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A Propos - November 2020

French Newsletter
11-05-2020  A Propos - French Newsletter, Interculturality, Teacher Resources, All News, Authentic Resources, The Wayside Way

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Fostering appreciation of cultures and peoples
 
 

A Propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom

 

Hi Educators,

 

In the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, we learn that "Tolerance is respect, acceptance and, appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human." In this spirit, we have compiled some resources with the hope of further fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples.

 

  • READ - This blog series exploring authentic resource best practices

  • WATCH - Our video on "Top 5 Tips for Vocabulary Instruction"

  • MODEL - Culturally responsive and sensitive communication

  • CELEBRATE - The thirtieth anniversary of AAUSC

  • TOAST - Our brand new 2021 catalog

 

What would you like to see in a future issue? We would love to hear from you!

 

Bon cours,
 

Accessing Authentic Resources

New on the Blog: In a series of three blog posts, instructional strategist Debbie Espitia breaks down the best practices of incorporating authentic resources into lessons. The third post is hot off the (virtual) presses this week!
Read
 

Our Top Recommendation for the Wayside YouTube Channel

Featured Video: With these 5 tips, instructional strategist Michelle Olah addresses how you can enhance memory and understanding of target language vocabulary.
Watch
 

Communicating During Times of Change

How do we foster culturally responsive and sensitive communication? As learners continue to process global and national news including the launch of new or re-elected government positions, they turn to their peers, teachers, and support system for guidance.

One way to support students in their future global citizenship is to practice the life skills that will help them identify and ameliorate points of potential misunderstanding and conflict. Building those skills in the comfort of class with peers may support learners later in harnessing those same skills for real-world encounters down the road. EntreCultures is full of intercultural reflections that ask learners to consider different perspectives. If you do not teach with EntreCultures yet or if you are looking for more, we loved this lesson plan by Teaching Tolerance, which could be adapted to a lesson taught in the target language.
Read

"Communication – The Total Impact of Your Message." Teaching Tolerance, www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/communication-the-total-impact-of-your-message. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.
 

What We Are Reading… and Happy Anniversary!

The American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators, and Directors of Language Programs [AAUSC], is celebrating their 30th year of publishing material that supports the research, advocacy, and instructional practices of language educators. Rather than toast their successes and put their feet up, AAUSC launched a brand-new journal last month. Be sure to read their inaugural issue of Second Language Research and Practice.
Read
 

Speaking of Launches...

Woot! We just dropped the much anticipated release of the Wayside Publishing 2021 World Languages Catalog. You can read all about our new offerings, and easily download the pdf to keep as a handy reference.
Read
 
 

Our mailing address is:

Wayside Publishing
2 Stonewood Drive
Freeport, ME 04032

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A Propos - September 2020

French Newsletter
09-23-2020  A Propos - French Newsletter, All News, Remote Teaching, Teacher Resources, Learning Site, Grading

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Up your tech tool game!
 
 

A propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom

 

Hi educators,

 

As you continue to find the most efficient and learner-centric way to teach French in a changed environment, we have compiled some resources to support you.

 

  • Explore exclusive remote learning & teaching tools

  • Binge watch the three custom video playlists for French educators

  • Read our brand new blog post - 5 technology tools to try in the 2020-2021 school year

  • Learn about our latest Learning Site® enhancements and improvements

 

We would be remiss not to give a congratulatory shout out to our winners of last month’s French Proficiency Library Giveaway: Claudia McGuigan, Erica Boston, and Denise Miller. We hope to offer a similar giveaway later this school year. What would be your dream prize? We would love to hear from you!

 

Bon cours,

 

The Wayside Publishing Team
 

Exclusive Remote Learning & Teaching Tools

Relax and read: Videos and articles to remind you to breath, and a collection of free resources you can download and utilize in lessons next week!
 

Our top recommendations from the Wayside YouTube Channel

They are like potato chips, bet you can't eat just one! We’ve compiled three video playlists for binge-watching at your convenience.

EntreCultures Playlist –Demos for French educators of how to use every section of the program, including Learning Site® tools connected to EntreCultures features.
 

