Minutes

Penobscot Collaborative for  Teaching Languages

 

October 9, 2002

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The following members of the Penobscot collaborative met on October 9 at the Canadian American Center in Orono:

Ray Pelletier , UMO
Lee Anne Small, SAD #23
Gisela Hoecherl , Alden UMO
Cynthia Lees, Central HS
Paula Martel Tarr, Brewer HS
Leslee Fiveland, Bucksport Middle School
Anita Tassel, Veazie Montessori
Jane Fenno-Vaux , Mt. Desert Schools
Janice Clain, Hermon HS
Lynda Millar, Mt. Desert Schools

Those in attendance discussed ways to improve communications. Ray will take on the project of updating the collaborative directory first compiled in 1998. Other information on upcoming events or information of interest will be routed to collaborative members via e-mail to and from Janice Clain. Members are also encouraged to check the FLAME website periodically(www.umaine.edu/flame).

FLAME is currently working on an advocacy project designed to promote an understanding of the importance of foreign language instruction and acquisition. One proposal for the collaborative is to draft a statement for university administration explaining concerns that prospective teachers are not finding courses and resources to help them reach certification. Attendees also agreed to share some of their own advocacy materials with the FLAME Board.

Another FLAME Board goal has been to reinvigorate the regional collaboratives. Penobscot collaborative will agree to prepare a panel discussion for the spring conference to highlight the benefits of collaborative participation.

Proposed topics for monthly meetings of the collaborative for this year are:

TPRS

Motivation- strategies to keep students on task in class, and to do
homework preparation

Advocacy

Swap Session of classroom activities
(building a portfolio ofinstructional strategies)

Integrating lap tops into FL instruction articulating curriculum among the three levels (ES, MS, HS)

The next collaborative meeting will be held on November 13 at 3:30 at
Brewer High School. Carolyn Horth and Audrey Swanton have agreed to
present their experiences with TPRS.

For further information or directions,
contact Janice Clain (reply to e-mail or call 848-3365).

 

November 13, 3002 

The following were in attendance at the Penobscot Collaborative meeting,

November 13 at Brewer High School:

Janice Clain- Hermon HS    

Crystal Jackins- John Bapst Memorial HS

Gisela Hoecherl_Alden- UMO

Maria Rave- UMO and John Bapst MHS

Valorie Larson- Bangor HS

LeeAnne Small- Carmel Elem./ Levant Elem.

Cindy Sturgeon- Bangor HS

Norm Fineman- Holbrook Middle School

Jane Aav- Cohen School

Gloria Wang- Doughty School

Anita Tassel- Bangor Montessori School

Claudette O'Connell- Brewer HS

Paula Martel Tarr- Brewer HS

Lynda Millar- Mount Desert Schools

Leslie Fiveland- Bucksport Middle School

Audrey Swanton (high school Spanish) and Carolyn Horth (elementary and middle school French) explained their own experiences with TPRS, sharingvideos of classes in action and the array of materials available to classroom instructors who are interested in using this new method of language instruction intended to get students communicating in realisticsituations. Attendees were encouraged to adapt methods and materials to their own personalities and teaching situations, and there was ample time for questions and answers. (For those of you who were unable to attend but would like hints and encouragement, contact Audrey [Audbod@aol.com] or Carolyn [chorth@acadia.net].)

Those in attendance at this meeting agreed that a panel discussion at the annual FLAME Conference March 7 is a worthwhile project. Participants in the panel will explain how the collaborative maintains communications,sets up meetings, and will highlight the benefits of participation in the organization. Members willing to participate in the panel are: Audrey Swanton, Carolyn Horth, Anita Tassel, Crystal Jackins and Lynda Millar.

Preparation for the workshop session will be the focus of a monthly meeting early in the new year.

The next collaborative is tentatively set for Wednesday, January 15 at 3:30 at Brewer High School. The topic of the session is "strategies for motivating students to participate actively in class and to do homework".

This will be a share session. A reminder will be sent out in early January. For further information, contact Janice Clain

(Janice_Clain@hermon.net or 848-3365)

Report submitted by Janice Clain