1. 1
2015 ACTFL Conference Notes
Notes taken and organized by Ping Wu, content credit mostly goes to the actual
presenters/speakers (my thoughts, conclusions and/or conclusions are embedded with the
content from the speakers)
For more official ACTFL session handouts, please go to
https://ww5.aievolution.com/tfl1501/index.cfm?do=cus.pubSearchEvents .
Intro Speakers:
About language learning: don’t be intimidated, the more you use a language, the better
you will be at it, break the ice with simple phrases, lack of proficiency creates barriers,
create opportunities for students via inviting native speakers, conducting Skype sessions
(partnership with China) and taking students to China so they acquire the intercultural
skills
Key Note Speaker: Rick Steves (https://www.ricksteves.com/)
1. Travel to build bridges, not walls (broaden your perspectives)
2. Seeking humanity in the world
3. Appreciate natural wonders and cultural differences and similarities while being abroad
(challenge the young generations not to be dumbed-down people who are kept artificially
busy by the society, who will later be the targets for business to make quick money off)
4. Get out of the comfort zone and don’t think of the American norm as the only norm
5. Meet with real people and talk with them, respect other people’s baggage (historically
speaking)
6. It is to America’s interest to understand other countries with greater sophistication.
7. Fear is for people who don’t get out as much or who are not aware of the complete
information (building understanding is much better than building fear)
8. Unique experience is the best a trip could have
ACTFL Teachers of the Year (TOYs) Round Table Session
By Christine Lanphere, Clarissa Adams Fletcher, Yo Azama, Lisa Lilley, Ken Stewart, Toni
Theisen
Table One
1. Motivate students by slowing down
 set clear routine, students who miss classes can still see the content
 a visual poster of their progress over time

2. 2
2. Have students own their learning
 Use can-do statements and let students check off what they have learned at a
particular time
 Make avatars and put them on the stage where the students are at
 Help students understand the natural process of learning a language
3. Give students surveys and guide them to reflect
 Sticky notes exit ticket
 Audio recording (have students send in their best version for a grade) 指导学生多
次尝试，自我修正
4. Combine tech with touch (real things such as puzzles and white boards)
5. Impact and Illustrate (celebrate the small victories in class) 记得把中文二做的视频放
给学生们看
Recommended book: Teach Like a Pirate
6. Design hooks for lesson delivery (mediocrity does not motivate)
 Make language study an experience they can’t get anywhere else.
 Pop culture (people teen celebrity, pop culture figure heads 名人头像)
 Memes (funny pictures)
Table 2
1. Use infographics to develop students’ reading literacy
 Idea of social justice in the infographics
 Reading and discussion materials
 Analyze data and report about it in class
 Preview infographics before watching a documentary
 Spark conversations
 Pin interest boards
 Have students make an infographics about a text
 Use http://piktochart.com/
2. Cuba in Transition
For Spanish teachers and history teachers:
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1689054

3. 3
https://www.tes.com/lessons/BP_lWJ2mIdsAAg/cuba-in-transition?redirect-bs=1
Table 3
1. IPA project design of fashion (the underlining idea is to have students do realistic
things which they actually might be doing in the near future for a real purpose)
我以后也要为自己收集的材料设计配套的 IPA
 Bring real world into each class, if possible (maybe once per week at least) via
pictures, videos, etc.
 The task should be suitable and appropriate for the students at their level of
maturity and interest
 Strengthen the interpersonal mode in an IPA: the TALK rule (T= target language,
A=Accuracy, L=Listening to others, K=Kind take turns in speaking, don’t
dominate the coversations) & Don’t stop until I say so!
 A lot of times, students want to speak the language in a context and reason,
teachers need to provide them with more opportunities so they can do so,
accuracy will drop in interpersonal mode, but they are COMMUNICATING
spontaneously.
Table 4
FLEX and Immersion
Flipped Classroom Tools by Janna Chiang
(Google Apps not mentioned here)
See the presentation at: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1479241
The Flipped Lesson Planning Guide:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CL1CpgUkAtthJpZHKbonYKBiG9wnafMtYMcW
IRr7GlA/edit
http://www.screenleap.com/
In-class response 学生随堂检测的网站
www.polleverywhere.com

4. 4
https://plickers.com/
www.socrative.com
还有 自己在用的 Kahoot, todaysmeet, 等等
Design video hmwk 设计视频作业的网站
www.educanon.com （这个比较好用）
http://ed.ted.com/ (我觉得不太好用)
www.zaption.com
https://edpuzzle.com/ (这个网站是参加 bell ringer session 讨论时一位老师告诉我的，
感觉很好用)
Janna reminded me that I also need to check out the stability of the website. If one
website goes out of service, all of my lessons will be gone.
还有 blendspace 更加适合整理资源，这个是我在用的，非常推荐，现在全名叫
https://www.tes.com/lessons
有的老师学校用 https://www.canvaslms.com/k-12/
Authentically Cultural Bell Ringers
By Jennifer Olivares and Brian Wopat
(See attached PDF file)
这个 session 是我最最喜欢的，非常实用，适合我的教学方式和兴趣，how to work
smart and creatively 有些我在做，但是没有像他们如此系统和深入，所以我最喜欢
的关于课堂教学技巧的就是这个 session
Change the Mindset about Grading
By Vieka Reina and Ted Sadtler
(This session sheds some new light in terms of grading. Rather than the point system,
standards-based grading with rubrics and constant feedback will foster student learning
more.) 去看 IPA grading rubrics and the math formula

5. 5
ACTFL TOY Talks
1. Grading (by Nicole Naditz)
 Points don’t mean everything
 Prepare the students for the real world (students should be able to use the
language culturally appropriately in AND outside of the classroom)
 Grading categories should focus on proficiency and standard
 Practice is essential to learning (give students rooms to fail and try again without
a punishment; re-takes)
 Performance assessments (may or may not be a complete IPA) evaluated using a
rubric
 Formative feedback (strategies on learning)
 Change the culture of grading in students; mind
 Letter to parents
2. Hearing (classroom management) (by Lisa Lilley)
 Keep frustrations in check (step back, re-focus and come back to the problem)
 Magic words: “Help me understand why …” (get the heart of the story, give
students a chance to talk)
 Routines & structures & NOVELTIES (keep things fresh; Engagement =
personalized + meaningful + movement + varieties of presentation.) 有时候让学
生站起来拿讲义都可以改变一下课堂的感觉
 Efficacy: how we choose to view things, lean in and learn from other teachers
3. Balance (by Toni Theisen)
 Students can be contributing members of the global community by showing their
talents.
 Build a caring community.
4. Teach like a coach (by Linda Egnatz)
Envision the win: coaching for intrinsic motivation
我印象最深的是 Oral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace by ACTFL (downloadable
from ACTFL’s website)
5. Connected Circles .. Skipping Stones… Spheres of Cirlces (by Christine Lanphere)
About professional development 独乐乐不如众乐乐

6. 6
Attended The First National Conference of the Regional Chinese Language
Teachers Associations organized and sponsored by CLTA-USA 第一届全美各地区
中文教师协会代表大会
 Professionalism of CLTA-USA (how they ran the sessions and general members
meeting)
 Discussion with OATC board members later