- Digital Learning Resources
-
RESOURCE
CONTENT AREA
GRADE SPAN
DESCRIPTION
All
All
Interactive, synchronous tool for engaging users. Considered a "conference" app.
All
All
User-friendly, interactive tool for engaging learners.
All
All
What It Is: Not using ClassDojo yet? Now’s the time to start! This school communication tool makes it easy to stay in touch and track student progress too.
All
All
What It Is: Get the most out of Google Classroom and other Google tools with this platform. They offer webinars and other resources to help teachers create and manage the best virtual classrooms.
All
All
What It Is: Do you Kahoot? Teachers have loved this fun online quiz game platform for years
All
All
What It Is: Companies across the world use Webex to keep their teams in contact remotely. They offer lots of tools that are ideal for taking your classes online.
All
All
What It Is: Project your lessons in group settings with zoom. You can even record the sessions for students who need to review later. This video and audio-conferencing tool has a chat functionality where students can ask questions as you teach.
arts
MS-HS
social studies
MS-HS
Understand the issues, forces, and actors that shape our world. From essays and discussion questions to glossaries and up-to-date reading lists, World101 provides comprehensive teaching resources for each of their modules.
Creative Cloud is a collection of 20+ desktop and mobile apps and services for photography, design, video, web, UX and more. Now you can take your ideas to new places with Photoshop on the iPad, draw and paint with Fresco, and design for 3D and AR
K-5
A digital, adaptive, K–5 supplemental literacy
program that provides remediation and enrichment for all students in building
skills in decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and close reading
through age-appropriate adventures.All
All
What It Is: Book Creator is an easy-to-use tool that helps you create fun and engaging online books. They have lots of suggestions for how you can create and use books with students at any level.
All
All
an edtech tool that allows you to teach and engage students by taking your usual lesson materials and turn them into guided activities that let your students show you what they know as they work at their own pace.
All
All
Engage and empower every voice in your classroom by recording and sharing short videos
science
K-5
What It Is: Mystery Science offers digital video mini-lessons for science subjects K-5.
All
All
Curated collections of learning activities to implement at home. By educators. For educators, parents, and caregivers.
All
All
Choice of Activities organized by Science, Social Studies, Culture and Art
All
All
Interactive whiteboards
world languages
All
Resources are provided for multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Spanish, and Vietnamese, as well as for Indigenous and Classical languages.
world languages
All
Free materials in Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese and other languages.
world languages
All
Digital children’s books from across the globe in a variety of languages.
world languages
All
Live Radio from across the globe
All
Curated database of documentaries from around the world (large number from US, Canada, and France)
world languages
6-12
documents the diversity of the world's population, 6000 interviews on universal themes from 84 nations
world languages - Arabic
Access the highest quality video and audio learning material from all over the Middle East and North Africa. Offered in 8 dialects: Moroccan, Algerian, Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, Tunisian, Saudi, and Sudanese
world languages
Maine's free newspaper for and about New Mainers from Africa. Published monthly in English, French, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Swahili, and Somali
world languages - French
9-12
news clips from RFI with transcripts and questions or activities for each clip
world languages - French
9-12
news in simplified French
world languages - French
All
media literacy
world languages - French
All
grown up news for kids
world languages - German
All
variety of ways to practice German for free
world languages - German
All
Tutorials by language ability and topic
world languages - German
All
Step into German highlights a song a month with the music video, lyrics, information on the singer/group, and activities. Also archives all previously highlighted songs
world languages - japanese
9-12
A podcast series, new in 2019, with stories in Japanese indexed by their level of difficulty according to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Nuntii Latini
world languages - latin
9-12
A podcast on current events in latin
world languages - latin
6-12
videos on latin grammar and ancient culture
world languages - latin
6-12
a weekly latin podcast about anything
world languages - mandarin
6-12
Authentic street interviews on a variety of topics with transcript in Hanzì, pinyin, and English
world languages
All
books students can read in English and Spanish
world languages - Spanish
All
resources for games, jokes, videos, songs, poems, readings
All
6-12
Find newspapers from all across the world.
