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National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

World Languages – Early Adolescence / Young Adulthood

ENTRY #2 Building Communicative and Cultural Competency

WRITTEN COMMENTARY

Contextual Information Sheet

I. Instructional Content

II. Planning Instruction

III. Video Recording Analysis

IV. Reflection

by

Melinda S. Forward

May 30, 2014.

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1. Briefly identify • the type of school/program in which you teach and the grade/subject configuration (single grade,

departmentalized, interdisciplinary teams, etc.):

____________Public High School – grades 9 - 12____________________________________________

• the grade(s), age levels, number of students taught daily, average number in each class, and courses:

Grades _ 9 - 12_____ Age Levels ___14 - 18____ Number of Students __125___ Average Number of Students in Each Class __25____

Courses ___French I, French II, French IV-V_________________________________________________________________

2. What information about your teaching context do you believe would be important for assessors to

know to understand your portfolio entries? Be brief and specific. Note: You might include details

of any state or district mandates, information regarding the type of community, and access

to current technology.

My high school is an urban Title I school with 1,643 students of which 82% are on free or

reduced lunch. Our population is culturally diverse: 56% Hispanic, 21% Caucasian, 11%

Native American, 8% African American, and 4% other (including refugees from French-

speaking Africa). We are working under a School Improvement Grant which provides

funding for literacy and math coaches. We are implementing Common Core across all subject

areas and are working with the Literacy Design Cooperative to develop Common-Core based

unit plans. We have weekly time to work without department members and collaborate on

strategies, initiatives, and analysis of planning, instruction and students. We use a Lesson

Study designed by High Schools that Work in our discussion of planning and instruction.

School technology includes computer labs and a library with computers and laptops.

Teachers have a laptop, desktop, and a Promethean Board. Students have limited access to

computers at home and most do not have a home-environment which supports study skills

and homework completion as many are the first generation to go to high school. The

challenges of our community include a lack of parental involvement so programs like AVID

and Upward Bound are especially important to help students learn the academic skills the

need to be successful in school and society.

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I. Instructional Context

The featured French IV –V class has five students in grades 11 – 12, ages 17 -18.

All of these students have been with me for four years. Energetic and enthusiastic, they are

interested in fine arts, film, literature, inquiry and working collaboratively. They also enjoy

working independently and they are creative in different ways as writers, musicians, and

artists. Considering their tendencies, I planned a short group research project and another

independent inquiry project (with freedom to choose artists, artworks and genres). These

students acquire new vocabulary quickly therefore I planned a short TPRS-based vocabulary

lesson to begin. Due to their advanced literacy skills, I provided challenging articles and

analytical writing in French about Impressionism with reflective quick-writes. This

encouraged students to make personal connections with each. My students want to speak

French all the time so I presented authentic proverbs and quotes they could use in every day

conversations. Since some students have never visited a museum or gallery, I planned a field

trip to a local gallery and museum. I invited a French friend to accompany us to give students

the opportunity to practice speaking with a native-speaker in a natural environment.

The scheduling of classes influenced my instructional choices. This lesson took place

over a three week period where classes are varying lengths: 100 minutes; 45 minutes; and 35

minutes due to state-mandated testing. With this schedule in mind, I divided the lesson into

five distinct parts: (1) a TPRS introduction of vocabulary, (2) the story with readings, (3) the

small group research project, (4) the inquiry project, and (5) the field trip. All of these

students have access to computers at home and work with Google Docs, Edmodo, and text

messaging making communication easily and effectively between peers and myself. Students

do not hesitate to contact me with questions they have (even via text after school). I am

willing to help them any time they need my guidance. I appreciate their dedication and

motivation.

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2. Planning Instruction

Goals and objectives for this lesson

My goal in this unit is to have my students make personally connections to the rich world of

French art. Students will acquire and apply new vocabulary in order to analyze artworks,

show understanding of the historical context for the Impressionist movement. Students will

complete a small group presentation and an independent inquiry project based on the artists

of their choice. They will incorporate evidence based in society, family, history, geography,

and life. Students will also use the past tense (passé compose, imperfect, past subjunctive) in

their analysis and creatively explain about why specific art and artist are meaningful to them.

