George Watson-López taught Spanish at Walpole High School for over 35 years before retiring from public education in 2011. The son of Costa Rican immigrants, he majored in Spanish at Boston University and obtained his Masters degree from Middlebury College. George chaired the Foreign Language Dept. from 1980-2011 where he oversaw five language programs, coordinated an exchange program with Palmares, Costa Rica, and instituted a Global Studies Certification program. In 2009 he was named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year by The Council of Chief State School Officers and was honored at The White House in President Obama’s first Rose Garden reception. Currently, George is Visiting Instructor of Hispanic Studies at Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
Besides AP* Spanish Language and Culture, George has given Pre-AP* workshops in Strategies for Vertical Teaming, Interpretive and Interpersonal Communication. He has also given numerous workshops in MA on the use of Latin music in the Spanish classroom, a topic he weaves into all his workshops and institutes. For the past 13 years George has been a Table Leader at the AP Reading where he has led his table in the grading of the speaking portion of the AP* Spanish Language and Culture exam. His publications include: EntreCulturas 1, a textbook program for teaching Spanish language and Hispanic culture to Novice level learners and “Dream, Vincent, Dream” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales.
George can be contacted at geowatlop@aol.com
Besides AP* Spanish Language and Culture, George has given Pre-AP* workshops in Strategies for Vertical Teaming, Interpretive and Interpersonal Communication. He has also given numerous workshops in MA on the use of Latin music in the Spanish classroom, a topic he weaves into all his workshops and institutes. For the past 13 years George has been a Table Leader at the AP Reading where he has led his table in the grading of the speaking portion of the AP* Spanish Language and Culture exam. His publications include: EntreCulturas 1, a textbook program for teaching Spanish language and Hispanic culture to Novice level learners and “Dream, Vincent, Dream” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales.
George can be contacted at geowatlop@aol.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course will provide sample materials and classroom activities relating to the 2022 exam. Participants will be asked to actively participate and share best practices with the entire group each day. Be ready to share!
Topics will include the following:
Day 1: Getting Started with the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam.
• Introductions: Warm-up activity. Overview and agenda.
Understanding the course base: Inclusion of the National Standards and the 5 C’s; Communication, Comparisons, Communities, Cultures and Connections
Understanding the modes of communication and how to build proficiency across modes.
College Board’s Course and Exam Description (CED) – addressed throughout the week as well.
• Course Planning and Pacing Guides
• Textbooks and test prep books
• AP Central and the AP Community. Join the AP Spanish Language and Culture AP Community
• Facebook groups
• Course Audit
The AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Format:
Section I: Multiple Choice-Interpretive Communication and Section 2: Free Response-Interpersonal and Presentation Communication. Which areas are most problematic for your students? What strategies do you have / can put in place to help students be successful?
Working with thematic units. Using the AP Themes to develop instructional units of study that integrate the modes of communication.
• What are the contexts that will be developed in this thematic unit?
• How will I integrate other themes?
• Lesson planning, scope and sequencing
• Essential Questions.
• Sample unit walkthrough
• How many thematic units per quarter/semester will I cover?
Equity and Access, Diversity and Inclusion – addressed throughout the week as well
· Looking at how your district, school, classroom addresses E&A, D&I
• Reflection, Q&A
Day 2: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on interpretive and interpersonal written communication.
Warm up activity.
• Questions regarding homework assignment, share some ideas.
Developing written and print interpretive communication, strategies for success. To include charts, graphs, articles, literature.
• Strategies for working with charts and graphs. Activities/assessments
• Using authentic literature in the AP Spanish Language and Culture Classroom; reading comprehension strategies. o Scaffolding poetry and prose. o Authentic literature; accessible to all students.
• Adapting and scaffolding the literature for AP Language and at the lower levels.
Developing Audio, visual, and Audio-Visual communication,
• strategies for success. To include, radio broadcasts, podcasts, short clips, cortometrajes; films, art.
• How do I integrate and use art in film in my AP Language course?
• Activities/assessments
• Using graphs, charts, and maps.
• Using graphic organizers.
• Using video in the classroom to enhance thematic units. o What films are appropriate at this level?
• How to help students prepare for the MCQs
• Participants share best practices for interpretive communication.
The email: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
• Developing interpersonal writing skills, activities, assessments, scoring criteria
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency and scaffolding interpersonal writing
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies
• Participants share best practices for written interpersonal communication.
Time for collaborative unit design: Lesson planning; a work in progress.
• Preparing a thematic Unit, working in small groups to present on the final day; each group will work with a different theme. outline of a sample unit
Reflection, Q&A
Day 3: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on written presentational communication and spoken interpersonal communication.
· Warm up activity
The essay: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing presentational writing skills, activities, assessments, scoring criteria, activities/assessments
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies & citing sources
• Writing the hook and thesis, scaffolding presentational writing, using Scoring Criteria
• Participants share best practices for written presentational communication.
The conversation: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing interpersonal speaking skills. activities, assessments, scoring criteria
• Building proficiency and scaffolding interpersonal speaking, examining Scoring Criteria
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies and scaffolding interpersonal speaking
• Participants share best practices for spoken interpersonal communication.
Time for collaborative unit design
Day 4: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on spoken presentational communication.
• Warm up activity.
• Questions regarding homework assignment, share some ideas
The cultural comparison: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing presentational speaking skills; strategies for success, building proficiency. Activities/assessments
• Strategies for success.
• How do we make comparisons?
• Organizational strategies, scaffolding presentational speaking, Scoring Criteria.
