WV Connections - Bridging Linguistic and Cultural Differences in West Virginia

LATEST NEWS and EVENTS

Feb 10 WVTESOL 13th Annual Spring Conference, Fairmont, West Virginia, Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10, 2010

WVTESOL, the West Virginia affiliate of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) will hold its 13th annual conference at the Falcon Center at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, West Virginia. We expect it to be an exciting event for English as a Second Language (ESL) professionals.　Attached is the Call for Proposals(word) and a Flyer concerning the conference. (word) Please feel free to distribute these electronically. All the conference information is not yet posted to the new website, but will be this weekend. Please note the new web address: http://tesolwv.org Proposal Deadline: Friday, February 26, 2010

Feb 10 Japanese Art Kirie Workship in WV, March 2010! We are pleased to announce that Mr. Kubo (Japanese Kirie Artist who are appointed as Special Advicor for Cultural Exchange of Agency for Cultural Affairs – Government of Japan) will visit us in West Virginia on March 11-13, 2010. Detail information is available here (pdf)

Jan 10 U.S. Department of State Programs for American Schools and Educators is offering two fully funded programs for schools, teachers, and principals. One program is Teachers of Critical Languages Program that seeks to develop Chinese and Arabic programs in K-12 schools throughout the United States by bringing EFL teachers from China and Egypt and placing them in U.S. schools for an academic year where they teach Mandarin or Arabic language and culture. Applications are due March 12, 2010 and available at www.tclprogram.org.The other program is Educational Seminars which provides opportunities for teachers and principals to participate in fully funded, short-term educational exchange to Argentina, Brazil, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Thailand, and Uruguay. Applications are due March 12, 2010 available at www.americancouncils.org/es.

Jan 10 WVFLTA Proposals The West Virginia Foreign Language Teachers Association is requesting proposals for presenters for the fall conference scheduled September 24-25th in historic Elkins, WV . This year’s theme is: Renewing our Vision: From 'Foreign Language' to 'World Language' ***Note: Deadline has been expanded until March 1, 2010.*** Please see the attachment for details. (Word)

Oct 09 2009 Chinese Bridge Delegation to China: Taking the Next Step A delegation to strengthen Chinese programs and partnerships Travel dates: December 2-10, 2009 This program will help U.S. educators learn how to strengthen and expand K-12 Chinese programs, make connections with other educators, and build partnerships with schools in China. Delegates will spend time in Beijing and one regional city attending school visits, educational workshops, and cultural visits. Learn more and apply at: www.collegeboard.org/chinesebridge

Sep 09 International Exchange Opportunities for Teachers and Principals Educational Seminar grants are available that include all travel, living and program expenses. These grants are funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and administered by American Councils for International Education. For full announcements and an application form please go to http://www.americancouncils.org

Aug 09 Summer 2010 FULBRIGHT-HAYS SEMINARS ABROAD PROGRAM: The Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program provides opportunities for overseas experience and is open to educators and administrators with responsibilities in fields related to humanities, languages, and area studies. Seminars are designed to provide a broad and introductory cultural orientation to a particular country. Terms of the award include: round-trip economy airfare, room and board, program-related travel within the host country(ies). Participants are responsible for a cost share of $450.00. For application forms and more information, please contact Carly.Borgmeier@ed.gov .The Summer 2010 application and reference form deadline is October 9, 2009

Aug 09 The 2009 WVFLTA Conference titled "Renewing our vision: Proficiency over Mastery" is scheduled for September 18 & 19 in Elkins, West Virginia. Complete information and registration forms are available on the WVFLTA website - www.wvflta.org

Aug 09 Guatemala Study Abroad Experience for Educators The WVU Extending Learning Office is coordinating a Spanish language study abroad trip April 4 - 11, 2010 for educators. The program fee includes airfare, one-to-one instruction for all levels of Spanish, home stays, numerous meals, and field trips. The program is open to any interested educator (flyer). Contact Richard Fleisher RLFleisher@mail.wvu.edu for more details.

