#189We are all well aware of the importance of comprehensible input in our classrooms, and to support this many of us use stories as the way to do it. Do you use short stories, novels or graphic novels or comprehensible (CI) readers with your students? I’m excited to see that many teachers are using and leveraging texts with their students. I want to take this a step further in this episode and tell you about a project that engages students creatively with story details and newly acquired vocabulary and structures. Blog post about the "unpack the book" project with examples and templates.Topics in this Episode:the "unpack the book" projectpreparing to readkeep track of details while readingcharacterschapter summarieshashtagsthe project book pagescovervocabularyhashtagscharacterseventsquotescultureBlog post about the "unpack the book" project with examples and templates. Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.______________________________Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.______________________________Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.______________________________Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
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26:22
Speaking Activities for Any Grammar or Vocabulary with Jessica Hall
#188We are always taking on new vocabulary themes and language structures in our language classroom. How do you make sure that your students are engaging with these new topics, particularly when it comes to speaking? In this episode, I speak with Jessica Hall, AKA Miss Señorita, who is a Spanish teacher in Connecticut. Jessica shares 3 speaking activities that are easily modified for various levels and languages. You can use them right away with any vocabulary topic or language structure, and Jessica even provides the templates.Topics in this Episode:importance and benefits of incorporating speaking activities into world language classroomsexamples of speaking activities that can be adapted to different grammar and vocabulary themesensuring that these speaking activities are engaging and effective for students of varying proficiency levelsspecific speaking activities that are particularly beneficial for studentspractical steps and strategies to implement these speaking activities in your classrooms to maximize student participation and learning Jessica's templatesConnect with Jude :Instagram: @MissSenoritaTpTConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.______________________________Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.______________________________Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.______________________________Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
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26:43
Standards-Based Grading In Proficiency-Based Instruction with Jude Krushnowski
#187What do your grades look like? Do the grades that your students earn reflect their mastery and what they can do with and in the target language? In this episode, I speak with Jude Krushnowski, the Director of the World Language Teacher Education Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He walks us through a framework for competency-based grading in our proficiency-based classrooms. Lots of tips, insights and suggestions for making this transition to assessments authentically reflecting our students’ competency. Topics in this Episode:what standards-based grading is and how it differs from traditional grading methodshow standards-based grading aligns with proficiency-based instruction and why is it more beneficial for assessmentsexamples where standards-based grading significantly enhanced learning and proficiency growthwhat gets assessed and what does not; what goes into the gradewhat it looks like in practice, particularly gradebook categories, retakes, rubrics vs. points and percentageschallenges teachers might face when transitioning to standards-based gradingConnect with Jude :Twitter/X: @ProfeKrushConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.______________________________Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.______________________________Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.______________________________Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
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30:18
Write Effective Can Do Statements
#186How do we ensure our students know exactly what they’re working toward in their language learning journey? In this episode, we’re diving into Writing Can Do Statements—how to make them concrete, student-friendly, and aligned with proficiency levels and ACTFL’s communication modes. We’ll explore both yearly and unit-specific Can Do Statements, their role in guiding instruction and assessment, and practical strategies for crafting effective statements that support student growth.Get the Bloom's Taxonomy verb list to use in your Can Do StatementsTopics in this Episode:understanding exactly what Can Do Statements are and how to use them effectively in the classroomusing Success Criteria to write Can Do Statementsusing Bloom's Taxonomy to write Can Do Statementsyearly Can Do Statementsunit-specific Can Do Statementsexamples of effective Can Do Statementstips for writing effective Can Do StatementsGet the Bloom's Taxonomy verb list to use in your Can Do StatementsConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.______________________________Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.______________________________Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.______________________________Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
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25:41
Universal Truths about Teaching with Carmen Scoggins
#185What have you learned about your teaching throughout your years of experience? Do you take time to look introspectively at what works well for you and why so that you can replicate it? In this episode, Carmen Scoggins, a Spanish teacher in North Carolina, joins me to talk us through her 5 universal truths about teaching. Though our personal experiences and truths may be a little different, hearing how Carmen frames her universal truths provides an effective framework for articulating our own, and the benefits of doing it. Topics in this Episode:what Carmen means by "Universal Truths about Teaching" and how she discovered themthe key universal truths Carmen believes are essential for teachers to understand and embracehow these universal truths apply specifically to the context of world language teachingexamples of how these truths have influenced Carmen's own teaching practices and student outcomeswhy and how teachers can incorporate these universal truths into their teaching philosophy and practiceConnect with Carmen Scoggins:Instagram:@srtascoggdawgTwitter/X: @carmenscogginsFacebook: /carmen.scogginsConnect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community: wlclassrom.comX (aka Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomWLClassroom Facebook Group__________________________Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.______________________________Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.______________________________Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.______________________________Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast. Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
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