Preconference Workshops

Requires advance registration and a separate fee

Preconference workshops on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8, 2020.

Sessions will be presented in English or bilingually, unless otherwise noted.

• 3-hour Thursday workshops
• 3-hour Friday workshops
• 6-hour workshops

Thursday, May 7, 12:45 PM–3:45 PM (3 hours)

Chinese Pop Culture for the 3i CFL Curriculum ($125)

Led by Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA)

Presenters: Sue-mei Wu; Miaochun Wei; Christine Liu; Lulei Suz

The 3i approach represents a focus on Innovative and Impactful Initiatives for Language Learning. This workshop is organized to present examples of implementing Chinese pop culture artifacts, such as pop songs, movies clips, TV programs and dancing, that help empower students’ language accuracy and proficiency, and enhance their cross-linguistic and cross-cultural analysis skills. The presenters will share CFL classroom observations and practices from their experiences, demonstrate some newly developed websites, and discuss how to select pop culture artifacts and incorporate them into the CFL curriculum for an innovative and impactful CFL language and culture learning experience.

Designing Novice and Intermediate Assessment Tasks ($125)

Led by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Presenter: Paul Sandrock

What can learners do with what they know? Assessment of proficiency (language acquisition) is not a test of vocabulary memorized nor grammatical structures practiced. To evaluate learners’ progress toward higher levels of proficiency, educators need to design summative performance assessment tasks. Such tasks need to have authentic communicative purposes and involve the interpretation, negotiation, or expression of information, ideas, and opinions. Start with “why” we need to redesign assessment tasks, build your repertoire of “how” to create and analyze assessment tasks, identify the “how well” captured in an effective rubric for giving learners feedback, and create the “what” – effective assessments to use in your classroom.

Paving the Road to Independence: Moving from Guided to Collaborative Tasks ($125)

Led by National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

Presenters: Greta Lundgaard, Matt Coss

The ultimate goal of language learning is to be an independent user of that language. One of the ways we prepare our learners to be independent users is by transferring the ownership and responsibility of language use from teacher to learner. The road to independence begins with teacher guided practice and transitions to student-led collaborative tasks necessary for success with independent tasks. This workshop details key components in planning and implementing activities that lead to independent language use by learners.

Preparing and Supporting Chinese Language Teachers in the Digital Age ($125)

Led by Chinese Early Language and Immersion Network (CELIN) at Asia Society

Presenters: Shuhan Wang, Joy Kreeft Peyton, Adam Ross and Jiahang Li

This workshop focuses on two major aspects of teacher expertise: pedagogical expertise and technological skills. It is organized and implemented in two parts. The first part is a panel discussion, in which panelists will (1) discuss the pedagogical and credentialing aspects of supporting teachers from multiple perspectives; e.g., PK-8 immersion programs, Chinese as a Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES), traditional high schools, teacher education programs, and resources and opportunities for expanding teacher capacity and expertise along their career pathways; and (2) present the frameworks of integrating technology tools (SAMR, TPACK, Bloom’s Taxonomy) and a wide variety of digital resources into instruction. After the panel discussion, during the second part of the workshop, participants will join the panelists of their choice. They may (1) engage in face-to-face roundtable discussions on issues related to supporting teachers in different program types and levels of instruction; or (2) bring their computer and join the experts in learning how to use digital tools and online resources, such as Flipgrid, Padlet, Kahoot, Lingt, Edpuzzle, Screencastify, and Storyboard sites to design learner-centered classrooms. Participants in this group will identify technology tools they wish to use in their Chinese classes and begin designing lessons to integrate one or more tools, guided by one or more learning frameworks. Both beginning and more experienced users of technology are welcome.

Friday, May 8, 9:00 AM–12:00 NOON (3 hours)

Establishing and Sustaining High-quality, Award-winning Chinese Language Programs from Pre-K to High School ($125)

Led by Chinese Early Language and Immersion Network (CELIN) at Asia Society

Presenters: Shuhan Wang, Joy Kreeft Peyton and experts in the field

The purpose of this CELIN workshop is for new and experienced program administrators, policy makers, and teachers to get together to engage in deep conversations about how to establish, sustain, and enhance the quality of Chinese language programs in their local, state, and regional settings. Experts representing programs ranging from newly established programs to award-winning will analyze essential elements of their successful efforts and share lessons learned. Stakeholders interested in Preschools, elementary immersion schools, middle-high school immersion programs, K-12 Chinese language programs, and virtual/online programs will have opportunities to share and learn from the experts and fellow participants and connect with programs nationwide.  

