How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century - Guilderland ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Guilderland FLES Philosophy Statement Guilderland Central School District envisions a future in which all students are prepared with the knowledge and skills to live and prosper in our global community. Language study has been related to the success of the United States in the international marketplace and to success in a future of increasing global interdependence. This program will open the door to other cultures and help children understand and appreciate people from other countries. Becoming a global student and language instruction was the focus of a recent TIME Magazine article, “How to Build a Student for the 21 st Century” (December 18, 2006) this is attached. In order to empower students to live fully and work effectively in our interconnected and diverse world, the Guilderland Central School District has organized a foreign language Early Start program in the elementary schools (FLES). “The primary goal of the FLES model is language acquisition and learning about the culture of the language studied.” (Audrey L. Heining-Boynton, President-Elect, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2004) The FLES Program will enable students to acquire language skills essential to language proficiency and will foster the development of higher-order thinking skills, encourage divergent thinking, and stimulate the creativity of all students. The FLES Program is based on Guilderland’s district priorities on communication and a student-centered approach to learning. FLES Program Goals The goals of Guilderland’s Foreign Language Early Start Program are to: • teach all students to communicate beyond their native language so that they can participate effectively in the world. • establish standards consistent with those set by New York State. Standard 1: Students will be able to use a language other than English for communication. Standard 2: Students will develop cross-cultural skills and understanding. Proficiency is the ability to effectively communicate in a second language with a native speaker in real-life situations. It is the ability to socialize, provide and acquire information, express personal feelings and opinions, and get others to adopt a course of action. Proficiency enhances the likelihood that students will attain fluency in the future. The acquisition of language develops along a continuum, therefore it occurs over time. The integration of meaningful second language experiences and expressive opportunities will increase the chances of fluency. Fluency will fluctuate based on the degree of exposure (Curtain & Pesola, 2004: Lipton, 1998: Rosenbusch, 1995). 4
• Enable students to recognize that which is common to all human experience and to accept that which is different. • Enhance students’ abilities to analyze, compare and contrast, synthesize, improvise, and examine culture through a language and perspective other than their own. • Begin language study as early as possible in an interdisciplinary environment in which all students are included. Rationale Starting instruction early does more than allow students to develop proficiency through their years of study. Recent research shows that it facilitates learning at a time when their brains are most readily adaptable to the task (Steir, Washington Post). “The research is clear that any language a child learns through age 10 is stored in one part of the brain where it can be distinguished early. After that it gets stored in a different part.” (Tollefson, ASCD Curriculum Update). This is why high school students have to switch back and forth translating from English to the foreign language being studied (Robinson, 1998). Dr. Susan Curtis, professor of linguistics at U.C.L.A. has found that, “the power to learn language is so great in the young child... they can learn as many spoken languages as you can allow them to hear systematically. Children just have this capacity. Their brain is just ripe to do this.” (Curtis, 2004) When language begins earlier, it allows for more practice, thus leading to greater fluency and understanding. The Guilderland program will be designed to meet the characteristics of effective elementary school foreign language programs: 1. Access and Equity All students, regardless of learning styles, achievement levels, race/ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, home language, or future academic goals, have opportunities for language study. 2. Program Goals and Program Intensity Program goals are consistent with the amount of time actually provided for instruction. The desired program outcomes determine time allocations for elementary school programs. FLES programs are designed to provide a sequential language learning experience aiming for some degree of language proficiency. 3. Extended Sequence Elementary and middle/junior high school foreign language programs are the foundation for a long, well-articulated sequence of carefully developed curricula that extend through grade 12. Students in such programs can develop increased language proficiency and cultural competence. 4. Articulation Articulation of the extended sequence is both vertical and horizontal, including the elementary school, the middle/junior high school, and the high school. This articulation is the result of consensus, careful planning, and monitoring among language teachers, administrators, and parents at all levels. Students in these 5
Page 2 and 3: Table of Contents FLES Committee Me
Page 4 and 5: Introduction This report results fr
Page 8 and 9: programs achieve outcomes that are
Page 10 and 11: New Zealand French >12 Japanese, Ma
Page 12 and 13: Early in the year a presentation wi
Page 14 and 15: FLES Sections 2007-2008 Altamont Gr
Page 16 and 17: This is evident, for example, when
Page 18 and 19: FLES Research, Journal Articles, Pu
Page 20 and 21: Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006 18
Page 22 and 23: "put an enormous premium on creativ
Page 24 and 25: Dershimer's science class began a p
Page 26 and 27: APPENDIX A 24
Page 28 and 29: 4. Next Steps • The committee cam
Page 30 and 31: • We can update budget. • Video
Page 32 and 33: GUILDERLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 38: APPENDIX B 36

How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century - Guilderland ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?