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 […]
Continue readingTop 10 Tips Before Administering the AAPPL
In preparation for your fall AAPPL testing season, we have pulled together a list of Top Ten Tips to help ensure that your AAPPL experience this year is a smooth one. 1. Choose your proctoring mode and think through the steps you will need to take to set yourself and your students up. These resources can […]
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