January 7, 2747

Where's Carol???

Carol Quest sent us this photo from her recent winter break vacation.  Anybody have any guesses as to where she went?  The answers at the bottom of the page.  It looks like she had a great time!

KaRen New Year

Happy KaRen New Year!.  The Karen Lunar New Year is traditionally held on the first day of the month of Thalay (first moon of the fourth month on a 13-month
calendar), will fall on January 8th for year 2747 of the Karen Era.

The KaRen community will be celebrating the New Year on January 13th at 1:00 in the Great Hall at Arlington High School. 

Here's a fascinating website out of Thailand!  Lots of useful information and photos about Hmong and KaRen hill tribe cultures.  http://www.hilltribe.org/

Hmong Parent Advisory Council

The Hmong Parents Advisory Council will be meeting on Monday, January 7, 2008 from 6:30-8:30 at 360 Colborne.  The topic being addressed at this HPAC meeting is "Preparing for College".  There will be information presented to parents and students about preparing for college and applying for college.  There will also be a panel of high school and college students who will share their own experiences of applying for college and entering into college.  It will be a meeting filled with lots of good information for parents and students.  Please pass this information along to any Hmong parents in your schools.  As always, SPPS staff are welcome to join us.   For more information, please contact Pangjua Xiong (651) 767-8313. 

HPAC Invitation (English)
HPAC Invitation (Hmong)

What is Immersion by Mike Bostwick

http://www.bi-lingual.com/School/WhatIsImmersion.htm

Language immersion is an approach to foreign language instruction in which the usual curricular activities are conducted in a foreign language. This means that the new language is the medium of instruction as well as the object of instruction. Immersion students acquire the necessary language skills to understand and communicate about the subject matter set out in the school’s program of instruction. They follow the same curricula, and in some instances, use the same materials (translated into the target language) as those used in the non-immersion schools of their district.

“Immersion" has been a convenient term used freely by schools and the media for an increasingly popular form of foreign language education. Unfortunately, in most cases, the term is misused. For many, the term "immersion" seems to imply any class that is taught through the medium of a second language. However, simply teaching a content class (e.g. Math, Music, Science, etc.) in a foreign language is not immersion. The most commonly used definition of immersion comes from Fred Genesee of McGill University, one of the world's leading authorities on immersion education. On page one of his seminal book "Learning Through Two Languages: Studies in Immersion and Bilingual Education" (1987, Newbury House) he provides the following definition of immersion:

"Generally speaking, at least 50 percent of instruction during a given academic year must be provided through the second language for the program to be regarded as immersion. Programs in which one subject and language arts are taught through the second language are generally identified as enriched second language programs." (p.1)

Immersion represents the most intensive form of content-based foreign language instruction (Snow, 1986). In an immersion program, English is not the subject of instruction, rather it is the medium through which a majority of the school's academic content is taught. Typically, in most immersion programs this includes math, science, social studies and other subject areas. For an in-depth review of the research on immersion education in North America see Lambert & Tucker (1972); Swain and Lapkin (1982); Genesee (1983, 1987, 1995); de Courcy (1993), and Baker (1996). For an overview of research on immersion in other international contexts see Artigal (1993); Artigal & Lauren (1992); Berthold (1992); Baker (1996); Johnson & Swain (1997).

In our program at Katoh Gakuen, 50-80% of the students’ classes are conducted in English from kindergarten through high school. Our program is a “partial” immersion program. (Total immersion would mean 100% of the students’ instructional day in the first three or four years would be in the foreign language.) Many programs that claim to be immersion would be more accurately referred to as either: "content-enriched foreign language classes" or "language-enriched content classes" or simply the more generic "content-based foreign language class" if they do not reach this 50% threshold.

Bilinguals Outnumber Monolinguals
International surveys indicate that there are many more bilingual or multilingual individuals in the world than there are monolingual. In addition, there are many more children throughout the world who are educated through a second or foreign language, at least for some portion of their formal education, than there are children educated exclusively through the first language. In many parts of the world, bilingualism or multilingualism constitute the normal everyday experience (see, e.g., Dutcher, 1994; World Bank, 1995). The results from published, longitudinal, and critical research undertaken in varied settings throughout the world indicate clearly that the development of multiple language proficiency is possible, and indeed that it is viewed as desirable by educators, policy makers, and parents in many countries (Tucker, 1999).

Read the rest of the article

For more than twenty years, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights has advocated on behalf of refugees and educated
community members about immigration issues.

The Energy of a Nation: Immigration Resources website reflects not only Minnesota Advocates' experience, but also a commitment to provide accurate information about immigration and the importance of respect for human rights in the context of refugee and immigrant issues.

With the tools provided on the Energy of a Nation website, you can:

• Obtain accurate and up-to-date information.
• Be informed about the immigration issue in Minnesota.
• Learn about current legislation.
• Take action by contacting leaders and lawmakers.
• Participate in community events.
• Engage students (grades 7-12) in learning about the issues.
• Access Reports and Resources on state and national immigration.

http://www.energyofanation.org/

http://www.energyofanation.org/Refugee_Lessons.html

http://www.energyofanation.org/19aa8230-6169-46b1-a6bf-f37d3c422e4f.html?NodeId=

Minnesota Humanities Council Website

The MN Humanities offers a variety of professional development opportunities that are very highly rated.  Check out these ideas and talk to your school professional development teams for consideration.