Students will also show an understanding about how French art reflects the tenets of culture

and contributes to the richness of a society. My goal is for my students to understand that the

world is intertwined and our understanding and appreciation of art connects us to this story.

Consideration of second-language acquisition related to instruction and

approaches

Since I develop my own curriculum, I have the freedom to use a variety of research-

based strategies to increase student learning. I use Total Physical Response for vocabulary

acquisition based on the brain research of Eric Jensen and the language acquisition research

of Dr. James Asher which asserts that the brain and body are intricately connected. Physical

activity increases focus, learning, and long-term memory retention. On the basis of a Berty

Segal conference years ago, I have students draw pictures of new French vocabulary instead

of using English. Drawing is kinesthetic helping long-term memory, and lessens the use of

English translations. Brain research also shows that social conditions and relationships are

vital to learning. Therefore I chose to have students work in pairs and small groups. I

incorporate Blaine Ray’s, TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) to

provide reading and writing strategies with varied readings including: (1) a story about the

theft of artworks at the Marmatoon, (2) an authentic letter written by Claude Monet, and

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(3) a college-level article about Impressionism. To organize the information from these

readings I used Venn Diagrams and marking the text, Marzano strategies. Based on Stephen

Krashen’s theories of “comprehensible input” and focusing on meaning before form, I chose

to work with grammar in the context of readings and hands-on activities instead of directly

presenting grammar. Krashen’s theory of the necessity for meaningful interactions in the

target language is one reason I chose to have students work in small groups for research and a

presentation. Students had to work together for a common goal, in French. The necessity for

natural communication is also why I focus on teaching them conversational French; students

feel empowered and confident about their skills when they use them every day. As a result

my students want to speak French all the time, and they all do, with enthusiasm.

Opportunities for students to communicate in or to demonstrate comprehension of

the target language

In this unit, I had students write in daily journals reflecting on proverbs and quotes.

We talked about their reflections to compare similarities and differences. To demonstrate

comprehension of new vocabulary, students drew pictures of each word and then took notes

for each in French. Students next read a story about the 1956 theft at the Marmatton Museum,

annotating the text to show reading proficiency. To practice writing skills, students

responded to true/false statements, short answers, and responded to an open-ended questions

linking to their journal proverb about the role of inspiration in life, including theirs.

Students then read an article about the historical and cultural setting for the

Impressionist movement, annotated the text, organized the key ideas with a graphic

organizer, and then created four new questions they had about Impressionism.

After watching a video about the life and works of Renoir, students compared the

similarities and differences between a Renoir and Monet in a Venn Diagram. This prepared

them to write a paragraph about which artist they related to the most closely. This led to a

guided written analysis about Le Déjeuner des Canotiers. Students responded to a detailed

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list of analytical questions and wrote their reaction to the painting. After listening to the

music of Debussy and Ravel a second time, students did a quick-write connecting the music

to colors, tones, emotions and artistic styles. This way they could see that vocabulary like

“juxtaposition, contrast, motifs, details…” apply to music as well as paintings. The musicians

could really relate to this part of the lesson.

Scaffolding from individual analysis and reflection to working with peers, students

organized themselves into small groups for a research project and presentation. Their tasks

were to take notes on their research, create a PowerPoint and divide up roles to present their

findings to the class. For the independent inquiry project, students chose a favorite artist from

any genre. Students completed detailed research then synthesized the information in the

project of their choice: a mult-media presentation, a debate, an interview, or a project of their

invention. This project respected their diversity of skills and interests, encouraging student

ownership and it developed student pride because it reflected their interests and ideas.

To prepare for the field trip, students created a list of ten questions to ask my friend

and the gallery owner. Upon our return to school, students wrote a two paragraph reflection

comparing and contrasting two elements in two works from the museum and gallery. They

also wrote a reflection on their personal experience with my friend based on their interactions

during the field trip. This then led to a class discussion and final review.

Meaningful, interesting, and personally relevant instruction

I provided students opportunities to learn through lessons based on a real-life art theft,

artists’ lives, artwork, music, videos, articles, and personal photographs. I chose these themes

to provide students with a balance of varied input and activities.

