The Voces Back-to-School Workshop is a free three-day online event that will help you in your preparation for the new school year! The Voces team will be showcasing titles from all languages and levels and sharing tips and tricks for teaching culture, using readers, incorporating videos, playing games, teaching with CI, and so much more! Every day will include fun and informative sessions that will be helpful and relevant to those new to Voces, those considering Voces, and those who have been using Voces for years. Everyone is welcome!
And, remember, it is free to attend!
All attendees will receive a participation certificate after the conference.
Daily Schedule
*All times are Eastern Time
| Tuesday, July 30 |
| Block 1 - The Voces Library |
| 9:00 am |
Overview: A welcome and an introduction to the Voces Library
|
Erin Almeranti |
After the Overview, we will break off into “mini” sessions, each on a different series or segment of the Voces Library. In each “mini” session, you'll learn the basics of that series or segment, including the ideal ages, grades, and proficiency levels, along with key elements within that series or segment and the Curriculum Manager's favorite resources.
These “mini” sessions will happen simultaneously in different Zoom rooms. We will notify you in the morning about which sessions will be in which Zoom rooms.
|
| 9:20 am |
Voix du monde 1 et 2 |
Melisa Ferguson |
| Nuestra historia 1-4 |
Justin Slocum Bailey |
| Nostro mondo 1-4 |
Valentina Ciuffreda |
| 9:40 am |
Nuestra historia: Puentes |
Melisa Ferguson |
| Notre histoire 1-4 |
Justin Slocum Bailey |
| 10:00 am |
Voces por el mundo 1-3 |
Hannah Meinecke |
| Unsere Geschichten 1-4 |
Valentina Ciuffreda |
| 10:20 am |
EFL/ESL |
Hannah Meinecke |
| Nuestra historia: Primaria 1 y 2 |
Erica Peplinski-Burge |
| Nuestra historia / Notre histoire AP |
Erin Almeranti |
| Block 2 - The Fundamentals |
| 11:00 am |
Ways to Teach a Story |
Erica Peplinski-Burge & Justin Slocum Bailey |
| Voces is full of stories to help our students acquire language while exploring the world. Join this session to learn how to get the most out of these stories. Learn how to engage your students and deepen learning before, during, and after a story. |
| 11:35 am |
Best Practices for Using the Authentic Communicative Tasks and IPAs |
Justin Slocum Bailey & Hannah Meinecke |
| Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), and the Authentic Communicative Tasks that prepare students for them, are one of the most rewarding features of the Voces curriculum. Modeled on real-life language use, they give students the opportunity to shine in truly meaningful ways, and provide learners and teachers with a more valuable picture of progress than traditional assessments. The downside is that they are difficult to design—but we've done that work for you! Join this session to learn how to get the most out of the IPAs and other communicative tasks included in the curriculum. |
| 12:10 pm |
Unlock the Power of Culture with Voces Digital |
JJ Morgan & Melisa Ferguson |
| Do you want to inspire students to connect more deeply with language and culture? Of course you do! In this session, you will discover fun ways to introduce culture, maximize cultural readings, and extract cultural nuggets from readers. Whether you are new to Voces or looking to expand your cultural teaching toolkit, this session will equip you with tools and insights you need to create culturally immersive learning experiences. |
| Q&A, Reflect, Raffle |
| 1:00 pm |
Answer questions from the day's sessions, reflect on what we learned, and raffle off fun prizes |
| Wednesday, July 31 |
| Block 1 - Enrichment |
| 9:00 am |
Teaching a Novel |
Bryan Kandel |
| Special guest, Bryan Kandel, offers tips for teaching a class novel in this session that is perfect for almost any level and any language. He will demonstrate strategies for sparking interest, increasing comprehension, and internalizing new language. One lucky winner will win a class set of 30 novels! |
| 9:00 am |
Voces Videos - Spanish Playground |
Hannah Meinecke |
| Video content is essential in a language classroom, providing meaningful auditory and visual input, as well as cultural input through storylines, characters, and settings. In this session, learn about the Spanish Playground video series, which is in all levels of Voces por el mundo! We will explore these fun, thematically aligned videos, discuss the activities that are embedded with them on the platform, and give tips on how to best use this series with your Spanish students. |
| 9:30 am |
Voces Videos - Using Go! Vive a tu manera |
Justin Slocum Bailey |
| Video content is essential in a language classroom, providing meaningful auditory and visual input, as well as cultural input through storylines, characters, and settings. In this Voces Videos session, learn about Go! Vive a tu manera—a real Netflix show included in almost all of our Spanish titles, along with exercises created by Voces! We will explore these fun, expertly created videos, discuss the activities that are embedded with them on the platform, and share tips on how to best use this series with your Spanish students. |
| 9:30 am |
Voces Videos - Using Mr Innes and Voici la France en images! |
Melisa Ferguson |
| Video content is essential in a language classroom, providing meaningful auditory and visual input, as well as cultural context through facts and authentic imagery. In this Voces Videos session, learn about the French with Mr. Innes and Voici la France en Images ! video series, which are in Voix du monde 1 and Notre histoire 1 & 2, respectively. We will explore these fun, thematically-aligned videos, discuss the activities that are embedded with them on the platform, and give tips on how to best use these series with your French students. |
| 10:00 am |
Voces Videos - Using Interview Videos |
Erica Peplinski-Burge |
