Ya sabes

Dear educators,

There are a lot of unknowns this spring, including when it comes to thinking about and planning for assessment. We put together this issue of Ya sabes with a focus on the tools and resources you need to make this time of the year less stressful.

In this issue you will find:

• The first 3 units of EntreCulturas 4 and the formative assessments included in the units
• A free lesson plan adapted for remote teaching, focusing on sustainable communities
• Tips for using Triángulo APreciado to prepare your students for the AP® Spanish exam
• An instructional video on using formative and summative assessments in the EntreCulturas series.

¡Felicidades!
The Wayside Publishing Team 

New units & assessments in EntreCulturas 4

EntreCulturas 4 is coming to classrooms this fall, with an innovative approach to differentiated formative assessments that will get a clear picture of learner progress as they complete AP®-style tasks!

Each unit provides authentic resources and activities to help learners answer the essential questions. You’ll see the familiar En camino, along with the ¿Qué aprendiste?  formative assessments and the new differentiated assessment items for ¿Qué aprendiste?

These differentiated formative assessments are single-task, AP®-like activities. They focus on a single mode of communication in a pre-AP® task format and over the course of each unit all four interpersonal and presentational modes are assessed. On the Learning Site you will find differentiated versions of each assessment: one at the on-target proficiency level, one at the level above, and one at the level below. The above-level version contains a modified prompt allowing students to take their language to the next level, while the below-level version provides support to bring those students who need it up to the targeted level.



The two new units we just added to the Learning site include: 

Unidad 2: La Creatividad
Essential questions explored:

• How is artistic creativity a form of cultural expression?
• How are universal themes reflected in various forms of art?
• How does design reflect cultural identity?
• How does globalization impact what we wear? 

• What can we learn from historical figures?
• How can an individual transform history?
• What elements shape our identity?
• How do language and traditions contribute to form a cultural identity?

Lesson plan: Creating sustainable communities

Check out this free lesson plan from EntreCulturas 3 for intermediate-low to intermediate-mid learners. We have adapted it to work for you right now as you teach remotely, using the Learning Site's Classroom Forum feature or Google Classroom.

Performance-based assessments and rubrics

Watch this brief overview from instructional strategist Cristin Bleess as she walks you through the performance-based assessments in EntreCulturas and explains why it's important for students to be able to show what they can do with the language.



Sign up now for our upcoming webinar on assessment and feedback: 
Assessment and Feedback that Lead to Continued Learning
April 14, 3:00 - 4:30 pm EDT

Preparing for the modified AP® exam

Last week, The College Board revealed its modified 2020 exam structure, in which learners will have 45 minutes to complete two free response questions (FRQs).

See what this means for you and your students if you have—or haven't—been using Triángulo APreciado. 

Dear educators,

Create assignments, boost collaboration, provide timely feedback, and more with our latest Learning Site integration with Google Classroom.  

Connecting the Learning Site to your Google Classroom account is a simple, streamlined process. You’ll be able to efficiently and effectively communicate assignments and share links to activities and topics with your students. To use this integration, teachers and students need to be enrolled in an active Wayside language program and have both a Learning Site and a Google Classroom account. No complicated and time-consuming configuration is required.

If you are a current Learning Site user, look for the Share button next to any Learning Site activity. For more information, download our Google Classroom guide and watch a brief video tutorial.

Not using a Wayside program on the Learning Site yet? Request your 30-day sample access now*. 

Happy Teaching!  
The Wayside Publishing Team 

*For students to access Learning Site materials via Google Classroom, each student needs a Learning Site student account or access code. To purchase student access, visit our website, call (888) 302-2519, or email us.

Ya sabes

Bold ideas and practical resources for your classroom

Welcome to the latest issue of Ya sabes, your go-to source for everything you need to take your Spanish instruction to the next level. In this issue: 

• How to get started with proficiency-based grading
• Take a look inside creating a truly diverse language program
• Support all students in your classroom with our free downloads

Do you enjoy receiving Ya sabes? Tell a colleague to subscribe! 

¡Felicidades!

Getting started with proficiency-based grading

In our three-part series on the Proficiency Talks blog, Instructional Strategist Cristin Bleess takes a look at the nuts and bolts of transforming your grade book.

In Part I she explores the shift in her thinking from a number-based grade book to one that truly captures her students' abilities. In Part II she gives practical advice for making the switch. And in the last installment she shares the 6 dos and don'ts of a proficiency-driven grade book.

'Inclusion is not just checking off boxes' 

What makes a language program truly inclusive? How can we ensure that all students feel represented? How do we keep an open conversation with teachers to learn about the ever-shifting landscapes of their classroom? These are some of the questions we wrestle with in a recent Proficiency Talks blog post.  We give you an insider's look at what goes into making sure that our world language programs represent and speak to all students in your classroom.

Free downloads to support all students 

Take a peek at some of the free proficiency-driven supporting materials we offer to make your life in the classroom easier. 

• Classroom expressions handout in Spanish and French to help keep your students in the target language
• Free lesson plans (in Spanish and French)
• 5 reasons to teach for proficiency—a free download to make the case for proficiency-driven instruction.
• Strategies for supporting heritage learners
• Tips on integrating differentiated instruction
• How to cultivate interculturality in your classroom

A propos

Bold ideas and practical resources for your French classroom

Welcome to the latest issue of A propos! In this issue: 

• Find out how to scaffold the speaking skills of your intermediate learners
• Take a look at what makes language authentic
• Download free tools to support all learners in your classroom

Bon cours,

What do you give the students who want to say everything? 

"I know what to say, I just don't know how to say it" was the refrain French teacher Erin Gibbons heard from her intermediate students a lot. Her students were bursting with ideas but got frustrated when their language skills couldn't keep up. So Erin came up with some strategies to provide them with the same scaffolds she provides her younger learners.

3 basic principles about authentic language 

When Elizabeth Zwanziger arrived for her year of study abroad in France, she quickly realized that after more than 6 years of studying the language, she could not order food or understand her host family's everyday conversations.

Now a world language teacher education professor at the University of Iowa and the coauthor of EntreCultures, she looks back on her early experiences with learning French and outlines the 3 principles that guide authenticity in language teaching.

Proficiency-driven tools for your classroom 

Take a peek at some of the free proficiency-driven supporting materials we offer to make your life in the classroom easier. 

• Classroom expressions handout in Spanish and French to help keep your students in the target language
• Free lesson plans (in Spanish and French)
• 5 reasons to teach for proficiency—a free download to make the case for proficiency-driven instruction.
• Strategies for supporting heritage learners
• Tips on integrating differentiated instruction
• How to cultivate interculturality in your classroom

The first steps to becoming a language advocate

Hi educators,

We are excited to once again sponsor Language Advocacy Day 2020. Organized by the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), Language Advocacy Day (LAD) is part "lobby-day" and part full-day policy forum that brings together national representatives concerned about the state of language learning in the U.S.

Want to get involved? Watch this brief video with JNCL Managing Director Trey Calvin on how to take the first steps towards becoming a language advocate. Then download our handy guide to some of the easy things you can do right now to advocate for access to language education.

Can't make it to LAD this year? Follow us on Twitter February 6-7 to get an insider's look at the events of the day and to see how teachers across the country #speakupforlanguages.

Show your advocacy colors

Show your commitment to language advocacy by adding a Speak Up badge to your Facebook profile. Visit the Wayside page or search for Speak Up for Languages here.

'Inclusion is not just checking off boxes'

What makes a language program truly inclusive? How can we ensure that all students feel represented? How do we keep an open conversation with teachers to learn about the ever-shifting landscapes of their classroom? These are some of the questions we wrestle with in our latest Proficiency Talks blog post and we give you an insider's look at what goes into making sure that our world language programs represent and speak to all students in your classroom.