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STARTALK Workshops 2013

As part of the University of Washington's STARTALK grant for the Student Program in Russian Language, the proposal included offering a series of workshops for the Russian STARTALK team -- but open to any language teachers -- on using the STARTALK Curriculum Development Guide for "backwards design," aligning curriculum to world language standards, and assessing proficiency.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in learning more about the STARTALK "best practices" in language teaching. STARTALK is creating state-of-the-art resources for language teaching and learning K-16. (If you would envision applying for a STARTALK grant in the future, you may find this beneficial.)

Check out the STARTALK Online Curriculum Development Guide:
STARTALK Online Curriculum Development Guide
We'll be using the Online Curriculum Development Guide in the workshops.

Location: University of Washington Denny Hall Room 123
Cosponsored by UW Language Learning Center and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction World Languages Program.

Workshop #1: Beginning with the End in Mind. April 3, 2013 4:00-5:30 pm

Outcomes: Instructors familiar with the STARTALK Curriculum Template, backwards design, and have first draft of planned themes and unit subthemes.

Workshop #2: Aligning Curriculum to World Language Standards. April 10, 2013 4:00-5:30 pm

Outcomes: Instructors familiar with World Language Standards and prepared to align their curriculum plans with the standards; instructors aware of three modes of communication, ACTFL proficiency guidelines, and LinguaFolio online, and prepared to think about how to focus on helping students achieve and demonstrate proficiency.

Workshop #3: Assessing Proficiency. April 17, 2013 4:00-5:30 pm

Outcomes: Teachers learn to assess student evidence posted on LinguaFolio online

Workshop #4: Digital Storytelling for Language Teachers (presented by Jennifer Geist). June 20, 2013 9:30 am - 12:30 pm


Outcomes: Teachers learn the basics of Digital Storytelling and how it can be a compelling way to incorporate technology into the language classroom while engaging students in authentic use of language in all communications modes (Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational)
The UW STARTALK team is pleased to open this workshop to interested teachers of any languages. The team is using the workshop as part of their preparation for the Digital Storytelling elective project in the STARTALK Student Program this summer.

Workshop #5: TPEP (Teacher and Principal Evaluation Project) and World Languages (presented by Lynn Johnston). July 10, 2013 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Outcomes: Teachers learn the basics of the new teacher evaluation system in Washington public schools -- what's happening at the state and district levels and how this impacts teachers' work and planning in their classrooms. The first hour will be an overview of TPEP. The second two hours will be an in-depth exploration of how one teacher is embracing the new evaluation system and viewing her teaching practice through the lens of the 8 TPEP Criteria. Learn more at http://tpep-wa.org/. The UW STARTALK team is pleased to open this workshop to interested teachers of any languages. The team is using the workshop as part of the curriculum for the STARTALK Teacher Program this summer.

For More Information and Resources About Previous Workshops: