Southwest Region
The Arizona chapter had its usual Spring and Fall meetings in 2009, the first in Tucson at the UA, the latter in Tempe, at the ASU. Both times we had rich programs, consisting of workshops and presentations by out-of-town guests and speakers. In Spring, Frank Mueller from the ZfDA, L.A., gave us a very informative talk on the work of Deutsche Schulen im Ausland, followed by Jo Sanders wonderful motivational talk. In October, the Swiss Consul Roland Rietmann, L.A., gave a great workshop on Switzerland, followed by a most fascinating presentation by the young German writer Judith Schalansky (Berlin). The chapter elected a new slate of officers who will start working in 2010. Our membership continues to be solid, though attendance at our meetings have been somewhat reduced. The president of the chapter, Prof. Classen, has worked as Multiplikator with the Goethe-Institut, S.F., and has started to give small Echoseminare.
Submitted by: Albrecht Classen, Chapter President, Email: aclassen@u.arizona.edu
Arkansas AATG held 2 meetings in 2009 and a new textbook in-service for junior high and high school teachers of German.
During the April meeting, adoption of German textbooks was discussed, with plans for a summer in-service for all teachers in the state. Also discussed were plans for a fall 2010 retreat.
In June, the junior high and high school teachers from around the state met to discuss new textbooks, make lesson plans and share teaching ideas and strategies. This was a great opportunity to share and learn from one another. A wiki was created so that all teachers could share their ideas and so that those ideas would be accessible for all in the state. A representative from the textbook company also provided in-service for the new technological features of the book.
The fall meeting was held in Northwest Arkansas in October. During that meeting, a new president was elected and a new position was created to handle the Arkansas Department of Education requirements for in-service credit.
Submitted by: Shelley Lumpkin, Chapter President. Email: slumpkin@sdale.org
During our spring semester 2009, we had some exciting activities at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. These included a German movie night, a Stammtisch, a bakesale fundraiser to raise money for our end-of-the-semester BBQ, and the BBQ itself in May.
Our fall semester was no less exciting and full of great events. In October, our chapter hosted its own Oktoberfest on campus. There was a healthy turnout and a wonderful time was had by all. Es war WUNDERBAR!
In November, we held another fundraiser, this time to raise funds for our Weihnachtsfest and German Honors Society initiation. Students donated baked goods, which were sold at a stand in the courtyard of our language building, Moore Hall. The sale went beautifully and generated plenty of income, guaranteeing yet another well-funded Christmas party.
Also during the fall semester, our chapter hosted a Stammtisch-style meeting at Manoa Gardens, as well as a "German Movie & Snacks" afternoon on campus.
In December, our Weihnachtsfest/Honors Society initiation was a great success. Approximately 35 German students and faculty joined in the celebration. Food and drink was excellent, as was the company! After the Honors Society intiation, we sang Christmas songs in German, discussed club business, and many stayed on much later to party, eat, and socialize. What a terrific time!
We had a very rewarding 2009 and are looking forward to a fantastic 2010!
Submitted by: Christina McDade, Chapter Secretary. Email: cmmcdade@yahoo.com
the Deutsches Haus in New Orleans. BFHS German teacher Rachel Becker was instrumental in planning the event. The event included German food and music, and raised money for school activities, including the German exchange program.
Our spring meeting was held on April 22, 2009 on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. The chapter meeting was held in conjunction with “High School Rally Day.” Students from all high school German programs throughout the state are invited to take part in the proficiency test and compete in activities including skits and musical activities. Students from BFHS in New Orleans, Caddo Magnet High in Shreveport and West Feliciana High in St. Francisville took part, among others. Submitted by: Ed Larson, Chapter Secretary. Email: larsonec@bellsouth.net
During our spring meeting, member Hal Rennert (former present of the Florida chapter and visiting professor at LSU) proposed that the chapter apply for funding for a one-day seminar in New Orleans on the topic “Nachhaltigkeit unterm Dach,” environmentally friendly architecture. Funding was recently approved and the seminar will take place in March 2010. During spring break in April, a group from Southeastern Louisiana University traveled to Munich for a study abroad humanities course put together by faculty member Andrea Morshäuser. The course was the second spring break study abroad for the university, and a course in Nürnberg is planned for spring break 2010.
