Welcome to LinguaFolio The Ultimate Inbox LEP Coordinators Meeting January 16, 2007 Helga Fasciano Second Language Consultant Welcome to LinguaFolio, a training series for language educators who want to learn how to use this new instrument to assess and document language competencies for various uses.

NC Title III Application “Why is Helga here?” NC Title III Application Question #3.1 What types of ongoing assessments are in place to monitor the progress of LEP students? This is very familiar to you, but my question is, how involved are the students in this process and do they know what it means to be at advanced or superior level?

Assessments Summative Periodic Measures student progress Formative Ongoing Frequent Usually brief Not Very Formal Usually no grade Informs instruction or learning Summative Periodic Measures student progress Evaluates mastery of material or content Demonstrate a quick ongoing formative by using close to the heart - 1 to 5 fingers – understanding of formative vs. summative assessment – all eyes on me

LinguaFolio A language portfolio learners keep throughout their educational and professional careers to document their language competencies in all languages, including heritage languages and English for speakers of other languages to reflect on their intercultural competencies to manage their own language learning What exactly is LinguaFolio? Read slide. In other words, LinguaFolio is a tool for those who are learning or have learned a language at school or outside of school where they can record and reflect on their language learning and cultural experiences. It accompanies language learners throughout life and is suitable for documenting language competencies for a wide variety of uses.

LinguaFolio Belongs to the learner not the school/institution Has 3 sections Passport Biography Dossier Like the European Language Portfolio on which it is based, LinguaFolio belongs to the learner rather than to the institution, and is divided into three sections. The Language Biography, a record of personal language learning history that helps to evaluate learning goals and reflect on language learning and cultural experiences. The Language Dossier, a collection of pieces of work and certificates chosen by the individual to document and illustrate language skills, experiences, and achievements that can be used to demonstrate language abilities to others. The Language Passport, a record of formal qualifications, certificates or diplomas, and self-assessments and an summary of experiences and ability with different languages that can be updated frequently. The Passport is an official document that can be shown when students transfer from school to school, level to level, teacher to teacher or to prospective employers for professional purposes. FIX PASSPORT –STRECH IT OUT

Transatlantic Dialogue Sponsored by the Goethe Institut Members of Council of Europe Ministries of Education National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) How did LinguaFolio appear in the United States? LinguaFolio is the result of a transatlantic dialogue sponsored by the Goethe-Institut spanning three years, among members of the European Council, European Ministries of Education, and over 20 representatives from departments of education from across the United States. Many of the ideas for the LinguaFolio initiative reflect the new perspectives on language learning in Europe today, which came from policies initiated by the Council of Europe.

Common Scale of Reference (CSR) EUROPEAN LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO EUROPÉEN DES LANGUES Common Scale of Reference (CSR) a description of what people can do at 6 different levels of language performance and competence A-Basic User B-Independent User C-Proficient User Central to the Common European Framework of Reference is the Common Scale of Reference. It describes in terms of a global scale what the learner can do at 6 levels. It is written in positive terms and can be subdivided to describe more incremental progress in a variety of areas. A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Research from the ELP pilot Increased motivation Increased self-confidence Increased active learning Increased time thinking about learning Improved relations between learner/teacher Research from the ELP pilot in Czech Republic showed that: • in spite of the time it took in the beginning to implement the European Language Portfolio, motivation increased among all students. •Students became more confident when they saw what they could actually do. •They found voluntary work made students more active. • Students relationship with other learners and with their teachers became more positive and students actually spent more time thinking about their language abilities and knowledge.

Five-State Pilot Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Teacher Training Field Response Instrument Refinement Five-state consortium pilot, including GA, KT, NC, SC, and VA. Teacher training – each state has done its own training. (VA and KT started 2 years ago.) All – gathering field responses to lead to instrument refinement.

North Carolina Student Responses “You get to see how much you have improved this year and what I need to work on.” “…got us more involved in what we were doing in class.” “I have a place to put my work to show my mom and friends what I can do .” Middle School 8th graders in a semester course. As a language learner please comment on the benefits, how it was used, and suggestions for improvement

LinguaFolio Nebraska Study Dr. Ali Moeller, University of Nebraska the impact of goal setting on student achievement the role of self-assessment the implementation of LF as an assessment tool to promote articulated K-16 language program Dr. Ali Moeller, University of Nebraska, is conducting a five year longitudinal study investigating the questions: What do students know? What can they do at the end of one year, two years, three years, four years and five years of language study? FLAP Grant expands research to introduce LinguaFolio Jr into 15 elementary settings Online digitized LinguaFolio developed and implemented at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln allows participating schools to: record student language development via self-assessment document student products as well as reflections on the part of the student that analyze how and why this product provides evidence of meeting the goals set at the onset of the year and each subsequent chapter/unit during the year Summer Institute 30 Spanish teachers for 2 weeks Participants read novel, online discussions related to novel and build a community of learners Research-based strategies modeled in context of novel with videos, World Wide Web, guest speakers, interactive games, etc. integrated Technology training using online assessments, websites, WebQuests, podcasting, blogging, etc. to integrate into own classes It has also provided a venue for having teachers use the LinguaFolio themselves during the immersion to learn first hand what their students will be experiencing. Teachers set goals, track their learning, write reflections for documents in their dossier, and discover how much they have improved their language learning. Implementing the LinguaFolio into their classrooms is required by Institute participants and has created a community of learners that have the knowledge and skills necessary to use the LF to its potential.