How to be an effective Chinese teacher through action research? ($125)

Led by Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA)

Presenter: Fangyuan Yuan

This workshop will introduce Chinese language teachers to action research in the Chinese language teaching context and provide tools and techniques that enable participants to reflect on a question, issue or puzzle in one’s own working context in a systematic way. The workshop will explore the opportunities and constraints on implementing action research. Participants will be introduced to the fundamental principles and processes of action research including formulating a question about own teaching, or setting a pedagogical goal, identifying strategies for the implementation, locating tools to assess and track outcomes on your own pedagogical practice, student learning, and/or influence on colleagues, and exploring venues to share what one has learned and found from the research with a wider audience at a conference and in writing.

Implementing Proficiency-Based Tools & Standards to Build Exemplary K-12 Chinese Programs ($125)

Led by National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL)

Presenters: Lisa Harris, Ann Marie Gunter

Many states and districts have implemented proficiency-based language standards that outline what students should be able to do with language as a result of high-quality K-12 programs. This workshop will first give an overview of the policies, initiatives and tools at the local, state and national levels that are used to build and expand various Chinese program models, including dual language/immersion, heritage language, and the traditional K-12 sequence. Secondly, participants will examine recent language acquisition research, intercultural communication initiatives, and student learning outcomes that have been used to establish proficiency expectations in different programs. The alignment and use of proficiency scales will be discussed, and free classroom resources like LinguaFolio will be shared.  Activities will be modeled that can help administrators, parents and other stakeholders understand proficiency-based language learning. Finally, a number of resources for professional development will be provided, and participants will learn how to ensure the success and sustainability of well-implemented programs.

Planning and Managing Differentiated Instruction ($125)

Led by Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS)

 Presenters: Baocai Jia, Carol Chen-Lin, Lucy Lee, ChinHuei Yeh

This workshop provides teachers with knowledge and skills on what needs to be differentiated, what maybe differentiated, and what not to be differentiated in teaching. Presenters will approach this topic through discussions, interactions, and hands-on activities to demonstrate how teaching content, learning process and learning outcomes can be differentiated. Participants will gain from this workshop effective differentiation management routines and student-centered activities adapted to their learning modalities. Differentiated Instruction approach can be applied to all levels, learning styles and program types.

Planning Learning Progressions: Ensure Learners Get to “I can ...” ($125)

Led by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Presenter: Paul Sandrock, Sabrina Huang

Simply setting a learning goal stated as “I can …” does not guarantee learners reach the outcome. Participants will experience how to design a learning progression. This workshop will identify the outcomes for a unit of instruction, and how learners will explore an essential question and its intercultural focus. Using backward design plan, this presentation will discuss how to develop what learners need to know, the skills or communication strategies they need to develop, and the tasks that will prepare learners to show what they “can do.” Participants will be able to connect language, culture, and content to engage and motivate learners as they develop higher levels of proficiency.

Thursday, May 7, 12:45 PM–3:45 PM

Friday, May 8, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (6 hours)

AP® Chinese Language and Culture Workshop ($175)

Led by College Board

Presenter: AP® Chinese Consultant (Name forthcoming), College Board

Part I: Thursday, May 7 | 12:45 - 3:45 PM

Part II (continued): Friday, May 8 | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Advanced Placement® (AP®) workshops are designed to help teachers and administrators develop and deepen their programs to prepare students for the rigors of college. Sessions led by College Board consultants feature innovative best practices and research-based strategies that can assist you in helping your students achieve their academic goals. AP workshops can help you to (1) Align instruction with the goals of the AP course; (2) Identify the skills and knowledge the exam will assess; (3) Determine the tasks and materials for which students may need more preparation; (4) Draft a syllabus that meets the curricular requirements for the course; and (5) Understand how to make equitable access a guiding principle in designing instruction.