vol44 no4 may06 - wild apricotthe cardinal may 2006 • 1 cardinal newsletter of the ohio foreign...

The Cardinal May 2006 • 1

CARDINALNewsletter of the Ohio Foreign Language Association

The

Volume 44, Number 4 May 2006

In This Issue…OFLA News: AssociationLetter from the President .................4Election Results and By-Laws Amendment ...................................5Calling All Members .........................5Conference Highlights Two Special Breakfasts .................6 Keynote ...........................................8 Preview of OFLA 2007 ..................9OFLA Awards ..................................10OFLA on the Internet ......................15New OFLA Poster ...........................15

FacultyCardinal Notebook ..........................17ACTFL Teacher of the Year ............18Professional Development .............19Mexico 2007 Study Scholarships ...20

LearnerCitizen Diplomacy ..........................24Start Languages Early .....................26LinguaFolio ......................................27

Advocacy & Affiliates: OutreachCentral States Report ......................28Is Your Program in Danger? ..........28Advocacy Minute ............................29Around the State .............................30OCC ...................................................32AATG ................................................32AATF .................................................33AATSP ...............................................34TESOL ...............................................34

Membership Form ...............35 Calendar of Events ............36

OFLA Members Connect Language to the Learner in Toledo!By Mary Goodwin

I can’t believe the 2006 annual conference is over. This project that we had been planning for two years was a big success. Those who attended were met with a world of choices to enhance their teaching strategies and further their professional development—some of the best we have ever offered. At a time when school funding is in crisis and conference attendance is hampered by inflexible school professional development policies, over six hundred Ohio teachers managed to be in attendance. Bravo! I wish to acknowledge and sincerely thank the members of the OFLA Board and the local Toledo committee who have unselfishly given of their time, energy and resources to ensure the success of the conference.

You can imagine that a state conference providing quality professional develop-ment for its 1800 plus members requires a lot of intensive planning and organizing by a multitude of volunteers. Davara Potel, Debbie Sehlmeyer, and Bob White were models of efficiency at the registration booth working smooth-ly in conjunction with the Meeting Connection. Right across the way, the hospitality table, under the direc-tion of Kathleen Attwood, was lavishly supplied with brochures and staffed with friendly volun-teers. Lee Wilbershied unveiled the new OFLA poster (see page 15) at the Gala and conducted a raffle during the evening.

Thanks to the efforts of Barb Andrews, our first annual Administrators Breakfast (see page 6) was a hit. Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, superintendent of

public education in Ohio, who addressed this elite group as well as the entire membership during the Keynote session, stated her support for early language acquisition. She also proclaimed the ODE vision for every school in Ohio to have a link with another school some-where else in the world.

Following her remarks, Debbie Robinson, ODE

Participants enjoying the food at the Gala

continued on page 7Dr. Zelman speaking to the membership

2 • May 2006 The Cardinal

PresidentMary GoodwinSouthview High School7225 Sylvania AvenueSylvania, OH [email protected]

President ElectRita StroemplEarly College High School1935 Euclid AvenueCleveland, OH [email protected]

Executive Vice PresidentMark HimmeleinDepartment of Foreign LanguagesMount Union College1972 Clark Ave.Alliance, OH [email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentBarbara S. AndrewsGateway Middle School900 GibbsMaumee, OH [email protected]

Executive RecorderKathleen AttwoodOwens State Community CollegeP.O. Box 10,000Toledo, OH [email protected]

Executive TreasurerDavara PotelSolon High School33600 Inwood Dr.Solon, OH [email protected]

Vice President of Public RelationsLee WilberschiedCleveland State UniversityDepartment of Modern LanguagesRT 1619, 2121 Euclid AveCleveland, OH [email protected]

Vice President of MembershipDebbie SehlmeyerOFLAP.O. Box 1342Perrysburg, Ohio [email protected]

Vice President of PublicationsJane RauschenbergLogan-Hocking Middle School1 Middle School Dr.Logan, OH [email protected]

www.ofla-online.org staff

Website CoordinatorRobert T. [email protected]

Web [email protected]

Executive Board

The OFLA VisionEvery Ohio student will be proficient in a second language, which is essen-tial to a world-class education.

The OFLA Mission The Ohio Foreign Language Associa-tion is committed to world language study beginning in the primary grades, so that every learner, from early childhood through adult, ac-quires a high level of communicative and intercultural competence.

The OFLA Strategic Plan1. Establish clear expectations for

foreign language learners. • Executive Vice President • Early Language Learning • Secondary Language Learning • College • Promotional Educational Activities • State World Languages Consultant

2. Build the capacity of foreign language teachers to prepare learners to demonstrate their proficiency.

• President Elect • Teacher Education & Licensure • Articulation & Curriculum • Professional Development • Scholarship • State World Languages Consultant

3. Build support for foreign language instruction among parents, policy leaders, the business community and opin-ion leaders in the media.

• Immediate Past President • Awards • Political Advocacy • Public Relations • the Affiliates

Ohio Foreign

LanguageAssociation

The Ohio Foreign Language Associa-tion is a member of the Central States Conference (CSC), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), and the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL).

Articulation & Curriculum CommitteeFred TonerOhio UniversityDepartment of Modern Languages283 Gordy HallAthens, OH [email protected]

Awards CommitteeMarian Walters5159 Sandra DriveToledo, OH [email protected]

Beginning Teacher CommitteeLee LinkOhio State University327 Arps Hall, 1945 N. High StreetColumbus, OH [email protected]

By-Laws CommitteeLori WinneGrove Patterson Academy3020 MarvinToledo, OH [email protected]

College CommitteeJ. Christopher EustisUniversity of AkronDepartment of Modern Languages304 Olin HallAkron, OH [email protected]

Early Language Learning CommitteeCheryl T. AmesGATE-Manchester School4420 Manchester RoadMiddletown, OH [email protected]

Nominations CommitteeBarbara S. AndrewsGateway Middle School900 GibbsMaumee, OH [email protected]

Political Advocacy CommitteeSarah ShackelfordClermont Northeastern High School5327 Hutchinson RoadBatavia, OH [email protected]

ChairsCommittee


Professional Development CommitteePatrice CastilloLexington High School103 Clever LaneLexington, OH [email protected]

Promotional Educational Activities CommitteeTeri WiechartDelphos Jefferson High School901 Wildcat LaneDelphos, OH [email protected]

Retired Teachers CommitteeMichael Hauber397 English Tern Dr.Akron, OH [email protected]

Scholarship CommitteeChristine MondaySylvania Northview High School5403 Silica Dr.Sylvania, OH [email protected]

Secondary Language Learning CommitteeMichelle GarlockLima Catholic High School720 S. Cable Rd.Lima, OH [email protected]

Teacher Education & Licensure CommitteeSusan Colville-HallUniversity of AkronC&I StudiesAkron, OH [email protected]

Technology in the World Language Classroom Committee—ad hocTheresa MinickKent State UniversityModern and Classical Language StudiesP.O. Box 2150Kent, OH [email protected]

Visit the OFLA Website:www.ofla-online.org

• catch up with announcements and events

• read The Cardinal online • download forms and applications • register for the conference and pay

with a credit card

TheCardinalThe Cardinal is published four times per year by the Ohio Foreign Language Association.

Deadlines:August 1 (Fall issue)October 1 (Winter issue)December 1 (Pre-Conference issue)April 1 (Post-Conference issue)

Submissions:The editor welcomes:• questions, comments, suggestions• reviews of books, films, music, etc.• announcements of events• professional development opportunities• reflections on the profession• classroom tips or anecdotes• relevant advertisements (programs, tour

companies, books, teaching materials, etc.—contact editor for pricing)

Send all submissions or queries to:[email protected]

The CardinalJane Rauschenberg, Editor1266 Sheridan Drive #OLancaster, OH 43130

Keep in mind that space limitations may make it impossible to publish all submissions, and that submissions may be edited for the purpose of brevity and clarity.

Send notice of your change of address to: Debbie SehlmeyerVice President of MembershipP.O. Box 1342Perrysburg, OH 43552

[email protected]

Moving?

