The National Less Commonly Languages Resource Center (NLRC) Learning Community is a professional development opportunity open to LCTL instructors from K-16 nationwide. The learning community will provide relevant accessible readings, hands-on activities, and opportunities for sustained pedagogical discussion. The learning community aims to work with a small group of LCTL instructors over the course of five meetings during the semester, with virtual meetings planned once a month.
Spring 2023 Learning Community – Designing Proficiency-Based Instructional Materials for Your Classroom
The NLRC is excited to announce its inaugural Learning Community, which will run from January until May 2023, meeting once per month. The group of committed participants will meet virtually in Google Classroom and will make use of all its features to foster a lively and principled exchange of ideas. The NLRC’s first learning community will focus on the design of proficiency-based language teaching materials that fit your classroom. The learning community will adopt a task-based, proficiency-oriented view of language instruction and will follow a reverse/backwards design approach.
Participants will
(1) identify relevant language proficiency objectives based on the ACTFL Proficiency guidelines,
(2) create performance-based assessments to evaluate students’ progress, and
(3) design engaging and motivating tasks or lesson activities that help students master corresponding language objectives.
Participants will also collaborate and provide feedback to each other’s ideas and work. Participants will be encouraged to pilot their materials in the classroom and reflect on the success of their instructional materials. Finally, participants will also receive guidance and feedback from the experienced learning community facilitators.
By the end of the learning community, each participant will have a fully developed sequence of meaningful tasks or activities that meet and assess relevant proficiency learning objectives in a rigorous and principled fashion. Certificates of participation will be handed out on request.
If you are interested in this professional development opportunity, please let us know by filling out our Learning Community sign-up form (linked below)!
Spring 2023 Learning Community Session
Spring 2023 sessions are held virtually via Zoom and have already begun.
Remaining Spring 2023 sessions are scheduled for 2/17, 3/24, 4/28, 5/26 from 10:00am-11:00am Eastern Standard Time.
Please complete the interest form if you (a) can attend the remaining virtual sessions this spring OR (b) cannot attend sessions this spring but are still interested in participating in the learning community in the future (we will add you to a waiting list).