Online Foreign Language courses for High & Middle School Students.

Yes, they work!

Celine Ascas Wormhood, NCVPS French TeacherKateryna Decker, NCVPS Dept. Chair & Russian TeacherConsuelo Schwartz, Spanish TeacherRoza Starodubtseva, Russian CoachMary Beth White, Spanish Teacher

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http://www.ncvps.org

“Our mission is to provide skills, student support, and opportunities for 21st century learners to succeed in a

globally competitive world.”

All NCVPS courses follow the NC Standard Course of Study Goals and Objectives.

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Courses offeredFrench I, II, III, IV Block and Year-longGerman I, II, III and IV Block*Japanese I (Pilot)Latin I, II, III Block and Year-long and APMandarin Chinese I, II, III, IV and APRussian I and II and Arabic I and IISpanish I, II, III, and IV Block and Year-Long Middle School: French, Latin, Spanish I and II YL; German I and II block schedule.

Diverse assignments to address all learning styles and enhance students’ learning:

Orientation

Guidance from the homepage

Discussion boards

Blogs

Writing assignments

Oral assignments

Wiki Group projects

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Blogs example

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Grade center

• Class roster

• Weekly assignments posted

• Feedback on each assignment

• Official Progress reports every two weeks

• Average always visible

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Communication/support/tutoring

• On-going communication with students, parents, DLAs, school counselors and NCVPS staff via email, phone, Pronto and virtual conference (Wimba).

• Online peer tutoring, instructor’s guidance and Blackboard helpdesk.

• World Language Cultural Cafe Presentations

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• In-School support: Parent Support:

• Principal e-mails/phone

• Assistant principal Text

• Guidance counselor Twitter, Facebook

• Distance learning advisor Pronto

(DLA) Parent Conference

Wimba

*Teacher phone log

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• Not all classes have the same format = diversity

• Ongoing Communication

• Student ethics/plaigiarism

• On-line translator

• Technical issues

• Students may take classes not available to them locally.

• Students become computer literate.

• Acknowledge self-motivation and improve time-management.

• Diverse classes with students from all over NC

• Students can log in anytime, anywhere

Challenges and successes

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Advice to new teachers:

• All new teachers are Teacher Assistants for 1 semester prior to teaching.

• Learn to navigate Blackboard and online environment (New Teacher Orientation)

• Understand your limits.

• Do not take technical issues, excuses, and objections personally.

• Recognize your audience/know your students.

• Be professional, knowledgeable, organized and independent.

• Talk with your mentor.

• The most important objective is communication!

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We stay connected as a department and NCVPS team

• NCVPS support staff:• Division directors• Virtual learning

Consultants• Department chair• Other FL teachers

working with NCVPS

Within our Dept. we have:• Synchronous and

asynchronous Departmental meetings (Wimba, wiki, blogs)

• Online Professional Development

• Online Course revisions every cycle

• Mentor/mentee help• VTAP(Virtual Teacher Achievement

Plan)

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Teachers continuously reflect on the High 5 Process:1. What do they need to know? 2. How will they learn it? 3. What will we do if they don’t learn it? 4. What if they already know it? 5. How will we know if they learned it?

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Teaching for NCVPS?• Part-time position• Submit an application athttp://www.ncvps.org/teaching/requirements/

Courses showcaseCeline -Announcements

Katya and Roza Speaking assignments

Mary Beth -Projects

Consuelo- Writing, blogs

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Do you have any Questions?