Learner Autonomy Does not mean. . . Self-instruction Teacher transferring all control to learners Does mean. . . Learners accept responsibility for their learning, review their learning and evaluate its effectiveness Learners exhibit a capacity for reflection Learner autonomy is a somewhat confusing concept. Some people mistake it for self-instruction or for classroom situations where teachers relinquish all control of instruction to learners who decide what and how they will learn. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Autonomous learners are dependent upon teachers to create and maintain learning environments that support the development of learner autonomy. This means providing the activities that reinforce learners’ life agendas, celebrate small successes and gradually build awareness of the learning process. Think about using copies of templates to show. (Refer to teacher’s guide – pages LF Junior 86, 88, 90 and LF p. 69-70, 67 ?)

Strategies that Support Autonomous Learning Cooperative Learning Journaling Peer Assessment Portfolios Problem-Based Learning Rubrics Here are just a few strategies that support autonomous learning. Can you think of any others?

Activities that help support autonomous learning Admit/Exit Slips Application Cards KWL Learner Logs Think, Pair, and Share (Sample activity from training modules) Activities that give learners more responsibility for their learning are : learner logs, Think/Pair/Share, KWL – what do you know, what do you want to know, what did you learn, and exit slips. Learners can also be asked to create their own teaching materials, develop their own assignment/project to demonstrate how they have learned a particular element of language/culture, or interview a native speaker--which takes them out into the real world. Handout #3

Reflective Teaching The teacher uses the target language helps learners to communicate by scaffolding speech engages learners in activities that produce language involves learners regularly in evaluating their progress & thinking about how they learn How does this translate to the classroom; what does a typical classroom look like? Well, for starters, the language of learning is the target language. Teachers teach in the target language. By using actions, visuals, simple recycled and repeated language, and a variety of creative methods, the teacher is able to remain in the target language and help learners to practice their communication skills by using what they know and increasing new language little by little. It’s important to make sure that the learning activities are actually ones that force the students to produce language, not merely repeat or identify or interpret language. And learners need to be involved on a continual basis, after relevant activities, to think about what they are learning and what helps them learn.

Reflective Learning The learners think about their own learning through a deliberate step-by-step process. gradually develop a useful repertoire of learning strategies. demystify the learning process through ongoing teacher, peer and self-evaluation. European students are taught at an early age to think critically and thus are more adept at identifying their abilities and how they learn. American schools are only lately beginning to focus on process. As a result of the NCLB, there is a new emphasis on reading as a process and teaching children specific methods and strategies to achieve that goal. Learners don’t learn methods and strategies unless they are TAUGHT them. And when they learn the process, they begin to know what helps them learn more effectively and develop, a personal repertoire of strategies. They start to understand how they can make progress by identifying small successes and through continuous peer and self-assessments. Eventually, learning becomes transparent and learners realize the responsibility for learning lies within themselves.

Learners’ reflections include connecting what they already know to what they are learning checking frequently to see what they can and cannot do yet determining which activities help them learn most effectively setting small, achievable goals planning and monitoring future learning So what are the steps in getting learners to reflect on their learning? • Just as we use pre-reading activities to get learners to activate their prior knowledge on a topic before reading about it, teachers should frequently encourage learners to think about what they already know when entering into new learning. • Learners can be involved in evaluating their own work, other learners’ work or peer assessment • Ask learners to make a running list of what activities they like and find helpful in learning. Get them to create a bank of their own activities to share in or outside of class for language practice. • After a self-assessment or a teacher-administered assessment or performance task, have learners to write down what areas they want to improve in (asking a question, using the correct preposition, pronouncing a phrase better), what vocabulary they want to know to talk about a certain topic (their favorite sports, foods they like to eat, qualities they possess), etc. Small goals enable the students to achieve and feel good about their successes--a sure motivator. Understanding the small steps in the process helps learners plan more realistically for future learning--knowing that on a trip to the target culture they will only be able to talk to native speakers about topics with which they are familiar, so if they want to be able to tell them about their part-time job, they had better know the words and phrases that allow them to do so. Other if an ELL knows they will have an assignment coming up on the Civil War, they had better know, words and past tense phrases that allow them to write about it. ADD GOAL SETTING? - Sports - Module 4 See Activity re -