As an introduction, I chose interesting vocabulary about Impressionism and painting.

I presented the vocabulary through TPR and students illustrated. To put this vocabulary into

context, I created a dramatic story about the real-life 1985 theft of nine paintings from the

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Marmatton museum. This story added interest to the historical context of Impressionism

which is what made the paintings so valuable. I also included a flashback story to Claude

Monet and his family at Giverny to link biographical information. This context provided a

meaningful context for grammar review of the passé compose, imparfait, and subjunctive.

To connect with my personal travels, I showed students a PowerPoint of my personal

photographs and videos from a recent trip to Giverny. I used them to review and expand on

vocabulary for colors and tones, linking them to emotions and symbols: trees, flowers, water,

countryside, and city. I also linked them to life experiences like hope, freedom, passion,

loneliness, etc... common feelings and experiences for us all.

I provided an article about Impressionism incorporating the philosophies of the time,

the Salon, changes in French society and changes in the world. I chose this reading because it

included information about counties other than France. I played the music of Ravel and

Debussy connecting music with colors, emotions, and life experiences, to show how the

elements of Impressionism are present in other genres. I then asked them to connect

Impressionism with one of their favorite songs to make it more personally relevant.

I used TPR to present vocabulary for artistic analysis (contrast, juxtaposition, and

style, etc…) before guiding a critique of Renoir’s Déjeuner des Canotiers. I also provided a

reading about the life of Renoir which we compared and contrasted to Monet’s story as a

model of the biographical information required in the independent inquiry project.

Opportunities to expand cultural awareness: their own and others

One of my good friends who is French joined us on our field trip to a local museum

and gallery. His interactions gave students a personal experience speaking with a

Francophone in a natural environment. I wanted students to see that they too have

opportunities to develop friendships with French native speakers because there are so many

who live in our community. Students even have an opportunity to join our Meet-up group of

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more than 35 people who get together on a weekly basis for coffee or events. I wanted to

build their confidence and motivate them to continue their French studies after graduation.

To connect students with our local art scene, I planned a visit to a gallery located

close to the art museum. Students were be able to talk to the owner of the gallery about his

personal art experience as well as the culture and history of the gallery itself. I planned the

time at the gallery to show students how art could be a part of their lives because it is a part

of our local culture, a concept they did not understand before this first-hand experience.

Authentic materials or realia

I chose a variety of authentic materials to maintain student interest. I used a proverb

about inspiration to start the unit with a broad idea. I incorporated proverbs into lessons so

students could learn how to use them in appropriate context; students are not used to using

proverbs as much as they do in France. I also included quotes in our lessons to give students

more authentic evidence to support their own ideas. These quotes included one about

Renoir’s philosophy on art and Leonardo da Vinci’s about art never being finished.

I shared pictures and video I took at Monet’s home and garden in Giverny. I told

students the story about when I was 16 and my French teacher shared her pictures with me. It

was so inspiring that I was determined to travel to Europe and I did after working hard for

many years. Now it is an intergral part of my life since I get to travel every year. I wanted

my students to see that international travel could be a part of their lives as well.

To introduce Renoir and prepare student to discuss similarities and differences with

Monet, I planned a lesson based on a video about Renoir’s life and work. I selected this video

for its narration by a native French speaker, visual appeal, emotional appeal, and music

(Debussy and Ravel). The unit before this one was based on the film Amélie. This led to me

choosing Renoir’s Déjeuner des Canotiers for an in-depth analysis. The Phillips Museum

website was an authentic resource for discussion including the fact that this masterpiece of

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French art is not actually in France, but here in the United States illustrating global art

connections. For their small group project, students were required to find three pieces by one

artist that they really liked. I planned for them to visit the official websites for the Musée

d’Orsay which houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in

the world as well as the Marmatton which houses more than 300 masterpieces. Students saw

first-hand how many masterpieces were produced throughout the Impressionist movement

and chose the paintings that they appreciated the most for their project.

