Personal and Public IdentitiesCan we guide students through a self exploration using this theme?

FLTWM Collaborative – Elms CollegeMarch 7, 2013

Adina Alexandru, Ed.D.

« Thematic Approach » : les thèmes du cours et des contextes proposés pour les traiter en classe

Any Language

and Culture curriculum can be built around six themes:

Personal and public identities

Possible sub-themes

• L’aliénation et l’assimilation

• Les croyances et les systèmes de valeur

• Les sexes et la sexualité

• La langue et l’identité

• Le pluriculturalisme

• Le nationalisme et le patriotisme

• Cultural– products– practices– perspectives must be included in these sub-themes

• The three modes of communication– Interpretive– Interpersonal– Presentationalmust be addressed throughout the year

Cultural Goals

•

Any Language and Culture Curriculum Framework must haveEssential Questions

• In a thematic approach to instructional design, essential questions guide classroom investigations, learning activities and performance assessments. They may provide topics for project work, take-home essays, and in-class debates.

• Essential questions allow students to investigate and express different views on real-world issues, make connections to other disciplines, and compare aspects of a specific cultures to their own.

• Essential questions should capture students’ interest, inform the selection of authentic materials to use in class, and help students consider the course themes across time and across cultures.

Essential questions - exemples

Le Haiti• Quels sont les défies que confrontent les pays

frappés par une catastrophe naturelle comme un séisme, tempête, tsunami etc.

• Quelles sont les responsabilités des organisations internationales face aux désastres?

• Quel est le rôle de chacun pour préserver la vie en société?

Exemples of DOK levels of literacy in a Foreign Language class – possible tasks

• Name several activities that young people enjoy doing after school and during school

• Describe the differences between the school activities and the activities that can happen after school

• Critique, compare, and contrast texts that reflect these topics from 2 different cultures

• Select a francophone culture and create a presentation in which you address an audience in the United States. As a young member of that francophone culture you will talk about activities that you may do in that community by making frequent references to the current cultural, political and economic context of that culture.

Teaching the four common core skills and

the four levels of DOK

Teaching Reading by…• Presenting key ideas and details through the use of:

• graphs and charts (N)• familiar topics (I)• current and historical topics (A)

• Helping the students to understand craft and structure by the use of:

• Oral and written descriptions (N)• New vocabulary, expressions, context clues (I)• Specialized technical, informational andliterary texts that present cultural nuances (A)

• Integrating knowledge and ideas• Use highly predictable contexts such as illustrations,

captions, cognates, etc. (N)• Integrate multiple texts that contain idiomatic phrases (I)• Identify the threads of the argument with supporting details

(A)

Teaching Reading by…• Presenting a wide range of

readings and text complexity by:– using a variety of media:

illustrated texts, posters, advertisements (N)

– Using comprehension strategies such as redundancy, restatement, paraphrasing (I)

– Bringing a variety of technical, informational and literary texts

.

Teaching Writing by…

• Discussing text types and purposes– Create charts to identify pros and

cons of an argument (N)– Use strings of sentences to state an

opinion (I)– Use paragraphs to analyze products

of a culture (A)

• Producing and distributing writing via a wide range of media– Use of print and digital tools– Demonstrate awareness of errors

and self correcting skills

• Range of writing– Write using a limited range of vocabulary (N)– Write emails or short messages and work

collaboratively (I)– Demonstrate control of extended vocab. and

idiomatic expressions and present ideas of global significance (A)

• Research to build and present knowledge– Explain practices, products or issues using 2

credible sources (N)– Explore global issues and evaluate credibility

of sources (I)– Approach and handle text intended for native

speakers and weigh relevat evidence across cultures (A)

Teaching Speaking and Listening by…

• Learning about comprehension and collaboration» Use basic statements to maintain conversation around

family, school events, celebrations – keep it simple! (N)» Compare and contrast to express preferences and opinions,

ask questions and initiate conversation. Encourage students to propose solutions to common real life problems. (I)

» Exchange, support and discuss opinions on global issues and historical themes (A)

• Presentation of knowledge and ideas» Present with a variety of digital media, visual displays short

messages and familiar reports (N)» Develop presentations on academic or cultural topics (I)» Present a synthesis of research on current events with the

audience in mind

Thank you!

Questions? Feel free to contact me at:

Adina Alexandru alexandrua@elms.edu

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