world languages - Spanish
6-12
Provides free interesting listening experiences for learners of Spanish. By listening to stories, culture explanations and games, student get used to real Spanish as it's used in context, and develop a native-like intuition for the grammar and the vocabulary, together with a clear pronunciation. The videos try to be easy enough for a complete beginner to start picking up the language.
world languages - French
6-12
provides online activities. Sort by language proficiency and theme
world languages
All
allows schools to monitor student progress as students learn a variety of languages
world languages
All
resources for teaching 40 languages
world languages - French
6-12
Canadian news, zone jeunesse, zone petit, maj (news for the youth), programming on science, art, music, and sports
world languages - French
6-12
A magazine about Senegal, also on YouTube
world languages - French
6-12
News from the African continent, search for news by country, also on YouTube
world languages - French
6-12
News and News Talk Show from the African continent, also on YouTube
world languages - French
All
Animated stories, read and subtitled in French
world languages - Spanish
All
Animated stories, read and subtitled in Spanish
world languages - German
All
Animated stories, read and subtitled in German
world languages - Arabic
All
Animated stories, read and subtitled in Arabic
world languages
All
Animated stories in Russian, Portuguese, Mandarin, English, and many others
world languages - French
6-12
African news and culture
world languages - French
9-12
Free and paid services. AI language coach
world languages - French
Developed at the University of Texas at Austin
world languages
6-12
street interviews on a variety of topics in French, Spanish, Russian, German and other languages
world languages - Spanish
This is a website which offers videos to learn Spanish as a foreign language. It is addressed therefore to those whose mother tongue is not Spanish and wish to learn Spanish as a foreign language, whether or not they live in a Spanish speaking country. Ability to search by proficiency level. Provides transcripts and activities.
world languages - French
presenter tells stories in French, illustrated by whiteboard
All
All
Free and paid services. Easily record, edit, and share videos.
world languages - Spanish
All
Learn Spanish and experience culture anytime, anywhere, on any device.
world languages
All
free open access to books in the languages of Africa
world languages - ASL
9-12
educational videos in ASL with transcript included in description
All
All
Prezi Video is a video maker that puts your content right alongside you on the screen, creating a broadcast-like experience for your students.
world languages
K-5
Sesamo is the Spanish version of sesame street with games, videos, and activities
world languages
We believe that games can challenge and motivate learners to use language in meaningful, productive ways. Studies have shown that game-based approaches to learning develop social skills, improve deep knowledge, and provide better outcomes for learners. Originally designed by Dr. Jonathon Reinhardt from the University of Arizona and Dr. Julie Sykes from the University of Oregon, this site exists as a resource to aid both instructors and learners interested in accessing the benefits that games offer for language learning.
world languages - Spanish
6-12
videos abouts the people and life in Peru
world languages - Spanish
The bilingual podcast dedicated to the diverse narratives of Latin America.
world languages - French
K-12
short films by age and theme
All
All
Engage viewers by integrating polls, quizzes, short answer questions into videos
All
All
Whiteboard.fi is an instant formative assessment tool for your classroom, providing you with live feedback and immediate overview over your students.
All
All
A guide for supporting remote student book clubs
world languages - Spanish
All
free access to hundreds of multimedia Spanish resources online, including complete textbooks, lesson plans, videoclips, maps and more. These video lessons, books, movies and TV shows are age-appropriate for both the K-12 settings
world languages - French & German
All
The Swiss hotspot for modern art and design has created an innovative and user-friendly digital museum experience with interactive e-guides to exhibitions, fun artistic activities for children, and even a virtual tour of the Pavilion Le Corbusier, dedicated to the famous Swiss artist.
world languages - Arabic
All
QFI is releasing read-alouds of various children's books, working with authors, publishers, and writers from across the Arab world during this time of school closures worldwide. Join us over the next four weeks as we features work from the Arab world and the Arab diaspora in both English and Arabic. Each week we will have a new English and Arabic video featured on our website
world languages - Arabic
All
Discover resources for teaching about the Arabic language and Arab World with Al Masdar. An online open-education resource library, Al Masdar features a wealth of materials and resources for educators including lesson plans, units, authentic materials and more.
