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BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages
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SCOLA AGM 2017: BCATML presents its advocacy work and curriculum highlights relating to teaching languages

28/4/2017

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April 28, 2017

Both Kindra Harte and Rome Lavrencic represented BCATML at the Standing Committee On Language Articulation (SCOLA) Annual General Meeting held at the Okanagan College - Kelowna Campus.

BCATML presented a number of highlights regarding its advocacy work relating to language teaching, resource development, policy change initiatives with the Ministry of Education, and the Second Languages draft curricula.

Of particular interest to SCOLA members was BCATML's recent letter to the Ministry of Education requesting to expand the Student Exchange and Mobility Awards (SEMA) to include more countries for high school students to study abroad. BCATML also announced that it will lobby the Ministry of Education to re-examine its Graduation Years policy to include the requirement to have a Language 11 credit before receiving a Dogwood Certificate.


SCOLA members carried two motions (unanimously) in support endorsing these two BCATML initiatives:

Motion 1: "That SCOLA write to the Ministry of Education to endorse support for the BCATML initiative which would increase the scope and funding of SEMA to include more countries and to further facilitate the transition to postsecondary education."

Motion 2: "That SCOLA write to the Ministry of Education to endorse support for the BCATML initiative to include a Language 11 as a graduation requirement."

Next year's SCOLA AGM will take place at Trinity Western University (Langley Campus) on Friday, April 27, 2018.
scola_agm2017.pptx
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BCATML Twitter Chat re: Second Languages Draft Curricula

24/4/2017

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BCATML hosted another Twitter Chat to discuss the draft curricula for Second Languages (other than French). The entire chat can be read on www.storify.com or by visiting:
https://storify.com/RLavrencic/bcatml-twitter-chat-re-bc-s-draft-second-languages.

We remind teachers that to send in their feedback to the Ministry by emailing curriculum@gov.bc.ca.

The Curriculum Writing Team for Second Languages will meet again in early June 2017 to look at the initial feedback received by the province and begin working on the Introductory Language 11 courses.​
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BCATML lobbies Ministry to expand SEMA Awards

11/4/2017

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April 11, 2017

   At BCATML's Celebrating Languages Conference 2016, we announced that the Student Exchange and Mobility Awards (SEMA) are available for high school students to study abroad  and encourages BC students to develop intercultural skills and competencies. Full details and criteria for this award are found on the Ministry's website.


      Presently, the SEMA Awards are available for travel to China, France, Italy and Japan. BCATML has lobbied the Ministry (K-12 International Education) to pursue memoranda agreements with the Ministries of Education for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Latin America and India in addition to maintaining the current list of eligible countries. In so doing, BCATML believes that the Ministry of 
Education will further assist and support students’ pursuit of languages and cultures in becoming better global educated citizens, which is one of the underpinning philosophies and principles in the redesigned second languages curricula.

    On April 24th, 2017, Dwayne Cover (Provincial Lead - K-12 International Education) responded to BCATML's letter indicating that the Ministry has received our letter and that he would be pleased to forward our request to the incoming government once the writs of election have been returned and the Minister of Education has been appointed. BCATML is quite happy and excited about this opportunity to expand the SEMA Awards and to support our students of German, Punjabi and Spanish. 

      BCATML will follow up with the Ministry of Education after the May 2017 elections and report to members at BCATML's Annual General Meeting during the PSA Super Conference this fall at the Vancouver Convention Centre between October 20-21, 2017
.

    BCATML will also share this letter to members of SCOLA (Standing Committee On Language Articulation) at their Annual General Meeting and seek their support in this initiative.

bcatml_moe_sema_letter.pdf
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Email response from Dwayne Cover:
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From: Cover, Dwayne <Dwayne.Cover@gov.bc.ca>
Mon 4/24, 3:51 pm
PSA 51 Council Member - BCATML

To Mr. Rome Lavrencic, 

Thank you for your letter dated Tuesday, April 11, 2017, regarding the Student Exchange and Mobility Awards. As you are aware, the Government of British Columbia is currently in a transition period due to the general election scheduled for May 9, 2017. I would be pleased to take your issue forward to the incoming government once the writs of election have been returned and the Minister of Education has been appointed.

