[ot-caption title=”Alexis Kesselman and Lindsay Sack present at theAmerican Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages on November 21st, 2014. (via Robin Kesselman)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/DSC03949-e1416797340613.jpg”]

On November 21^st, 2014, Alexis Kesselman, Lindsay Sack and Sr. Kruger-Robbins presented at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in San Antonio, Texas. Language teachers from around the world attended professional learning and collaborative networking presentations. Teachers were able to learn about innovative and interactive educational lessons to transform the way they teach world languages in their classrooms.With over 250 exhibiting companies showcasing new technology and products, and more than 600 educational sessions, those attending were sure to find new ideas to incorporate into their teaching curriculum.

To help Sr. Kruger-Robbins showcase the importance of student project-based learning, Alexis Kesselman and Lindsay Sack gave  presentations in Spanish. Alexis and Lindsay showed exemplary skill and proficiency during Mr. Kruger-Robbins’ class about famous places, ideas, and inventions. These projects required them to read and learn about the subject in Spanish, while incorporating their notes into a video trailer and bringing in five props. For at least two minutes, these students had to present their topic without notes in Spanish. By the end of the projects, there is always an open question session, in which teachers can inquire more about the presenter’s topic.

Alexis started off the conference by talking about her imaginary invention, “El Mejor Despertador” (The Best Alarm Clock). In this presentation, she explained how the machine worked and the benefits of having it. Next, Lindsay presented about the singer and songwriter John Mayor. In her speech, she talked about his childhood and singing career. Lindsay claimed, “It was so much fun to present my Spanish project to the teachers. I think the teachers enjoyed hearing the product of the teaching, rather than just listening to the teacher. It was an amazing experience!” The teachers attending the conference expressed their desire to replicate the student-run presentations in their own classrooms.

By having students present at conferences, it not only builds confidence and mastery of the target language in students, but also encourages teachers to discover new and interactive projects to help students learn. Sr. Kruger-Robbins said, “In today’s global paradigm of education, it is imperative that our Pine Crest World Languages Department students be offered the opportunity to perform at the state, regional, national, and international levels.” In addition, Sr. Kruger-Robbins indicated that he has many more “live” student presentations at conferences scheduled for this year.