world languages - Arabic
All
Khallina is an open source tool that helps teachers and independent learners of Arabic explore Arab culture. This website contains Cultural Modules suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners, on a variety of subject matters including: music, food, politics, humor, gender issues, and much more. Each module is divided into steps to help navigate the cultural content, and uses open source audiovisuals, pictures, and reading materials. Cultural Modules are also supplemented with a variety of activities for the learner to do inside and outside the classroom, or independently.
world languages
K-12
Even though we can’t physically travel at the moment, we can still dream! To give you some inspiration, Switzerland Tourism now offers a virtual road trip through Switzerland so you can explore its scenery and rich cultural heritage from your home. The “Grand Tour of Switzerland” highlights 1000 miles of mountain passes, rivers, and lakes, as well as UNESCO heritage sites. From palm-lined lakes to sparkling glaciers, medieval villages to buzzing cities, the “Grand Tour” packs in an impressive number of sites and underlines Switzerland’s diverse and beautiful geography.
- Language Education Organization Webinars
-
Organization
Language
Grade Span
Description
All
K-12
Through June 30, 2020: 8 free virtual learning modules on "Technology in the Classroom" "Integrating 21st Century Skills to Engage Learners" "Cultivating Connections Language Learning 21st Century Literacies" "Core Practices of Effective Language Learning" "Building Vocabulary" and "Strategies to Guide Learners to the Next Level"
All
K-12
Free recorded webinar on how to move online in a hurry created by the Distance Learning SIG Chair
AATSP: Teaching Spanish Online
Spanish
K-12
Buenas prácticas en la enseñanza de español en línea, by Catherine Lupo, María Mercedes Freeman y Alejandro Hortal (The University of North Carolina at Greensboro).
Spanish
K-12
La enseñanza de cultura en el aula de L2: perspectivas y prácticas a través de proyectos, by Liliana Paredes PhD, Lisa M. Merschel PhD, and Joan Munné MA.
All
K-12
Keeping the Classroom Open When the Doors are Closed Due to the pandemic, teachers have shifted swiftly to the remote learning environment, AVANT and AATSP are partnering to bring you several helpful webinars soon. The first episode will share success storied, strategies and self-care tips. Renown teachers such as Rebecca Aubrey, T.J. Troche, and Meredith White are featured with Dawn Samples hosting.
French
K-12
Supporting French teachers and students through school closures
All
6-12
AAPPL Communication Builder Overview
All
6-12
AAPPL Communication Builder How to Create a Task
All
This page contains materials specifically designed to support the professional learning needs of online world language educators.
Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research: Online Teaching
All
While the use of technology in language teaching classrooms has become increasingly more common, fewer teachers are comfortable using technology as they assess leaner progress. This webinar on assessing language using computer technology will outline ways in which technology can be used to help inform the assessment of language learners.
All
6-8
Research identifies strategies for any discipline that improve learners’ academic achievement, but how do those strategies translate into learning languages? Rebecca Blouwolff, ACTFL 2020 National Language Teacher of the Year, demonstrates effective strategies to engage and motivate learners while developing their language performance. Rebecca shares how she is currently adapting these strategies to work in the remote learning and teaching environment that is today’s reality. What makes this teacher’s learning tasks effective so learners become confident of what they can do with the language? These instructional strategies are applicable to all languages and all levels. Be inspired with new ideas and examples directly from the Teacher of the Year’s classroom.
German
K-12
AATG is providing members free access to our full library of on-demand webinars.
