| Ahlan ya colleagues, Welcome to the Arabic K-12 Bulletin, a biweekly resource for elementary, middle, and high school Arabic teachers, administrators, and researchers. Below you will find an announcement about a new website for Arabic teachers to share resources with each other, as well as info on an upcoming webinar about the TCL program to host a teacher from Egypt for a year. Of note also is the article in the "Focus on Learning" section about an Arabic teacher using Skype to enrich her students' experience in the classroom. 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: "Voxopop" BELAL'S ACTIVITIES: "Connect 4" MEOC BOOK RECOMMENDATION: "Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History" CURRENT RESEARCH: "What Motivates Educators to Work Harder and Smarter?" FOCUS ON LEARNING: "North Texas Students Travel To Morocco To Learn Arabic … Virtually "
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Workshops and WebinarsThere are a few remaining spaces for the OPI Assessment Workshop in Arabic in association with the ACTFL conference in Orlando, Florida, November 18-21. Participation in the OPI Workshop helps teachers to understand the key principles of teaching and testing for proficiency. By learning about the assessment method most widely used today in the U.S. for measuring speaking proficiency in a language, teachers are better prepared to determine the speaking abilities of their students, to design their own assessment tools, and to determine if students have reached specific benchmark levels as determined by individual districts or states. This is also the first step to becoming a certified OPI Tester. For additional information and questions, please contact arichardson@actfl.org, or you can register here: http://bit.ly/1hKyCir The 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 Thursday, November 21 at 4:00pm EST: http://bit.ly/HutqkH or 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 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) conference will be held November 22-24, 2013 in Orlando, FL. ACTFL is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. The advanced registration deadline has passed. For more information: http://bit.ly/12dLiY5. Call For Proposals and PapersStay tuned for more calls for proposals and papers in future issues of the Bulletin! |
The Qatar Foundation International (QFI) will be launching a new website for Arabic K-12 teachers at the upcoming ACTFL conference taking place from Nov. 22-24 in Orlando, FL called 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 QFI will be hosting a free Al-Masdar training workshop for Arabic teachers from 9am-12pm on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Orlando. Please RSVP for the workshop by replying to almasdar@classroad.com 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 pedgagoical 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 receive the complete Request for Proposal, please contact Kelly Doffing at arabic@qfi.org 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 Job OpeningsThe 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: Voxopop (http://www.voxopop.com/) Used by educators all over the world, Voxopop talkgroups are a fun, engaging and easy-to-use way to help students develop their speaking skills. They're a bit like message boards, but use voice rather than text and a have a specialized user interface. No longer confined to a physical classroom, teachers and students of oral skills can interact from home, or even from opposite sides of the planet! Or have your students use it to record their presentations. 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: Connect 4 Do a Google search for a Power Point file "ConnectFour.ppt" and download it. Divide the class into two teams. 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 for their color. The first team that makes a row of four (as in the original Connect Four table game) wins. You can also print and laminate the form and let students practice in pairs. |
The Middle East Outreach Council (http://www.meoc.us) recommends the youth non-fiction book Encyclopedia of Muslim-American HistoryEdward E. Curtis IV, editor by Edward E. Curtis IV, editor. This illustrated two-volume encyclopedia includes some 300 articles covering historical and contemporary issues, events, people, court cases, themes, and activism relating to Muslim- American history. The reference also includes 50 original documents, a master chronology and an extensive bibliography. Given the little that has been published on the topic, especially for a younger audience, this book is a welcome addition to the field. |
What Motivates Educators to Work Harder and Smarter?
