Language, Culture, and Content Connections: Mexico and the Zapotec Culture July 12-22, 2004

Armando Jiménez Arragón , invited Artist from Oaxaca
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Overview

This institute offered daily Spanish immersion sessions on aspects of Mexican history and culture such as pre-Colombian origins, religion, astronomy, literature and arts, geography and archeological sites, and the view of the environment, the conquest and colonization, and Magical Realism in works by contemporary Oaxacan authors and artists that allude to the pre-Colombian roots. Participants experienced Spanish model lessons from existing thematic units that exemplify teaching strategies and learning activities appropriate for language lessons, including pair and small group work, stimulation of higher order cognitive skills, and integration of cultural information. Participants applied the knowledge and understandings gained by forming pairs or small groups to develop curriculum units that addressed language, content, and culture, and incorporated national student standards and aspects of the history and culture of Mexico. Teachers were invited to complete and field-test their units in their own classrooms and to create action research projects to examine more closely the impact of the new materials and strategies on student learning. Informed by the field-testing and action research, teachers were encouraged to revise and finalize their units for sharing at professional conferences or publication on their school or district’s website.

Participants

Experienced and practicing 1) PK-12 Spanish teachers; 2) methods professors at institutions of higher education who prepare pre-service and in-service teachers; and 3) supervisors of foreign language who provide professional development for teachers in their school or district.

Institute Leaders

Mari Haas, Options for Language Education, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
Ruth Borgman, Columbia University, New York;
Julie Kline, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;
Valerie McGinley Marshall, Stone Center for Latin American Studies, Tulane University, New Orleans.