More than just a podcast contest!

ACTFL sponsors a video podcast contest every year in order to promote language learning. This contest is open to students from elementary levels through university. This year's theme, "Languages for Life", was intended to inspire students to see language learning as an essential part of life-long learning, especially in their careers and lives of the 21st century. The outcomes included that students would synthesize (a higher level critical thinking skill) into a video podcast that would encourage both students and adults to see language learning as a critical component in their education and in their lives. ACTFL collaborated with Pearson Prentice Hall as a sponsor , Merlot and the Center for Language education and Research at Michigan State University (CLEAR). (By the way CLEAR has developed a series of free Internet tech tools such as an audio dropboxes and mashups and provides super professional development summer workshops, many centered around technology.) I took the Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques workshop last summer and I learned so many new tools to engage the 21st century learner. But now back to the story.

The contest goes like this: Create a compelling video podcast that encourages and advocates for language learning. This contest draws both students and teachers together to collaborate using tech to create a meaningful product. ACTFL provides a simple way to upload the video. Any student can do it in a flash. The videos are then judged and finalists are chosen. At this time the online voting starts. It like "American Idol" ACTFL style. Students, with all their wisdom and online savvy, get the ball rolling. Loading videos on social media sites, encouraging friends and family all over the planet to vote. Facebook pages were buzzing with video podcast news and status updates and students, parents, principals and teacher were all tweeting to get the world to vote. And as all of this was unfolding, so was the essential message about language learning unfolding-like no commercial, PSA or ad could ever do. Students wanted to see each others' published work-a caveat of the 21 st century learner. Everybody was a potential audience member.

But now a special story. In the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina, an ambitious group of fifth-graders, led by their super teacher Lynn Fulton-Archer, took on the challenge. Organizing into 10 teams, these students collaborated on the theme, wrote the script and produced the podcast. So many were excited about the process, because this is how they live their lives-in a media-rich world. Video podcasts were uploaded to the ACTFL site and then the waiting began. Excitement availed all to keep checking on whose videos would be in the final round. The day came and the finalists were notified and posted. One of the video podcasts from the fifth-graders of Richmond Drive Elementary School was a National Finalist! Wow!

Jumping on the opportunity to keep the message alive, Ms. Fulton-Archer contacted the local newspaper. For this was an event for the city-a group of fifth-graders getting national attention about their videos on language learning. The newspaper came, the students were interviewed, the story line grew and the excitement spread. Because now the whole city knew and this is exactly the grassroot efforts needed to keep the advocacy alive. The Herald/Online wrote a beautiful story-a story that any parent and teacher could be proud of. For these were their kids, their future citizens explaining to the world why they wanted to be able to communicate with the world with their new language. The last line of the article encouraged the community to vote for their new hometown celebrities. And I am sure they did! For these students were speaking about what they wanted and needed for their futures. And as we all know, the wisdom and truth from a child is authentic and from the heart. It would benefit us all to pay close attention. Just ask The Little Prince.

Congratulations to all the winners. Grab on to this opportunity for next year and watch true communication in action. The podcast rules and theme will be posted in the fall. And certainly examine the winning videos posted for all of us to use as positive, powerful advocacy tools. Thanks ACTFL and The Discover Languages Campaign for giving us new ways to promote language learning all while engaging our learners.

Get involved: your political leaders will listen!

Super Sunday Bowl-so what can one do before this game? Well, go to your Congress person's open house! Morning again and time to check the online headlines for Fort Collins on the Coloradoan website. What-our new House Representative from the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, Betsy Markey, is having an open house from 1-4 pm downtown?

Well, yeah I'm going! Betsy Markey had a full house. Professors from CSU who are serving on the Governor's P-20 Educational Committee, a teacher friend and former principal of mine, Ken Bennett, now serving as Betsy's communication director and many more constitutents from the 4th Congressional District, were all excited to talk with Betsy on her first trip back to Colorado since becoming a representative. I made my way up to Betsy, so I could have a few words and put that "Advocating for Foreign Languages" thought in her head. ( I knew that she holds a top security clearance and she traveled extensively to U.S. embassies and consulates. Betsy received the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award for creating their first computer security training program.) We had a wonderful exchange. I found out her daughter is a French minor at Berkeley. (ah, a link). She listened attentively and took my card. Hoping to talk with her when I go to Washington, DC during JNCL in May. Thank you, Congresswoman Markey for your time!

