Alaskans for Language Acquisition Announcement Page

Webinar with Carol Gaab

aflaalaska — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:36:22 +0000

Carol Gaab presented a webinar to the Alaska TPRS group on Friday, November 4. If you would like to view the recording of the webinar, please email Michele Whaley to receive the link. We will have access to the recording until November 18.

On Friday, December 2, the TPRS group will meet again to watch a recording of the webinar listed below. For information on the time and location (it will be in Anchorage), please email Michele Whaley.

Reading in the Language Classroom: Keeping the Process Fresh

Has choral reading become boring, predictable or mundane in your classroom? Do students just go through the motions or do they check out completely when it is time to read chorally with the class? If you struggle with keeping the reading ‘process’ fresh or with the reading ‘process’ in general, you won’t want to miss this webinar! Carol will share simple, yet effective strategies for keeping the reading process fresh and engaging. Presenter: Carol Gaab

Alaska Digital Sandbox

aflaalaska — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:41:41 +0000

The Alaska’s Digital Sandbox is a place for objects to be uploaded/downloaded and shared around Alaska. These might be as simple as a referral to a web site, or as details as a teaching unit for specific audiences. The reason we chose this platform, is our Ed Tech Directors from each of the 54 districts helped me vet through many resources to find something that was “Facebook friendly” and met CIPA requirements (Child Internet Protection Act) for security. There are other resources out there, but I wanted to have a place that educators in Alaska might feel comfortable sharing with each other.

Alaska’s Digital Sandbox also provides feedback on resources developed, for free. We now have 55 content experts in 14 different areas who have developed rubrics for quality. They are standing by, waiting to help improve products, based on these rubrics, for free. The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is collaborating with the University of Alaska, Alaska’s Learning Network (a coalition of all 54 school districts in Alaska), and the Association of Alaska School Boards to help with this initiative.

The platform can also accommodate groups that are closed to all others, so the members may share just within their confines. It includes a discussion board that is seen only by the group. Then, as the group is ready to share a resource(s) they can make it public (or not). SESA is one of these groups, as well as some other agencies.

The state has negotiated a price of 75 cents/user annually, that will not increase, to ensure sustainability for districts.

Attached is a brochure about the project.

Roxy Mourant, State Technology Coordinator
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (EED)
801 West 10th Street, Suite 200
Juneau, Alaska 99801
Phone: 907-465-8578
Fax: 907-465-2989
BLOG: http://roxymourant.wordpress.com

Alaska’s Digital Sandbox: www.alaskadigitalsandbox.org <http://www.alaskadigitalsandbox.org>

Sandbox_Flyer_MathScience_Conference

Free Webinar 10/27

aflaalaska — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:49:14 +0000

“Beyond Accountability: Using Formative Assessment to Improve Learning” presented by Carl Falsgraf, Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) at the University of Oregon

DESCRIPTION:

In the era of No Child Left Behind, assessment is often associated with standardized testing. While there is an appropriate role for testing, it is important to develop balanced assessment systems that support, rather than just audit, learning (Stiggins, 2008). Timely and relevant feedback to students can significantly improve learning outcomes (Black and Wiliam, 1998) as well as informing instruction. This webinar will introduce an approach to language teaching and assessment built around CanDo statements and supported by an online formative assessment tool called LinguaFolio Online. This online tool allows learners to set goals, monitor progress towards those goals, and upload evidence to demonstrate that goals have been met. The result is a rich record of student work organized according to nationally recognized outcomes. The webinar will also include input from LinguaFolio users who will share their practical experiences and strategies for successful use in the classroom.

DATE AND TIME:

October 27, 2011

3:30-4:40pm Eastern / 12:30-1:40pm Pacific (11:30-12:40pm AK)

HOW TO REGISTER:

This webinar is free for educators. Go to the Webinar Information Page at LARC to register. Once registered, you will received login information and relevant updates.

PAST WEBINARS:

Our first two live broadcasts in Spring were very successful and we received a lot of positive feedback. If you were not able to participate, we invite you to look at the archived sessions.

CALPER Webinar Page

LARC Webinar PageWe hope to connect with you on October 27th for the third webinar in our series.

And mark your calendars for:

December 8, 2011 – Dr. Sara Cushing Weigle
February 23, 2012 – Dr. Larry Vandergrift
April 19, 2012 – Dr. Glenn Fulcher

Purpose

aflaalaska — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:42:04 +0000

AFLA created this blog as a means to update its members and other interested parties about events and issues that may be of interest to its members. If you would like to receive an email notifying you each time that we post a new issue or event, please subscribe to this blog by entering your email address in the right-hand menu. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact webmaster@afla-ak.org. For more information about AFLA, please visit our website.