Reading Aloud Workshop
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - noon OR
Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Minnesota Humanities Center, St. Paul

This short, interactive workshop provides a broad, general overview of reading aloud to children. Suggested participants in this program include child care providers, paraprofessional staff, bilingual staff, parents, volunteers and any other individuals interested in gaining basic knowledge about reading aloud to groups of children.

Workshop topics include:

• Benefits of reading aloud
• Reading and early brain development
• Language and vocabulary development
• Components of holistic literacy
• Different types of books for reading aloud
  
• Tips for reading aloud
• Book/story related activities
• Discussion questions with reading aloud
  

Tom Fitzpatrick, who directs the Humanities Center's Community Programs, will conduct this workshop. Attendees will receive a variety of materials related to reading aloud, and will also have opportunities to view a diverse assortment of children's picture books and other resources.

Fee: $25; including a light snack. Register now!

The Geography of the Neighborhood: Canada and the U.S.
Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 14-15, 2008
Monday, 10:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m -3:30 p.m.
Minnesota Humanities Center, St. Paul

Help your students dispel misconceptions about Canada, our northern neighbor, while enhancing lessons in geography, history, and economics. Teachers will learn how a study of Canada can help students better understand global issues such as climate change, environmental conservation and sustainability, and multiculturalism, including a comparison of Canada-U.S. policies regarding indigenous people and immigration.

A land border of 3,145 miles, 547 of which are in Minnesota, links Canada and the United States through physical geography; however, the countries are also linked by centuries of history and trade. Geared toward elementary and middle school teachers (grades 3-8), this seminar will focus on the geography and culture of Canada in addition to Canada’s many and varied relationships with the U.S. and Minnesota. To frame the seminar, participants will explore the concept of drawing borders as well as current border issues between the two countries. The seminar will continue with an examination of the impact and importance of trade between the U.S. and Canada, which includes everything from agricultural products to energy, and the issues in the bilateral relationship.

This seminar is made possible by the generous support of the Consulate General of Canada and is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education. Presenters will include representatives from the Consulate General of Canada, area educators with ideas for incorporating information about Canada into the classroom, and guest presenter Dr. Nadine Fabbi, Assistant Director of the University of Washington’s Canadian Studies Center.

Fee: $145. Includes materials, continental breakfasts, lunches, and overnight accommodations, with preference given to those traveling from Greater Minnesota. Register now!

Sheeko Wadaag/Sharing Stories: From Home Language to School Literacy with Somali Families
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Minnesota Humanities Center, St. Paul

This workshop has been designed especially for professionals who are working with Somali parents who are not yet literate in Somali and/or English to will improve their support of preliterate Somali families. Participants will learn about the Somali oral storytelling tradition; examine techniques for working with preliterate and low-literate adult students; discover research- and practice-based suggestions about how to work together with preliterate parents to support the emergent literacy skills of their children; and will explore resources for building language, story, and book skills with families. The workshop connects educators to existing language development resources and enhances educators' knowledge of oral traditions and the connections between language and culture.

Presenters include: Said Salah Ahmed, Minneapolis Public Schools; Marian Hassan, Kathy Klumb, and Patsy Vinogradov, educational consultants; and Kathleen Moriarty, Minnesota Humanities Center.

Fee: $85. Includes materials, continental breakfast and lunch. Register now!

Teaching About the Geography and Cultures of Asia in the Middle Grades
Thursday and Friday, Feb. 21-22, 2008
Thursday, 10:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m -3:30 p.m.
Minnesota Humanities Center, St. Paul

Asia is home to a wide array of cultures, languages, and traditions as well as modern-day challenges. This multi-disciplinary and interactive seminar will provide an overview of Asia's geographic regions and highlight some of the many themes that will allow educators to explore a wide variety of countries and regions of Asia with their students. Using a comparative approach, participants will examine such geographic concepts as urbanization and its affects on cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong; rural vs. urban life, contrasting communities within China; globalization and the world economy, particularly the impact of white-collar industries in India and South Korean trade with the rest of the world; the issues of high population density in Japan as compared to the issues of low population density in Turkmenistan; and environmental issues in a rainforest-covered country like Indonesia compared to environmental issues in industrial nations like China. There will also be a special session about Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia to learn more about how to integrate Hmong culture into the classroom. Participants will explore literature, picture books, maps, music, reading strategies, resources, and classroom ideas specifically for teaching about Asia in the middle grades, 4th-8th. Lesson plans and interactive web activities from National Geographic's Geography Action! program, which is focusing on Asia this year, will help teachers integrate Asian themes into math, science, reading, as well as social studies lessons throughout the school year.

Co-sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education (MAGE). Presenters include Dr. David Lanegran, Macalester College, Michelle Leba, Washington Technology Magnet in St. Paul and Minnesota's Geography Action! coordinator, and other members of MAGE.

Fee: $145. Includes materials, continental breakfasts, lunches, and overnight accommodations, with preference given to those traveling from Greater Minnesota.Register now!

*Carol went to Mauritania