Speaking of hob-nobbing with legislators, February is Discover Languages Month. ACTFL has provided a Discover Language E-card for the purpose of thanking others for their support or encouraging them to join the cause, etc. You can send the card to colleagues, parents, administrators, politicians etc. But the real power is to turn this card loose and have students, parents, other teachers, etc. join in the cause and also send ecards. The viral aspect of using this card in that capacity, helps others feel empowered to make a difference and be involved. Thanks ACTFL!

Boy Scouts are international, too.

One never knows when the opportunity to advocate for more language learning may occur. Such as the case when one of my students asked me to speak at his "Court of Honor" for his Eagle Scout badge. Andrew, truly an international afficiando, has traveled to many places in the world. His most recent trip was to South Africa. He has already shared many his adventures and his new learnings with his friends. There is nothing like a peer telling about her/ his perspectives that will get others to listen and believe. He always comes back with interesting cultural insights and perspectives. I know that scouting has instilled in him the concept of respect. Yes, respect for people, for languages, for ideas, for culture and for the land. A big shout out to his parents for encouraging Andrew to pursue his Eagle Scout badge and for taking him to many parts of the world.
So needless to say I was truly honored to speak at this event. I gave a short message to honor Andrew in his accomplishment of becoming an Eagle Scout, for being an international citizen and for continuing his language studies in French.
So one never knows when the occasion will arise to speak about and advocate for language learning. So in front of parents, many other adults, other scouts and young Cub Scouts receiving their first badges I encouraged all to stay in touch with the world and gain greater respect by learning languages. This was a fun evening. Thanks Andrew for inviting me to do this and congratulations again. By the way the spaghetti and the cake were great.

ACTFL, 2008 Opening General Session

Nov. 21, 2008
ACTFL 2008
Orlando, Florida

It's Friday morning. The ACTFL General session begins at 9 am. But this is not just any General Session, because today we learn who will be the 2009 ACTFL TOY. My colleagues, the candidates from the regionals: Sandra Garcia from PNCFL, Emily Wagner from NECTFL, Samantha Godden-Chmielowicz from CSC and Carmen Scoggins from SCOLT and I arrive early to be prompted for the event. The music starts, ACTFL President Ray Clifford, elegantly dressed in his tuxedo, turns into an Avatar and dazzles the crowd. Then as the program continues, Ray introduces Christine Brown, the chair of the committee and the members of her TOY committee. Then out comes Janet Glass, the 2008 ACTFL TOY, who so graciously aided and suppported us throughout the interview process and other events on Thursday. One by one we were called to the stage. The moment was here. All of a sudden I hear my name. Oh là, c'est moi. I was excited beyond all understanding. A flashback of my first day as a French student in 9th grade at Norwalk, Ohio; then a flashback of my year abroad in France and then my first day as a language teacher. I could hear Colorado colleagues yelling and someone waving the Colorado flag. To quote the Grateful Dead, "What a long strange trip it's been."

I am truly honored to be the ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. It was a both challenging and rewarding process to gather evidence from students’ work, create that classroom video showing students authentically engaged in learning, responding to a series of important questions relevant to our profession and finally participating in an interview process conducted by peers in our field. I especially want to thank all my Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers colleagues for their support and encouragement throughout the process and I want to acknowledge the continued support from SWCOLT. Also kudos to ACTFL for their insight and vision in creating an honor like this that gives language teachers a voice among their peers in the education world that equivocates with honors in the content areas of math, language arts and science, etc. Next I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Holt McDougal in sponsoring this award that supports ACTFL’s vision. And finally, I would be remiss in not acknowledging my “raison d’être”, my wonderful students throughout all these years.

But with honor comes with some very serious work-advocating for languages in all aspects. It will be fun meeting language teachers around the country, collaborating with many on our issues and challenges and traveling with Janine Erickson, 2009 ACTFL President. Stay tuned with updates on this blog: Where is the world is the 2009 ACTFL Teacher of the Year?
Also collaborate and create with us at the World Language Teachers 2.0 Ning and add content for the 21st century language learner to our World Languages 21st Century. Through this Wiki, ning and blog, I will use many different 2.0 tools that are "digital natives" love to try.


See more wonderful pictures from the 2008 ACTFL General Session TOY Ceremony