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AnnouncementsIf you would like to post an announcement or news item of any sort on this page, please contact Ginny Lindzey at webmistress@promotelatin.org.
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Exploratory Latin Exam AvailableIn recognition of the growing number of elementary school Latin programs, ETC (the Excellence Through the Classics committee of the ACL) is happy to announce the new Exploratory Latin Exam for Grades 3 Through 6. Designed to cover topics taught in exploratory programs (animal names, numbers, colors, body parts., etc), this exam consists of thirty multiple-choice questions, some of which are in Latin. Knowledge of Latin grammar, however, is not tested. The results of a pilot exam given this spring (see sample) were most encouraging and the formal test program will begin this fall. Teachers registering for this exam will be sent a complete syllabus (see sample) to help them prepare their classes. For more information, see our flyer (see sample) or go to the ETC website www.etclassics.org. (The following are PDF files and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to access.) |
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National Board Certification PleaYour name came to me as someone interested in National Board certification for teachers of Latin. I am the Vice President of the American Classical League, and I have two reasons to work on this initiative. As ACL VP, this is an important issue for the profession. Secondly, I am one of the 18 candidates whose portfolios are in limbo. I invite you to look at the attached information and links, and then ask me any questions. I am sure most of you know the situation, but just in case, let me summarize. If you know the tale, skip this paragraph. Last year was the first year that National Board certification was available to teachers of Latin. 18 of us dove in, and as many of us were completing the process (my portfolio was in the mail) we received notice that because we had 18 portfolios, we would not be scored. The magic number is 50. There are all sorts of side notes I can tell you if you really want to know. What it amounts to is that Latin will become one of the certifications which will go into a multi-year cycle. This year is our best chance to reach critical mass, so if you are at all interested, get the information and read up. On the ACL webpage is a link to an article I wrote outlining the National Board process for Latin teachers. It gives you information about the assessment center, as well as the four portfolio entries. In addition the standards are there, so you can read them if you have not yet gotten them from NBPTS. http://www.aclclassics.org/nbc/ Funding continues to be an issue. I have hopes that the National Board will help Latin teachers out with funding, as they indicated, but I have not yet gotten word from them. On the National Board site is a link to state initiatives, so if you are not sure if your state funds all or part of the fee, go there. They also have information about other means of funding. I want to suggest that you look to the state and national Classical associations to see if their scholarship money is available. I know that from ACL the McKinley money is available for this. Your best first step would be to get a hold on the World Language standards. You may download or order them. Then I would talk to anyone who has been through the process. Not just the 18 Latin teachers, but any teacher you know who has gone through the National Board process. You need to decide if this fits into your list of choices, given your life and work circumstances. I found it manageable, even teaching an overload. But I did need some understanding friends to help with last minute proofing and editing. My one advice pertains to the assessment center. When I walked out of the center, I felt that what they had asked me to do was very similar to what I ask my AP students to do, from both reading in meter, to identifying the use and importance of rhetorical strategies to analyzing literature. (All this is available on the website). If you have taught AP level classes, you know the drill. If not, get a hold of some of the materials from the college board. My final words: yes, for those of us in the pipeline last year it was very stressful, frustrating and hurtful to be treated as we were. That has to do with the National Board office and decisions about money. It does not change the view of many of us that the process has great value and importance. I would still have gone through the process, but would have wished for a different outcome. I hope you will feel free to ask me any questions you have. I would like to serve as a resource for anyone going through the process in the coming year, even if it amounts to nothing more than being a cheerleader. Please keep me posted about your decisions. I have made a mail list which I will use when I get any more definite word on funding sources. Thank you again for your interest. Sherwin D. Little |
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Sabbatum“Sabbatum” is a tribute album like no other – 12 Black Sabbath classic songs played by early music band Rondellus and sung in Latin language. For more information go to: http://www.sabbatum.com/For more rock in Latin, see below. |
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Latin Rocks List 2.0I tend to be drawn towards the sort of popular [hard to say what that means when many of them are actually rather obscure] or at least contemporary groups who have recorded in Latin. I began toying with a list of the groups that have done this, and this is what I came up with. I have -omitted- bands that have simply sampled other peoples' recordings in Latin. This excludes Enigma, although there is quite a bit of Latin on their records, and probably some others as well. Of course we need to lead off with the Finnish professor who recorded Elvis in Latin. I know he's come up several times, though I don't actually have his record.
