Paving Pathways for World Language Instruction

By: Angie Keaton, NBCT

The mere mention of including World Language into Program Reviews and accountability can strike fear in the minds of teachers and administrators. Multiple questions arise. For example: How will we fund it? Who will teach it? How can we find the time to incorporate it into our schedules? The short answer to all of these questions is innovation.

As a Nationally Board Certified fourth grade reading/language arts teacher in my elementary school, I have already begun the process of finding ways to incorporate project based learning and world language into my instruction. At the beginning of this school year, I set out on a mission to find ways to bring the world to my eastern Kentucky students who are often isolated from exposure to other cultures.

Our E-Pal Project includes teachers in Germany, Italy, and Spain who are also enthusiastic about engaging their students with other cultures and languages. Through this project our students have had opportunities to exchange email and letters, record and exchange videos, and share information about their culture and celebrations. Students are now eager to begin an international book study/literature circle project that will culminate with Skype sessions in the coming weeks.

This is just one way to innovate with World Language instruction. As innovative educators, we must continue striving to find solutions that will help prepare our students to be college and career ready, and give them the skills necessary to be productive members of a global community.

This is a guest blog written by one of the teachers in our Innovative Teacher Leader cohort to share about an innovative teacher or practice from their area of the state. To learn more about the work happening in the Commonwealth from these Innovative Teacher Leaders, who are working to redefine teacher leadership in Kentucky, check back throughout the month of March. We’ll be sharing guest blogs all month long.