All
K-12
Two webinars on Technology and Online Tips by Georgia Teachers
All
K-16
Several webinars on teaching remotely
Indigenous Languages
K-12
recordings of yearly symposiums based around the following themes: 2011 – Native Languages Everywhere, Everyday for Everyone; 2012 – Conquering Challenges in Native Language Work; 2013 – Motivating Youth & Children to USE Native Languages; 2014 – Take Initiative and Create Language Opportunities; 2015 – To App or Not to App: Looking at How Technology Impacts Language Learning; 2016 – It’s an Immersioncy! The Urgent Need for Conversation Now!; 2017 – Speak First – Read and Write Later; 2018 – Understanding Intergenerational Trauma: The Healing Power of Language; 2019 – Second-Language Learners: The Journey Starts With Me
German
K-12
Weekly National Webinar on Fridays from 11 am - 12 pm
All
K-12
During this webinar, participants will gain strategies for engaging all language learners in online instruction that are grounded in the ACTFL Core Practices. The presenter will share a suite of resources that are publicly available that provide guidance and ideas for planning and implementing language instruction through remote learning. The webinar will conclude with a question and answer session with the presenter.
All
K-12
Part 1: Resource for stimulating interpretive/interpersonal/presentational Communication created by Distance Learning SIG member Victoria Russell, Professor of Spanish and Foreign Language Education at Valdosta State University provides helpful advice on supporting learners in remote teaching and learning situations
All
K-12
Part 2: Resource for stimulating interpretive/interpersonal/presentational Communication
All
6-12
Developing Online Assessments created by Maris Hawkins, who shares some strategies to assess students and suggests ways to circumvent students’ use of online translators
All
6-12
This was an impromptu, online meeting of world language teachers to share ways I have used Zoom. Some who attended shared from their experience, too. This video shows the meeting host's view (aka the teacher's view, for world language classes). For those who attended, they had a participant's view, which does look different. Included: - General expectations about online teaching with live meetings: it feels different. - Basic features in Zoom: video & audio, chat window, using images, & what still makes sense to do with physical whiteboards. - Brief visit from Fanny Price, the hen. - Adjustments to TPR, ways to do Picture Talk, asking a story; Breakout Rooms. - Recording class & sharing videos with students. - Zoom settings (among the MANY settings, which seem most useful, first).
All
K-12
CAL is offering weekly professional development webinars to teachers and parents of ELs & language learners! View our list of content and sign up for our next webinar!
All
6-16
This Connected Communities series of webcasts will introduce tools and resources for teachers who want to create deep connections with cultures across the world. In this episode, we have Daniela Kon Executive Director of SIMA and Maggie Chumbley facilitator and instructional design specialist joining us. We will discuss different resources and ways of engaging students through film.
All
6-16
Making your language class effective in a virtual environment can be challenging. This session discusses how educators can utilize research-based frameworks to design engaging and interactive activities using different levels of technology for the synchronous or asynchronous virtual classroom. Participants will then experience a hands-on interactive virtual Arabic example lesson. The session was moderated by QFI's Director of Programs Julia Sylla and led by QFI nonprofit partner Culturingua’s leadership team, Nadia Mavrakis, Nader Mehdawi, and Cindy Dorsey, who have experience designing and delivering engaging Arabic, Spanish, and French courses following ACTFL standards.
All
6-12
Remote Learning: Keeping our Learners Close. How can I provide my learners a week of engaged learning? Remote teaching and learning does not mean taking five days of face-to-face lessons and putting everything online. We need to keep in mind the most effective strategies for learning in order to engage our learners in an online environment: moving from teacher-driven to student-centered and focusing on learning (through engagement and relationships) rather than teaching. How can I focus on what is most important to support my learners so they maintain their language skills? Experience what a week of learning looks like in this 1-hour webinar with Yo Azama and Michelle Lupisan.
All
K-12
Going the Distance: Tools and Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning. With the shutdown closing brick-and-mortar classrooms, teachers have been thrust head (and keyboards and webcams) first into distance and remote learning. Although the curriculum and standards did not change, the delivery mechanism did. In this session with Nicole Naditz, we will explore important design considerations for your remote learning experiences and tools anyone can use (yes, even if you have never done this before!!) to start delivering meaningful world language instruction online. You will leave with resources to help you get started at your own pace. Nicole is a National Board-Certified Teacher, Google Certified Innovator and Trainer and Apple Learning Academy Specialist. After having taught French for 25 years, she now serves as the Program Specialist for World Languages and Instructional Technology for San Juan Unified School District. She was the 2015 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year.