American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)Deborah K. StoutCambridge High School, Creek RoadCambridge, OH [email protected] Association of Teachers of German (AATG)Deborah PageRaymond Walters College9555 Plainfield RoadCincinnati, OH [email protected] Association of Teachers of Slavic and Eastern European Languages (AATSEEL)Irina StakhanovaDepartment of GREALBowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio [email protected] Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), Buckeye ChapterDenise Lepe-PerkinsMiddletown High School601 North Breiel Blvd.Middletown, OH [email protected] Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), Northern ChapterDeborah W. Varga6570 Palmer Dr. NW #7Canton, Ohio [email protected] Association of Teachers of Japanese (OATJ)Lee LinkOhio State University327 Arps Hall, 1945 N. High StreetColumbus, OH [email protected] Classical Conference (OCC)Stergios LazosSt. Edwards High School1529 Waterbury RoadLakewood, OH [email protected] English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)Teri MandellWesterville Central High School7118 Mt. Royal AvenueWesterville, Ohio 43082 [email protected]

State World Languages Consultant

Deborah W. [email protected]

Ohio Department of Education25 South Front St. #509Columbus, OH 43215

Affiliate Organizations

ChairsCommittee


ing the recognition ceremonies. We will also miss the invaluable input from Lori Winne, By-Laws chair, who kept us on the straight and narrow.

You, the OFLA members, also merit a big round of applause. Your financial support in the form of dues provides funds for the budget; your presentations and willingness to serve on com-mittees and as presiders make our conferences successful; your submissions add to the richness of The Cardinal.

Yes, we’ve made progress, but we still have more to accomplish. Political advocacy still needs to be a priority in order to make the OFLA vision, second language proficiency for every Ohio stu-dent, a reality. We must continue to work with ODE to promote early language learning and inter-national education. Following the Optimist Creed (see left), we can work to achieve this task. During this beautiful season of the year, I am reminded of this quote: ”an optimist is the human personifica-tion of spring.” Let us all personify spring throughout the year to get the job done.

In closing, I won’t say “adieu” but “à la prochaine.” Have a relax-ing productive summer being “Spring.”

Mary Goodwin

Letter from the PresidentMary Goodwin

Welcome Spring—a new beginning! It’s hard to believe the year has passed so quickly. “Only yesterday” I was planning the annual retreat to prepare the board for a prosperous and positive year. It will soon be time to pass the gavel of the OFLA presidency to Rita Stroempl and assume the role of Past President.

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to represent OFLA this year at board meetings and at regional and national conferences. I was always amazed at the quality and the dedication of the volunteers associated with world language organizations. All of these encoun-ters gave me a new appreciation of the high esteem in which OFLA is held as one of the strongest state organizations in the country. May

we continue to ensure this status for the future!

I also gained a renewed appreciation of our own organi-zation, its executive board and its members. Facing new challenges each year, the board seems to come through the experience stronger and wiser than ever. I am proud of each member’s dedica-tion and good judgment and you should be, too. All board mem-bers in every office or committee are hardworking, professional volunteers giving of their pre-cious time for the good of the entire membership.

But before we embark on this new beginning, I would like to of-fer a special thanks to those who will officially be leaving their spot on the board. We could not have survived the Year of Languages and CSC in Columbus, among other things, without the lead-ership of Past President, Barb Andrews. Muchas gracias to Christine Monday for head-ing the Scholarship committee and making funds available for the future of our profession. Our Executive Treasurer and fiscal watch dog, Davara Potel, will be dearly missed. We appreciate all the efforts of Marian Wal-ters, Awards Chair, in seeking worthy candidates and prepar-

The Optimist Creed By Christian D. Larsen

Be so strong that nothing can dis-turb your peace of mind.

Talk health, happiness, and pros-perity to every person you meet.

Make all your friends feel there is something in them.

Look at the sunny side of every-thing.

Think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the best.

Be as enthusiastic about the suc-cess of others as you are about your own.

Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

Wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others.

Be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Mary read this at the Awards Lun-cheon at the conference. Many people asked to have it printed in The Cardinal.


Results of the Annual ElectionCongratulations to the following successful candidates:• Martha Pero will be the new Executive Vice President, to serve as OFLA President 2008–2009.• Kathy Lewton will become the new Executive Treasurer, to serve for the next three years.• Lee Wilberschied will serve a second term as Vice President for Public Relations.• The following slate of standing committee chairs was approved:

Articulation and Curriculum Committee .............. Fred TonerAwards Committee ................................................... Marian WaltersBeginning Teacher Committee ................................ Lee LinkBy-Laws Committee .................................................. Philippa Brown YinCollege Committee .................................................... J. Christopher EustisCommittee on Early Language Learning ............... Cheryl AmesPolitical Advocacy Committee ................................ Sarah ShackelfordProfessional Development Committee ................... Patrice CastilloPromotional Educational Activities Committee ... Teri WiechartRetired Teacher Committee ...................................... Michael HauberScholarship Committee ............................................ Paula ApostolouSecondary Language Learning Committee ........... Michelle GarlockTeacher Education and Licensure Committee ....... Susan Colville-Hall

• Through absentee balloting and voting at the annual Business Meeting, the proposal recommending a new position of Web Coordinator was approved. As stated in the previous issue of The Cardinal, this position shall function in the same manner as a standing committee chairperson and exercise the same voting privileges.

Calling All MembersBy Debbie Sehlmeyer, OFLA VP Membership

Invoices will be mailed out in August or early Sep-tember for your 2007 memberships. Check the back of your Cardinal to see what year your membership expires. If it says 2006 on the label to the right of your name, you will be receiving an invoice. Please send it back as soon as possible, with updated informa-tion. You may wish to upgrade your membership to a three-year or a lifetime membership.

If you move, change your name, or have any other changes, it is important that you send your updated address or name change to me at [email protected] so that I may update the records. This saves us money when we do not have returns from the post office! Thank you in advance for keeping me updated! By updating your infor-mation, you ensure that you will continue to receive your Cardinal newsletter.

Also, there will be another contest this year for a free OFLA one-year membership. Simply fill out and return your invoice and check to me, postmarked on or before October 31. If you invite a colleague who

has never been an OFLA member to join, you will be entered in the contest a second time, when your colleague joins. Start thinking now of whom you can invite to join! If you pay through OEA you can participate in the contest by inviting a new member to join, but you will not be able to join the contest by sending in your invoice. Often I do not receive an OEA list of members until December.

If you have paid through OEA in the past, and decide to pay directly, please check with your local association representative to make sure that your dues will not continue to be deducted from your check. If paying through OEA is easier for you, it is fine to continue with OEA. However, please return the invoice with any updates and check the box stating that you will be paying through OEA. Thanks again for all your patience and cooperation. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to email me. I enjoyed the opportu-nity to meet so many of you at the conference!


40 Attend the First Annual OFLA Administrator BreakfastThe First Annual OFLA Admin-istrator Breakfast was attended by 40 administrators, guidance counselors, and the teachers who invited them. Most were from the Toledo area, but also present were some from Cleveland and Detroit.

The gathering was welcomed by Dr. Susan Tave Zelman, Super-intendent of Public Instruction, who spoke on the importance of foreign language learning in the 21st century. Deborah W. Robinson, World Languages Consultant for the Ohio Depart-ment of Education, demonstrated how standards-based foreign language programs reinforce concepts and skills in Ohio’s standardized tests of achieve-ment while enabling students to gain proficiency in another language and culture.

A highlight of the event was a performance of second graders from Grove Patterson Academy (Toledo Public Schools), who demonstrated their ability to speak German to the honored guests. Many administrators stopped to talk to Grove Patter-son’s principal, Gretchen Bueter, about specific questions relating to the school’s language program (see interview page 26).

It is anticipated that this event be con-tinued in the future, with the expectation that more and more administrators from different parts of the state will be given the opportunity to learn about the benefits of language learning.

Dr. Zelman listening to Grove Patterson Academy students

First High School Student Breakfast a Success At OFLAThis year at the OFLA conference in Toledo, a new tradition was started. Debbie Sehlmeyer, membership vice-president of OFLA, applied for a grant from Central States and matching funds from OFLA to sponsor the high school breakfast. She was working on a special proj-ect for Central States, and chose to try to encour-age promising foreign language students at the high school level to be-come foreign language teachers. She wishes to thank both Central States and OFLA for the grants so she could carry out her idea!

