Regional Workshops to Introduce Ohio's New Learning Standards for K-12 World Languages

The STARS registration portal is now open for a series of regional workshops that the Ohio Foreign Language Association is holding to formally introduce the new learning standards for world languages. World language teachers of all languages (i.e., modern, classical, ASL) are invited to attend as are curriculum coordinators and other district decision-makers charged with the implementation of the new standards.

To register, follow these steps:
1. First, go to http://www.education.ohio.gov.
2. Next, click on “Safe Sign-in” in the upper middle of the ODE homepage.
3. Either sign in with your SAFE account or follow the prompts to create a SAFE account and then sign in.
4. Click on “STARS V2.0” in the Web Systems menu.
5. Click on “Event Search” under the STARS Dashboard.
6. Enter the key words “world language” (singular) in either the “Event Name” or “Key Word” fields in the Search Box
7. When the list of regional workshops appears, highlight the workshop for which you would like to register by left-clicking once on it and then click on “Register for Selected Event”.
8. Follow the prompts to enter your registration information.
9. Be sure to click on the “Register” button at the end to ensure that you are registered.
10. Pay attention to any site-specific information regarding parking or the location of the room being used for the workshop. (Signs will be posted in most locations to help direct you.)
11. Click on the “map to location” link to get the address and directions to the site.

If you have difficulty registering using the STARS portal, please contact Lisa Simpson at Lisa.Simpson at education dot ohio dot gov or 614-752-8759.

Here is the workshop description as it appears on the STARS registration portal:

This series of regional workshops is designed to introduce Ohio's New Learning Standards for K-12 World Languages to interested stakeholders including world language teachers, curriculum directors, and other district decision-makers who are responsible for their full implementation by the 2014-2015 academic year. All meetings will be held from 5-7 pm. Workshop participants will engage in intensive learning around the new standards. Topics to be covered will include an overview of the revisionary process, highlights of the new standards, a comparison of the old and new standards, a look at the tie between language proficiency and the new standards, and recommendations for implementation. The relationship between the world language learning standards and Ohio's new system for evaluating teachers will also be examined briefly. IMPORTANT: please print and bring a copy of the new K-12 learning standards with you to the workshop. The new learning standards can be accessed here:

http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=3&TopicRelationID=1701&ContentID=105009

The workshops will all be held from 5-7 pm on these dates at the following sites:

9-25: Piqua High School (Piqua)
9-26: Jackson High School (Massillon)
9-27: Muskingum Valley ESC (Zanesville)
10-01: Wood County ESC (Bowling Green)
10-03: Gordy Hall - Ohio University (Athens)
10-04: Unioto High School (Chillicothe)
10-11: Finneytown Secondary Campus – High School Media Center (Cincinnati)
10-17: Hudson High School (Hudson)
10-24: Clark Hall - Gahanna-Jefferson High School Annex (Gahanna/Columbus)

Wertz, R. [OFLA] STARS Registration Now OPen for Regional Workshops to Introduce Ohio's New Learning Standards for K-12 World Languages. OFLA listserv (OFLA@LISTSERV.KENT.EDU, 18 Sep 2012).