April 2009 West Virginia Humanities Council Sponsors "The Crossroads of Native Culture and History Teacher Institute" for K12 teachers June 14-20, 2009. For more information see (Adobe)

February 2009 International Travel Grant for Secondary Teachers IREX an international non-profit organization funded by the U.S. Department of State is seeking U.S. secondary-level teachers of English or the social sciences to participate in a two-week professional exchange program in one of the following countries: Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Senegal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.The program is fully funded and provides: visa support; round-trip domestic airfare, lodging and meals to attend the TEA U.S. Conference; round-trip airfare from the U.S. to the assigned country; emergency medical insurance; as well as lodging and a daily stipend in host country. (Teacher Application)

February 2009 Study Abroad Scholarships Available for Future Foreign Language Teachers. The Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) WV Consortium for Internationalizing Higher Education is partnering with WV Foreign Language Teachers Association to internationalize foreign language teacher education programs by providing six $1500 scholarships during Spring 2009 to students at public universities working on teacher certification. A priority will be given to students who participate in the in-house study abroad programs offered at WV public colleges and university (brochure)

February 2009 West Virginia Chapter of American Association of Teachers of French and the West Virginia University French club announce French Event: All French teachers and interested students across West Virginia are invited to attend a French Immersion Saturday in Morgantown on Saturday, April 25 (date changed from April 18). Activities will be centered in and around the downtown campus of the university. For information or to RSVP, please contact Charles Wolf at cwolf@access.k12.wv.us

January 2009 Taylor County Middle School is sponsoring a Spanish Performance Festival on April 25, 2009. The Festival is open to current Spanish students. Registration materials are due March 13, 2009. A list of the rules, schedules, and performance categories are available in the attachment. Please contact Blanca Skaggs bskaggs@access.k12.wv.us with questions or requests for additional information.

January 2009 West Virginia Chapter of American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Announces Spanish Event: The WVAATSP is sponsoring a Spanish Immersion Weekend March 20-21, 2009 at the Graceland Inn & Conference Center in Elkins, West Virginia. Complete information will be released before the end of January. Room reservations can be made now by calling 304-637-1600 or 1-800-624-3157. Request the (reduced) group rate for WV Spanish teachers. The block of rooms reserved for the WV Spanish teachers will only be held until February 20. Contact Terri Marlow marlowt@suddenlink.net for more details.

January 2009 NEA Foundation Accepting Applications Learning & Leadership Grants - The Learning & Leadership Grants program provides opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. Grants to individuals fund participation in professional development experiences such as summer institutes and action research. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups. Visit the NEA Foundation Web site at http://www.neafoundation.org for complete grant program information.

December 2008 U.S. Department of State sponsors Study Abroad Opportunity for American students - The National Strategic Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is sponsoring a new merit-based US Government overseas language program for American high school students that will fund approximately 550 students during 2009 and 2010. There will be programs in Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Turkish. For more information and to apply online, visit www.NSLIforYouth.org . The application deadline is February 2, 2009 .

December 2008 World Language Webinar (PowerPoint)

December 2008 WVFLTA Call for Proposals The West Virginia Foreign Language Teachers Association Fall conference is scheduled for September 18-19th 2009, in Morgantown, WV. The organization is currently seeking proposals for the conference. Please see the attachment for details. Proposals should be submitted by January 31. Some new features for this year's conference include a panel discussion about proficiency over mastery and 15 minute poster sessions.

December 2008 WVTESOL Call for Proposals The 12th annual WVTESOL Association Spring conference will be held March 6-7, 2009, in Charleston, WV. The conference theme is "Weaving Threads of Integration" (conference details). The organization is currently seeking proposals for the conference. Proposals should be submitted by January 16 (proposals).