The breakfast was held on Saturday morn-ing, with high school students, nominated by their teachers, as the special guests. Each student was encouraged to invite her teacher and parents to attend the continental breakfast. There were nine students who were able to attend with their teachers. Many parents also attended. In all, there were 37 people in attendance!

After eating, participants from four universities presented their foreign language programs to the students, including their study abroad programs. The university participants were Carol Slater from Ashland College, Cynthia Lepeley from Heidelberg College, Caren Kindel and Theresa Minick from Kent State University, and Linda Rouillard and Debra Stoudt from the University of Toledo. They were all very informative and gave the students an overview of their col-lege/university programs!

Three high school teachers, Laraine Bunck, Laura Helpman, and Davara Potel answered questions about the “real world” of being a teacher, and added their personal insights on foreign language teach-ing. Thanks to these teachers, the students were provided with very upbeat thoughts about becoming foreign language teachers.

Each student received an OFLA tote bag, an expandable portfo-lio folder, and a free t-shirt. Special thanks to Learning by Design for helping to sponsor the gifts. It was a delight to see the enthusiasm and excitement these stu-dents, our future colleagues, had! Hopefully they will become OFLA members soon, and follow their dream to become foreign language teachers!

The students in attendance for our first high school breakfast were Brittani Boston, Gabrielle Frasure, Sophia Lucarelli, Ashley McNair,

Sara Myles, Melissa Pottenger, Becky Seigneur, Amanda St. John, and Julie Vandesommers (listed alphabetically).

Conference Report


World Language Consultant, showed how standard based foreign language programs reinforce the concepts and skills in the state assessed areas. The second successful innovation was a special breakfast session for high school students interested in a FL teaching career (see left—page 6). Kudos to Debbie Sehlmeyer for bringing together university and sec-ondary classroom teachers to discuss our profession.

Other highlights include our key-note speaker, Ellen Shrager, who touched the hearts of all in attendance (see page 8). In a dynamic and de-

lightful way, she shared her practical solutions to the many barriers to learning in the classroom. OFLA members are better equipped to reach all learners.

The alphabet soup of affiliates, AATF, AATSP, AATJ, AATG, OCC, TESOL were all well represented at their individual business meetings to recount the events of the year and make plans for the future.

Marian Walters ef-fectively organized the Awards Luncheon (see pages 10–13) to recog-nize the best in Ohio. In addition to the regu-lar annual awards,

Ohio’s National Board teachers were announced and

Chris Monday recognized the University Con-ference scholars. Two very special plaques were presented in memory of Charles Conway. His parents and sister Louis, Margaret and Terri Conway, and his partner, David Sherrod, were honored by this remembrance of Charles’ impact on the foreign lan-guage community.

Participants openly remarked about the quali-ty, depth and variety of the 107 workshops and ses-sions over the three days of the conference. The trio of featured workshops led by Teresa Kennedy, Jan Kittok, and Ellen Shrager, had standing room only. Of special note was the strong involvement by the University of Toledo

professors under the leadership of Dr. Debra Stoudt, who were responsible for fourteen presen-

tations. Participation in our featured workshops and in all the workshops for that mat-

ter, was the highest ever.

F o r t h o s e who were not able to be with us this year, never fear…there’s always next year! We are already planning some exciting events for

2007 (see page 9). The online proposal form should be up and run-ning by the time you receive this publication. If those proposals come in early, we’ll be able to send out the confer-ence information early as well, so you can get you requests in promptly to school administration. See you in Cleve-land, March 22-24, 2007!

OFLA President Mary Goodwin with Barbara Andrews (OFLA Past President), Dr. Teresa Kennedy, and Rita Stroempl (OFLA President Elect)

TESOL Repres

entatives Lilia

n Acker

and Teri Mand

ell

Participants in an Immersion Workshop at the Toledo Museum of Art

Jan Kittock presenting her TPRS workshop—in Swedish

Conference Report, continued from page 1


Ohio Foreign Language Association

in cooperation with the

Cemanahuac Educational Community presents a travel seminar in Mexico

Saturday, June 17 to

Saturday, July 1, 2006

Ellen Shrager’s Mission: Helping Others Deal Successfully With “Today’s Kids”

by Barbara S. Andrews

If you’ve found yourself shaking your head in dis-belief at the type of student attitudes you’re seeing in your classroom these days, you’re not alone.

Hardly a day goes by when we don’t marvel over some of the problems we’re having with some of the eighth graders on our team. It seems to get worse every year, and ours is a suburban school!

Ellen Shrager teaches Spanish at Abindgton Ju-nior High in a suburb of Philadelphia. She believes that many low-perform-ing students and reluctant learners are a product of society: television shows, advertisements, video games, dysfunctional families, distrust, overin-dulgence, and more.

But she also believes that these students, as well as their dysfunc-tional families, are salvageable. And although teaching Spanish is her primary function, she believes training the students and their parents is just as important, if not more so.

A key element of her strategy is to prepare the parents at the annual opening night. In addition to the expected spiel about the class and how it is run, she talks to parents about adolescent behavior and how to handle it. Preventative measures like this can make everyone’s life more pleasant the rest of the year.

Have you ever noticed how some students constantly interrupt and don’t seem to know when to ask a question? Ellen has this down to a science. She trains the students to learn the most appropri-ate time and place to talk: during a transition, raise hand now, walk up now for a private chat, or wait until the end of class.

What about when a student comes up to you has to have his grade RIGHT NOW? Ellen trains everyone to expect grades on Tuesdays so that she doesn’t have to waste valuable time figuring grades at a moment’s notice.

What does Ellen do when she catches someone cheating? She takes them aside for a private chat.

“You know, hon, I saw you were cheating on the test, and I’m worried about you. Are you hav-ing some problems or under a lot of stress that is causing you to feel you need to cheat?” Voice oozing

with concern and kindness.“Yes? Then, will you do me a favor and write on

the test that you were cheating because of X?”Then Ellen gives them two days to tell someone

at home about the incident before she calls home herself and informs the parent about the incident and tells them that they need to take it from there because

“it’s a family problem, not a school problem.”

But having a confes-sion in the student’s own writing gives her the cred-ibility she needs to force the parents to take the is-sue seriously.

And then there are the constant requests for EX-TRA CREDIT. The kid who can’t go on a ski trip unless he brings his grade up, but can’t be bothered to actu-ally do his homework and

study. Yep, you know the one. Actually, you may know quite a few of them. Ever cave under the pres-sure? This is Ellen’s strategy:1. Do you want me to say that your prior actions are

meaningless?2. If you want me to say that you are meaningless, I

can’t, as I respect and love my students too much to do so.

3. I have observed over the years what happens to students who are told that they are meaningless; they indulge in risky behaviors with serious con-sequences. I don’t want that for you.

4. Appeal to the student’s bright destiny/future. Express confidence that the student will learn from this and discuss their learning experience at college interviews.

5. Leave student with dignity; reality without com-passion is judgmental and wounding.

At Ellen’s workshop, we actually PRACTICED doing this, with teachers alternating as desperately manipulative students. Not as easy as it sounds, since many of these kids have been practicing the art of manipulation all their lives!

Ellen’s speech was received with a standing ova-tion by the audience, and those who attended her session and her workshop gave her rave reviews. Now if we could just have her around all year round to help inspire us to find ways to reach “these kids nowadays”…


Widening Horizons with World LanguagesRita Stroempl, President ElectHello Ohio Foreign Language Association col-leagues, and welcome to early summer. As I type this, the wonderful 2006 OFLA Conference in Toledo has just ended, and we Board members are volun-tarily gathering around breakfast tables and email networking messages, starting to plan for next year’s conference. It will be in Cleveland, with the theme of Widening Horizons with World Languages. Mark your calendars, for March 22–24, 2007 is approaching.

As you pause this summer, sipping a lemonade at home or abroad, please dream of writing down that session proposal that you’ve been meaning to share. You know the one: It’s the lesson or theme which magically—read: after hours of learning- objective focused thought, material gathering, collegial discussion, fine tuning in front of the “live audience” called the world language and culture learner—has been gathering in your thoughts. The fall Cardinal as well as our website, www.ofla-online.org, will provide you with the official session proposal form. Please become an active part of our association.

