Teacher+Preparation+-+About+Us

Here is a brief bio of each member of our working group. (Each member create a brief biographical paragraph, include a photo if possible.)


 * **Julia Hanley:** After completing a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, I joined the faculty of Georgia State University in the Dept.of Modern & Classical Languages. For the past eight years, I have taught Foreign Language Education courses and French. It has also been my responsibility to supervise and mentor student teachers and interns at Georgia State. After participating in a National Foreign Language Resource Center Institute at Iowa State in 2001, I added a WebCT component to each of the foreign language education courses at Georgia State. This addition has allowed teachers in training to become familiar with new technologies that they can incorporate into their in-class micro-teaches in the target language (i.e. PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, Digital Photography, Digital Video files, On-line Chat, L2 websites, etc.). Foreign language students in the methods courses are encouraged to become familiar with how to incorporate technology into their lessons on a regular basis to bring the target language and culture to life for their students. Teachers in training are required to upload assignments to WebCT Vista and to check for their feedback and evaluation on line. It is our goal at GSU to prepare teachers according to recommendations made by the National Standards for Foreign Language Education, ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, ISTE (technology) Standards, INTASC Standards and NCATE recommendations. [[image:banner_forl_hanley_3022_800x100.jpg width="533" height="66"]] || ||
 * **Christine Lanphere:** Christine began studying French in elementary school and majored in French at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. After briefly studying Translation and Interpretation at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, she decided to pursue a teaching credential at San Jose State University. For the past 11 years, Christine has taught all levels of French (1-AP Literature) at Natomas High School in Sacramento, CA. She is the World Languages Department Chair and currently serves as the site GATE/AP coordinator. Christine has worked with local student teachers and has been a Support Provider for teachers new to the profession through the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program for the past six years. In 2003, Christine was selected to serve on the Subject Matter Advisory Panel for Languages Other Than English (LOTE) created by the CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This group of 19 secondary and post-secondary educators from around the state represented 9 different languages. The committee designed new standards for subject-matter competency of new language teachers which were used to create a competency examination for credential candidates. Additionally, the SMAP developed program standards for university undergraduate programs which prepare potential teachers in languages. After completing her work on the LOTE SMAP, Christine was asked by the CTC to continue serving as part of the SMAP for American Sign Language whose work would be connected to the original LOTE standards. She served as an advisor on the prior committee’s work and contributed to designing the standards which form the base for the first credential in ASL in the state. It was an exciting and fulfilling experience. Christine serves on the board of FLAGS, the local affiliate of the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA). She “wears many hats”, including Membership Chair, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor. She is also a member of the Leadership Team of the Capital Foreign Language Project (CapFLP), a site of the state subject-matter project which provides professional development to language teachers throughout northern California. Most recently, she was the team leader for a leadership training program designed to develop new team members for the project. In the past year, Christine has been honored by her colleagues in a number of ways. In 2005, she received an Outstanding Teacher Award from CLTA, and was also named Educator of the Year for Region 3 (of 11) by the CA League of High Schools. She was selected by CLTA to be the state representative to the SWCOLT Regional Teacher of the Year competition in April, 2006, which provided the opportunity to do some serious professional reflection as she prepared the extensive portfolio. It was truly an overwhelming honor to be announced as the SWCOLT winner! Next on the calendar is the National Language Teacher of the Year competition at the ACTFL conference in November. Outside of teaching, Christine sings with a semi-professional women’s group, //Chanteuses//. Each year, she takes great pleasure in volunteering as the announcer for the Northern California Special Olympics Aquatics competition. She enjoys reading - especially during vacations - and gourmet cooking. She lives with her two wonderful cats, Lunette and Mimi. || [[image:christineboardphoto.jpg width="256" height="192"]] ||
 * **Carol Meyer:** When I was 25 years old I spent eight months traveling in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala. During that time I asked myself what I wanted my life to look like (I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up). I decided that I wanted to become a high school Spanish teacher because I loved the language and working with people. I came back to the States and looked for a teaching job. Since then, I have taught high school Spanish for five years and came to Bennington College and taught at the elementary-age level for four years and the college level for seven years (there was some overlap in these assignments). Three years ago, I became the Director of the Center for Languages and Cultures as well as a low-residency Master’s program for French and Spanish teachers. At the same time, I earned my Master’s at the School for International Training and I am in the last stages of my doctoral work in Curriculum and Instruction. || [[image:Meyer.2005.jpg]] ||
 * **Nancy Oakes:** Bio -- I'm on board this train, barely. At least I know I'm headed in the right direction. I've taught French in "the West" for 34 years. Currently, I live in Albuquerque where I'm dedicating this summer to the cultivation of my own garden, literally and figuratively. I have trees. That may not sound like much, but it's not that easy on a high desert mesa sandbox during a serious drought. The upside is no mosquitoes. In Iowa, I can be recognized by my unique summer perfume: //eau de DEET.// || [[image:neoakes.jpg]] ||

