STARTALK Online Curriculum Development Guide
The Online Curriculum Development Guide was created to provide enhanced explanations for each section of the curriculum template. This guide may be useful to program directors and instructors for student programs as they work to develop their standards-based, thematically designed curriculum. Those involved with teacher programs may find elements of the guide useful as they work with teacher trainees on elements of effective teaching.
In addition to the written information found in the Guide, some slides feature a narration that serves to emphasize the key points of an individual slide. Other slides suggest ACTFL/Annenberg video clips that provide an opportunity to see strategies in action. The ACTFL/Annenberg clips were used in order to have a visual component that provided subtitles in English. It is hoped that future guides will be able to use language specific examples from STARTALK programs.
Each section of the Guide corresponds to particular sections of the Student Curriculum Template. The Guide is divided into three sections:
- Thematic Planning
- Assessment
- Instructional Strategies
Thematic Planning
The section on Thematic Planning provides guidance on how to select a theme and appropriate subthemes. Information is then shared on the National Standards and each of the 5Cs is briefly explained. Examples are then provided showing the relationship between Standards and Expected Outcomes and the connections between Expected Outcomes and Specific Knowledge and Skills. The section concludes with reflection questions on the standards-based, thematic planning process.
Assessment
This section looks at assessment in each of the three communicative modes and suggests several tasks that would provide meaningful evidence of learning. There is also a short quiz that allows viewers to check their understanding of the modes of communication. The Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) is explained and an example is provided. The section ends with reflection questions asking viewers to consider the connections between their proposed assessments and their unit goals.
Instructional Strategies
This section discusses each of the instructional strategies addressed in the template:
- use of target language
- facilitation of student-centered learning
- meaningful interaction in the target language
- integration of language, culture and content
- differentiation of instruction based on student need
Each strategy is explained briefly, reference is made to an ACTFL/Annenberg video that illustrates the strategy and reflection questions are provided. This section also provides a definition of authentic materials and suggests types of materials that might be used.
The Online Curriculum Development Guide is meant to expand on the information found in the templates or in the template samples. Your team leader can assist you further in the preparation of the your student and/or teacher templates.
Online Curriculum Development Guide (21MB PDF)
This PDF resource is designed to be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Viewing this in a Web browser or other software that can open PDF files may not fully utilize all of the features of this presentation. If you are not currently using the latest version of Adobe Reader, you may download it for free from Adobe.
What is STARTALK? (2MB PDF)
Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (PDF)
Curriculum Templates
All documents are in Microsoft Word format unless otherwise noted.
