The Nebraska International Languages Association is official opening our call for proposals for our 2020 Fall Conference.

The 2020 Nebraska International Language Association Conference invites proposals for 50 minute sessions on a variety of topics.

The theme of this year’s conference is:  Believe Achieve: Biliteracy in Nebraska…Honestly, it IS for everyone. The NILA Fall Conference will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at Omaha South High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Proposals are accepted until Friday, May 1, 2020.  Presenters will be notified by June 15th, 2020 if the proposal is accepted.  All presenters must still register for the NILA conference: this form does not serve as a formal registration. Please go to the Proposal Form.

Nebraska’s third annual World Language Week kicks off April 5-11 online. The ability to communicate in more than one language affords students immediate access into global connections and perspectives. To speak another language grows an awareness of cultures and identities of others while gaining a greater understanding of one’s own culture, identity, and language. World Language Week honors the power of languages to make you college, career, and civic ready. Check the Facebook page (@NDE.WL) for information and updates. The following materials are still available online  under the World Language Week tab as free downloads: Power of Languages posters, Power of Languages stickers, College, career, civic ready posters, Infographics. To see the full biographies of World Language Distinguished Scholars, please visit the online slideshow at shorturl.at/bmIW7.

Katy Cattlett, President-Elect
Principal
Omaha Public Schools
katy.cattlett@ops.org

Katy speaks…Spanish and English.

How do you maintain your proficiency in the language?
I use my Spanish to communicate with students, staff, and parents daily.

What would you recommend to educators to build their pedagogy and practice?
Learn about language acquisition from both the perspective of world languages and English learner programs. Both have similar viewpoints but have valid and proven strategies that could positively improve instruction in the other. Believe in your students and yourself. Cultivate a growth mindset.

Liliana Velasco, Vice President
Spanish Teacher
Columbus High School
velascol@icloud.com

Liliana speaks…Spanish and English and studied French.

How do you maintain your proficiency in the language?
I use my Spanish in teaching and for general communication in and out of school. Unfortunately, I have lost proficiency in French, which I studied for 8 years.

How do you feel Nebraska is raising the standards for world language education?
I believe Nebraska is working proactively to provide a good language education to students in most districts. However, there are districts in Nebraska where languages are not as important, or where languages options are not provided. Our new standards encourage growth in language and learning. I believe the insight learners have to provide about their learning and proficiency level is a strength within the new standards.

Nebraska Department of Education World Language Program List of Resources

Provides list of online courses, reference materials, tutorials, and authentic resources. List is ongoing and suggestions are welcome. Materials referenced must be completely subscription free, open educational resources.

ACTFL offers a free one-year membership and access to their materials which include professional development online learning modules, professional library of journals, an online community, and access to AAPPL Communication Builder. AAPPL CB is an online workspace in which teachers can assign tasks in all three modes of communication.

NCSSFL Resource Response to COVID-19 Crisis

NCSSFL leadership has gathered an extensive collection of resources regarding COVID-19, instructional methodology, authentic resources, technology resources for teaching online, and dual language learning online.

Like many aspects of life, the World Language Review was put on hold last month as we all struggled to respond to the COVID-19 Crisis. Eventually we will move beyond this crisis. When we do, there will be some important lessons to keep in mind. Having an online presence is no longer an option in education. While most teachers, especially world language teachers, work with technology in teaching, many of us are not comfortable with online communication software, online course content software, and online grading practices. I encourage you to look for resources to support these areas. Some helpful organizations include NETA,  Google for Education, and ISTE. While there may still be some things to learn, overall educators throughout the state have responded admirably to this crisis by maintaining a sense of norm and a connection for all of their students.

One of the most frequent questions asked regarding the 2019 World Language Standards is “What do I have to buy? Should I use this resource or that resource?” I would challenge us to look first at our ultimate goal. What do you want students to be able to do with the language? The Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy is the high honor of proficiency in language learning, celebrating a student’s ability to function for the purpose of academia or career in the language. Districts that want students to qualify for the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy and other high honors will create programming to support that goal. Use your proficiency goal as the guidance for curriculum and instruction. As we know, proficiency is built through practice, not necessarily materials.

Stephanie Call, World Languages Specialist ♦ 402-471-4331 ♦ stephanie.call@nebraska.gov

♦
America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far
Omaha
January 18-March 19
♦
Russian Dances
Lincoln
February 22
♦
UNO Culture Fest
Omaha
February 23
♦
Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Minneapolis
March 12-14
♦
Michael Londra and the Celtic Fire
Lincoln
March 17
♦
2020 UNO Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow
Omaha
April 4
♦
Nebraska World Language Week
April 5-11
♦
Vivir Banquet
Omaha
April 24
♦
Mini French Convention
Camp Carol Joy Holling
May 2
♦
International Pancake Feed
Grand Island
May 9

The following teaching positions were posted as of February 11, 2020 on the Teach in Nebraska website.

