Lost in Transition: World Languages Institute

April 18-19, 2010, Casper, Wyoming

N=23104/114 (91.2%) of participants agree or strongly agree with positive statements below.

1. On a scale from 1-10 with ten being high, rate the value of this two-day institute.

Average Rating: 8.7

Ratings: 9, 10, 10, 7, 7, 9, 8, 7, 8, 9, 10, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, 8, 7, 10, 10, 8, 10 (t=192, n=22)

2. The Sunday evening dinner and a book event featured an excerpt from Alfred Lubrano’s Limbo: White Collar Dreams Blue Collar Roots. The reading and discussion helped me understand some of the teaching-learning issues in my instructional setting.

Strongly Disagree: 0Disagree: 0Neutral: 4Agree: 14Strongly Agree: 3

3. Monday’s panel discussion on issues in world languages instruction improved my understanding of Wyoming challenges and successes.

Strongly Disagree: 0Disagree: 0Neutral: 0Agree: 14Strongly Agree: 9

  • (Agree) It made me aware and better prepared to ask my students about their motivation.
  • (Strongly agree) Would like to see more student

4. The two opportunities to examine student work in small, mixed group format helped me see instructor expectations and student learning across levels.

Strongly Disagree: 0 Disagree: 2Neutral: 2Agree: 15Strongly Agree: 5

  • (Strongly agree) I really liked to get a chance to discuss this with other teachers of my language. Very helpful and interesting. It helps me to understand where my students came from.
  • (Disagree) Groups are still talking through different ideals. Grammar v. skill/ability (communication).
  • (Strongly agree) I learned that there are also articulation and curriculum communication issues between community colleges and the UW too.
  • (Neutral) Don’t quite know if it was of value because isolated work is difficult to compare to ACTFL proficiency questions.
  • (Agree) Not enough time.

5. Monday’s small group discussion and consensus building about expectations and proficiencies based on examining student provided a good starting point for more and deeper discussions.

Strongly Disagree: 0Disagree: 1Neutral: 1Agree: 12Strongly Agree: 10

  • (Strongly Agree) Absolutely.
  • (Agree) It brought us back to the placement question.

6. The Monday afternoon discussion on the topic of articulating language placements was valuable.

Strongly Disagree: 0Disagree: 0Neutral: 0Agree: 10Strongly Agree: 12

  • (Strongly agree) Wow! I wondered at first why we were even meeting if it had already been decided for us. After discussion, I hope we can implement PLACE.
  • (Strongly agree) Difficult but extremely valuable.

7. If there were another lost in transition institute focused on bringing secondary faculty and postsecondary facultytogether, what kind of professional development activities would yield improved learning for language students? Please focus your comments on student learning.

  • Continued examination of student work: explicit instructions as to what kinds of samples to bring.
  • Communication between professors and high school teachers to help answer what the students know. Outreach to parents to encourage language study at all levels!
  • Use of social software; bring in ESL experts.
  • Some kind of opportunity (reasonably priced) to allow all students going into the teaching field of world languages to go to the target country for an immersion.
  • How to encourage speaking and interactive activities.
  • Articulating learning outcomes for 1010 and 1020; share more of what secondary do.
  • Focusing on data on common placement exams, through investigation.
  • Looking at student work was a valuable opportunity that will help me to increase student learning in my classroom.
  • Territoriality.
  • Consistency for courses in language; look at actual texts and tests of college. Look at different placement exams from other colleges.
  • We need a common placement test (STAMP).
  • Construct an entrance placement exam so we’d know where our students are or what they should know after one or two years of language study.
  • Ideas/examples of successful student activities/assignments would be helpful (i.e., how best to teach certain vocabulary or grammar concepts).
  • Continued discussion about articulation between secondary and postsecondary.
  • I would like to see some definite, explicit explanation of the PLACE exam.
  • Standards articulation – national/state – college/university. Writing syllabi, not only materials, but expectations, etc.

8. This two-part question focuses on future P-16 world languages meetings:

a)For you, what is the key issue concerning coordination of the teaching and learning of world languages from high school to community college and university?

  • Placement, proficiency exams and seeing more of what others do.
  • We need to continue to meet
  • A deeper understanding of proficiency levels.
  • Placement of students at the university; alignment of content standards.
  • Communication; know what is being taught by each other.
  • Speaking the same language; agreeing on definitions.
  • Not just talking, but getting things done.
  • Placement.
  • Common proficiency assessment.
  • For post-secondary to become more open to new methods of teaching.
  • Connect placement plus a continued emphasis on communication.
  • Expectations from middle schools all the way through post-secondary.
  • A placement exam and better understanding of challenges faced at each level.
  • Continued outside facilitation.
  • Lack of understanding of what is expected at each level.
  • What students would expect after 2-3 years of high school language.
  • We need to look at various placement tests and come to a consensus.
  • Placement exams so college classes are leveled out.
  • Common expectations.
  • A disconnect in placement of students and not understanding what preparations need to be in place for 1010, 1020, etc.
  • Better communication between secondary and post-secondary.
  • Placement – common? Assessment. Essential learnings for different courses. Impact of Hathaway at different levels (further discussion.

b)How can future articulation meetings best address the issue you identified?

  • Meet.
  • Keep in contact.
  • Bring in documents descriptive of performance objectives across three levels.
  • WFLTA, WEN video, conference calls, teleconference; investigating all placement tests available.
  • Decide on which assessment to use.
  • Placement; articulation outcomes.
  • Data from STAMP (to be investigated) and statewide standards and proficiencies established.
  • Time to talk and understand each others’ realities.
  • Create a placement test/guidelines that give value to all levels.
  • Develop a good placement test.
  • Placement exam examples; also articulation between the community colleges and the university.
  • Research on placement exams, “buy-in” to ACTFL proficiency guidelines to talk about our students’ ability.
  • More forum type presentations in an atmosphere where people feel free to speak openly.

9. Anything else we need to know? Please use space below to comment.

  • These discussions need to continue.
  • More time for coffee breaks/lunch/dinner.
  • The hotel and food were discussable…
  • Get results of various tests out to ALL schools; send this info out to foreign language teachers.