And in an effort to get to know each other, respond to the following questions:

1. One thing that you should know about my life is . ..
Julia Hanley: My husband and I have lived and worked in the Atlanta area for over twenty-five years. Our three daughters were born and raised in the south, even though we were both raised in Ohio. Natalie graduated from the University of Georgia in Broadcast Journalism and is twenty four years old; Carrie is a full-time student at Georgia Tech. and she is twenty two years old and Marisa is going into the eighth grade and will be a cheerleader in the fall. Marisa is thirteen. We also have a standard poodle named Gabriel who is cream colored and the love of our life!

Christine Lanphere: I had the good fortune to begin learning French at age 5 and have been passionate about learning languages ever since. I love teaching and sharing my passion with young people, however, I am definitely glad to be on hiatus from daily interaction this week! :-) I am definitely a "plate full" person with intense involvement in my local professional affiliate, semi-professional singing with a women's group, and many leadership positions at school in addition to teaching 3-5 preparations per year.

Carol Meyer: I am working furiously to get an approved draft of my dissertation to my committee before July 19th, along with meeting my work responsibilities.

Nancy Oakes: I'm trying hard to downsize all that I can, including my teacher "stuff", in an effort to live better and work smarter. Basically, I'm simplifying and keeping only the quality.

2. One thing that I’d like to know about you is . ..
Julia Hanley: How do you keep up with your home email, office email, cellphone messages, regular voicemail messages, regular mail, WebCT courses, etc.

Christine Lanphere: your path leading to education and how you "decompress" from your professional obligations.

Carol Meyer: your passsions and commitments (both in the field of education and outside of it).

Nancy Oakes: All of the above. I look forward to getting to know all of you face to face.

3. Three ideas or experiences that have significantly influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning are . ..
Julia Hanley: Living abroad in Paris, France as an undergraduate student was one of the most significant learning experiences of my life. This experience has influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning because I try to re-create the richness of that experience for my language students as well as student teachers and interns with innovative technology tools. Working abroad in Geneva, Switzerland as a member of UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) was another experience that profoundly influenced my awareness of how many children in the world do not have the basic necessities or a quality of life. Many of the students that teachers come into contact with in our schools in the U.S. on a daily basis are also struggling for basic necessities and quality of life. The third experience that significantly influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning was a marriage encounter week-end that my husband and I made in our church over twenty years ago. We both learned to communicate with each other more effectively and that experience has enriched our marriage and family life.

Christine Lanphere: communicative-based instruction, a gradual acceptance of the concept of using the target-language exclusively in the classroom, serving on the Subject Matter Advisory Panel for California to design standards for entry-level teachers of languages other than English.

Carol Meyer: The idea that knowledge is embodied, Vygotsky's notion of concept, and the opportunity to have taught Spanish at all grade levels (except for early childhood).

Nancy Oakes: Total immersion in the language and culture doesn't guarantee acceptance or tolerance; growth in intercultural understanding can be guided and must be part of every classroom; importance of input in the target language (garbage in, garbage out).

4. One way that my thinking has changed over the course of my career so far is . ..
Julia Hanley: Learning is a collaboration between teacher and students. Openess to new ideas and new ways of accessing information can enhance otherwise routine assignments.

Christine Lanphere: As I mentioned above, I have gradually challenged myself (successfully) to use target language (French) exclusively at earlier and earlier moments in my classes over the past 4-5 years and have been delighted to find that my students "eat it up"! No more excuses!

Carol Meyer: not my thinking so much but I remember the moment when I started to shift from paying attention to my teaching to my students' learning.

Nancy Oakes: The challenge for world language educators in the United States is bigger, harder, and more important than it has ever been -- and it has never been easy or unimportant.

5. The primary reason I wanted to attend this institute was . ..
Julia Hanley: The NFLRC experience in the summer of 2001 provided inspiration to create WebCT courses to house many of the new tools I learned to use during that Institute (Digital Video Files, Digital Picture Files, PowerPoint presentations in the L2, on-line lesson plans (technology enhanced lessons), on-line chat rooms, etc. I am eager to add to what I learned during my first experience at the Institute and to share what I am currently using at Georgia State with other participants.

Christine Lanphere: I have been a new teacher mentor for 6 years, have trained student teachers, and am a member of a state project which designs professional development for language teachers. The topics in this institute are a perfect fit for me because they are exactly where I see myself contributing to growing the profession. I am eager to interact with like-minded educators from around the country to get new perspectives and ideas.