Best Practices in Proficiency Playlist – In just one hour, this collection of brief point-by-point videos provide a primer on some of the most important proficiency principles.

Learning Site  Knowledge Base Playlist – Let’s talk tech! Browse a playlist of tips and tutorials curated for educators that will help you maximize your Learning Site® experience.
 

5 technology tools to try in the 2020-2021 school year

New on the Blog: Many teachers are beginning the year with some or all of their students participating in class virtually. What are some technology tools that can help teachers create virtual tasks for students that will provide them with the best experience possible this year?
 

Your Feedback at Work!

We are always evolving our Learning Site® tools based on the feedback we receive through the “feedback” tool in the Learning Site®. Recently, our Gradebook is getting the bulk of the attention, with ongoing enhancements we think you’ll love like indications of which student attempts require grading when a student has submitted multiple attempts on one activity, the ability to drag and drop OR double click to select assignments, and more. More to come! Want to influence future features and releases? Submit your feedback and the #edtech you are dreaming about using the feedback tool in the Learning Site®!
 
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A Propos - August 2020

French Newsletter
08-15-2020  A Propos - French Newsletter, All News, Remote Teaching
5 kick offs to an untraditional school year. Declutter your everything. Make a friend. Subscribe to a Wayside newsletter


A propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom


Hi educators,
 

As you gear up for an unusual school year, we are right there with you offering new ideas to help you along the way.  

  • 5 strategies to kick off a non-traditional school year in a mindful way
  • Declutter your curriculum with resources to channel your inner Kondo
  • Connect on Facebook with EntreCultures educators
What would help you this school year? We'd love to hear from you!

Bon cours,



5 ways to kick off a non-traditional school year 

In the latest blog post on Proficiency Talks, Elena Spathis brings you five easy but mindful ways to build a community in your classroom, introduce yourself to your students, and more!

Why we love it? This quick read offers room to adapt ideas into what makes the most sense for you.

Declutter your mind, declutter your curriculum


Who needs Marie Kondo when you could have Jen Carson and Michelle Olah? Our decluttering duo used classroom experiences, research, and insights from teachers like you to create sanity restoration resources that you can read or view.

Relax and read : In a two-part blog, Michelle and Jen bring you a treasure-trove of ideas for simplifying, staying present, and prioritizing what's important.



Unwind with a webinar : Jen and Michelle recently walked through several scenarios that might require a little decluttering! Special thanks to educators Chris Hayes, Teacher (Upper Arlington) and Christi Gilliland, District Supervisor (Williamson County Schools) for lending their voices to the panel.

Make a new (FaceBook) Friend

Profs de Entre Cultures de Wayside is a FaceBook community started and moderated by teachers who use EntreCultures. It's a great place to share ideas and questions. Many Wayside authors and staff have joined the community and are even known to chime in on conversations now and then!

Thank you to Profs de Entre Cultures moderators for allowing us to spread the news about this grassroots group!




Proficiency Talks is a Facebook community open to educators of all languages and levels. Wade into discussions around pedagogical thinking, interculturality, advocacy, and leadership. Exchange and read resources on self-care and daily issues impacting world language teachers. Nearly 1,000 educators nationwide have joined the conversation, moderated by Wayside's Instructional Development team.
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A Propos - June 2020

French Newsletter
06-01-2020  A Propos - French Newsletter, New Products, Remote Teaching, Events
Sample new units of EntreCultures 3, watch our Facebook Live event about French in Louisiana Subscribe to a Wayside newsletter.


A propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom


Hi educators,
 

As this strange school year comes to a close, we hope you will find our blog post on end-of-year rituals in the virtual classroom helpful. In this issue of A propos you will also find: 

  • New sample units of EntreCultures 3
  • A recap of our Facebook Live event focusing on French in Louisiana
Do you have ideas for future Facebook live events? We would love to hear from you.

Bon cours,

Sample Units 1-3 of EntreCultures 3 

 

Take your French students to intermediate-low proficiency and get them closer to AP®-level tasks with EntreCultures 3. The textbook will be available later this summer, but you can sample the first three units now!

