The Berkeley World Language Project is on Day 4 of its 2015-16 professional development series. Teachers from as far away as Saint Helena and San Jose, and many places in between, are working on developing their skills as world language teachers in the school districts of Alamada, Contra Costa, Napa, and Solano counties.
Participants in the Foundations 1 series are learning how world languages can contribute to the success of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in California. They practice strategies for engaging all students and learn how to enhance the use of the target language in their daily lessons. Participants learn how the latest research is transforming the teaching of world languages, but perhaps most important of all, by working collaboratively, they build a learning community, using each other as professional resources.
In the Foundations 2 and 3 series, participants are exploring how to build thematic units for world languages and common core literacy by embarking on a “Caribbean Quest.”
They learn how to use texts by Isabel Allende and Edwidge Danticat, among others, to:
• Address the Common Core with a toolbox of literacy development strategies
• Guide instruction with essential questions and learning targets
• Incorporate authentic resources, including video, text, and multimedia of all types
• Develop and improve proficiency-based assessments: rubrics, formative, summative
Six interns under the guidance the BWLP leadership team provide hands-on help to all the participants while learning valuable programmatic, leadership, and advocacy skills. These are the future language department heads and teacher trainers. BWLP co-site directors Don Doehla and Nancy Salsig work tirelessly to produce quality programs for all the participants and interns.