Student Self-Check What am I learning? Why am I learning it? How am I learning it? How successful is my learning? How can I demonstrate my learning? What am I going to do next? determining which activities help them learn most effectively (See p. 69 of guide.) One way to check your progress in developing a reflective learning environment is to to ask learners to answer the following questions. Administrators evaluating school programs often ask similar questions of learners in a class they’re observing. If students can’t verbalize these ideas, then that is a clear signal they’re not going to be able to internalize the learning. Sometimes textbooks provide a means for learners to reflect on their learning, but not always. This helps students see what they learned from a different angle, review what was covered, acknowledge their feelings and apply learning.

Interculturality Reflections What was your reaction? Why did you react that way? Do you understand? Ask participants to listen to French Chrysanthemum Story At end of story ask participants to reflect on these three questions – Reveal why the French household reacted the way it did – how does this change your initial reaction?

connecting what they already know to what they are learning On page 23 of the Teacher’s Guide you will find the following Novice-Mid self-assessment for the Interpretive Mode. Have teachers self-assess listening and writing modes only. Choose third language, if possible. Share out reactions.

Practical Tips for Using LinguaFolio As a formative assessment Guided by ESL teacher integrated throughout the course As part of the periodic progress check for advanced students HERE COMES MODULE 5… LinguaFolio will become an integral part of your course lesson planning. Attempting to complete all of LinguaFolio in one or two class periods negates any of the real advantages this tool can bring to your students’ learning. LF is a conceptual framework – it is NOT the guide!!!! By making LinguaFolio a natural part of the language learning process, and integrating it throughout the year, it becomes the formative assessment that helps you, the teacher, pinpoint where your students are, and guides the students in their language learning goals. Before leaving today, you will have the opportunity to create your own individual Pacing Guide or outline for implementation of LinguaFolio for one or more of your classes. Because there is some data that the 5-state would like to collect from the pilot, please don’t forget to place due dates for the pilot project pieces in the outline.

Housing LinguaFolio On Paper Notebook Individual folders In the classroom Student kept Electronically Floppy Disk Jump Drive CD Hard Drive School Server Classroom Computer Lab An important consideration is where to house LinguaFolio. If you choose to go the paper route, then in which format will that be? Do you want to keep a formal notebook? If so, you can download the cover page and divider pages from the web site. The next decision is where to keep the notebook. Where will you store the notebooks for future access and safekeeping? Or do you prefer having students keep individual folders and then put a notebook or binder together at a later date? Again, where will the folders be stored? Who will be responsible for their safe-keeping: the students or you? The considerations are the same if you choose the electronic route. Where will you store the information once it is downloaded and completed? How will you access the information: from a student home computer, computer in your room, or will you plan scheduled trips to the school computer lab? Finally, consider the future use of LinguaFolio as a tool for transitions, such as students moving from level to level or from school to school, district to district or even state to state. LF can also be used for advocacy of language programs. Unlike grades on a transcript or on a report card, LF can give a more comprehensive view of a learner’s progress in language learning.

LinguaFolio Versions LinguaFolio Jr. LinguaFolio Grades K-2 (NE) Reflects outcome-based program goals The Junior version of LinguaFolio is designed for learners in grades 3-8. When using LF JR. all learners generally work to accomplish all of the can-do statements which are the given program goals. Middle school students who are taking language courses for high school credit or placement into an upper level may prefer to use LinguaFolio rather than LinguaFolio Junior. Learners using LinguaFolio, however, have different purposes for language learning, and this is reflected in the checklists. (ie. academic, career, travel needs) LinguaFolio Grades 7-16 / 9-16 Reflects personal goals and career plans

LinguaFolio IS Ongoing formative assessment For the learner A tool IS Not Summative Assessment A one size fits all To be completed in one day An important consideration is where to house LinguaFolio. If you choose to go the paper route, then in which format will that be? Do you want to keep a formal notebook? If so, you can download the cover page and divider pages from the web site. The next decision is where to keep the notebook. Where will you store the notebooks for future access and safekeeping? Or do you prefer having students keep individual folders and then put a notebook or binder together at a later date? Again, where will the folders be stored? Who will be responsible for their safe-keeping: the students or you? The considerations are the same if you choose the electronic route. Where will you store the information once it is downloaded and completed? How will you access the information: from a student home computer, computer in your room, or will you plan scheduled trips to the school computer lab? Finally, consider the future use of LinguaFolio as a tool for transitions, such as students moving from level to level or from school to school, district to district or even state to state. LF can also be used for advocacy of language programs. Unlike grades on a transcript or on a report card, LF can give a more comprehensive view of a learner’s progress in language learning.

LinguaFolio Questions? Next Steps?