By Kim Marshall | Marshall Memo #508, October 28, 2013, http://www.marshallmemo.com In this thoughtful Education Week article, Deborah Stipek (Stanford University) says the theory of action behind America's current accountability movement is that rewards and punishments will motivate teachers and administrators to do better work. Behaviorism is a well-accepted theory of human motivation, but decades of research have shown that for people to change, three elements must be present: a sense of autonomy, of respect, and of efficacy. "The promise of reward and the threat of punishment do not motivate people to perform effectively," says Stipek, "and sometimes undermine their performance when those approaches make them feel coerced, disrespected, or incompetent." Here are her suggestions for enhancing motivation and accomplishment in each area: • Autonomy – People work most effectively when they have a sense of control and are working at least partly because they want to, not because somebody is making them. To increase this dimension, teachers should be involved in policy decisions and have a measure of choice in how policies and curriculum are implemented. • Respect – People do their best work when they feel they belong to and are treated well in the social context in which they work. "The language used to discuss teacher accountability or evaluations matters," says Stipek. "References to 'getting rid of bad teachers' in public discourse threaten rather than motivate teachers… Policies that create competition among teachers within a district or school, such as merit pay for a predetermined percentage of teachers, weaken the sense of community…" It's better to talk in terms of providing support for continuous improvement and building robust professional learning communities. • Efficacy – People work best when they believe they can meet the demands of the job and their efforts will pay off. That means providing teachers with the tools they need to be successful – curriculum materials, technology, support for the psychological and physical challenges students face, and effective professional development. It also means understanding that intrinsic motivation is a powerful engine of improvement in schools. "Most teachers take great pleasure in a lesson that goes particularly well and in seeing students engaged and learning," says Stipek. "Experiencing their own skills and developing and seeing the effects of their more effective practices on student learning are powerful motivators for teachers." "Using Accountability to Promote Motivation, Not Undermine It" by Deborah Stipek in Education Week, Oct. 16, 2013 (Vol. 33, #8, p. 32, 28), www.edweek.org |
North Texas Students Travel To Morocco To Learn Arabic … Virtually
By Stella M. Chavez | education.kera.org, November 4, 2013
Source: http://bit.ly/1cHqkZ1 When 9th grader Jackson Boyd chose Arabic as his foreign language elective, he knew he'd be one of the few students to make that choice. Most kids, he says, take Spanish or French. But for him, it's Arabic. "I love learning this language because it's just a unique cool language that most people don't get the opportunity to hear because they don't know very many people across the seas," Boyd said. Since Jackson and his classmates began Skyping with teacher Bilal Douass in Tangier, Morocco, they've gotten to know him pretty well. Everything from his favorite fruit – it's bananas – to his poetry. Yes, Douass, is also a poet. He writes mostly about love – in Classical Arabic and in Moroccan and Egyptian dialects. Students listen intently and as Douass, who doesn't speak English, recites his poem that translates to "My Heart That Loves You." Teacher Tamara Haddad, who was born in Jordan, came up with the idea to use Skype while on a study tour of Morocco. She learned about Douass through a friend and reached out to him about the cross-cultural experiment on his Facebook page. She says it's been invaluable for the kids. "They're learning new vocabulary and they know they have to use it but this provides context. A real life situation where they're talking to a person who is fluent in the language," Haddad said. And it's not just Douass they've had a chance to interact with. The 12 students in Haddad's class also met 25 of their Moroccan peers via Skype. Fatina Jalambo, a student teacher who is Palestinian, sees benefits beyond just learning a new language. Jalambo, who wears a hijab – a headscarf — says she knows too well the misperceptions people have. Opening the doors for them and giving them the keys to look and understand the other cultures and accept the other cultures more because there's a lot of miscommunication, lots of misunderstanding of other cultures," Jalambo said. For student Zarah Jamaluddin, whose parents are from Bangladesh, the experiment has also broken down barriers within their own school. "Some of the students know Arabic better than English, so the language is helping us connect to them and we actually learn more about how they lived before and stuff…" Next year, the Hurst-Euless Bedford school district will open Viridian Elementary School, which will offer classes in Arabic, Hindi and Chinese as well as a Spanish immersion program. Soon, kids could be Skyping with their peers all over the world. District officials say more than 73 different languages are spoken in the HEB district. Currently, about 200 students in the district are enrolled in Hindi, Arabic and Chinese language programs. |
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