During the summer, successful study abroad programs were offered by LSU, Southeastern Louisiana University, and by Center Austria at the University of New Orleans, among others. Chapter member Rachel Becker led a group from BFHS on a GAPP exchange to Kippenberg Gymnasium in Bremen. The second annual German National Day Luncheon was held on October 8, 2009 at the Pimsall Club in New Orleans, and about 90 people attended. The event was planned by AATG member Brigitta Malm, president of the German Seamen’s Mission of New Orleans, with assistance by the Honorary German Consul for Louisiana, W. Paul Andersson. The German consul from Houston spoke at the luncheon,
and an article about it appeared in the local newspaper. Several chapter members attended.
Our fall meeting was held on November 7, 2009, at the foreign language department’s media center on the campus of LSU. A feature of the meeting was a “Teacher’s Swap Shop,” short presentations of techniques that have been successful in the presenters’ classes. Useful websites for teaching German were also reviewed. The reality in Louisiana high schools is that German teachers need to be able to teach another subject. LSU professor and chapter member Harald Leder has been working with the LSU College of Education
and others to introduce a program that will enable students to become certified in both German and Social Studies. A component of the program will be teaching Social Studies in English at a school in Germany. We believe graduates of the program will be in demand by high school principals, and that the program will lead to more high school German programs in Louisiana in the future.
034 New Mexico/El Paso
(inactive for 2009)
Deutschfest, a statewide competition for students of German in grades 6-12 was again hosted with great success by German Online on the Oklahoma State University campus on 26 March. 375 students from the panhandle to Eastern Oklahoma competed in areas ranging from vocabulary and grammar tests to poetry recitation and prose reading, to gingerbread houses, baked goods, folk-dancing, skits, and more. First-, second-, and third-place trophies were awarded for at least two levels of each category. Thanks to Sabine Lewis, director of OSU’s German Online program, for organizing the event. Deutschfest 2010 will again be 26 March on the OSU campus.
OKAATG held its St. Crispin’s Immersion Weekend on 12 & 13 September in Seminole. This annual event, in which we speak German almost exclusively, is centered around a workshop. This year's workshop was conducted by noted foreign language teaching expert Professor Regina Braker of Eastern Oregon University on “Painting, Postcards, and Photos.” The nearly 30 teachers from Oklahoma and Colorado middle schools and high schools and Arkansas and Oklahoma colleges and universities found the workshop thoroughly enjoyable and highly useful.
We also held our Fall Chapter meeting in conjunction with the 12 & 13 September Immersion Weekend. Among items discussed were our new chapter website, supporting high school German programs, and professional opportunities through AATG and the Goethe Institut. All present also thanked Dr. Braker for her wonderful workshop.
OKAATG member Professor John te Velde of Oklahoma State University organized a visit to our state by the important German historian Dr. Benno Fischer. During the third week of November, Fischer gave a German-language presentation, Die Berliner Mauer: 1961-1989-2009. Geschichte und Erinnerung, to our members and the entire Oklahoma German-speaking community in separate appearances in Stillwater, Norman, and Tulsa. The multimedia presentation marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989.
Submitted by: Joe Sullivan, Chapter President. Email: jsullivan@ou.edu
007 Southern California - 2009
Am 7. Februar 2009 fand unser Frühjahrstreffen statt. Zum dreistündigen Workshop "Reading in the World Languages Classroom" trafen sich etwa 40 DeutschlehrerInnen. Jason Fritze - "Leader and Presenter of TPRS and Reading workshops" war "presenter." Er ist ein sehr begeisterter und unterhaltender "presenter" und die Beteiligten bekamen viele hilfreiche Strategien um das Lesen in den Deutsch / Fremdsprachen Unterricht besser zu integrieren und interessanter zu machen. Hilfreiche Tips kann man jederzeit auf seiner "Web-Seite" www.comprehensibleinput.com erfahren.