December 2008 Harrison County Foreign Language Teacher Wins 2008 Cyrus Vance Award. Debbie Nicholson, teacher at Bridgeport High School, was selected as the 2008 K-12 Winner of the Cyrus Vance Award. The Cyrus Vance Awards were created by the Office of the Secretary of Education and the Arts in 2001 to honor West Virginia educators who best exemplify Vance's dedication to the understanding of international issues and affairs and to promote greater international understanding among West Virginia students http://www.wvosea.org/cyrusvance.html

November 2008 Encourage WV students to participate in a national student podcast contest. The contest, sponsored by ACTFL, will celebrate Discover Languages month during February 2009. Students are encouraged to submit video podcasts of a video public service announcement that promotes language learning and provides the audience with compelling reasons why students should be developing proficiency in more than one language! The podcasts will be judged for originality and creativity by a celebrity panel of judges and cash and product prizes will be available to the students who produce the winning podcasts. For specific contest rules, go to www.DiscoverLanguages.org or http://www.actflvideocontest.org/

September 2008 Spanish Immersion in Barranquilla, Colombia. West Virginia State University will sponsor a 4-week Spanish immersion program beginning in late June 2009 in Barranquilla, Colombia. The host institution will be the Universidad Autónoma del Caribe. The program will include an Advising OPI Interview, which will be of particular interest to K-12 teachers of Spanish who are interested in demonstrating proficiency at the required national level. For more information please contact Miguel Zapata mzapata@wvstateu.edu

September 2008 Title III Updates Fall Webinar (PowerPoint)

September 2008 World Language Webinar (PowerPoint)

September 2008 The National Museum of Language (NML) is sponsoring a contest to design the International Flag of Languages. This contest and the flag itself will be the NML's contribution to commemorate UNESCO's International Year of Languages. The contest rules and entry form are posted at http://languagemuseum.org/flag . The contest itself will run from September 2 through November 28.

September 2008 The 2008 WVFLTA Conference titled "Building Communication: Real World Language" is scheduled for September 19 & 20 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Complete information and registration forms are available on the WVFLTA website - www.wvflta.org

August 2008 World Language Teacher is honored as Berkeley County Teacher of the Year http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=201341&format=html

July 2008 2008 SUMMER INSTITUTE July 14-16 approximately 50 World Language and English as a Second Language Teachers came together for the 2008 Summer Instititute. The Institute, offered at Marshall University and Kellogg Elementary, provide professional development for teachers on the implementation of 21st Century teaching in the language classroom (link).

May 2008 SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHERS The Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) has several fantastic summer scholarships available for Kindergarten through college foreign language teachers. (Word)

April 2008 West Virginia Students Enjoy Chinese Culture and Language Presentations Over one thousand West Virginia students participated in a joint project between the state Department of Education and the College Board to introduce students to the Chinese culture and language (Word)

April 2008 JAPANESE KOTO RECITAL Experience traditional Japanese music at a free concert April 9th, 8:00 pm, Huntington, WV (brochure details)

March 2008 World Language Webinar (PowerPoint)

March 2008 The 2008 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands applications are now available. This year all teachers in grades 6 – 12 and Library Media Specialists are eligible to apply! The deadline for application is May 9, 2008 ; the application is now online at www.iie.org/toyota

March 2008 The Center for International Understanding, Inc. located in Bluefield, WV has signed MOAs with 11 institutions in Armenia and is working on similar arrangements in Georgia to arrange educational travel to Armenia and Georgia, May 10-31, 2008, Individuals interested in short two-week teaching stints in these countries are encouraged to contact Dr. Jamkhandi email.

February 2008 Southern Leadership Initiative SCOLT (Southern Conference on Language Teaching) is seeking applicants for the Southern Initiative for Language Leadership Program. Applicants should be in the first five years of their teaching career and be interested in leadership. The program spans two years and will entail two summer institutes and two projects. For more information visit http://scolt.org/?page_id=52 .