Again, thank you for writing.

Sincerely,
Dwayne Cover
Provincial Lead – K-12 International Education
B.C. Ministry of Education
Victoria, B.C.
Tel: (778) 676-7578
Dwayne.Cover@gov.bc.ca
www.gov.bc.ca/education/international-education
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Bramble Berry Tales - The next frontier in App storytelling! By Rome Lavrencic

10/4/2017

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​Stories have been told throughout the ages. Some have been passed down unchanged from generation to generation, while others have evolved to be told with new and innovative ways. BC’s newly redesigned curricula rely on the use of stories and texts to facilitate students’ understanding of the Big Ideas in each subject. As second language teachers, finding texts in the target language that are appropriate for our students’ ability is tough enough. Finding texts that include Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge in the target language is even more challenging!  Enter Rival Schools, a Vancouver-based company that embraces this philosophy with open arms and says hello to the digital age and 21st Century learning. Rival Schools is the maker of a heart-warming App called Bramble Berry Tales – an interactive digital adaptation of three Squamish stories produced here in British Columbia.
There are three stories in the Bramble Berry Tales: The Story of Kalkalilh, The Great Sasquatch, and The Little People. All three stories are narrated in their original First Nations language of Squamish, Halq’emeylem, and Cree respectively, as well as in English, French, and Spanish. Just as the Brothers Grimm traipsed around Europe in the 19th century to capture and record oral stories to preserve them from being forgotten, so to has Rival Schools. With the support and voice of Squamish Chief Ian Campbell and Cree author Marylin Thomas, Rival Schools has managed to preserve these beautiful indigenous tales and languages from fading away by recording them forever with relatable and memorable characters.
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​Enter Lily, Thomas, Mooshum and Kookum, the main characters in the Bramble Berry Tales. Each story is told from the perspective of Lily and Thomas who embark on exciting adventures and learn from their loving Mooshum and Kookum the significance of Kalkalilh, Sasquatch and the Little People. Through their adventures, Lily and Thomas learn more about Aboriginal legends, beliefs and lessons with Mooshum and Kookum as their patient teachers. Readers will follow a series of stories that harbour a message from which all children undoubtedly can learn. The tales themselves have the right ingredients to capture young readers’ interest with just the right amount of scary bedtime appeal.

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Most students today know how to navigate an iPad better than their parents, or teacher for that matter! Therefore, it makes perfect sense that kids are able to experience these stories through a familiar medium that engages them. Bramble Berry Tales is so aptly timed and takes the right steps forward in helping to protect, preserve, and expose rapidly disappearing First Nations languages to our students in the second language classroom. Students will surely be able to relate to each of the characters unique to all of the stories and be able to identify similarities and differences to other stories they may have heard or already know from other parts of the world, Canada or their own home even!

​One of the beautiful aspects built into the Bramble Berry Tales App is the ability to interact with elements on the screen and bring life to the characters by moving them, and other items they see, around the screen; cause sound effects to occur; and tap on highlighted words to open a special window that reveals the significance of that particular word in indigenous cultures. Furthermore, students can hear how the word is pronounced in one of the three indigenous languages found within the App and practice their pronunciation at the same time! Students are exposed to the rich culture found within many of BC’s First Nations communities as they explore the vibrancy contained therein.
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Bramble Berry Tales touch on many of the Big Ideas of the Core French and Spanish curricula and easily use stories to facilitate students’ understanding of them. Here are but a few:
 
Grade 5:
  • Reading and stories help us make connections to what we have already learned through oral language
  • Each culture has traditions and ways of celebrating
 
Grades 6&7:
  • With basic language skills, we can describe important people in our lives (ie: Mooshum, Kookum)
  • Stories allow us to understand ideas in a meaningful way
  • Deepening our knowledge of diverse communities helps us develop cultural awareness
 
Grade 8:
  • Creative works allow us to experience culture in an authentic way
  • Stories allow us to communicate ideas in a meaningful way
  • Acquiring a new language and learning about another culture deepen our understanding of our own language and culture
 