| Discover the incredible treasure trove of interviews with native speakers from around the globe available on Voces! These captivating interviews feature people of all ages sharing their unique experiences and insights, seamlessly integrated with chapter themes. Join us for an engaging session to learn how to maximize this fantastic resource and bring your language lessons to life for your students! |
| 10:30 am |
Maximizing Music |
JJ Morgan |
| Unlock the power of music to enhance Voces in your world language classroom! Join us to discover helpful strategies from embedding music videos and songs to creating your own engaging lessons. Adding music to your back-to-school lesson planning just got easier! |
| 10:30 am |
FAQs Related to Assigning and Grading |
Kelsey Rankin |
| In this session, we will provide answers to commonly asked questions about assigning and grading in Voces. Join us to get acquainted with assigning and grading so you can really utilize the power of the Voces platform this school year. |
| Block 2 - Putting It Into Practice |
| 11:00 am |
Implementing the "Our Story" Series Successfully |
Erica Peplinski-Burge, Justin Slocum Bailey, & Eric Richards |
| Justin, Erica, and special guest, Eric Richards, team up to show you how to teach a short story from any of the "Our Story" titles. You will get to experience what it is like to be a student as you acquire some German from our German title, and then, with help from the presenters, you'll unpack what you experienced so you have a better understanding of how to provide a similar experience to your students! |
| 11:00 am |
Best Practices for Teaching with the Voices of the World Series |
Melisa Fergson and Hannah Meinecke |
| Join Melisa, Hannah, Lorena, and Valentina to explore new and exciting ways to teach with the "Voices of the World" series! Whether you are a Spanish or French teacher, you will learn key strategies to maximize the content and resources in these curricula to take your instruction and classroom culture to the next level! |
| Q&A, Reflect, Raffle |
| 1:00 pm |
Answer questions from the day's sessions, reflect on what we learned, and raffle off fun prizes |
| Thursday, August 1 |
| Block 1 - Leveraging the Curriculum and Platform for Your Unique Needs |
| 9:00 am |
Basics of the Editor |
David Wilson & Hannah Meinecke |
| Put your creative cap on and take off into the nearly limitless possibilities of the Voces Editor! Learn how to edit existing materials in Voces and how to add your own activities and resources to the curriculum. The Editor is where the Voces curriculum gets personal, allowing you to craft a curriculum specific to the needs of your students, department, and community! It's easy once you get the hang of it, so join us to learn. |
| 9:20 am |
Teaching Upper Levels and Heritage Speakers |
Justin Slocum Bailey |
| Teaching upper-level students brings exciting opportunities and challenges, as does teaching Heritage Language Learners. In this session, we’ll look at some of the Voces content best-suited for teaching each of these groups, as well as several features of the Voces platform that streamline the process of differentiating instruction so that all students can grow. |
| 9:40 am |
Voces Accessibility Features and Supporting Students with IEPs |
Kris Warshefski & Erin Almeranti |
| Learn about the ways in which Voces aims to be better for all and provide a positive customer experience to everyone. We will also share tips for supporting students with IEPs and other unique needs. |
| 10:00 am |
Supporting Elementary-Aged Students |
Erica Peplinski-Burge |
| Teaching our youngest students can sometimes feel like herding kittens. In this lively session, discover how to effectively engage elementary learners using Voces! You'll get an overview of how to engage your youngest learners using Voces, explore the special features of our elementary titles, and receive practical tips for classroom use. Join us to uplift your teaching experience and captivate your students! |
| 10:20 am |
Tips for Introducing Students to Voces and CI |
Erin Almeranti |
| First impressions are important, which is why a proper introduction to a new textbook, new platform, and a new way of learning is essential! In this session, learn about key materials to help you introduce Voces to your students, and hear from others on how they introduced CI to their students. Prepare for a fabulous first impression at this session! |
| Block 2 - Supporting Yourself, Your Students, and Your Department |
| 11:00 am |
Supporting Healthy and Emotionally-Balanced Spaces |
Justin Slocum Bailey & Lorena Ojeda |
| Create nurturing and emotionally-friendly spaces by incorporating Social Emotional Learning strategies for yourself to model them for your students. Discover the benefits of using mindfulness, visualization, and brain-friendly strategies with your students. Join Justin and Lorena for a hands-on session to explore teachers' and students' well-being. |
| 11:35 am |
Where Language Learning Meets Neuroscience |
Erica Peplinski-Burge & JJ Morgan |
| Join Erica and JJ to explore the fascinating intersection of language learning and neuroscience. Gain a deeper understanding of how neuroscience principles can revolutionize language learning, making it a more effective and enriching experience for students. Learn practical strategies to create supportive, low-stress learning environments that foster greater language proficiency and overall well-being. |
| 12:10 pm |
Maintaining and Growing Your World Language Department |
Bryan Kandel |
| Special guest, Bryan Kandel, will highlight sections of his recently released book, "Give Them What They Want: A Guide to Increasing Enrollment in World Language Class," and offer strategies for maintaining and growing a language department. He will emphasize the importance of engaging classes that create undeniable momentum within a program and keep students coming back for more. |
| Q&A, Reflect, Raffle |
| 1:00 pm |
Answer questions from the day's sessions, reflect on what we learned, and raffle off fun prizes |
