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National Chinese Language ConferenceApril 30-May 2, 2009

Designing an Effective STARTALK Teacher Program: Successful Models

Catherine Ingold, NFLCMary Curran, Rutgers University

Jennifer Liu, Indiana University, Bloomington

Designing an Effective STARTALK

Teacher ProgramMary Curran

mary.curran@gse.rutgers.eduGraduate School of Education

Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyNational Chinese Language Conference, 2009

Plan for the Presentation

Rutgers Chinese Language Teacher Initiatives

Rutgers STARTALK Teacher Program

Keys to a Successful STARTALK Teacher Program

RutgersChinese Language Teacher Initiatives

Traditional Five-year and Post-Baccalaureate Programs For Ed.M. Degree and Certification

Chinese Masters of Arts for Teachers

Chinese Language Teacher Alternate Route Program

Chinese Language Teacher Alternate Route Program

19 Credit Program Pre-Service Summer Component

Methods Course Assessment Course Practicum

In-Service Academic-Year Component

STARTALK Teacher and Student Program

Summer Camp for Middle and High School Students

Professional Development for Teacher Candidates

Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro

Regional School Districts’ Chinese Summer Camp

Two week, non-residential program for middle and high school students

Three student levels: beginner, intermediate, and heritage

Three lead teachers

Standards-based, immersion program

STARTALK Teacher Training Opportunities

Methods Course

Practicum Course Pre-camp Preparation Meeting Two-week Summer Camp Post-camp Reflection Meeting

STARTALK FUNDS Teacher candidate scholarships Lead teachers’ and coordinators’ salaries Activity leaders from the community Material purchases Student lunches Student field trip

Teacher Program Objectives Preparing teachers to engage in standards-based pedagogy

reflecting the Chinese language and culture Developing a pre-service experience for teacher candidates Providing teacher candidates with the opportunity to gain real

teaching experience with actual students, and learn how to cope with the significant cultural differences between the Chinese and American school systems

Awarding scholarships to teachers in heritage Chinese language schools to attract them to the public school arena

Tracking of program participants to initiate a research study following the Chinese language teacher preparation experience of the participants

Fostering a new generation of expert teachers and teacher trainers

Methods Course Course Readings:

H. Curtain & C. A. Dahlberg, (2005). Languages and Children--Making the Match: New Languages and Young Learners. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

J. L. Shrum & E. W. Glisen, (2008).Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction Boston, MA:Heinle.

Introduction to SLA and language pedagogy Designing a performanced-based thematic unit, daily lesson

plans and activities aligned to New Jersey world language standards and ACTFL standards for Chinese learning

Designing integrated, performance-based assessments

Practicum Course Standards-based Instruction

Observations of Experienced Teachers

Micro-teaching

Guided Reflections with Teacher Educators

Opportunities to Create Short- and Long-Term Professional Development Plans

Standards-BasedACTFL/NCATE/NJPTS

Pre-practicum Meeting Course requirements (3 graduate credits)

Attendance Participation Focus on Daily Topics in Discussions and

Journals Final Reflection Paper

Post-practicum Meeting

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

Teachers’ Daily Schedule Arrive at Princeton High School Help with student arrivals and check in Participate in tai chi welcome, warm-up activity Observe and assist teachers Conduct small group activities Eat lunch with students Assist community guest teachers Attend and assist in daily culminating program Meet for guided reflection, plan for next day, and

create materials

End of the Day

Additional Activities

Accompany students on field trip

Meet for one-on-one feedback sessions with teacher trainers

Create lessons for last day festival

Additional Activities

Meet for one-on-one feedback sessions with teacher trainers Teacher candidates choose goals for the

practicum together with teacher trainers Teacher candidates consider their long-term

professional development needs

Last Day Festival

Keys for Success K-12 collaboration which models best

practice; Teacher candidates have the opportunity to

observe, practice with REAL K-12 students, and reflect;

Teacher candidates receive feedback and guidance;

Keys for Success Teacher candidates become members of a teacher

learning community;

Teacher candidates have the opportunity to observe multiple levels of instruction;

Teacher candidates have the opportunity to practice;

Teacher candidates observe how to make connections to the community;

Keys for Success

Teacher candidates receive on-going guided support and opportunities to reflect;

Programs are adequately funded for teacher support, materials, and teacher candidate scholarships; and

Teacher candidates learn that becoming a teacher is a life-long process.