Carol Meyer: to become part of a larger community committed to change within the field of foreign languages.

Nancy Oakes: to rethink all aspects of my professional work through discussion, comparison and collaboration with others who share my concerns.

6. One of the ways that I think this institute will challenge me is . ..
Julia Hanley: I am sure that other participants in this year's Institute will challenge me to re-think the effectiveness of some of the assignments and activities I am currently using in my classes. Also, I am sure there are many technological tools that I am not familiar with and would like to learn how to integrate into my courses.

Christine Lanphere: Based on my experiences with the "wiki", that's clearly a major "learning curve" area for me! I also hope I will be challenged to "rethink" or "think outside the box" on the topic of teacher preparation to invigorate and redesign the way we do things currently.

Carol Meyer: I am not sure yet.

Nancy Oakes: to help me envision large, but stay real, so I'm don't totally frustrate myself.

7. One of my biggest pet peeves in working with others is . ..
Julia Hanley: I enjoy working with others, especially in this type of format. My only pet peeve in working with others is trying to accomplish a large task in a small amount of time.

Christine Lanphere: I like working with others, I'm a social person. I am very aware of the fact that I am a "talker", and work very hard to also be a "listener". Especially with a group that is thrown together with a charge to hit the ground running and accomplish, I think it will be essential to be good team members.

Carol Meyer: I don't have general pet peeves about working in groups, if they emerge at all it is within the context of a specific group dynamic.

Nancy Oakes: People who don't work well with others....

8. One thing that I hate to do when it comes to collaborating with others is . ..
Julia Hanley: One area that is challenging is trying to cover all of the pre-planning and pre-Institute work before meeting anyone and knowing individuals' strengths and weaknesses. I was also out of town until very recently visiting with my daughter in Los Angeles, California. I am getting a little bit of a late start organizing my group and I am sorry about that.

Christine Lanphere: Probably the fact that it usually takes time to get the feel of each other and "planning" how to do something can take too much time. I agree with Carol, I hate taking notes too, but I've found that it helps me be more of a "listener" and less of a "talker". We can take turns...:-)

Carol Meyer: taking the notes.

Nancy Oakes: end up with all of the loose ends to tie up alone -- in other words to have others assume that "Nancy will do it". It feels like "Mikey will eat it." I like it when the group energy ends AFTER the task is complete.

9. One thing that you should know about working with me is . ..
Julia Hanley: I enjoy collaboration. I believe that a large part of the success of an Institure such as this one is the ability to remain open to new ideas and input.

Christine Lanphere: I like to joke and make "smart remarks", but I hope it's within a context that makes sense for what we're doing. It's because I like to have fun doing the important work!

Carol Meyer: that I am passionate but that does not blind my ability to listen to other ideas.

Nancy Oakes: I hope I don't get so carried away that I forget to have fun -- it is summer after all.

10. I hope that you will be patient with . ..
Julia Hanley: My effort to get caught up and to contact each one of you so that we can complete all of the pre-Institute assignments.

Christine Lanphere: my incredible ability to tell stories with multiple tangets. I always return to the point, however! I should also "fess up" to the fact that my dear friend, Nicole Naditz, will also be attending the institute. We are making a pact to be on our best behavior! Seriously, we are both very excited to be able to share this opportunity with all of you.

Carol Meyer: me.

Nancy Oakes: me and the DEET odor.

11. When it comes to technology, I am not comfortable . ..
Julia Hanley: With technological break downs that seem to take all of the time allotted for a class or assignment. However, I have been very impressed with the benefits of technology to improve a class or learning experience, even if there are a few glitches.

Christine Lanphere: with on-line posting (yet) since this is the first time I've tried it. I'm a quick study, however.

Carol Meyer: with learning how to use a tool that I don't see the use of and will not immediately use.

Nancy Oakes: ditto Carol's response. I don't learn things techy in an abstract context. Practicality matters. I'm also not comfortable with the lack of initiative and interest among many of my colleagues, but I can change that if I can get fired up about some new technology's use.

12. What I would like to learn about technology is . ..
Julia Hanley: Whether or not what I am using is the most effective tool for each class. There are many technological tools that I still do not use because I am not sure how to implement them into my courses.

Christine Lanphere: the wiki is dragging me kicking and screaming into exactly what I "want" (need) to learn! At this point, I also need to learn how to upload my photo!

Carol Meyer: I have no specific agenda in this area.

Nancy Oakes: In the next 5 years, what tech pieces will have the biggest teaching/learning bang for the buck, thus be worth the time, effort, and money to work for? And what is just bells and whistles?