Our association is known nationally for its ex-ceptional conferences. Socializing is part of the mix. You can be sure that offered entertainment and cul-tural enrichment within and within a short radius of Cleveland’s Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown will reflect the city’s rich multicultural ethnic heritage in food, art...in cultural products and practices. By the time we meet, the Cleveland Museum of Art will have undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation. The conference is around the corner from the Sci-ence Museum, and from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you choose to go around the corner, you’ll be on the Ninth Street Pier, by Lake Erie. There, most probably, the little hairs on your head will be blown about. Cleveland’s ethnic landmark, the West Side Market, is located in Ohio City. With 180 vendors, I invite you to take the tour of the sights, tastes, smells of fresh foods.

Happy summer vacation! Make plans now for the March 22–24, 2007 OFLA Conference!

Program Cover Design ContestOFLA will once again have a contest to design the cover for next year’s conference program. The design should feature the conference theme:Widening Horizons with World Languages and con-sist of original artwork on standard letter-size paper. The deadline will be November 15, 2006. Full details will be provided in the fall newsletter.

The Cleveland skyline at night

The Crowne Plaze Hotel Cleveland, site of the 2007 OFLA Annual Conference, March 22–24


Special Recognition Award: Charles Conway 1963–2005C harles Conway’s legacy is his work with so many foreign language teachers throughout the country as well as the state of Ohio. Charles began college as a business major, but soon fell in love with languages. He worked as a teaching assistant at The Ohio State University as he pursued his teaching credentials. Charles spent 10 years as a middle school French and Spanish teacher in Dublin City schools. He also earned a master’s degree in Spanish linguistics from OSU before moving to Holt Publishers. With Holt, he traveled the northeast and beyond to provide inservice on Holt’s foreign language products. Along the way, he honed the dance workshop with partners Sherri, Libby, Kelly, and Toma for which he is nationally renowned. In 2002, Charles joined the Ohio Department of Education as a World Language Consultant.

Charles embodied what is serious and what is fun about foreign language teaching. As a teacher, researcher, and public servant, he was serious about making his fellow Ohioans into top-notch language teachers and language learners. His was an honest, informed, and constructive voice for moving our programs to a new level of effectiveness. Charles showed us how the effective classroom could engage every single student in dynamic ways. He didn’t just tell us; he showed us. He got up and danced, and he made us dance. He studied abroad with us, and he encouraged us to keep traveling. He served as master teacher at summer institutes and visited migrant workers and urban immigrant communities. In service to OFLA, Charles was the Awards Committee Chair during the 1995–1996 school year and he created the OFLA website.

Charles touched novice and veteran educators alike in K–post-secondary settings. We miss his humor, his people skills, his professionalism and his enthusiasm. OFLA is proud to salute Charles Conway’s legacy with this Special Recognition Award.

Annual OFLA

Mary Goodwin with Charles’ family, Margaret, Terri and Louis Conway, and his partner, David Sherrod

Outstanding Program: Lori Winne, Past President of OFLA and current Chair of the OFLA By-Laws Committee and Cheryl Ames, Chair of the OFLA Early Language Learning Com-mittee, both have experience teaching world languages at the elementary, middle and high school. Lori is currently work-ing in the Toledo Public Schools and Cheryl in Middletown City Schools. The idea for a state-wide language camp for elementary students took root from a discus-sion at an OFLA Board Meeting about ways to celebrate ACTFL’s Year of Languages.

Created as part of the ACTFL 2005 year of Languages celebra-tion, Camp OFLA provided 4th

through 6th grade students the opportunity to attend a one-week sleep-away camp where they experienced language and culture activities in Spanish, French and Japanese. Cheryl and Lori engendered the participa-tion of upper-level high school students, pre-service teachers, and licensed teachers. The high school students, as counselors, served as role models for the younger campers. Pre-service teachers honed their new skills and veterans were exposed to new methods and the enthusi-asm of novice teachers.

Lori and Cheryl worked tirelessly prior to the camp to secure the camp grounds, recruit

Charles Conway Scholarship WinnersOFLA would especially like to recognize the winners of the Charles Conway Scholarship, who also received a free conference registra-tion, a free Awards luncheon,a special stipend check. Congratulations to Jennifer Harcar and Elaine Susteric.

In addition, the Charles Conway Memorial Fund will be awarding one full scholarship and two partial scholarships to Camp OFLA this summer.

Contributions to the Memorial Fund are still being accepted for future scholarships.


Outstanding Foreign Language Technology Award: Colleen Blaurock, Spanish Teacher, Perry Public Schools

Award Winners

campers, obtain outside funding, garner teacher participation, and plan the daily program. They created and organized a schedule for 60+ campers, in different areas of study, along with all of the other “necessary” camp events, such as flag rais-ing, meals, whole-camp hikes, swimming, etc. They responded to parent inquiries and bought supplies. They developed the myriad activities to keep the campers engaged from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, based on good second language pedagogy and stan-dards-based instruction.

French campers created in-tricate marionettes, Spanish campers created Pinatas, and

Japanese campers created rock gardens and made traditional Japanese kites. All campers sang, danced and played throughout the week in their target language and mealtimes were conducted (as much as possible) in the target language. Campers prepared a program for parents and others that included story presentations in all three languages, songs and graduation activities.

Camp OFLA was truly an ef-fort from the hearts of Lori Winne and Cheryl Ames, an effort that has touched all who participated. The Camp OFLA experience has created passionate foreign lan-guage learners of 60+ elementary students, re-vitalized a group of Cheryl Ames, D. Robinson (presenter), and Lori Winne

Lori Winne and Cheryl Ames, Camp OFLAhigh school foreign language learners, and has inspired many to continue our efforts to support foreign language education at all levels in the state of Ohio. Well done, Lori and Cheryl!

Colleen Blaurock received her BS Secondary Education degree in Spanish/Sociology/Psychol-ogy from Youngstown State University, her MS in Education –Curriculum and Instruction/Computer Uses from Cleveland State University and is currently a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction/Teaching Stud-ies at Kent State University.

Through the use of Power-Point, her custom designed web page, and with the web tool Quia, Colleen’s students have access 24/7 to differentiated, individualized learning. This allows Colleen to pre-assess her students’ needs and abilities, as-sign students specific activities to meet their needs and then offer immediate feedback about

their progress, and she shares her expertise in the integration of technology with other teachers.

Colleen created her own web-site to organize her units, provide drill and practice opportunites and to allow students to hear Spanish at home. She uses spellmaster.com to help students become acquaint-ed with new vocabulary. She puts all of her homework online and no longer spends time in class going over homework. This gives her more time for dialogs and skits in class—a common practice in her classroom. Colleen initially used SmartBoard to present grammati-cal concepts and introduce new vocabulary but her best use so far was to create a click and drag activity to show small groups how to use direct object pronouns

in a sentence. S h e c re a t e s communica-tive activities that authenti-cally engage the students. Her Backpack Activity and Operation Guy are two of her students’ favorites as well as a shop-ping spree with specific, well-designed guidelines.

Because of her hard work, creativity and diligence, students are able to connect with the target culture at the click of a mouse and teachers are able to share the activities she has created on the following website: http://www.perrylake.k12.oh.us/high/classrooms/language/span-ish/index.php. Her many other activities include Praxis III assessor, coordinator for the school-wide Bloodmobile and Advisor for the Freshman class. Congratulations, Colleen Blaurock!


OFLA Study Abroad Scholarship The recipient was Molly Stoll, of Ohio University, who is study-ing in Salzburg, Austria.

Mexico Study Scholarship WinnersWe had three winners this year for summer study in Mexico. Photos and an article will appear in the fall Cardinal.

For information about these scholarships, see pages 20–23.

Beginning Teacher Awards: Aimee Lynn DriaSpanish Teacher, Jackson High School—Massillon“Stolen” from student teaching last April to finish the year as a permanent substitute, with a B.A., major in Spanish and minor in French, Aimee Dria is now in her first full year teaching. Aimee took over some Spanish I and II classes which had experienced many substitutes. One of the former students writes: “With sub after sub, many students in the class were growing frustrated. Mrs. Dria eliminated all senses of failure and […] every person in the class understood what she was saying. I was filled with a renewed hope that I could succeed in Spanish III.”