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National Chinese Language ConferenceApril 30-May 2, 2009

Designing an Effective STARTALK Teacher Program: A Model at Indiana University

Jennifer Liu

Indiana University, Bloomington

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Outline

I. Program description

II. Participant summary

III. Training model & instructional approach

IV. Program outcome: knowledge, skills, and perspective changed

V. Program evaluation

VI. Recommendation

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Program Description 1

Chinese Pedagogy Institute (CPI), designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of current and prospective secondary school teachers of Chinese.

Through a course of study worth 4-5 graduate credits awarded by Indiana University’s School of Education that partially fulfills requirements for secondary teacher certification in Chinese:

EDUC L520: Advanced Study in Foreign Language Teaching (3 credit hours)—for beginning track;

EDUC L530: Topical Workshop in Language Education: Designing and Implementing Secondary Chinese Program (3 credit hours)—for advanced track;

EDUC M501: Laboratory/Field Experience (2 credit hours for beginning track and 1 credit hour for advanced track).

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Program Description 21. Understand major issues relevant to Chinese language teaching and learning in

the areas of grammar and vocabulary, listening and speaking, literacy (characters, reading, writing), culture, learning strategies, and classroom management;

2. Analyze a class in action and recognize its strengths and weaknesses;

3. Design lesson plans and enhance instructional strategies for high school learners;

4. Apply designed plans to a real classroom setting;

5. Assess the effectiveness of the lesson plans in terms of their incorporation of the five goals identified in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, communities;

6. Assess the effectiveness of peer instruction with class observation checklist;

7. Reflect upon their professional development experiences and identify the “best moments” in their teaching and learning with the aid of advanced technology; and

8. Help create professional development opportunities and resources by submitting lesson plans and unit plans for posting on a publicly accessible Web site.

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Program Description 31. Understand major issues relevant to Chinese language teaching and learning in

the areas of curriculum design, material development, task preparation, and assessment of instruction and student work;

2. Analyze and revise existing syllabi by addressing their strengths and weaknesses;

3. Create stories that will appeal to 6th-12th graders;

4. Design learning tasks and lesson plans for middle school learners;

5. Apply designed tasks and plans to a real classroom setting;

6. Assess the effectiveness of the tasks and lesson plans in terms of their incorporation of the 5 goals identified in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, communities;

7. Assess the effectiveness of peer instruction with class observation checklist;

8. Develop tests to gauge students’ learning progress;

9. Reflect upon their professional development experiences and capture the “highlights” in their teaching and learning with the aid of advanced technology; and

10. Help create professional development opportunities and resources by submitting lesson plans, syllabi, reading materials, and tests for posting on a publicly accessible Web site.

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Program Description 4 Time: 2 and ½ weeks (mid June to early July) Location: Bradford Woods (Week 1)

Bloomington campus (Week 2 and on) Instructors: Jennifer Liu, Michael Everson, Claire Kotenbeutel Applicants: 48 applications from 15 states: Alabama, California,

Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin, including one from overseas (Hong Kong) (Y1: 27 applicants from 11 states)

Participants: 24 trainees were accepted: 16 for beginning track, and 8 for advanced track. (Y1: 14)

Selection Criteria: the applicants’ need for professional development, their plan for pursuing certification, and the level of their language proficiency, both in Chinese and English.

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Participant Summary 1

Experience: 0 to 20+ years (2009)

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Participant Summary 2 Experience: 0 to 12 years (2008)

Gender F 12 M 2

Country of Origin China 5 Taiwan 5 U.S. 4

Status US citizen 10 PR 3 J1 visa 1

State of Residence IN 8 Other 6

Employment practicing teachers 11 prospective teachers 3

Education level MA 9 BA 5

Disciplines Business management Accounting

Materials engineering

Information science Political science

Food and nutrition Industrial education

English language and literature

Comparative literature

TESOL

East Asian studies

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Participant Summary 3 Practicum Subjects:

Y1: 12 HS

Y2: 12 MS, 10 HS Practicum Hours:

Y1: 10 hours

Y2: 28 hours for HS, 14 for MS Selection Criteria:

Have never studied Chinese

Prior experience in foreign languages

Commit to attending all sessions Participation Payment: $75

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Classroom ScenarioWarm-up & Problem-solving