Anyone else have any Latin contemporary songs to add to the list? Reply or mail me. Thanks to all the good folks at LATIN-L and alt.gothic who contributed to this inquiry. If I failed to give you credit, it's on account of my own stupidity in losing track. --Steve Gustafson stevegus@aye.net |
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Pro Bono call for ArticlesNCLG designees are encouraged to submit articles or notices for the
spring issue of PRO BONO. Send news of promotional projects by
state, regional and national Classical
organizations or by individuals, deadline
March 1st. Please submit items in MS
Word, e-mail format, or hard copy. |
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Dr J's Audio/Visual Resources for ClassicsI am delighted to announce that the new, updated, fully searchable on-line Audio-Visual Resources for Classics website is now ready for general consumption. It's all about promoting classics in and out of the classroom. Thanks to all who have written both off-list and on - I have culled a lot of information and gotten a lot of ideas from discussions on this list. Thanks particularly to David Meadows for helping me to spread the word this am - please feel free to pass this notice along to any list or individual who might be looking for av materials about the classical world: videos, cds, tapes, posters, slides, maps, activity books, ... If you know of any products I have missed (terribile dictu) please do let me know. Self-nominations are welcome. :) new URL:
http://lilt.ilstu.edu/drjclassics2 Lots has changed in the past two years since I first posted this website; there are tons more products and more (and different) distributors. I have added several categories of information, including an expanded section on the Classical Legacy (in culture, in the English language, in Shakespeare, and in film - on video and on DVD). Historical fiction on tape is new, too. New material in philosophy (Augustine, Plato, much more) has flooded the market. New material on Roman-Conquered Lands has caused me to change the title of the section that began as simply "Roman Britain" - it's big, now. The Elementary/Middle School section is bigger than ever. Lots of fabulous new products available. And the Miscellaneous category has all sorts of stuff in it, mostly provided by classics organizations. Here is a brief run-down on how the on-line version differs from the print version coming out in a March/April special edition in _Classical World_ (together again with Judith Sebesta's very useful Textbook Survey): extensive descriptions of products, including complete lists of titles for lectures on tape, tracks on music cds, narrators of videos, readers of books on tape, etc. entire topics eliminated from the print version (Databases, Ancient Near/Middle East, Elementary Aesop, etc., as well as an expanded section concerning classics Miscellanea of all sorts) some new categories of products (e.g., historical fiction on audio cd and cassette) internet-only vendors (e.g., Amazon.com and eToys) cyber-only items (e.g., RealAudio recordings of ancient music and literature; digitized recordings downloadable for a fee; interactive/visual websites providing 3D reconstructions or virtual tours of archaeological sites) hyperlinks from each item to its distributors' on-line catalog pages hyperlinks to on-line reviews of products when available hyperlinks to free downloads or preview clips items available for rent only (PSU and IU Library inventories are fully indexed) The document has just shy of 12,000 hyperlinks in it (half and half, external and internal) so while I will be happy to make a note of dead or incorrect links as you send them to me, please have mercy if you can't find what you need right away, and if it's not fixed right away - I do have a day job! And I was dismayed to learn that after I programmed links to several distributors' websites, their internal design prevents these links from working. And my own site redesign has killed some links as well. But please do let me know if something doesn't work, even if you think I might know about it already. And despite my love for all things web, there is much to be said for being able to hold a portable document in your hand. If you don't already subscribe to CW (it's well worth it!), you can find information on the on-line av website (http://lilt.ilstu.edu/drjclassics2) and at http://www.caas-cw.org about how to get offprints (once we have some). I hope you find this collection of material useful. Thanks! Cheers, Janice Janice Siegel (aka Dr. J) |
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NCLG Cooperates with Modern and Classical Language GroupsTwelve national and regional classical associations make up the council of the National Committee for Latin and Greek, which is also supported by state associations and departments of Classics. Founded in 1978, The NCLG provides a united front for identifying and addressing concerns, priorities, and opportunities for the advancement of Classics in North America. The Committee has two affiliate member organizations in Britain and The Netherlands. The NCLG coordinates its promotional activities with those of the ACL, APA, CAMWS, CANE, and CAAS in order to share resources and avoid duplication of effort. Nancy McKee, who has represented CAAS on the Committee for many years, was elected Chair of the NCLG at its June meeting. Liaison with JNCL/NCLISAnnually the NCLG contributes $7,000 to the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) and its lobbying arm the National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS) in Washington D.C. As the ninth largest contributing organization of its sixty members, the NCLG holds a seat on the Board of Directors of JNCL/NCLIS, ensuring that Classics is well represented in all its deliberations. Sally Davis recently served for three years as the NCLG's official delegate. At the same time Marty Abbott served on the Board as representative of the Foreign Language Association of Virginia. Currently, Marty is serving as Secretary of JNCL/NCLIS. This year Christine Sleeper was the NCLG's official delegate to it's annual meeting. She also represents the Committee at annual meetings of Euroclassica at her own expense. As a founding member organization of JNCL/NCLIS, the National Committee for Latin