I get so excited watching my students focusing so hard as they take the AAPPL. However, immediately after the test, the students seemed stunned, mentally spent, and slightly overwhelmed. I worried at first that this was caused by the test being too difficult for them, but then realized that it’s the result of the stamina […]
Continue readingLearning from AAPPL Results
I cried real tears the first time I received my students’ AAPPL scores. I had much to celebrate: great accomplishments on the Interpretive components, with several students obtaining scores high enough for our state’s Seal of Biliteracy, and those “surprise kids” performing better than expected. But they weren’t just the happy kind of tears; for […]
Continue readingBackward Design and the AAPPL
By Chris Lemon, Northmont High School, Clayton, OH (Spanish Teacher, Department Chair) Comprehensible input. Movies. Language Clubs. Guest speakers. Pirates. Conversations. Fly swatter vocabulary matches. Video Pen Pals. Study abroad. A language program can take many forms and have some—or none—of these. But how do you achieve one that is authentic, fun, and successful all at […]
Continue readingUsing AAPPL Topics to guide curriculum planning: An educator’s perspective
Recently, ACTFL put out their comprehensive list of topics for the AAPPL. These topics offer excellent preparation for the test. I’ve also found them to be valuable in other aspects of my curriculum building and unit planning. I began my teaching career in the formulaic era of Realidades and Paso a Paso‘s thematic chapters about […]
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