Aimee has a natural ability to create a fun learning environment for her students while maintaining high expectations for their academic performance. She is truly a beginning teacher who is teaching like a veteran. She is able to challenge her successful students while watching closely over those who are struggling. Aimee is adept at varying the methodology and activities she uses to keep the students’ interest. She is well organized and travels from class to class (since she does not have her own classroom) with a very attractively decorated cart. Everything is well-documented and labeled. She calls parents often for positive and negative reasons.

In addition to her six Spanish I and II classes, Aimee is co-advisor of the National Honor Society. She asks for advice, collaborates beautifully with colleagues and truly cares about improving. Because of her enthusiasm, caring, knowledge and fluency in Spanish, and motivation, OFLA recognizes Aimee Dria as an Outstanding Beginning Teacher.

Audra JurmanovichSpanish Teacher, Stow-Munroe Falls High SchoolAudra Jurmanovich has a BA with a major in Spanish from the College of Wooster. After one year teaching Spanish I and II at Wooster High School, she was hired at Stow-Munroe Falls. Many at Wooster remember her enthusiasm, energy and creativity. In her first year she planned a student trip to Spain and France and together with the physical education teacher taught a cross-curriculum unit, which the PE teacher still remembers as her favorite teaching experience.

Her professionalism, creativity and involvement have continued at Stow-Munroe Falls. She uses knowledge from professional readings and discussions to increase student learning and integrates new findings in second language acquisition research and cultural learning into her instruction. Audra is creative. She worked with the restaurant management class to plan a Mexican buffet. With the help of the assistant director of technology, her students created a newscast that was captured in digital video, imported into their computers, edited and exported out to VHS tape. She plans learning centers, games and other learn-ing activities with ease. She’s hosted a Costa Rican teacher in her home and her presentation on the past tense included slides of her honeymoon in Mexico! She spends extra time tutoring students and has given a great deal of support to her students with special needs. Audra Jurmanovich is a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee and the Technology Committee at her school and serves on the OFLA Teacher and Licensure Committee. She is an excellent model for the kind of beginning teacher our profession needs and OFLA enthusiastically presents her with the Beginning Teacher Award.

Conference Scholarships:University Students: Ashley Cowoski, Rahmiah Dysle, Larissa Fedorko, Jennifer Harchar, Meghan Hendershot,

L i n d s a y M a y, Alison Rolf, Emily Schnur, Elaine Susteric (listed alphabetically)

High School Conference Scholarship

Recipients shown page 6

OFLA Awards, continued from previous page


Educator Friend of Foreign Languages Award: Kathy WellsLibrary Media Specialist, Unioto High School, District Library Coordinator, Union-Scioto Local Schools

Kathy Wells with presenter Debbie McCorkle

Kathy Wells received her BS in Home Economics Education and her Elementary Education Certification from The Ohio State University and her Master of Library Science from Kent State University. As the library media specialist at Unioto High School, she has taken the initiative to build professional relationships with foreign language teachers in the school and in the region. In 1999 she developed a workshop based on the use of technology in the foreign language classroom and followed up with a similar workshop for the South Region Foreign Language Network, instructing foreign language teachers on the multitude of resources on the internet for their content area. The reference notebooks prepared by Kathy and presented to the workshop

attendees were incredibly well put together and enable language teachers to quickly find sites on the internet to aid in teaching their classes, to find research sites, to find sites for e-pals, practices and grammatical sites.

Recently, Kathy invited Deb-bie McCorkle and Stacy Knipp, two teachers in her school, to spend three days at Kent State Uni-versity, developing a collaborative unit as guests of the Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education. They then team-taught that unit, “Probing Perspectives through Proverbs,” which ad-dresses Ohio’s academic content standards for technology, informa-tion literacy and foreign language. They are also presenting this session at this OFLA conference. Using library funds, Kathy has subscribed to three periodicals

aimed directly at students of Spanish classes and has also used library funds to purchase a set of encyclopedias in Spanish. She has created a special section in the library just for Spanish students. And last year, Kathy purchased head sets so that Span-ish students could listen to international news in Spanish at individual computers.

Kathy Wells has provided excellent support to the foreign language program at Union-Scioto Schools. Her influence has been felt at the regional and now at the state level. She is a true Educator Friend of Foreign Languages.

Outstanding Service Award: Model Curriculum Writing TeamNames are listed alphabetically. All team members are listed, though not all were able to attend, and therefore not all are pictured.

ElementaryKay Almy, Cheryl Ames, Judith Brown-McCombs, Sonja Cojocaru, Gayle

Fiorenza, Patricia Ryerson Hans, Geraldine McManamon, Elizabeth Rehlinger, Deanna Robeano, Pascale Scoyez, Carolyn White, Lori Winne

Middle SchoolCecilia Beltran, Richard Emch, Nancy Jackson, Cheryl Johnson, Sara Klein, Stacy Knipp, Denise Lepe-Perkins, John Meadows, Kimberly Normand, Martha Pero, Chad Schneider, Elizabeth Swartz

High SchoolFaith Andrus, Elizabeth Bedinghaus, Aimee Brown, Parthena

Draggett, Justin Ehrenberg, Dan Foley, Michelle Garlock, Gretchen Gonzalez,Laura Vincek-Helpmen, Mark Ingalls, Deana Kramer, Mis-ael Martinez, Nancy Moffitt, Hillel Myer, Zena Sandy, Roslyn Terek,

Lori Winne

OFLA Awards, continued from previous page


CLEAR’s Resources for Language Teachers:

Materials ��Web-based Materials ��CD-ROMs ��Videos��Teaching Guides

Workshops ��Onsite�� Summer

Newsletter��CLEAR News

Most of these resources are available free of charge.

Michigan State University’s U.S. Department of Education Title VI Language Resource Center, CLEAR, promotes and supports the teaching and learning of foreign languages in the United States.

Contact CLEAR:

A-712 Wells Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824-1027

Phone: 517.432.2286 Fax: 517.432.0473 Email: [email protected] Web: http://clear.msu.edu

Summer Workshops - July 2006

Visit our website for more details on our professional development lineup and new discount programs!

http://clear.msu.edu/training/06workshops/index.html

Foreign Language Workshops Offered:

�� Developing Online Language Materials �� Toward Friendly Assessment in the

Foreign Language Classroom �� Language Program Development for

Less Commonly Taught Languages

Center for Language Education And Research


We Want the World (Wide Web) to Know About You!

Most, if not all, of The Cardinal readers are aware of the existence of www.ofla-online.org, the official website of the OFLA. On the other hand, not that many Cardinal readers are aware yet that we also run an electronic mailing list, via Yahoogroups, which you can join by registering at

.However, what I’d like to stress here is that both the website and the mailing list exist to serve you,

the FL teacher, as an excellent opportunity to publicize yourself, your program, your school and your organizations to the State and beyond.

For example....• Have you received any recognition for your work in the classroom?• Are your students doing something worth boasting about?• Is there an open FL position at your school or in your district?• Are you hosting, either as a school or an alliance, any kind of FL meeting or workshop?• If at the post-secondary level, are you offering courses or programs at any time of the year that

would be of interest to FL teachers?If so, then we want to know—in fact, we want the whole state of Ohio to know what’s going on!

Please feel free to send any and all pertinent material to the OFLA mailing list. We also will be happy to post flyers and invitations on the ofla-online.org website, since Yahoogroups won’t accept attachments of any kind!

Bob WhiteOFLA Web [email protected]

Launching the new OFLA PosterPostage is one price, so you can buy several for gifts.Each poster costs $4, postage and packaging cost $3,

whether you buy 1 poster or 10.

Dr. Piper Yin, OFLA Past President (left) asked her daughter, Laurie, to design the poster she had in mind. Together, their creativity has produced an image of OFLA that we can be proud to dis-play. If you’d like a poster, or 10, please send $4 per poster + $3 for postage to

Lee Wilberschied, OFLA-PRCleveland State UniversityMLA RT16102121 Euclid AvenueCleveland, OH 44115-2214


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Vous rêvez de vous imprégner de la vie française? Venez donc vous joindre à nous cet été!