French
• French Teacher 9-12, Mount Michael Benedictine School, Elkhorn
German
• German Teacher 9-12, Bellevue Public Schools, Bellevue
Spanish 7-12
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Elgin Public Schools, Elgin
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Elwood Public Schools, Elwood
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Guardian Angels Central Catholic School, West Point
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Humphrey Public School, Humphrey
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Morrill Secondary Schools, Morrill
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, Osceola Public Schools, Osceola
• Spanish Teacher 7-12, St. Mary’s Catholic School, O’Neill
Spanish 9-12
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Cedar Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School, Hartington
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, East Butler High School, East Butler Public Schools, Brainard
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, ESU 5, Beatrice
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Grand Island Public Schools, Grand Island
• Spanish Teacher 9-2, Kearney Public Schools, Kearney
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Lincoln Lutheran Middle/High School, Lincoln
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Scottsbluff High School, Scottsbluff Public Schools, Scottsbluff
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Scotus Central Catholic, Columbus
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Sidney Public Schools, Sidney
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Skutt Catholic High School, Omaha
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, Wahoo Public Schools, Wahoo
• Spanish Teacher 9-12, York Public Schools, York
World Language
• World Language Teacher, Lourdes Central Catholic School (9-12), Nebraska City

The Nebraska chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (NAATF) will offer a Mini French Convetion at Camp Carol Joy Holling on Saturday, May 2. Tentative times will be 8:00 to 1:00. Any Nebraska AATF Member teacher and students are invited to attend. The cost is yet to be determined. If interested in planning, assisting at the event, or bringing students, please contact NAATF President Cara Heminger at cheming@lps.org.

The Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center is offering a free workshop for district teams. In “Creating Caring Classroom Communities through Culturally Responsive Lesson Planning”, district teams will meet to examine characteristics of a caring community, deconstruct features of culturally responsive teaching, and initiate development of a district or school wide system of support for the design and delivery of culturally responsive and sustaining classroom instruction. The workshop will be March 27 in Lincoln and requires preregistration prior to March 13.

The Nebraska chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (NAATSP) announces the opening of the 2020 Poster Contest. Chapter President Cathy Scurlock shared that the contest is open until March 20, 2020. In order for students to participate, the teacher must be a member of AATSP. Membership can easily be managed through the AATSP website at www.aatsp.org. Teachers will select the three best posters from each category (K-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12 hand-drawn, 9-12 digital to submit to Cathy Scurlock by email. Registration information and forms were sent out via Listserv. If you would like additional copies, please contact Cathy Scurlock directly at Catherine.scurlock@ops.org.

The Nebraska chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (NAATF) is currently seeking nominations for the Vice President of the AATF. The AATF Vice President assists the President, attends executive council meetings, and facilitates development of resources for members. Nominees should have made significant contributions to the AATF on the chapter level, regional level, and possibly national level. The term begins January 1 of each year and runs for three years. To nominate, please be certain that the individual is willing to serve as the Vice President. Send the curriculum vitae of the individual and an accompanying letter of recommendation to the Committee Chair at vpnominations@frenchteachers.org no later than March 1, 2020.

The Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy measures college, career, and civic readiness through student proficiency in English and a language other than English. In order to earn the Seal, students must demonstrate proficiency through one of several possible avenues such as testing, transcripts, or another method.

Students who wish to apply for the Seal will need documentation such as testing results or a transcript. The student will then apply through the online application. The application process has no fee and can be found from the Seal website. The application requests the student’s contact information, an upload of proof of eligibility for English and for another language, school information, teacher name, and parent contact information. Once the form is submitted, an automatic response is sent to the parent to notify them that the student has submitted the application.

In April, representatives from the Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska International Language Association will meet to review the submissions. Once the documentation has been validated, the Nebraska Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded in the form of a certificate and a seal that can be attached to the high school diploma. The student may choose to pay for a medal of recognition.

The Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL) is coming to Minneapolis, March 12-14, 2020, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. CSCTFL offers high-quality professional development through activities, workshops, sessions, and a keynote presentation.

Nebraskans planning to attend CSCTFL are encouraged to sign up for the Cornhusker Contingent. This voluntary and loosely-organized opportunity offers a resource list of contingent contacts for the purpose of ride-sharing, finding a travel partner, or asking questions about the “best of” and other CSCTFL experiences. To sign up for the Cornhusker Contingent, visit the Cornhuser Contingent Central States 2020 Registration Form:  https://forms.gle/UWMdFBstYvNTjyzb9

Dr. Janet Eckerson, Ed.D., President
Assistant Professor of Spanish
University of Nebraska Kearney
eckersonjm@unk.edu

Janet speaks…Spanish.

How do you maintain your proficiency in the language?

I maintain my language proficiency speaking and interacting on social media with friends and family (including husband and in-laws in Argentina), reading books, news and websites, watching movies, listening to music and of course, teaching in the target language.

If you were involved in the standards revision, please share what you feel is a strength within the new standards.

The new standards provide specific guidance for each of the standards for educators working with students at different levels of proficiency.  This means that the new standards can provide a real foundation for curriculum, instruction and assessment in our classrooms.

How do you feel that NILA has helped you develop as an educator? What NILA experience has helped you the most?

NILA has provided a vehicle for me to meet and collaborate with outstanding educators around the state.  If I had not started attending NILA early in my career, I would never have met some of my favorite talented educators in this state; who have not only shared great ideas, but also tons of encouragement when I needed it most.