February 2008 TESOL Conference to be held in NY, April 2-5 (link)

February 2008 Bethany College Japan Institute offers a trip to Japan and series of lectures and discussions on Japanese language, arts, history, and culture for West Virginia teachers. The institute will be held from June 8th to June 26th, 2008. Application deadline is February 15. (application)

January 2008 2008 WESTELL Training (PowerPoint)

January 2008 WVTESOL Accepting Proposals for 2008 Conference at WV University at Parkersburg to be held April 25-26. The deadline for proposals is Feb. 1st (application for proposals). For more details about the conference see the conference flyer and conference registration form.

December 2007 Berkeley County Newsletter highlights ESL Thanksgiving Dinner (see p. 4) (link)

December 2007 2008 Chinese Guest Teacher Program: Now Accepting Applications (PowerPoint)

December 2007 Putting the World into World Class Education. Asia Society Vice President, Vivien Stewart, challenges West Virginia schools with innovations and opportunities for increasing students' global literacy (PowerPoint).

December 2007 Mercer County Teacher receives 2007 Cyrus R. Vance Award for Promoting International Understanding From a field of seventeen nominees, Sherry Strow, Princeton High history teacher, was named the 2007 Cyrus R. Vance Award Winner for the state of West Virginia. In addition to her work with Model U.N., Strow is a member of the National Geography Alliance. She and her students annually participate in Geography Bowl competition (link).

September 2007 ESL Instructional Materials Committee seeking participants. Please see (Word) for information and application (Word).

September 2007 The US Fund for UNICEF is looking for teachers to pilot its new "TeachUNICEF" curriculum materials for grades 6-8 and 9-12. These lesson plans are based on the United Nations Children's Fund's 2006 "State of the World's Children Report". The materials are designed to help US students build their understanding of the needs of children and families from developing countries, and strategies to address critical global challenges and can be viewed at www.teachunicef.org . (Click on "Lesson Plans and Resources".) Piloting can take place any time between Sept. 1 and Nov. 21, 2007 , and registrations will be accepted through Sept. 28. For more detailed information, or to register, contact: shfountain@msn.com

September 2007 Fully-funded study tours of Japan available for elementary and secondary educators through Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program (JFMF). The program is designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States by inviting educators to visit Japan and share their experiences with fellow Americans upon their return. Participants travel to Japan with other outstanding educators, learn about Japanese culture and education, and return home to implement a self-designed plan to share their knowledge and experience with their students, colleagues, and community. Application available at (link)

September 2007 Fall Updates for Title III Programs (PowerPoint)

September 2007 Free Online ESL Professional Development for up to 100 West Virginia Classroom Teachers The newly launched eCourse “ Facilitating Instruction for English Language Learners ” will provide the classroom teacher with an overview of the legal requirements, second language acquisition theory and research-based instructional strategies that will assist him/her in successfully teaching students who are English Language Learners.

The course is schedule to run from October 10-November 27, 2007 session (7 weeks).
Participants will need approximately 4 hours per week to complete the requirements and will receive a $100 stipend and OPTIONAL 3 hours of non-degree college credit at $105.00 from Marshall University or $130 from West Virginia University.
Participants must register no later than October 1 at: http://wvde.state.wv.us/pd/elearning/registration.php

August 2007 WV Department of Education Seeks Partnerships to Promote World Languages (Powerpoint) (Survey)

August 2007 Bethany College offers Japan Outreach program to K-12 schools Bethany College Japan Outreach is an interactive program designed to engage children about Japan . The Japan Outreach Coordinator visits classrooms and introduces Japanese culture and language to area students. Visits are scheduled from August 2007 to June 2008. For more information including contact information see Application and Artist in Residence Brochure.

August 2007 2007 ESL Summer Program in Berkeley County schools succeeds in improving students' language proficiency during summer "window of opportunity" (link)

July 2007 Application is now available for the 2008 Toyota International Teacher Program to Costa Rica This year all full time classroom teacher in grades 7-12 in all 50 states are eligible to apply! The application is online at www.iie.org/toyota . The deadline for application is September 7, 2007

May 2007 If Your Child Learns in Two Languages A parent's guide for improving educational opportunities for children acquiring English as a second language is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Armenian and Korean (link)

March 2007 2007 Goldman Sachs Foundation Youth Prize for Excellence in Int'l Education
Asia Society and The Goldman Sachs Foundation are pleased to announce the 2007 Goldman Sachs Foundation Youth Prize for Excellence in International Education. The competition asks students to select a problem or challenge that affects their local community as well as a community outside the United States; to create an in-depth written, audio, video, or animated feature that compares and contrasts how these two communities have addressed the issue. For the contest question and online application see link. The deadline is June 11, 2007.