Exclusively for French Teachers

FranceProfessional Development WorkshopEarn 85 Massachusetts professional development points

and/or three graduate credits from UMass/Amherst

Les Plaisirs de Provence July 14-25, 2006

• Morning seminars on burning issues in French society today• Afternoon excursions of historic & cultural significance• Complete immersion experience; reside in 3-star hotel• Based in Marseille; day trips to Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles

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The French Traveler244 Shopping Ave #366 Sarasota, FL 34237Tel: 800 251 3464 Fax: 941 952 9224E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.frenchtraveler.com


Cardinal NotebookJanet IrvinContributing Editor

A Tribute to My ColleaguesMy dear OFLA members,

Congratulations! You’ve made it...to the end of yet another year of grading papers, wrestling with curriculum, wading through regulations, arguing about assessments, planning parent conferences, creating new ways to teach those pesky verb con-structions and all those confusing pronouns, and meeting students each day with a smile and a greeting...in another language! Please accept these accolades. You’ve earned them.

Hats off to those of you completing your first year of service. I have a feeling you’ve learned many things, only a small part of them taught in methods classes. I hope you have been lucky enough to work with a kind and caring mentor. I hope that mentor has guided you with the memory of her first year of teaching firmly fixed in each line of coaching. I have served in the role of mentor and much has changed since I began my career: the expectations, the accountability issues, the vol-ume of paperwork, the motivation of students, the technology available. You newbies come prepared to use computers, intimate in the ways of the inter-net, undeterred by the S-video cable and the LCD projector. You may not come prepared to face the reality of students involved with drugs or living out of cars because they were kicked out of their houses. Idealism smacks up against reality. I pray your idealism has survived the assault. Enjoy the summer. You’ve earned it.

I applaud those of you in the middle of your careers. You have the system worked out, but your own family responsibilities and emotional commitments pull on your time. Organization is probably your strong suit at this point: if you are a parent, getting your own children to ball games and music practices competes with attending school events where you teach. You have an empathy for parents that wasn’t there when you started teaching,

but you also have a judgment about what it takes to raise a child. It’s not easy to forgive those who shirk their duties as parents in an attempt to be friends with their children. They don’t need another friend, you proclaim silently. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to travel, to take students to see the wonders of the world whose culture you share each day. Perhaps you have pursued an advanced degree of your own, improving your skills as you struggle to improve those of your students. You’re not tired yet, but you welcome the release that summer provides, unless you teach year-round, in which case your

year’s rhythm is different. Have a great vacation, whether you spend it at home, abroad or sitting in a classroom once again.

I salute those of you at the end of your careers. You have weathered the course, held hands against the tide, waded into the surf daily and sent each child sailing out from your mooring. You may or may

not be exhausted from the effort. You may or may not carry a seed of bitterness. The long years of salary negotiations, administration disagreements, parental contacts and grading, grading, grading can take a toll. But you have carried on. Language breathes inside you, the swell of words and phrases and cultural differences have enriched your life in untold ways. You are a treasure to be uncovered, a wealth of anecdotes and antidotes to whatever happens. I hope you have had the opportunity to share your knowledge before you head toward your next adventure. May it be a great one!

To all of you who spend your time, your money, your emotions, and your efforts in spreading lan-guage literacy and culture among the youth of Ohio, happy summer.

Email me at [email protected] or check out my web site: www.Janet-Irvin.com . I look for-ward to hearing about your adventures.

To all of you who spend your time, your money, your emotions, and your efforts in spreading language literacy and culture among the youth of Ohio, happy summer.

What’s happening with YOUR organization?Do you have a world language event planned for this summer, or even early fall? Don’t forget you can post the information in an announcement on the website. And don’t forget to take pictures to submit with your reports for the fall issue of The Cardinal (submission deadline is August 1)


ACTFL National Language Teacher News

By Rita Stroempl, President Elect, and Patrice Castillo, Chair, Professional DevelopmentACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, offers its members a new challenge. If you are a member, or would like to become one (www.actfl.org), a new salute to hard-working col-leagues is off and running. The second annual search campaign for the most outstanding world language teacher in the nation is underway now, a continuation of the very successful “2005: Year of Languages” initiative. To become informed of the ten-year “Discover Languages” national movement, visit the new Web site, http://www.discoverlanguages.org.

ACTFL Executive Director Bret Lovejoy and President Paul Sandrock, and the entire Board of Directors and staff are helping to further unite the teaching profession by focusing on high standards in teaching. You’ll see by reading the details of how to engage in this challenge, representing Ohio, by reading Patrice Castillo’s, OFLA’s Professional Development Committee Chair, description below. And yes, the standards are high, even for entering this competition.

What’s the benefit of this time and energy-consuming effort? Ultimately only you know the answer for yourself. You could be the national representative of the 8,000 ACTFL language educators, serving as THE ambassador promoting the importance of language learning. Best wishes!

ACTFL Teacher of the Year 2007The American Council of Foreign Languages Teach-er of the Year represents us all as an ambassador for foreign languages promoting our profession and serving as an example of the best of who we, as global educators, can be.

Candidates are chosen from all fifty states and the selection criterion is rigorous. You do not have to be a National Board Certified Teacher, but those of you who have gone through the process of na-tional board certification will recognize similarities in the application procedure. Although the dead-line for the 2007 Teacher of the Year applications in January seems a long time from now, you will see why candidates need to start preparing now.

Candidates are required to submit a portfolio binder limited to fifty pages, which must include several letters of recommendation, including one from your state organization, OFLA. The cover page is a nomination letter from the regional organization, CSC. The candidate must prepare a DVD/video of a teaching lesson in the target language. He or she must submit samples of student work along with parental consent forms as well as evidence of students’ exposure to culture experiences outside of the classroom. The candidate must submit written reflection statements as well as document profes-sional involvement and classroom competency. The teacher must provide a list of contact information for press releases.

In addition to the portfolio, you will be re-quired to write a 500-word statement about a

language-related topic, participate in an oral inter-view, and meet and greet the selection committee in a mock press conference or a mock address to a civic group.

It is important that your school administration understands that if you are chosen as Teacher of the Year, your responsibilities will include travel and pub-lic speaking in addition to your excellent teaching.

So, you see, it is a bit intimidating, but character building. From the feedback that we have gotten from the National Board teachers, the process has made them better teachers, more conscious of what

they do well, more thoughtful about everything they do, why and how they do it. They consider the ramifications of how their professional development af-fects their teaching, how involvement in professional organizations affects others as well as themselves. These teachers have reflected about the involvement of students in community service and have seen lives change. It really does take a global village! And teachers in

this village work really hard!We have Ohio teachers who are up to this chal-

lenge! For the complete and up to date guidelines visit actfl.org and download the application packet in the PDF format. Devote time to this journey. If you know someone you want to nominate, or who needs a little prodding to apply contact me at [email protected] or Rita Stroempl at [email protected]

Patrice Castillo, Chairperson, Professional Development Committee


Professional DevelopmentOFLA Annual Fall WorkshopOFLA will once again be having a Fall Workshop, as an extension workshop from the Central States Conference. Fred Toner will be leading the workshop.

The title of the workshop is “More Self-Directed Students through Learning Strategies.” This year, the workshop will be held in Athens, deep in the heart of the south-eastern Ohio hills. What a beautiful part of the state to spend time in the fall!

More details forthcoming on the website and in the fall issue of The Cardinal.

Immersion française à Wright State (18-19 août, 2006)

Attention French teachers and professors! What better way to prep your school year and earn recertifica-tion points than by spending two days immersed in French, while connecting with colleagues from across the state of Ohio? The fun will begin on Friday, August 18 at 10:00, and will end the following afternoon. Participants will attend sessions on music, technology, literature, film, pedagogy and program building (recruitment and retention). Bring your questions, concerns, successes and ideas to share with fellow Francophiles, et participons ensemble à la renaissance des études de français en Ohio. Interested? Want details on registration, fees, lodging? Contact Kirsten Halling at [email protected]

Don’t Forget these Upcoming National ConferencesHave you ever attended a national conference? Maybe this should be the year! Many world language organizations schedule their annual meetings during the summer so that teachers can attend, even if their districts won’t let them out, pay for a sub, etc.

