For years, world language teachers have lived on the fringes of data-driven education. In most schools, English, math, and science departments shape their instruction around benchmark testing while elective departments like ours are left out of the conversation. But that doesn’t mean our classrooms are any less rigorous or our instruction any less important. World […]
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We’re in our most powerful era as language teachers. The development of Seal of Biliteracy credentials in the United States has ushered in opportunities that elevate the power our graduates have. We are not only arming them with valuable 21st century skills but also tangible evidence that enhances their professional potential. For us classroom teachers, […]
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You are standing in a room with a bunch of incoming 9th grade students and their parents and are given one minute to explain to them why they should enroll in language classes in high school. Anyone been there? I’ve been teaching Spanish since 2004, and I’ve noticed that my sales pitch has changed over […]
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Today’s classrooms are full of students from a cohort referred to as Generation Z or Gen Z. Understanding the characteristics of students can be an important tool for an effective teacher. The good news for language teachers is that there are several ways to capitalize on Gen Z characteristics to prompt growth in your language […]
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Ready or not, the start of a new school year is here. As language teachers launch their courses, this can be a great time to set the tone for a path towards the Seal of Biliteracy–even if AAPPL testing won’t occur for months (or years) for your students. Beginning the journey toward language development with […]
Continue readingMy introduction to the AAPPL test came with the inception of the Seal of Biliteracy in the State of Iowa. Like many world language educators in Iowa at that time, my department began investigating the different ways that we could help our students prove their qualifications and obtain the Seal. Earning the Seal of Biliteracy […]
Continue readingI get so excited watching my students focusing so hard as they take the AAPPL. However, immediately after the test, the students seemed stunned, mentally spent, and slightly overwhelmed. I worried at first that this was caused by the test being too difficult for them, but then realized that it’s the result of the stamina […]
Continue readingI cried real tears the first time I received my students’ AAPPL scores. I had much to celebrate: great accomplishments on the Interpretive components, with several students obtaining scores high enough for our state’s Seal of Biliteracy, and those “surprise kids” performing better than expected. But they weren’t just the happy kind of tears; for […]
Continue readingRecently, ACTFL put out their comprehensive list of topics for the AAPPL. These topics offer excellent preparation for the test. I’ve also found them to be valuable in other aspects of my curriculum building and unit planning. I began my teaching career in the formulaic era of Realidades and Paso a Paso‘s thematic chapters about […]
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