Spanish
recordings of events and talks relating to the Spanish-speaking world
- Maine Statutes
-
§4726. World languages
Each school administrative unit: [1985, c. 178, (AMD).]
1. Required to offer. Shall offer one 2-year sequence in a world language; and
[ 2007, c. 259, §1 (AMD) .]
2. Encouraged to offer. Is encouraged to offer one or more additional world languages as part of its secondary school program.
[ 2007, c. 259, §1 (AMD) .]
3. American sign language.
[ 1991, c. 279, §3 (RP) .]
American sign language is a world language and may be offered to fulfill the requirements of this section. [2007, c. 259, §1 (AMD).]
For purposes of this section, "world language" means a language, either ancient or modern, that is used or has been used for written, oral or signed communication in the multilingual and multicultural worldwide community. [2007, c. 259, §1 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
1983, c. 859, §§C5,C7 (NEW). 1985, c. 178, (RPR). 1991, c. 279, §3 (AMD). 2007, c. 259, §1 (AMD).
§4701. English as language of instruction
The language of instruction in elementary and secondary schools shall meet these requirements. [PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 5, 7 (NEW).]
1. Basic language. The basic language of instruction in all schools shall be the English language.
[PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 5, 7 (NEW).]
2. Exceptions. A school may provide instruction in a language other than English in the following circumstances, subject to approval of the commissioner:
A. Transitional instruction using bilingual techniques may be provided to students of limited proficiency in English; and [PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 5, 7 (NEW).]
B. Schools may also establish bilingual programs for the purpose of providing proficiency in both English and a 2nd language. [PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 5, 7 (NEW).]
[PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 5, 7 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1983, c. 859, §§C5,C7 (NEW).
- Administrator Resources
-
What languages should be taught? A great question to ask and one that has a lot of different answers. The ultimate answer depends on what your school district values. This document provides questions and data to help you make that determination.
What benefits come from learning another language? Many! World Language supports all aspects of Maine's Guiding Principles. In addition, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) provides research showing the affects of learning another language on brain development, academics, and mindset. ACTFL also provides a needs assessment questionnaire to help school districts determine if providing opportunities to learn another language would benefit their students.
When should we start offering another language? Anyone can learn a language at any age; however the younger one starts the more benefits there are. When learning a language it is critical to have consistent opportunity to engage in the language over long periods of time. The article "Establishing High-Quality Foreign Language Programs in Elementary Schools" published in 2000 by The Education Alliance at Brown University outlines the benefits of developing Early Language Programs, the characteristics of successful programs, and considerations for how to maintain a program. Teachers of Critical Languages Program through the US Department of State brings teachers of Mandarin and Arabic to public schools in the US for a one-year exchange. Visiting International Teachers offers school districts several options to find world language teachers to teach Arabic, French, Mandarin, and Spanish. It is recommended that school districts reach out early when considering this option.
Planning for success The article "Planning for Success: Common Pitfalls in the Planning of Early Foreign Language Programs" published by Center for Applied Linguistics addresses common pitfalls that impact program success.
- Professional Organizations
-
Educators for a Multilingual Maine (EMME) - EMME is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote and improve the teaching and study of languages and cultures of the world. EMME also strives to further the common interests of teachers, students and others for whom languages play an important role. The EMME website offers resources and information for Maine's K-12 teachers of French, German, Latin, Spanish, ESOL, ASL, Indigenous and other languages.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) This council is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. ACTFL is an individual membership organization of more than 12,500 language educators, students, and administrators.
Chinese: Chinese Language teachers Association, USA; New England Chinese Language Teachers Association; Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools
French: American Association of Teachers of French; AATF-Maine has a Facebook page
German: American Association of Teachers of German; AATG - Maine Chapter
Latin: American Classical League; National Junior Classical League; Maine Classics
Native American Languages The Indigenous Language Institute provides vital language related service to Native communities so that their individual identities, traditional wisdom, and values are passed on to future generations in their original languages.
Russian: American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages; American Council of Teachers of Russian