For some people, the cost seems prohibitive, but consider the value you get for your dollar: sessions and workshops specially targeted for your language or skills, a wider range of presenters, experts from all over the nation, the crème de la crème as it were; and an exhibit hall full of items with that specific targeted audience. Then consider that expenses directly related to the trip are tax-deductible.

Plan a family vacation around a summer conference. When I was a child, my father was a history professor, and every winter, we took a Christmas Break trip to wherever the national history conference was. Mom took us sight-seeing while Dad attended sessions. This summer, I’m visiting my sister in Chi-cago on the way to Milwaukee for the AATF conference, then taking the ferry across Lake Michigan to meet my brother (with his wife and kids) and my other sister for a family camping trip.

Not in the cards for this year? Think about the summer of 2007. I can attest that these national confer-ences can be a great buy for your personal professional development dollar!

Jane Rauschenberg, VP Publications

June 23–25 American Classical League (ACL) Philadelphia, PA Information: www.aclclassics.org

June 28–July 2 The American Association of Teachers of Spanish (AATSP), Salamanca, Spain Information: www.aatsp.org

July 5–8 The American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), Milwaukee, WI Information: www.frenchteachers.org

July 18–22 National TPRS Conference, Burlington, VT Information: www.blaineraytprs.com


Cemanahuac Educational Community 2007 in Mexico Scholarship

The Cemanahuac Educational Community is generously offering a scholarship opportunity for an Ohio Spanish teacher to study in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

This scholarship will be awarded to a teacher in a Spanish program at any level, elementary through secondary, in a public, private or parochial school. The dollar value of this award is approximately $870.00 and includes registration, tuition for two weeks of intensive Spanish language study; double occupancy family housing with all meals, and one field study trip. The recipient can attend Cemanahuac any time during 2007. To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant must:• be a full-time Spanish teacher who has taught for three years and plans to teach for the next

three years in the state of Ohio• be a member of OFLA • be willing to present a 50-minute session at the 2008 OFLA Conference.• complete and submit the application (see page 23) and written statement of how this experi-

ence will impact his/her teaching by the deadline (November 30, 2006)• be prepared to meet expenses not covered by the scholarship. These expenses, in addition to

airfare, that the recipient would have to cover on his/her own would be: transfer to Cuernavaca to and from Mexico City (about $12 US each way), a textbook ($30) and personal expenses.

Ohio colleges and universities with study programs at Cemanahuac include Xavier University, the University of Dayton, The Ohio State University, and Wittenburg College.

For more information on the Cemanahuac Educational Community in Cuernavaca, Mexico, visit their website at http://www.cemanahuac.com/

OFLA would like to thank Vivian Harvey and the Cemanahuac Educational Community for mak-ing this Professional Development opportunity available to Ohio foreign language teachers.


Cuauhnáhuac Spanish Language School 2007 Mexico Scholarship

OFLA is pleased to announce a scholarship opportunity for an Ohio Spanish teacher to study at the Cuauhnáhuac Spanish Language School in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

This scholarship will be awarded to a teacher in a Spanish program at any level, elementary through secondary, in a public, private or parochial school. The scholarship includes registration, tuition for two weeks of intensive Spanish language study; double occupancy family housing with all meals, and one field study trip. The recipient can attend Cuauhnáhuac anytime during 2007. To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant must:• be a full-time Spanish teacher who has taught for three years and plans to teach for the next

three years in the state of Ohio• be a member of OFLA • be willing to present a 50-minute session at the 2007 OFLA Conference.• complete and submit the application (see page 23) and written statement of how this experience

will impact his/her teaching by the deadline of November 30, 2006 (postmark deadline).• be prepared to meet expenses not covered by the scholarship. These expenses, in addition to

airfare, that the recipient would have to cover on his/her own would be: transfer to Cuernavaca to and from Mexico City and personal expenses.

Cuauhnáhuac works with many US colleges and universities in providing quality study abroad programs. Ashland University has had a highly successful program with Cuauhnáhuac for the past 16 years.

For more information on the Cuauhnáhuac Spanish Language School in Cuernavaca, Mexico, visit their website at www.cuauhnahuac.edu.mx.

OFLA would like to thank Marcia Snell and David Cano for making this Professional Develop-ment opportunity available to Ohio foreign language teachers.


K – 12 Spanish Teacher Scholarship Opportunity

Learn, Live & Love the Spanish Language in Cuernavaca, Mexico!OFLA is pleased to announce a scholarship opportunity for an Ohio Spanish teacher to study at the Universidad Internacional—The Center for Linguistic and Multicultural Studies.

Founded as a small school of Spanish 25 years ago, Uni-versidad Internacional is an institution of private higher education located in Cuernavaca, Mexico, that offers Spanish courses to satisfy your academic, professional and personal expectations through its Center for Linguistic and Multicultural Studies, which is affiliated with more than 100 universities, colleges and other educational institutions in the U.S. It has been recognized for its quality approved programs through a formal agreement with SUNY-Brockport, an American institution accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Our Intensive Spanish programs are open to everyone. You can earn credits, or you can improve your skills in the Spanish language within your field of study or professional interest. The value of our outstanding courses is supplemented by our excellent lodging services with Mexican host families as well as a variety of lively activities, including excursions to archaeological sites, museums and cultural events. www.uninter.edu.mx

This scholarship will be awarded to a teacher in a Spanish program at any level elementary through secondary, in a public, private or parochial school. The scholarship includes registration, tuition for two weeks of intensive Spanish language study; double occupancy family housing with all meals, and one field trip. The recipient can attend Universidad Internacional-The Center for Linguistic Multicultural Studies any time during 2007.

To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant must:• Be a full-time teacher who plans to teach for the next three years in the state of Ohio.• Be a member of OFLA.• Be willing to present a 50-minute session at the 2008 OFLA Conference.• Complete and submit the application (see page 23) and written statement of how this ex-

perience will impact his/her teaching by the deadline (November 30, 2006).• Be prepared to meet expenses not covered by the scholarship. These expenses, in addition

to airfare, that the recipient would have to cover on his/her own would be: transfer to Cuernavaca to and from Mexico City and personal expenses.

Contact person for questions or more information: Piper Brown Yin: [email protected]


OFLA 2007 Mexico Scholarship Application Form

I wish to apply for the

______Cemanahuac Educational Community Scholarship (see page 20)

______Cuauhnáhuac Language School Scholarship (see page 21)

______Universidad Internacional—The Center for Linguistic and Multicultural Studies (see page 22)

______ All Scholarships ( Please number schools in order of preference if applying for all three)

Name____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Home Address____________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone_______________________________ E-mail_______________________________________________________________

School____________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Address____________________________________________________________________________________________

FAX __________________ Phone ______________________E-mail_________________________________________________

Classes taught in 2005-2006

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Number of years of full-time teaching __________ Part-time teaching __________

Experience in a Spanish-speaking country or immersion experiences in the U.S. (Include dates of undergraduate and graduate study, personal and school-affiliated travel, and work)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have read the scholarship descriptions and requirements on the preceding pages and agree and comply with them.

yes ________ no__________

1. Written statement: Include with your application one page stating how this immersion experience will enhance your teaching and benefit your students.

2. Resume: Include with your application a current resume or curriculum vitae listing professional activities as well as other standard information.

3. Recommendation: Include with your application a letter of support from your department chairperson, principal or other immediate supervisor.

Submit five (5) copies of each of the following: the application form, the written statement; the resume, and the recommendation to:

Patrice CastilloOFLA Chairperson, Professional Development Committee

44 Delaware St.Lexington, OH 44904

[email protected]

Applications must be postmarked by November 30, 2006, for consideration.


Citizen Diplomacy: Are We There Yet?Maria Verderico, French Teacher Candidate, University of AkronSusan Colville-Hall, Teacher Education, University of AkronTheresa Minick, Teacher Education, Kent State University

In the Age of Information, the world continues at a rapid pace to become more internationally intertwined. Where vast distances and natural barriers once impeded the study of other cultures and languages, today we have instantaneous access to these resources. As Americans, can we afford to live as if we were isolated from the rest of the world? As teachers (and future teachers) of world languages and of America’s children, what should be our role in this changing world? Are we satisfied with our classroom reach to the world through the languages we teach? Or is there a more power-ful way to impact the way Americans feel about world cultures and languages? How can we help ordinary American citizens feel a link to the rest of the world?