Grade 9:
  • Stories give us unique ways to interpret and share knowledge, thoughts, and feelings
  • Acquiring a new language provides opportunities to explore our own cultural identity from a new perspective
  • Creative works allow us to experience culture in an authentic way
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I recently met with Rival Schools to discuss expanding the App’s functionality and to develop classroom-ready resources. Rival Schools would like teachers’ assistance in providing feedback with the App’s re-launch and use in the classroom. If you are interested in testing the App and providing feedback, please contact Rome Lavrencic at psac51@bctf.ca as soon as possible. Work has already begun on its expansion. Bramble Berry Tales is available both on iTunes and Google Play for androids. Each story costs $3.99 but is part of the Volume Purchasing Program. If 20 licenses or more are purchased through VPP, the cost of the App is reduced by 50%. For more details, please visit www.brambleberrytales.com.

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BCATML spring newsletter is now ready for members!

3/4/2017

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We invite you to download our latest edition of Speak! Cut and paste
www.bcatml.org/membership-area.html to to download your free Members' copy today.  You will find many engaging articles about upcoming events and opportunities on … 
  • Curriculum updates and ministerial reporting orders,
  • TRPS Intensive Training event,
  • Twitter chat on the draft curricula,
  • Intensive French training event,
  • BCTF PSA Super Conference 2017,
  • Aboriginal story app for the second language classroom,
  • Language Rep reports,
  • and 
  • More!
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BCAMTL hosts one-day TPRS Training event May 13, 2017

1/4/2017

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TPRS_workshop_shape_of_the_day.pdf
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BCATML is thrilled to work with TPRS experts Michelle Metcalfe and Adriana Ramirez and offer current BCATML members a full day of TPRS training! 

This one-day event will take place at the BCTF building on Saturday, May 13th, 2017 from 9:00 - 4:00 pm. Teachers will delve into TRPS pedagogy and practice their skills in large and small groups with hands-on coaching by Michelle and Adriana! Teachers will receive TPRS stories ready in your target language.

The cost is only $35 for members. Non-members must purchase a membership at the time of registration. With room for only 50 teachers, this event will sell out fast! Read more ...
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BCATML to host Twitter chat on draft curricula for second languages Monday, April 24th at 6:00 pm

1/4/2017

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BCATML will host another Twitter chat on Monday, April 24th at 6:00 pm. We invite teachers to give their insight and views on the draft curricula for second languages (other than French). 

This hour-long chat will be moderated by BCATML Secretary and Curriculum Team Writer Antonella Garcia (@msagarcia314) and BCATML President Rome Lavrencic (@RLavrencic). The chat will use a Question1 / Answer1 format with five pre-generated questions to help the Curriculum Team Writing members with revising the draft curricula. The five questions that will be asked during the chat are:


Q1 In what ways do the curriculum elements (big ideas, curricular competencies, content) work well together? How do they not? 

Q2 Do the curriculum elements in your language area reflect what is important for all students to learn at each grade level? 

Q3 Which curriculum elements require greater clarity or more elaborations? Please specify.

Q4 How can L2 teachers incorporate Aboriginal perspectives and knowledge into the redesigned curricula? What resources are needed? 

Q5  What questions, concerns or additional feedback do you have on the second languages draft curricula? 
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​



To learn how to participate in a Twitter chat using 
TweetDeck or HootSuite, please click here or read the article below.

If you don't have a Twitter account, you can follow the chat by reading the tweets on the bottom of the main page of BCATML's website under the #BCATML feed. We hope you can join us and look forward to hearing your thoughts on April 24th at 6:00 pm sharp!

bcatml_24april2017_twitterchat.pptx
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The moderated chat can be read by visiting:
storify.com/RLavrencic/bcatml-twitter-chat-re-bc-s-draft-second-languages
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    How to post:

    BCATML's Executive members can add news items here. Please email BCATML president at  psac51@bctf.ca or your Language Rep with a news item or pro-d opportunity that you would like to share.

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BCATML is the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages, a Provincial Specialist Association of the BC Teachers' Federation.

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