Encouraging appreciation of products, practices, and perspectives of other cultures

My lessons encouraged my students’ to appreciate the products, practices, and

perspectives of other cultures because students were required to investigate the way French

art was influenced by French cultural values, popular culture, French society, historical

events, family, religion, beliefs, and world cultures. I started this exploration in my lesson on

Impressionism. Students continued this research with their partners and then independently

studied the works that interested them the most. By their being exposed to and exposing

themselves to other cultures, students were encouraged to be curious about and study the

inspiration behind the artworks they found most interesting. This led them to make personal

discoveries about the way cultures are connected. In her evaluation of the unit, Danielle said:

“This unit helped me to appreciate every culture’s specific modifications from different

cultures with their beliefs, art, practices, religion, etc…” This was one of my goals.

Relevant instruction preceding the segment, connection with instructional sequence

Before the video, students completed their daily journal responding to Leonardo Da

Vinci’s quote: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” The unit preceeding this one on art

was based on the film Amélie. It came up because Raymond Dufayel repaints Le Déjeuner

des Canotiers every year. This then led to a conversation about poetry (which we studied

before Amélie) and music because Pierre is a musician and composes music. All students

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connected to this quote personally and contributed to the conversation in interesting ways.

One student even said that the quote is just like everything in life.

The video segment covers (1) the presentation for the small group research project,

which required the students to apply the artistic vocabulary and analysis from the

introduction to an artist and painting of their choice, (2)the journal quick-write about the

other group’s presentation and (3) a short discussion of the students’ reflections.

3. Video Recording Analysis

Use of the target language to establish a stimulating and supportive learning

environment

Creating a caring, supportive, and exciting classroom environment is essential because

Eric Jensen’s brain research has proven students learn better when they feel comfortable,

safe, and understand expectations. I have an encouraging and positive attitude in my

classroom which is evidenced by the way my students responded during our interactions.

Students were at ease and willing to participate without hesitation; even if they were

uncertain, they tried. I have been speaking almost entirely in French with this group of

students for the past two years. We even speak French outside of the classroom which amazes

the students in my first and second year classes, motivating them to continue in French.

During the presentations, I was ready to help students, but they did not need coaching;

they corrected themselves. This shows that even though they were in front of the class, they

were comfortable enough to catch their own mistakes and calm enough to think their way

through them. This is shown with Danielle when she was talking about dates in the second

presentation and when she was including Renoir’s quote and she caught herself saying “sans

souci” and corrected it to “plein de souci.” The look on her face when she catches herself

shows the pride she has in her ability. This is the result of my using French on a daily basis

in an encouraging and accepting way. Students feel at ease in my class.

After the presentations I gave instructions for a quick review of the artistic elements. I

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asked the students to tell me which element was the most important to them in analyzing art.

Though I remembered which element they had chosen, I chose to wait for them to each

respond, and then I repeated each element for emphasis. I also used praise as positive

reinforcement. Pierre immediately went into a lengthy explanation showing his

understanding, ability to immediately communicate his ideas, and his enthusiasm. I redirected

them to writing their response and all students began to write without needing to ask

questions. While students were working, to keep the mood light while staying in French, I

commented on the whistling that was going on outside the window and asked if it was a bird.

Students laughed and responded that it was not a bird, but a person. This showed their

comprehension and ability to respond to something extraneous, connecting French to the

world going on around us.

During our conversation about their journals, I helped guide the students with words

they did not know. As each student shared their journal responses verbally, I helped them

with the little words they were struggling to remember. An example of this is when Simone

wanted to use the word “attract”, but couldn’t work her way around it so I said “attire” and

she simply repeated it. In the end all students were able to clearly state their ideas about the

other painting. I consistently use French in a comprehensible and positive way to immerse

students in an exciting and language-rich environment. Students are advancing in their

linguistic proficiency and it shows in their confidence and willingness to take risks.

Culturally appropriate, real-world tasks: students showing what they know/can do

I required a wide variety of real-world tasks for this lesson which involved all of the

students communicating their ideas in meaningful ways using all modes of communication.

Tasks were all culturally appropriate because they were directly relevant and related to

authentic materials: the paintings, the artists, museums, readings, and quotes applying the

artistic vocabulary; all the core components to each lesson in the unit.