and Greek has maintained a strong relationship of mutual support and cooperation with the modern languages in developing national language policy and supporting federal legislation that funds language programs nationwide. NCLIS plays a key role in working with congressmen to draft legislation in support of language study. It generates support for these bills in Congress and initiates letter-writing campaigns among its constituent organizations. Over the years this joint effort has resulted in dramatic growth in funding of major education programs: the NEH, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Postsecondary Education Act, the Foreign Language Assistance Act (FLAP), international study-abroad programs, and educational research and development. As a result of such collaborative efforts, we continue to see numerous bills introduced each year before Congress to upgrade and improve the teaching of foreign languages. A few years ago under the leadership of Robert LaBouve, Marty Abbott, Richard Gascoyne, and Glenn Knudsvig, the Classics profession was a leader in the development of national standards for classical languages. These standards then served as a model for the drafting of standards for other languages. In September 2000, when Secretary of Education Richard Riley testified before the Senate Subcommittee on International Security, he urged increased financial support of foreign language programs in the U.S. and especially of the Foreign Language Assistance Act. At that meeting Marty Abbott was invited to speak on a panel of foreign language educators which was asking the Senate to increase funds to help retain qualified teachers and to further encourage development of language proficiency in the schools. NCLG's Classics Action NetworkIn support of the legislative agenda of JNCL/NCLIS the National Committee for Latin and Greek has often organized letter writing campaigns at meetings of the ACL and other classical organizations. In addition, the NCLG's Executive Secretary Judith Lynn Sebesta has been contacting the designees by e-mail about threatened programs in secondary schools and universities. In the past two years the Classics Action Network has come to the assistance of La Jolla High School in San Diego (ancient Greek), a high school in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, Gross Point South High School in Michigan, and York High School in Elmhurst, Illiniois. Promotional materials were sent at the request of elementary and middle schools seeking to implement new Latin programs. In cooperation with the CAMWS CPL, APA, and Classics Discussion Group the NCLG has responded to crises at Ball State University in Indiana, Carleton University in Ontario, the University of Natal in South Africa, and recently Loyola University in Chicago. Letters from concerned classicists and former students helped prevent the dismantling of the Department and the undergraduate Classics program at Loyola. Letter-writing campaigns conducted by the ACL, NCLG, and CAMWS two years ago resulted in the inclusion of Latin and Greek among languages that would meet the language requirement for the International Baccalaureate Program. Previously, they were categorized as optional electives in competition with fine arts and computer science. The IB program, which is offered during the students' junior and senior years of high school, requires a long sequence of language study to prepare students for the IB Diploma exams. Over a decade ago when Latin programs in British public schools were severely curtailed by a national curriculum requiring two years of a modern language, the NCLG generated widespread letters of protest and discussed political strategies with the officers of the Joint Association of Classical Teachers. Soon afterwards, when the organizers of Euroclassica came to the U.S. looking for models upon which to found a European classical organization, the NCLG and ACL offered advice and useful models. Sessions at ACTFLOver the years the NCLG has helped foster a classical presence at annual meetings of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) by organizing sessions of interest to teachers of modern and classical languages. The Committee has sponsored sessions on topics ranging from cultural diversity in the Roman world and the Latin roots of Spanish to successful Latin programs in elementary schools. In November 2000 the NCLG sponsored a session with two speakers. Eileen Strange presented her survey about gender and ethnicity in widely used Latin textbooks. Joe Davenport spoke about the timely work of his CANE committee in revising the standards for Latin in the Massachusetts Foreign Language Framework. Marty Abbott continues to serve on ACTFL's Executive Council. This fall she is a candidate for the office of President of ACTFL. The NCLG's Promotional AgendaAn upcoming issue of this newsletter will carry a report of the Committee's agenda for the promotion of Latin and Greek. The article will discuss recent initiatives, promotional materials, news of its working committees, and information on the NCLG's website at www.promotelatin.org. Virginia Barrett and Judith Lynn Sebesta |
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New Info Regarding IBThe International Baccalaureate Organization has developed an Online Curriculum Center, accessible through the web at www.IBO.org. On this web site there is a discussion page which takes the viewer to an all-classics discussion group devoted entirely to IB discussion, curriculum, suggestions, etc. The site is new for the classics and all IB teachers whose schools have access codes are invited--encouraged!--to log on and ask, or suggest, or comment on the IB curriculum, materials, whatever strikes their fancy. The site is maintained by the IB organization, and although as of this writing the section was incomplete (syllabus and assessment guides were not up yet), it is being prepared this fall and should be up and running by the time this article is published. The discussion page was open as of August 24. If yours is an IB-affiliated school, check with your Coordinator for your school's access code and join us on-line! Carol Murphy, Online Curriculum Coordinator for the Classics International Baccalaureate Organization cmurphy@mail.ccsd.k12.co.us |