March 2007 2007 Toyota International Teacher Program to Galapagos Islands Now Available

This program offers a unique professional development program for secondary school teachers to visit these remote islands, home to unique ecosystems found no where else on Earth! The program is open to classroom teachers of all disciplines in grades 7-12, who teach full time in all 50 states and the District of Columbia . Twenty eligible applicants will be selected in May to participate on this fully funded program. See www.iie.org/toyota

November 2006 Sissonville High School Honored Kanawha County's Sissonville High School's International Studies program netted one of two state awards given for schools and colleges that promote students knowledge of other countries and people.

The Cyrus R. Vance Award goes to people and programs in West Virginia that make an outstanding effort to broaden students world experiences through education and travel. Vance, a Clarksburg native, was President Jimmy Carter's secretary of state and a strong supporter of dialogue over conflict. Five West Virginia teachers and one academic program have received the award since it started in 2001.

October 2006 Bethany College Japan Outreach Program is Sponsoring Free K-12 Teacher Workshops on Japan. For more information see (Information) (Application)

September 2006 Chinese Guest Teacher Program available to West Virginia Schools (PowerPoint and Application)

September 2006 Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Applications Now Available - This Program, sponsored by the Government of Japan, provides American primary and secondary school teachers and administrators with fully-funded short-term study tours of Japan. The program is designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States by inviting U.S. elementary and secondary educators to visit Japan and share their experiences with fellow Americans upon their return. (link)

August 2006 Updates for 2006-07 School Year (PowerPoint)

August 2006 Schools Invited to participate in LEP Accommodations Study - the primary goal of this study is to identify valid accommodations for LEP students with disabilities and to provide research-based information on the effectiveness and validity of accommodations used in the assessments for students with limited English proficiency (LEP), students with disabilities, and LEP students with disabilities. For more information see (Word)

August 2006 Title III Directors Invited to Participate in Consolidated Monitoring Workshop - A Federal Programs Workshop is

scheduled for August 15, 2006 at Stonewall Resort. It will cover several timely topics that should be of interest to not only federal program directors but also chief school business officials. (Agenda) For registration information, please contact jpanetta@access.k12.wv.us

5/5 Title III application now included in Five-Year Strategic Plan (link)

4/4 ESL Summer Program Teacher Applications for 2006 now available (link)

3/29 International Summer Institute Training Opportunity for Teachers The West Virginia Consortium for Faculty and Course Development in International Studies will offer three hours of free graduate credit in a course titled "WV and World: Globalization Then and Now." The course is available to K-12 teachers across West Virginia. For additional information see (Adobe)

3/1 WEB-BASED TRAINING FOR THE 2006 SPRING WESTELL ADMINISTRATION will be conducted on Thursday, March 9, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Although there will not be any substantial changes in the administration of the test from the previous year, the training will review the basics of logistics, security, and provide an update on some of the changes that have occurred in the K-2 portion that was field-tested last year.

1/25 Annual Title III Directors Meeting scheduled for

May 3 in Charleston (Registration Information)

11/22 Web-Conference Notes (Word)

10/4 WVTESOL's Annual Conference April 7-8, 2006 (Charles Town, WV)

The conference theme “Climbing Mountains, Crossing Rivers, Connecting Valleys” will focus on meeting the challenges and securing the rewards of West Virginia's growing linguistic diversity through excellence in English language teaching. WVTESOL conferences offer unique opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the state. If you want to serve on a planning committee, submit a proposal, or simply want to receive registration details please visit www.wvtesol.org