Citizen diplomacy is not a new idea. It is the concept that the individual citizen has the right, in fact, the responsibility, to be engaged as a global citizen in promoting international relations. As a citizen of the world, each of us bears the responsibil-ity to better understand global diversity, cultures, religions, and issues. Citizen diplomacy provides an opportunity for all Americans to begin to under-stand the rest of the world, and for the rest of the world to learn more about America.

Brief HistoryFifty years ago, President Eisenhower convened the historic White House Summit on Citizen Diplo-macy. Following WWII, he had a vision of lasting peace generated by thousands of internationally engaged citizens. It was his hope that personal relationships, fostered through sister city, county and state affiliations, would lessen the chance of future world conflicts.

This past year, the Coalition for Citizen Diplo-macy was formed to raise awareness of the citizen diplomacy movement, to examine its critical role in advancing U.S. foreign relations, to promote world peace and understanding, and to increase international activism at the grassroots level. This group is made up of national leaders representing organizations including Sister Cities International, The Fulbright Program, Councils of World Affairs,

the National Council for International Visitors, People to People International and others from sec-tors including non-profit, business, and academic communities. The Coalition has called upon com-munities across the U.S. to hold summits focused on citizen diplomacy and to issue reports to contribute to a National Summit on Citizen Diplomacy to be held in Washington D.C. July 12–14, 2006.

The Northeast Ohio Summit on Citizen Diplomacy: Sharing International Perspectives on Citizen Diplomacy As one of the first community-wide summits, The Northeast Ohio Summit on Citizen Diplomacy at-tempted to bring international awareness to the local level. The summit was organized under the leader-ship and local sponsorship of Akron International Friendship, The University of Akron, Kent State University, Center for Conflict Management, City of Akron, and many other local supporters.

The theme of the summit, “Building Global Bridges Between Northeast Ohio (NEO) and the World,” recognized the region’s global relations and proposed strategies to establish more international connections. Speakers at the summit included the Honorable August Pust, member of the U.S. Com-mission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, Dr. Schuyler Foerster, President of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, and Harriet Mayor Fulbright, a founding member of the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy and a leader of the Fulbright Program.

Panel sessions topics included International Civic Exchanges and Community Initiatives, In-ternational Humanitarian Outreach, Diversity and Multi-Cultural Community, International Business-Global Corporate Citizenship, and Internationalizing School Curriculum K–16 & Experiences in Inter-national Living. The results of these discussions involving so many people from different fields com-ing together for a common cause will be submitted to the National Summit on Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., summer 2006.

Loan Forgiveness for World Language TeachersDid you know that world language teachers may be entitled to federal loan forgiveness if they teach for five years? Depending on the type of loan you secured, $5000–$10,000 may be forgiven. Share this with colleagues and future teachers in your high school and college classes!


Taking Citizen Diplomacy to World Language Teachers The 2006 OFLA (Ohio Foreign Language Associa-tion) Conference in Toledo provided an opportunity to take the issue of citizen diplomacy to world language teachers. During the conference session, teachers and professors discussed the possible role of world language teachers in the light of this effort on citizen diplomacy. Here are the results of their small group deliberations.

World language teachers see these connections between world language study and the concept of citizen diplomacy: • Prepare students as citizen diplomats in the com-

munity, business, politics, education and other professions.

• Include student-created projects that go beyond the school to show how children are being raised as citizen diplomats from their community.

• Discuss world connections and include concepts such as global perspective, culture of language regions, and service learning activities.

• Incorporate current events into world language curriculum and general education curriculum to help students achieve sensitization.

• Establish close connection to immigrant commu-nities, world language instruction, and general education. This could include the study of mi-grant workers through interviews.

• Offer scholarships for exchange programs.• Create a mock government dealing with issues

such as immigration.

OFLA teachers suggested the following partners within and outside the academic community: • University faculty, primary grade students• Representatives of global companies and business

careers• Media representatives• Sister Cities and People to People organizations• Immigration organizations and immigration at-

tornies• Mission projects• Rotary Club• City government• Hospital professionals• Neighborhood people• Parents from another country coming to read a

story• Music and arts collaboration

Suggestions to build citizen diplomacy structure within world language study: • Cultivate open-mindedness by incorporating

current events and consulting articles on current topics. Discuss this relationship to students’ lives and national concerns.

• Teach students to think of themselves as citizen diplomats.

• Bring foreign visitors to the classroom.• Involve ACTFL. They represent us in all, includ-

ing LCTLs (see Lee Wilbershied’s article in the January 2006 Cardinal, page 43).

• Give students a historical/political perspective on the immigration influx of the Latinos in our communities as part of the introduction to Span-ish class and bring in ESL students to introduce themselves and tell their stories about why and how they came to the U.S.

• Stress aspect of Citizen Diplomacy in pre-service teacher training.

ConclusionUnderstanding international issues is essential to creating a more peaceful world, and world lan-guage education is indispensable in accomplishing this goal. Learning a second language helps stu-dents gain a better cross-cultural understanding. Acquiring this understanding is best accomplished when language learning begins at an early age. It is, however, not a given that every teacher is teach-ing students to be citizen diplomats. This effort has to be articulated, repeated and validated both within and beyond the language classroom. As world language educators, we want our teacher candidates and our students to know how to be world citizens. We encourage all educators to promote international perspectives that will en-hance the learning experience for all students. By participating in events such as a Summit on Citizen Diplomacy or teaching the concept of citizen diplo-macy, we can perhaps make a greater difference in how Americans view the world and how the world views us.

***Acknowledgement to Ms. Michelle Wilson, Executive Director, Akron International Friend-ship (AIF) for sharing some of the background information.

Need copies of the purple K-12 Academic Content Standards book?

Contact [email protected]. Colleges and universities, please order through your book-stores.

Citizen Diplomacy, continued from previous page


Start Languages EarlyLori Winne

The following interview was given after the Administrator Breakfast (see page 6) at the 2006 OFLA Con-ference. Mrs. Gretchen Bueter is principal of Grove Patterson Academy, an elementary school in Toledo Public Schools. Second graders from her school demonstrated for administrators their ability to speak German. The German teacher for Grove Patterson is Lori Winne, OFLA By Laws chairperson.

Winne: How long have these students been study-ing German?

Bueter: All students at our elementary school study a language (Spanish or German) for a half an hour every day. These students have been learn-ing German since Kindergarten.

Winne: After the Administrator Breakfast, several principals approached you who were curious about the GPA program. What questions did they ask?

Bueter: Principals wanted to know two things; 1) which language to pick, and 2) how to sched-ule.

Winne: Let’s take the first question. How did you determine the languages for Grove Patterson?

Bueter: Our school decided to split into two lan-guages so that half of our children study Spanish and the other half study German. I think it’s important to look at languages that are viable and useful for the future. Toledo is the home of Jeep, which is now owned by Daimler-Chrys-ler, the German-based company. Spanish is, of course, our nation’s second language. The future for our students includes a strong inter-national background. Companies currently hire overseas to get employees with both a business and a language background. It’s not the specific language, it’s the fact that our children need to study any second language for a well-rounded education.

Winne: What about scheduling? How do you get another subject into the school day?

Bueter: Flexibility and collaboration are the key. The school has to be willing to look at connecting a second language with the regular curriculum. A well-trained teacher who knows curricu-lum—both the regular curriculum and the second language curriculum—can incorporate math, reading or science benchmarks into their German lessons.

Winne: That sounds like making strong use of the Connections standard in the foreign language cur-riculum. But how does it look in the schedule?

Bueter: I think there are ways to make it fit no matter the school, the length of the day, etc. Flexibility is the key. We have a half an hour every day for every child, K–6. However, if your school could only schedule three days a week in the early years and increase the time to four days in the intermediate levels, that would also work. The more you connect the regular subjects with the second language, the more time you’ll find for the second language.

Winne: Have you seen results?Bueter: I think our students are better readers as a

result of their second language study. I also think they are more confident about their ability to understand and use the (German) la

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