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Creation of a New Classics DepartmentGrand Valley State University--a public comprehensive institution of some 17,000 students in Allendale, Michigan, just west of Grand Rapids--has given final approval to the creation of a new Department of Classics that will house new major and minor programs in Greek, Latin, and the Classical Tradition, and a projected faculty of six. This caps the extremely rapid development of classics at Grand Valley. Regular instruction in Latin began here only in 1996, with instruction in Greek following a year later. Until now, there had been only four semesters of each language on the books, taught by three classicists working in the English Department--Barbara Flaschenriem, Diane Rayor, and myself--who now will form part of the new department. Next fall, then, the University will offer a full undergraduate program in classics begun virtually from scratch. James May, Director of the APA's Classics Advisory Service, has told us, "All expansionary programs I know of had some sort of roots in classics, small but there at least. This just may be absolutely unique, at least in our time." Starting from scratch gave us the extraordinary opportunity to rethink from scratch what an undergraduate curriculum in classics should be like, to whom it should be addressed, how it should be delivered, and what the field of classics can most appropriately be in the twenty-first century. For us, this meant emphasizing the relationships between classics and other academic disciplines and between the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean and the cultures of other places and other times. It also meant recognizing that classics' particular brand of historical knowledge and imagination is itself a product of history and part of a historical process that features the simultaneous encounter of the contemporary world with both the classical past and its reception in the scholarship, art, and popular imagination of all the intervening centuries. These notions inform our curricula in Greek and Latin, and they directly led us to develop what we believe is a unique undergraduate program in the Classical Tradition. Students majoring in this program will complete the equivalent of a minor in Greek or Latin along with an individually-designed set of courses (from Classics or other academic departments) which will allow them to branch out in directions of their own choosing-into period studies, if they like, or into fields such as art, literature, religion, or social and political thought, where the classical exemplar has been particularly strong. In addition, all students will have available special courses in the tradition and reception of the classics, as well as workshops in literary translation and theater production that offer hands-on experience in the shaping of the classical tradition. This project was not, and could not have been, realized by the University's classicists in isolation. Plans for the new department were developed in concert with a group representing disciplines throughout the University, including faculty from anthropology, art, business, communications, English, history, philosophy, political science, and Spanish. We are especially grateful for the confidence, vision, and timely support of University President Arend D. Lubbers, and for the encouragement and advice of former Arts and Humanities Dean Forrest H. Armstrong. To our consultants and supporters in classics departments throughout the country, we also extend our deep thanks. As we set up shop as a department in the fall, we will look forward to strengthening the close cooperation between academic programs and sister institutions that has made our own program possible. William Levitan, Chair-designate Department of Classics Grand Valley State University |
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T-shirtsLooking for some t-shirts with Latin or Greek on them? Try these sites, and PLEASE let me know of any others!
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Ecce Romani NewsletterWorksheets, exercises, quizzes, projects, articles on content and pedagogy, book reviews, and more For users of First Latin, Ecce Romani, The Romans Speak for Themselves, Fabulae Graecae, Fabulae Romanae, the Longman Latin Readers, and the new readers published by Prentice Hall Fall and Spring issues, 24-48 pages each; $5.00 annual subscription for the two issues. Back issues from Spring 1993: $2.50 each. To submit material for publication or to subscribe, write to Gilbert Lawall, 71 Sand Hill Road, Amherst, MA 01002. Check payable to same must accompany order. glawall@classics.umass.edu. www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~glawall |
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Teacher Shortage in the UKTHIS IS A CIRCULAR FOR SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS, PLEASE PASS IT TO A HEAD TEACHER OR TEACHER OR FORWARD IT TO ONE, WE ARE TRYING TOHELP STOP THE SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS IN THE UK. Dear Head Teacher My company, Education UK Ltd, has over 150 qualified teachers on our books from various countries around the world, and they have registered with us because they would like to come to London and work as a teacher. We are currently in the process of finding placements for these teachers, who are able to teach a wide variety of subjects. We would like to match these teachers with vacancies that you may have now or those that are coming up in the near future. The teachers currently on our books are from Europe, the Caribbean and Africa. We have overseas offices in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka, Moscow and the Ukraine, all of whom have teachers on their books looking for work in the UK. Education UK Ltd can offer you:
I would be grateful if you could notify me of any vacancy that you may
have and vacancies as they arise, so that I can then match your requirements
with teachers on our books. I can be reached on any one of the contact
details below. I look forward to hearing from you. Ewan L. Denny |
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| Last Updated January 21, 2004. This site was created June 1999 by Ginny Lindzey, Webmistress of the Texas Classical Association. To report problems please contact ginlindzey@lindzey.us. | ||||||||||||||||