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1) One real-world task for each group was to divide up the presentation into parts according

to their personal interests and support each other. An example of this teamwork is when

Félix (blond) was describing the painting and says « Ce n’est pas une chose de dangereuse

et….et ah…” When Felix hesitates, Pierre comments: “…plus calme….oui” which

encourages Félix to continue. This demonstrated that Pierre was paying close attention to

Félix and could offer support when needed. When Félix finished, Pierre continued

enthusiastically demonstrating his personal connection to his presentation.

2) I required them to present their research findings and personal reactions in front of

the class which is a real-world task that adds an element of risk-taking because they have to

show what they know in front of everyone. Danielle (1st in 2

nd presentation) is extremely shy

and her progress was shown in her presentation when she became more and more at ease and

confident. When she talked about the historical aspects and connection with Rococo, she did

not use her note cards. This is progress especially considering she is in French IV.

3) I required students to make a connection to something of historical significance that

had an impact on the artist. Danielle made cross-curricular connections with Rome, Greece,

the revolution, and the Rococo movement which demonstrated her understanding of the

richness of the cultures, artistic movements and how they were all intertwined. This

knowledge was shown when she said: “ Il est néoclassiste. Il recoit le classique art de Rome

et Grèce…» Her understanding was also evidenced when she talked irony of Jacques Louis-

David’s supporting the Revolution considering that his family was rich.

Pierre connected with Cezanne’s family history explaining the impact Cezanne’s

mother had on Cezanne as child. Pierre described her personality, explaining why the colors

were so lively. Pierre’s enthusiasm shows his personal connection when he said: “…il

obtenait sa vision de la vie de sa mère qui est plus vivante et plus romantique. »

4) Another real-world task was for all students to share their personal reaction to the

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painting. I wanted to make sure that they could all share how the painting was relevant to

them and their view of the world. Simone had a concise personal reaction when she said: « Il

est l’histoire à moi, il est triste parce qu’ils sacrificent leur famille. Mais je crois qu’il sont

courageux…» All of the students were able to express their personal reaction and explain

how the painting was meaningful to them. They were all able to show what they knew at

their level of ability, some going into more detail than others.

5) After the presentations, I had students do a quick-write analyzing the artistic

elements in the other group’s painting. I wanted students to apply the skills they had shown

in their own project applied to a new context, one that was spontaneous. I also wanted to see

the connections they could make to one another without preparation. One goal was for them

to be able to discuss similar elements in both paintings. They showed me that they could

indeed reference and synthesize prior conversations. This is evidenced when Madeline

(glasses) remembered what Frankie said during his presentation and synthesized it into her

own commentary about his painting: “Je suis d’accord avec mon ami Frankie….les émotions

et les couleur sont fortes pour la vie en générale.”

Ensuring that students were using the target language creatively to serve

communicative needs

I gave students freedom to fulfill basic project requirements in a way that was

meaningful to them. The students’ ability to express their opinions was central to the unit. I

intentionally planned activities for different modes of communication: (1) interpretive with

reflective journal writing; (2) interpersonal with conversations about journals and with

partners and (3) presentational through journal sharing and presentation in front of the class.

Creativity was required when students negotiated roles for the. This created an

engagement evidenced by their enthusiasm. Félix shared his excitement when he said:

“J’adore le tableau. J’adore la nature…” He shared his personal connection with the

painting when he talked about the symbolism: “… L’arbre c’est une chose de tranquillité,

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c’est une chose de paix. Le ciel c’est plus d’innocence. Pour moi, l’ombre est un peu

sinistre.” This painting was personally relevant to him; he was engaged and connected

emotionally which came across in his expressing how it was meaningful to him.

Another creative use of language is evidenced when Danielle directly quoted Renoir’s

philosophy of art which we studied the week before. This was not a required element.

Danielle recognized differences; expanding on why it did not fit Renoir’s philosophy, she

said: “Quand le je regarde, je pense à Renoir. Il dit qu’un tableau est…audience agrees)…..