Unité 1: Ma vie et moi
Unité 2: Cituyenneté numérique
Unité 3: Je me prends en charge

Covering engaging topics like the rights and responsibilities of digital citizenship, interacting with different cultures, and planning for the future, these units feature French-speaking video bloggers from Sénégal, Martinique, and Belgium. 

The EntreCultures series gradually introduces learners to AP®-style tasks, and in level 3 practice is more frequent. In your sample access, open up a Teacher Edition FlexText® and note how the exercises connect communicative unit goals to AP® themes, and incorporate authentic resources.

Digital tools like Learning Site Classroom Forum and flipped classroom video help maximize time for communicative practice in the real or the virtual classroom.  

End-of-year rituals for the remote classroom 

 

In the absence of the usual end-of-year rituals, from student showcases to final project presentations, how can we celebrate the achievements of our learners? 

Catalina Bohorquez has been teaching virtually for a long time and in our latest blog post she shares some of her ideas for ending the school year on a high note.

French in Louisiana 

 

In case you missed our Proficiency Talks Live event on Facebook recently, here is your chance to rewatch this fascinating panel discussion. Learn about the history of French in Louisiana, about the efforts to preserve this heritage, and the future of the language and the region.



Be sure to join our Proficiency Talks Live Facebook group to find out about upcoming events, including this week's topic, Distance Learning: What's Next? The discussion starts Thursday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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A Propos - May 2020

French Newsletter
05-12-2020  A Propos - French Newsletter, Teacher Resources, Comprehensible Input
Free lesson plans for French learners, instructional videos, and join our Proficiency Talks LIVE Facebook group. Subscribe to a Wayside newsletter


A propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom


Hi educators,
 

Welcome to the spring edition of A propos, your go-to source for everything you need to continue to support your students in their remote learning. In this issue:

  • New lesson plans for your French learners, modified for remote teaching
  • 10 tips for providing comprehensible input when teaching remotely
  • Instructional videos for getting the most out of our French series
  • Join our Proficiency Talks LIVE Facebook events
What other remote teaching supports would you find helpful? We would love to hear from you.

Bon cours,

Free lesson plans for your French learners 

We just created two new lesson plans in French, focused on high-interest topics for units that you might be tackling this time of the year in French 1 and French 2. Download them both now as free PDFs! 

EntreCultures 1, Unit 5: Le temps libre

EntreCultures 2, Unit 5: Des conseils pour une vie saine

10 tips for providing comprehensible input 

CI classrooms are active and highly interactive spaces, with students acting or drawing as they hear or read narratives, responding to Personalized Questions and Answers (PQA), responding to input with rejoinders, showing thumbs up/down to indicate comprehension, etc., as teachers present language in context. But how can you do these things and “teach to the eyes” if you are teaching asynchronously or only see tiny images of students for short times via Zoom?  

We have collected 10 tips from authors, teachers, and colleagues in the world language education field for the best way to continue to provide comprehensible input to your learners.

Instructional videos for remote learning 

Do you have questions about teaching grammar in context or performance-based assessments? Subscribe to our Learning Site knowledge base playlist for videos on those topics, along with using the Learning Site classroom forum, authentic resources, and more!



If you are using a Wayside language program with your learners, be sure to check out and download the Learning Site app! It gives you full Learning Site functionality, including recording audio and video on your iPhone or iPad. You can find it in the Apple App store. Android users do not require an app because you can enjoy all the functions of the Learning Site, including recording audios, through a mobile browser. Wayside recommends Chrome.

Join Proficiency Talks LIVE! 

Join the conversation as we discuss the latest pedagogical thinking about language learning, interculturality, advocacy, leadership, and other issues impacting world language teachers on our Proficiency Talks Live Facebook group! 

Our next event will take place Thursday, May 14, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Classroom teacher Elena Spathis and Instructional Strategist Jennifer Carson will share tips and tricks for promoting mindfulness in the classroom—virtual or real. 
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