stereotyping and demanded a name change.
The group also is seeking a change of the school mascot. The group said it was "shocked to learn that the Arab" is the official mascot of the high school in Thermal. "Continued use of the 'Arab' mascot perpetuates demeaning stereotypes of Arabs and Arab Americans," it said. "Coachella Valley High School's gross stereotyping cannot be tolerated." The school has a mascot that "depicts a man with a large nose, heavy beard, and wearing" a traditional head covering, the group said. During halftime, "a female dressed as belly dancer entertains the mascot by dancing for him," it added. But for the school, the mascot and cheerleaders shouting "Let's go, Arabs, let's go" are nothing new. The mascot dates back to the 1930s. Coachella Valley Unified School District Superintendent Darryl Adams says he is taking the concerns seriously. He believes his school district and the civil rights group can come to a compromise by altering the mascot's caricature and removing features that insult Arab-Americans. "It's not so much the name but the depiction of the mascot," Adams said. "I'm from Memphis, Tennessee, so I understand how people can look at different symbols and caricatures. I look at it as an educational opportunity for our students and staff to discuss it. "Things evolve over time, and it's the 21st Century and it's 2013, and this group feels we need to look at it and we will," Adams said. The Arab mascot recognizes the influences of the Middle East in the area's date farming, said Rich Ramirez, president of the Coachella Valley High School Alumni Association and a 1959 graduate of the high school. In the early 1900s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture acquired date shoots from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries and used them to establish date orchards in the valley's desert climate, Ramirez said. Some of the valley's Arab-Americans -- largely of Lebanese background -- were involved in date farming, but they mostly ran men's apparel stores and groceries, Ramirez said. By 1921, the valley held its first date festival in Indio, and people who dressed in Arabian style were admitted free to the festival, he said. The Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival now attracts 300,000 people over 10 days every February, said Ramirez, a former board member of the Coachella Valley History Museum. Dates became a boon to the valley more than 90 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The Coachella Valley, a popular winter retreat that includes Palm Springs, now produces 95% of the country's dates in two dozen varieties, Ramirez said. Middle Eastern influences are also reflected in community names of Mecca, Oasis and Arabia. The city of Coachella has street names of Damascus and Baghdad, and the valley's largest city, Indio, has a street named Deglet Noor, a date variety, Ramirez said. By 1931, the high school adopted the mascot name of Arabs, replacing the informal names of "date pickers" or "farmers" inspired by the area's industry. It was a common way of nicknaming communities then, much like the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ramirez said. "We're proud of Arab tradition and Arab culture," Ramirez said. The high school band and drill team dresses in Arab style, and a girl in a genie costume dances during football halftimes, Ramirez said. Ramirez wants the school to keep the Arab mascot, but he's willing to change the facial features, he said. "The comment they make is that it has a hook-nose Arab. We have been using the snarling face to instill fear in the opponent. That's what a mascot does. But we can put a handsome dude in the mascot," Ramirez said. He noted how the community stood up for Arabs shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "Work with us. Don't come off like we're something terrible. We're not terrible. When 9/11 came, we got terrible, terrible threats to change the name of our mascot. We said no. "People love the name; they love the culture; they love our date festival," he added. The school district and the national group are meeting to see whether a resolution can be made, the affiliate reported. The issue will also be discussed at a board meeting November 21. Superintendent Adams will brief the board in closed session on the potential legal implications of the mascot, but he expects there will be many public comments during the open board meeting, he said. It is unclear whether anything will change before the next game Friday night. |
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