1. Use the Target Language as the Vehicle and Content of Instruction - Comprehensible Input 5. Design Lessons and Tasks That Have Functional Goals and Objectives - Genre in Reading & Writing Instruction 6. Provide Appropriate Feedback in Speech and Writing on Various Learning Tasks - Co-Constructed Feedback
Report on the J-CAN Workshop By Yasuo Uotate, President of AFTJ (Association of Florida Teachers of Japanese)
The J-CAN Workshop was held at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, on Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10, 2016. This workshop was co-sponsored by the AATJ and the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) as part of AATJ’s J-CAN initiative. The goals of the workshop were to learn about core practices and plan how to implement them in our teaching practices. In addition, we made short term and long-term action plans to advocate for, and to strengthen the networks within and among organizations.
Sixteen K-16 Japanese teachers from four regional Japanese teachers’ associations attended the workshop. The regional associations represented were the Association of Florida Teachers of Japanese (AFTJ), the Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese (MAATJ), the Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese (OATJ), and the Southeastern Association of Teachers of Japanese (SEATJ).
On Friday, July 8, the participants started with a social gathering and networking with each other at an obento dinner. Then at 6:30pm, the workshop orientation began, lead by Mieko Kawai sensei of the University of Virginia. Each regional association group analyzed their own strengths, weaknesses, the opportunities and challenges they are facing. Based on this information, each association identified their long-term goals as well as mid-term and short-term goals. This was done using a Google Doc to facilitate working collaboratively and sharing the discussion within each group and between all the participants. The first day closed with remarks from Yoshiko Saito-Abbott sensei, the AATJ president.
On Saturday, July 9, Dr. Francis Troyan of The Ohio State University, introduced the Core Practices that have been promoted by ACTFL. Among six core-practices, he focused on three practices (Core Practice 1: use the target language as the vehicle and content of instruction, Core Practice 5: Plan with backward design model, and Core Practice 6: Provide appropriate feedback).
Dr. Troyan discussed comprehensible input, a genre-based approach to reading and writing, and co-constructive feedback with the participants. After the one-day workshop session, the participants continued networking with each other over a Japanese dinner in downtown Norfolk.
On Sunday, July 10, the participants fine-tuned action plans for regional associations based on what they had learned. We used a Google Doc to keep records of our plans. Each association then shared their action plans and received feedback from Saito-Abbott sensei, Kawai sensei, and other participants. At the closing of the workshop, Saito-Abbott sensei, Kawai sensei, and the J-CAN leadership team made remarks, and each participant received a certificate.
This J-CAN workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for the participating K-16 teachers to learn the Core Practices as a common language for articulation, to network and to exchange ideas, and to create action plans to further enhance the Japanese language education in their regions. We greatly appreciate the AATJ and the JFLA’s support for the regional associations’ efforts. The participants are expected to maintain their network, carry out their action plans, and share their newly acquired knowledge and efforts at conferences in the future.
More detail information of our activities can be seen at the following website. J-CAN Project Website 地域の教師会J-CANプロジェクト http://jcanproject.weebly.com/
The following reports are the current activities that followed up the initial J-CAN workshop in July.
AFTJ : - AFTJ will conduct a Bento Contest as part of their advocacy efforts. Nozu sensei and Hagihara sensei (University of South Florida) are currently developing guidelines for the Bento Contest that will be announced in fall, 2016. - We are grateful to the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami and the Japan Business Association (JBA) of Miami for their support of Japanese language education in the state of Florida. The JBA has conducted a member survey for us to explore the possibilities of creating an internship program and a job fair in South Florida.
MAATJ: - Tsujioka sensei (George Washington University) successfully recruited a high school teacher to start a new Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) articulation group. - The J-CAN Workshop report was sent to the high school administrations, and it was well received
SEATJ: - Takata sensei (Wake Forest University) and Hamrick sensei (Waddell Language Academy) are creating a list of Japanese clubs and festivals in the region. This list will be used for networking and for making connections. The announcement will be sent out to SEATJ members in September.
Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC)ニュースレター(2016年9月号)の記事 FLANCニュースレター(2016年9月号)
Core Practices Workshop for Japanese Teachers By Yasuko Takata Rallings, President of FLANC
Seventeen K-12 and college-level Japanese educators gathered at Old Dominion University on July 8-10, 2016 for a leadership workshop to learn about ACTFL Core Practices. This workshop, titled "J-CAN (Japanese Core Practices, Articulation/Advocacy and Network) Workshop," was part of a national initiative by the Japan Foundation and the American Association of Teachers of Japanese to promote better articulation among teachers of Japanese in the U.S. through communication and collaboration based on the understanding of best practices in world language education. Four NC teachers attended the workshop: Jinko Dailey (South Mecklenberg High School), Keiji Furuya (Waddell Language Academy and West Mecklenberg High School), Mayako Hamrick (Waddell Language Academy), and Yasuko Rallings (Wake Forest University). They will continue to take initiative to develop articulation among K-16 Japanese teachers in NC and throughout the southeastern region.