The district’s elementary world language (Spanish FLES) team presented at the fall conference of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL) that was held in Tinley Park from October 20 to 24. In keeping with this year's ICTFL theme of highlighting core practices, District 97 teachers Silvia Zaragoza, Margaret Poleski, Lidys Aguirre, Rocío Rojas Jacoby, María (Conchi) Ruiz- Haneberg, Liza Mariñelarena Lynch and María Elvira Colmenero presented the following sessions:
- Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) in the FLES (elementary) Classroom: The Basics
- TPRS in the FLES Classroom: Activities and Assessments
- Teaching Culture Through TPRS
- Classroom Management in the FLES Classroom
- Using Picture Books as Comprehensible Input in the FLES Classroom
- Interpersonal Mode Speaking Activities in K-8
The team is also presenting at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ (ACTFL) annual national conference being held in Boston from November 18 to 20. This is an international event that brings together more than 6,000 educators from all languages, levels and assignments, and will feature more than 700 educational sessions in a variety of formats that will focus on innovative programs and emerging trends that impact the language profession and research-informed practices. The team, who will be joined at the conference by fellow District 97 teachers Molly Bruno, Karla Muñoz, Anna Nieto and Dawn Fogle Deaton, will be presenting the following panels:
- Assessment Made Easier: Using Technology to Assess in the K-8 classroom
- TPRS in the FLES Classroom: Use TPRS In Your Elementary Classroom Tomorrow
- Classroom/Behavior Management in the K-8 World Language classroom
- Using Picture Books as Comprehensible Input in the FLES Classroom
- Interactive Apps for the FLES & Middle School Classroom
In addition to their participation in these conferences, more than half of the teachers on the elementary Spanish (FLES) team (Lidys Aguirre, Molly Bruno, María Elvira Colmenero, Rocío Rojas Jacoby, Karla Muñoz, Anna Nieto and Margaret Poleski) are currently pursuing National Board Certification.
The K-5 Spanish teachers are using their district webpages, blogs and Twitter (#d97spanish) to share information about what is happening in their classrooms.