Theory & ResearchGroup Discussion

Class AnalysisPaired Observation

Lesson Plan DemoPaired Practice

Materials & Resources ReviewIndividual Sharing

Coaching & ConsultationIndividual

Trainer Reflection Team

Training Model

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Instructional Approach From theory to practice From observation to hands-on practice From analysis to synthesis From paired to individual work From decision-making process to curriculum

product• Anticipation • Instructional Design • Classroom Implementation• Reflection

Focus on communication in the U.S. context Focus on teamwork (trainers/trainees): Y2 Focus on peer mentoring (7 groups): Y1

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Program Outcome 1 Knowledge gain

class discussions, reflective journals, lesson plans, and unit plans

Skill developmentTeaching—“before” (mock teaching) and “after” (practicum) videosTechnology—5-8 minute best moments for e-portfolio, http://www.indiana.edu/~celtie/cpi/cpi.html

Perspective changeQuestionnaire on Chinese Language Teaching and

Learning (49 common “misconceptions”) Teachers’ can-do statements

Overall growth: Becoming professionalsOffering regional workshops, attending conferences, pursuing degree programs, etc.

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Program Outcome 2 This questionnaire included forty-nine common

“misconceptions” in the areas of (1) SLA, (2) grammar, (3) error formation/correction, (4) listening and speaking, (5) learner strategies, (6) classroom management, (7) textbooks, (8) literacy, (9) cultures, (10) technology, and (11) assessment.

SLA

1. You learn language through constant repetition, memorizing dialogues, and repeating phrases.

2. The most important factor in second language acquisition success is motivation.

3. The earlier a second language is introduced in school programs, the greater the likelihood of success in learning.

4. When learners are allowed to interact freely, they learn each others’ mistakes.

5. Students’ interacting with other students of the same proficiency level in Chinese is a waste of time.

6. Students learn what they are taught.

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Program Outcome 3 The areas with the most perspective change with

statistically significance are: (1) literacy, (2) listening and speaking, (3) assessment, and (4) learner strategies

The statements with the most perspective change with statistically significance are:

1. You learn language through constant repetition, memorizing dialogues, and repeating phrases.

2. The most important factor in second language acquisition success is motivation.

3. The earlier a second language is introduced in school programs, the greater the likelihood of success in learning.

4. When learners are allowed to interact freely, they learn each others’ mistakes.

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Can-do Statements

These can-do statements are used to measure teachers’ knowledge growth in nine standard areas:

1. linguistic competency2. cultural knowledge3. second language acquisition4. diverse learners5. learning environment6. instructional planning and strategies7. assessment8. professional development9. technology

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Program Evaluation

Internal:

Teacher trainees• Post-CPI institute evaluation• Exit interview• Email exchanges

Teacher trainers• Post-CPI institute evaluation

Student subjects• Post-CPI institute evaluation

External:

Site visitors

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Project Planning

1. Strong administrative support is a must.

2. Find a site that is conducive to group bonding and dynamics.

3. Check and confirm trainees’ language proficiency, both English and Chinese to ensure that their language proficiency is sufficient to benefit from the experience.

4. Ensure that every trainee is committed to completing the entire institute and ready to work and share with others.

5. Design a procedure to ensure that all who register will attend the training program.

6. Obtain necessary information from trainees early on, and let them know what is expected as soon as possible.

7. Demonstrate cooperative learning and teaching by building an instructional team with trainers complementing each other’s expertise.

8. Assess what technological resources (Internet access, printing, etc.) will be needed to complete assignments and ensure that they are provided.

Recommendation

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Project Implementation1. Provide one or more full-time assistants to help with administrative and other

tasks.

2. Email teacher trainees the reading materials for the first day and have them come prepared. This will reduce the stress on the evening of their arrival.

3. Explain and reiterate the rationale for surveys, reflective journals and all other course assignments.

4. Adjust curriculum and methodology to address trainees with a wide range of backgrounds and proficiency.

5. Observe group dynamics closely, and make necessary pairing adjustments or allow trainees to find their own partners for pair work to avoid personality conflicts.

6. Never assume a trainee will be a good mentor simply because he or she is more experienced.

7. Prepare a guideline for teamwork (e.g., equal workload, ways of negotiation) and include opportunities for “solo performance.”

8. Ensure that every trainee has the right version of Windows, Office Suite and fonts to be able to open, read, and create files that can be displayed properly.

Recommendation