(she motioned to painting) Mais, il n’est pas joli, aimable. C’est sérieux, sans souci, (I

mean)…plein de souci…. mais les les femmes et les hommes sont en conflit avec sa famille et

le moralité …et…mais il pendant beau.” She demonstrated not only her knowledge of his

ideas, but also her ability to support her opinions with authentic evidence. Pierre showed his

creativity when he connected the painting with moments in life saying: “…Et pour moi, c’est

comme la vie. Il y a des choses sombres, des plus vivaces, plus vivantes, que c’est plus belles

mais à la au même temps tous les moments sont plus bels.” His philosophical analysis

reflects how he valued and organized this experience with his own life. He shows his

emotional connection to the painting; he expresses how it is meaningful to him and his life.

Monitoring and assessing student progress

To assess progress, I created a detailed rubric for the presentations and PowerPoint.

During the presentations, I chose to actively monitor. I was ready to guide or ask questions.

My goal was to create a supportive environment, to maintain a calm, relaxed atmosphere so

students would feel more comfortable. I chose to be a part of the audience during the

presentations and later graded the presentations while replaying the video for details.

To assess their understanding of the artistic elements, I called on students individually

to share the element that was most important to them and they quickly recalled it. To assess

their attentiveness to the other presentations, they all wrote their reactions to the other

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group’s painting. Students did not know about this ahead of time because I wanted to see

what they had learned from the presentations and the attention they paid to details. I had them

each explain their thoughts aloud with the class. Pierre combined his ideas about space with

Giuseppe’s about light sharing how he thought the light and space interacted. His emotional

engagement was evidenced in the way he said “…c’est pourquoi je l’aime.” This showed me

evidence of achievement of the unit goal to have students be able to apply the vocabulary and

content from the lesson to express a personal connection with art.

4. Reflection

The successful and not so successful elements of the lesson - changes

In reflecting on this unit, the elements that worked well included the story about the

theft at the museum. Students were shocked to know it really happened. Student performance

on the reading and writing activities showed their understanding of the vocabulary and

historical context. I observed strong personal connections in students’ analysis of specific

artwork after the lessons with emotions and life experiences. Students also referenced

proverbs and quotes in writing activities and conversations, including the presentation.

In their presentations, students showed their knowledge in analysis of their artist and

artwork. In the future, I would give them more guidance in regard to their PowerPoint

presentations to simplify the text and include more pictures to reflect biographical elements. I

would also provide more review and practice with the past tenses and subjunctive since I

didn’t see the mastery in their presentations that I did in their writing assessments, even

Pierre didn’t show mastery when talking about Cezanne’s childhood. I would find different

article on Impressionism and a video since students didn’t engage with the article I provided.

The field trip was a great success. Students gained confidence as they interacted with

my friend and the questions they had were meaningful and personal. Several said that they

would like to be a part of our French Meet-up group because they enjoyed speaking French

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with my friend and had gained confidence in their listening and speaking skills. I do think

that overall, this unit achieved my goals because students all found artists and artworks that

they could connect with personally and emotionally. They could clearly explain their

understanding and appreciation in French through conversation and writing. They elaborated

creatively using what they learned in this unit in combination with previous knowledge. In

the end they had new questions and were curious about local artists as well as French.

The effectiveness of authentic materials and realia

Students enjoyed the museum websites, but in the future I will give them a more

structured activity for exploring the Musée d’Orsay and the Marmatton. I will have them

actually write down the names of three artists they find that they like, the titles of three

artworks, and three elements that appeal to them in each work. This will require them to

apply the artistic vocabulary in more detail providing more small group writing practice.

I will also add poetry to one of the lessons, having students create a poem to go with a

painting. I did present a poetry unit earlier in the year and having students create a poem here

would be a good review of poetry terms and the subjunctive. Students could also create

something they would be proud of in the end like they have storybooks in the past.

In the future I will include the movie Camille Claudel to provide another perspective

of art, one of a sculpture. This will make a good addition to the unit because his story as told

from the perspective of Camille is fascinating and a good context for working with the past

tenses which need more reinforcement. Rodin’s The Thinker is an iconic masterpiece, but

most people do not know about Rodin’s personal life.

In the unit evaluation, Danielle said: “I now connect cultures together and find that no

one is COMPLETELY different, they just have modifications to accommodate their beliefs

and ideas.” Danielle’s statement shows my achieving my goal: students understood that they

are a part of a greater cultural community, one reflected in the world of art and history.