Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones will not be permitted in ANY French classes, unless explicitly stated on a case-by-case basis. This strict policy is in line with the recent U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory about the effects of Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
This advisory states that while social media and personal devices are shown to have some benefits, they also pose considerable risk to youth mental health and well-being. The Surgeon General is calling on parents and caregivers to establish tech-free zones that better foster in-person relationships, teach kids digital citizenship, and report problematic content and activity.
Modes of Communication
How We Know What We're Learning
In French Learning Blocks, all learners engage in two types of assessment: self-assessment and mentor assessment.
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As we progress through units, learners self-assess periodically in their ePortfolios using a simple rubric as their guide. They identify what they know, how they know what they know, and make a plan for what they intend to learn next.
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Every few weeks, learners conduct a brief conference with a mentor that is NOT their French teacher, called a S.C.W.O.P (Short Conferences with Other People). This allows them to build relationships with other adult mentors while also giving their French mentor feedback on how their learning could be better supported during Learning Blocks.
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At the completion of every project unit, learners present their work to the group in the target language. Each unit final product, including the presentation, are assessed by the mentor using the rubrics featured below. These rubrics, developed using ACTFL and NYSED Standards as guidelines, target language proficiency at the Intermediate Low-High Range and are used in every unit.
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At the completion of the two-year high school French sequence, all learners must pass the Checkpoint B capstone assessment, which demonstrates Intermediate level proficiency. Learners have the option to continue past the Checkpoint B assessment and begin working towards higher proficiency levels. During their senior year, they have the option to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, which demonstrates advanced proficiency in English and in one other language.
So what does this look like on report cards at the end of the marking period? Each project unit will target specific modes of communication. In order to ensure competency, each mode of communication (Interpersonal, Presentational, and Interpretive communication) is broken down into language skills, which act as building blocks. Learners work towards mastering these skills throughout the project and track them using a checklist. At the end of each marking period, we simply see how many of the covered skills each learner has mastered and base the grade on that number.
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Summative Assessment Rubrics
1
Intermediate Low-Mid
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
2
Intermediate Mid-High
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.
3
Intermediate High-Advance Low
Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to g