{"id":834,"date":"2015-09-06T20:56:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-07T00:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madameshepard.com\/?p=834"},"modified":"2015-09-06T20:56:00","modified_gmt":"2015-09-07T00:56:00","slug":"how-a-little-bird-helped-me-with-a-challenging-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madameshepard.com\/?p=834","title":{"rendered":"How a little bird helped me with a challenging Can-Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"twitter-312464_640\"<\/a>Last summer, when I decided to ditch my textbooks and develop a proficiency-oriented curriculum, I didn\u2019t know for sure exactly what themes I would end up including.\u00a0 \u00a0Like many of you, I teach one or more French 1, 2, 3, and 4\/5\/AP classes per day, so I had to be satisfied with creating one unit at a time during my first year with this new course design. At the beginning of the year, I knew only that I would be choosing a theme for each unit, and would then create learning activities around that theme that would address at least one NCSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statement for each mode of communication. While I was nervous about having enough time to curate the resources and develop the learning experiences that my students would need, I wasn\u2019t overly concerned about \u201cwhat\u201d to teach.\u00a0 By planning lessons that addressed each of the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do statements, I felt I would be providing my students with what they needed to reach their proficiency goals.\u00a0 This allowed me to focus on choosing themes that would interest my students and for which I was able to find an adequate number of authentic written and recorded texts. Although it was a challenging year in terms of time management, it was a rewarding one as well.\u00a0 The majority of my students demonstrated proficiency at the expected or higher level and seemed to enjoy the class.\u00a0 In fact, there was a significant increase in enrollment (due, undoubtedly, to many different factors).<\/p>\n

So, as I reflected on last year while preparing for this one, I was feeling pretty satisfied with the curricula I had developed. I was confident that the thematic units I had created had allowed my students to meet each of the Can-Do\u2019s multiple times, so I just needed to do a quick double-check as I wrote out my outline for this year. Since they\u2019re first in the Can-Do document, I started with Novice High Interpersonal Communication Can-Do\u2019s when I was preparing my French 2 outline. I can exchange some personal information<\/em>. Check\u2014they\u2019ve been doing that since French 1.\u00a0 I can exchange information using texts, graphs, or pictures. <\/em>No problem here.\u00a0 Many of my lessons are organized around an infographic that the students interpret and then discuss.\u00a0 We also read and discuss illustrated stories and the students do lots of picture-based interpersonal activities, like \u201cGuess Who\u201d games, \u201cSame\/Different\u201d activities, \u201cMatching Pictures,\u201d and picture sequencing activities to review stories or videos. I\u2019ve definitely got that one covered. Next came, I can ask for and give simple directions<\/em>. Piece of cake, they learn how to give directions in French 1, and the picture description activities ensure that the students maintain this skill.\u00a0 Only two more Interpersonal Can-Do\u2019s and I could move on. I can make plans with others<\/em>. What??? Hmmm. I must have done something last year that addressed this one. So I checked out the examples given, hoping they would jog my memory:<\/p>\n