Professional Development for World Language Educators

Please see the list of upcoming conferences and professional development (PD) below from various organizations that serve multiple World Languages and/or types of programs. Details about registration, discounts, content, etc. are available using the links provided.

Additional PD is listed in chronological order through October 2024 on the K-20 Professional Development page on FLANC's website under the Resources tab.

Digital Transition Webinar Series The North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) 2023-2024 Digital Transition Webinar Series for Educators offers new webinar topics throughout the school year based on participant requests, including a monthly World Language focused broadcast. In December, the sessions below will be presented by Dr. Kim Warr Schroeder, NCVPS English III Instructor and Professional Learning Instructional Leader, and Elena Allen, NCVPS Russian Instructor and Russian II Course Lead. Canvas: Beyond the Basics at 6:30 - 7:30 pm on December 7 FigJam in the Classroom Workshop at 6:30 - 7:30 pm on December 12 Interactive Activities for Russian Language Practice at 6:30 - 7:30 pm on December 13 Please use the links above to learn more and register for the upcoming broadcasts, which typically earn participants Digital Learning and/or World Language CEU credit.

Virtual Modified OPI Assessment Workshop The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) will host Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Modified OPI (MOPI) workshops for individuals in a hybrid virtual format on ACTFLearn Central and Zoom. Registration is now open for both and space is very limited. Please use the links below to get more details.

The Modified OPI (MOPI) Assessment Workshop runs from January 8 - February 11 with English/Mixed Languages cohorts, and the live Zoom sessions will be on January 18 and February 1, 3, and 4.

The OPI Assessment Workshop is scheduled for February 5 - March 10 with cohorts for Chinese, Spanish, and English/Mixed Languages. The live Zoom sessions will be on February 15 & 29 and March 2 & 3.

NCDPI Webinar Series Information

Join us on Wednesday, January 17 at 4:00 - 5:00 pm for Part I of the Supporting Learner Agency Series by submitting the registration form for, An Overview of the Updated SEL Mapping Document for the North Carolina World Language Standards.   This session is designed for World Language educators who want to learn more about integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into their classrooms and standards-based curriculum. An overview of North Carolina’s SEL initiatives will be shared, and the updated SEL Standards Mapping document for World Languages, which is housed in the World Languages Resources Hub, will be explored, along with other resources that can support implementation of SEL into any PK-12 learning environment.

The NCDPI World Languages Supporting Learner Agency Series will also include future broadcasts encompassing the implementation of LinguaFolio and the Portrait of a Graduate.

The Literacy Instruction Standards (LIS) Learning Series is continuing in the 2023 - 2024 school year with a Part 2, which includes Literacy in World Languages on Thursday, February 8 at 4:00 - 5:15 pm.    Please submit the registration form for Literacy in World Languages or view the flyer for information about all of the broadcast topics, dates, and registration details. Recordings and slides are available from previous sessions in the LIS Toolkit (LIST).

Resources, Grants, and Opportunities

Please see the list of awards, calls, grants, etc. below from various groups that are available to World Language educators, students, programs, and organizations. Details about applications, eligibility, timelines, etc. are available using the links provided.

Additional opportunities are listed in order by deadline through June 2024 on the K-20 Opportunities for Students and Educators page on FLANC's website under the Resources tab.

SPARK German Program The UNC Center for European Studies (CES) can bring German to your high school with UNC students in its new GERM 307 course. They will be learning about foreign language teaching and earn credit for creating lesson plans, designing materials, and teaching German as UNC/SPARK instructors to high school students online after school one afternoon per week.   SPARK for German is a joint project of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the Goethe-Institut, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office.   Submit the SPARK Application Form for Schools to learn more.

Calls for Proposals

The American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (AATSP) has issued its call for proposals for the 106th AATSP Annual Conference that will be held in Portland, Oregon on June 29 - July 2, 2024.   Proposals can be submitted online until January 6, and the theme is, Spanish and Portuguese as Global Languages: Connections and Opportunities in the Classroom and Beyond.

The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota has issued a call for proposals for the 12th International Language Teacher Education Conference that will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 30 - June 1, 2024.   Proposals need to be submitted online by January 12, and details about the conference themes and types of sessions, along with the submission guidelines, are posted on the Call for Proposals page.

The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT), North Carolina's regional professional organization, is offering a variety of awards and scholarships listed below. All applications must be submitted online and are due by Monday, January 15, 2024.

• Bostick Award for New Teachers to go to the upcoming SCOLT Conference - Teachers in their first to fifth year(s) of teaching who are dedicated to a long-term teaching commitment, have not yet attended a SCOLT conference, and demonstrate a commitment to future conference participation as part of their professional development can apply for the Bostick Award that covers conference registration.
• Educator of Excellence Award for Post-Secondary Educators - Current educators at the community college, college, and university level who have demonstrated excellence in language teaching, active participation in SCOLT, and leadership and advocacy at the local, state, and/or regional or national level can be nominated for the Educator of Excellence Award. The nomination form includes details about how to upload PDFs of a letter of nomination, a statement from the nominee of acceptance of nomination, a CV/Resume, and two letters of support.
• Future Language Educator Scholarships for High School Seniors & Undergraduate Students - There are two scholarships for students, one for a high school senior and one for a higher education student, in the amount of $1000 each. The Ken Stewart and Vista Higher Learning Future Language Educator Scholarships are available for students who wish to pursue a career as a World Language teacher. The same application form is used for both, and instructions on how to include PDFs of these six items are included:
  • Current high school or college transcript
  • List of school and community activities
  • Three letters of recommendation (1 from a language teacher/professor, 1 from a peer, and 1 from another teacher/professor or administrator)
  • One page statement of your future plans to become a language teacher
  • College or university you plan to attend or do attend with a brief statement on how future teaching plans fit within the offerings, programs and opportunities of this college or university.
  • Hyperlink to 3-minute video response in your language of study to the question: What makes an A+ teacher?
• Leadership Award for K-12 Educators - Current K-12 educators who have demonstrated excellence in language teaching through service to the school and community, active participation in SCOLT, and leadership and advocacy at the local, state, and/or regional or national level can be nominated for the Leadership Award. The nomination form includes details about how to upload PDFs of a letter of nomination, a statement from the nominee of acceptance of nomination, a CV/Resume, and two letters of support.

Please see the SCOLT Awards & Scholarships page for additional information and links.

Connect with NCDPI World Languages!

Dr. Ann Marie Gunter, K-12 World Languages Consultant

NCDPI World Languages: bit.ly/NCWorldLanguages

NCDPI World Languages Resources Hub: bit.ly/NCWLresources

NCDPI Dual Language/Immersion:  bit.ly/NCDLIinfo

NCDPI LinguaFolio Canvas Hub: bit.ly/LF4NCHub

NC Seal of Biliteracy, the GLE: bit.ly/NCSoBLGLE

Twitter:   #NCWLstandards   #WLWednesdays   #DLIinNC   #LF4NC   

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