Multicultural Hearts, Minds and Voices Welcome to the K-12 World Language Program in the Menasha Joint School District

All students in the Menasha Joint School District will have the chance to experience and learn:  another language  the culture of the peoples that speak that language

All Students in Menasha: Learn another language starting in Kindergarten Have the option to continue their study of FL through 12th grade

CONTENT-RELATED FLES INSTRUCTION INTEGRATING REINFORCING and Other areas of the Elementary School Curriculum Ay Caramba

When Menasha Began it’s FLES program in 1993, the major needs were…………….

Finding a communicative basis for the FL instruction Finding ways to reinforce and enrich the existing elementary curriculum Finding a means of working with classroom teachers to promote cooperation and address concerns about taking away time in the classroom

Time Allotments for FL study at the Elementary School

Oral/Aural Emphasis All Students Participate Instruction in Regular Classroom Setting Content-Related O Tannenbaum Uno, dos, tres..

Multicultural Hearts, Minds and Voices Welcome to the K-12 World Language Program in the Menasha Joint School District

Oral/Aural Emphasis All Students Participate Instruction in Regular Classroom Setting Content-Related O Tannenbaum Uno, dos, tres..

CONFLICT WITH REGULAR ELEMENTARY STAFF Math Social Studies Language Arts Science

When is there time for FL instruction? Show benefits through research on FL in the elementary school Integration(somewhat) solves the time problem Teaching multicultural curriculum (state and national standards)

On average, children need to hear information and/or concepts 11 times before memorization takes place (adults need 22 times) roho,red,roho,red,roho,red,roho,red,roho,red,roho

 Fosters Critical Thinking Skills

 Regular classroom teacher can use during instruction てをあげて！ Raise your hand!

 Gain multicultural insights

 New, exciting, challenging and fun!

Beyond Beyond Elementary School  Students continuing from elementary school will have the option to take “ 2 ” college level courses during HS (equal to college credits).  70% of students opt to continue their FL study through MS and HS.  Students are using their experiences and knowledge from FL classes to enhance their academic careers.

BENEFITS BEYOND THE FL CLASSROOM  Students at the HS level planning their futures that include views of the larger “ world ” beyond their city borders PStandardized test scores at the K-12 level that have held steady or increased over the past 10 years PA marked increase in the number of families and students participating in multicultural learning experiences

FL Instruction FL Goals Core Curriculum Goals

Implementation & Growth: Things to Think About Funding (cost vs. investment) Local planning process, timeline, participants Incremental development & plans for sustainability Staff qualifications and responsibilities Language(s) Delivery model (goals and outcome) Instructional resources and technology Student and program assessment Connections beyond the classroom

Hire the “Person”, not the credentials Needs of the school, program Sensitive to existing staff (from the beginning) Look for good “mix” of qualities in the WL staff (native and non-native speakers, varied certifications) Look for additional “strengths” beyond the teaching of WL

All Students “CAN” Learn a 2 nd Language (and a 3 rd, 4 th …….)

Be vigilant and work with all staff (special Ed staff, regular classroom teachers) Have a plan in place for working with students w/special needs Keeping the content rich, meaningful and worthwhile (no time for “fluff”) means all students will and want to succeed! Snowman Japan USA

Elementary WL as a “part” of the whole Build an “atmosphere”, not just a program Be “what” you do in your school, your district, etc.

Look for best practices to integrate beyond the daily language lessons Be a part of every place, every program; not something separate. “Little things mean a lot”

WL Standards: Communities 5.1 and 5.2 Show what your kids “can” do Help the community understand not just “what” you teach, but “how” you teach it; get them involved!

Strategy: Community “buy in”; finding it, tuning in Communication about programs “MUST” be consistent and constant!

The Long Range Plan: Get it in Place Now! Key Question: What will the “end” look like as you look at the beginning?

Plan for elementary grade level implementation Develop a MS/HS transition team, “early on” in the process End of HS: how will it change? (don’t assume the obvious)

WL teacher professional development, mentors, contacts (district versus school program) Plans for “extended” learning (home stays, CLV, trips abroad, key pals, sister schools) Plan for LCTL’s (i.e. recruiting staff, materials, support) Survey everyone! A lot! Don’t forget the students!