Understanding the cultural component and integrating culture into all levels of instruction.
• How do you transform culture and teach intercultural competence?
• Focus on products, practices, and perspectives.
• Participants share best practices for spoken presentational communication.
AP Classroom
· AP Question bank
· Performance Dashboard
· Unit materials
· Personal Progress Checks
· Course Framework
Instructional Planning Reports
· Using data to adjust instruction
Presentations of Thematic Units
Evaluations & certificates
Despedidas
The course will provide sample materials and classroom activities relating to the 2022 exam. Participants will be asked to actively participate and share best practices with the entire group each day. Be ready to share!
Topics will include the following:
- Planning, teaching, and assessing the AP Spanish Language and Culture course
- Developing student proficiency in and the integration of the three modes of communication;
- Interpretive, Interpersonal and Presentational.
- Teaching AP Spanish Language and Culture across themes.
- Teaching and developing culture in the AP Spanish Language and Culture course.
- Using authentic resources for thematic unit design
- Developing vocabulary
- Integrating authentic texts and literature in the AP Spanish Language and Culture course.
- Applying the scoring criteria to student samples.
- An idea or activity used last year in your course that you found to be particularly effective whether
- you are experienced or new to teaching the course. Electronic copies, please.
- A laptop computer or an iPad.
Day 1: Getting Started with the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam.
• Introductions: Warm-up activity. Overview and agenda.
Understanding the course base: Inclusion of the National Standards and the 5 C’s; Communication, Comparisons, Communities, Cultures and Connections
Understanding the modes of communication and how to build proficiency across modes.
College Board’s Course and Exam Description (CED) – addressed throughout the week as well.
• Course Planning and Pacing Guides
• Textbooks and test prep books
• AP Central and the AP Community. Join the AP Spanish Language and Culture AP Community
• Facebook groups
• Course Audit
The AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Format:
Section I: Multiple Choice-Interpretive Communication and Section 2: Free Response-Interpersonal and Presentation Communication. Which areas are most problematic for your students? What strategies do you have / can put in place to help students be successful?
Working with thematic units. Using the AP Themes to develop instructional units of study that integrate the modes of communication.
• What are the contexts that will be developed in this thematic unit?
• How will I integrate other themes?
• Lesson planning, scope and sequencing
• Essential Questions.
• Sample unit walkthrough
• How many thematic units per quarter/semester will I cover?
Equity and Access, Diversity and Inclusion – addressed throughout the week as well
· Looking at how your district, school, classroom addresses E&A, D&I
• Reflection, Q&A
Day 2: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on interpretive and interpersonal written communication.
Warm up activity.
• Questions regarding homework assignment, share some ideas.
Developing written and print interpretive communication, strategies for success. To include charts, graphs, articles, literature.
• Strategies for working with charts and graphs. Activities/assessments
• Using authentic literature in the AP Spanish Language and Culture Classroom; reading comprehension strategies. o Scaffolding poetry and prose. o Authentic literature; accessible to all students.
• Adapting and scaffolding the literature for AP Language and at the lower levels.
Developing Audio, visual, and Audio-Visual communication,
• strategies for success. To include, radio broadcasts, podcasts, short clips, cortometrajes; films, art.
• How do I integrate and use art in film in my AP Language course?
• Activities/assessments
• Using graphs, charts, and maps.
• Using graphic organizers.
• Using video in the classroom to enhance thematic units. o What films are appropriate at this level?
• How to help students prepare for the MCQs
• Participants share best practices for interpretive communication.
The email: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
• Developing interpersonal writing skills, activities, assessments, scoring criteria
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency and scaffolding interpersonal writing
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies
• Participants share best practices for written interpersonal communication.
Time for collaborative unit design: Lesson planning; a work in progress.
• Preparing a thematic Unit, working in small groups to present on the final day; each group will work with a different theme. outline of a sample unit
Reflection, Q&A
Day 3: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on written presentational communication and spoken interpersonal communication.
· Warm up activity
The essay: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing presentational writing skills, activities, assessments, scoring criteria, activities/assessments
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies & citing sources
• Writing the hook and thesis, scaffolding presentational writing, using Scoring Criteria
• Participants share best practices for written presentational communication.
The conversation: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing interpersonal speaking skills. activities, assessments, scoring criteria
• Building proficiency and scaffolding interpersonal speaking, examining Scoring Criteria
• Strategies for success.
• Building proficiency
• Using and integrating connector words
• Organizational strategies and scaffolding interpersonal speaking
• Participants share best practices for spoken interpersonal communication.
Time for collaborative unit design
Day 4: Developing and integrating the modes of communication; a focus on spoken presentational communication.
• Warm up activity.
• Questions regarding homework assignment, share some ideas
The cultural comparison: Review and score student samples from most current AP Spanish Language and Culture exams.
Developing presentational speaking skills; strategies for success, building proficiency. Activities/assessments
• Strategies for success.
• How do we make comparisons?
• Organizational strategies, scaffolding presentational speaking, Scoring Criteria.
Understanding the cultural component and integrating culture into all levels of instruction.
• How do you transform culture and teach intercultural competence?
• Focus on products, practices, and perspectives.
• Participants share best practices for spoken presentational communication.
AP Classroom
· AP Question bank
· Performance Dashboard
· Unit materials
· Personal Progress Checks
· Course Framework
Instructional Planning Reports
· Using data to adjust instruction
Presentations of Thematic Units
Evaluations & certificates
Despedidas