Nach einem leckeren Mittagessen - geliefert von einem deutschen Delikatessengeschäft - hatten wir noch ein AATG - SC "board meeting."
Im März fand wieder das alljährliche wochenendlange Deutschlager in den Bergen statt. "Das Mittelalter" war unser Thema dieses Jahr und dieses Thema lockte 110 Schüler und 16 LehrerInnen zum Big Bear. Robert Harrell, Deutschlehrer bei Pacifica High School, AATG -SC Präsident in den letzten 2 Jahren, und Experte auf diesem Gebiet, hatte ein sehr interessantes Programm erstellt. Schüler und Lehrer erfuhren viele Einzelheiten aus dieser Zeit durch Vorführungen, Spiele, Lieder und Aktivitäten die sich mit dem Thema befassten.
Und dann hatten wir noch ein sehr erfolgreiches Fussballturnier im April bei der Esperanza High School. Der Gewinner dieses Turniers - La Habra High School unter der Leitung von Daniela Picciotta - war unschlagbar und konnte einen Scheck über $250.00 mit nach Hause nehmen.
Unsere Herbsttagung sollte im Zusammenhang mit der ACTFL Konferenz stattfinden. Organisatorische Schwierigkeiten ließen dies aber nicht zu.
2010 - ein neues Jahr - und weiter geht's mit den Planungen für viele Aktivitäten.
Eingereicht von: Elisabeth Strauss, Chapter Secretary/Treasurer. Email: lizstra@gmail.com
Unsere AATG Aktivitäten im Jahr 2009 begannen wieder mit der Teilnahme am nationalen AATG Test für eine Gruppe von Schülern der High Schools und der Deutschen Samstagsschule, die stolz darauf waren, in Vergleich zur gesamten Nation wieder gut abgeschnitten zu haben.
Zu unserem Frühjahrstreffen am 2. Mai versammelten wir uns diesmal zu dem zur Zeit in Deutschland populärsten Imbiß: dem Döner Kebab. Prof. Regina Braker von der Eastern Oregon University präsentierte “Allerlei mit Kunst (Gemälde, Kunstkarten, Fotos) und demonstrierte, wie die Aktivitäten für die verschiedenen Altersstufen und Sprachniveaus angepaßt werden können, und wie und wo man die verschiedensten Kunst-Materialien günstig finden kann.
Am 16. Mai fand bereits unser 3. ‘Deutsches Theaterfest San Diego’ statt, mit ständig wachsender Teilnehmer- und Zuschauerzahl und Begeisterung auf Seiten aller Beteiligten.
Wiederum in den angehmen Räumlichkeiten des Mesa College, mit viel Hilfe von Studenten unserer Präsidentin Doris Herwig, hausgemachtem deutschen Essen und Austausch über die Deutschprogramme, versammelten wir uns zu: “So ein Theater! Szenisches Spiel im Sprachunterricht”. Ursula Dinter, vom Goethe Institut San Francisco, führte uns in die Thematik ein und leitete einen praktischen Workshop für die Kollegen der jüngeren Altersstufen. Dr Astrid Ronke leitete die praktischen Übungen für Lehrer der High Schools und Colleges. Beide Workshops boten viele Anregungen für den Unterrricht.
Unsere Teilnahme - als lokale Volunteers sowie als Präsenter - an der 2009 ACTFL Convention, die im November in San Diego stattfand und ein beeindruckendes Angebot für Deutschlehrende zu bieten hatte, beendete ein sehr aktives Jahr 2009.
Submitted by: Angela A. Shaw, Treasurer/Membership Chair. Email: aatgsandiego@gmail.com
As always, the year started with the Winterfest competition held at Plano Sr. High School in Plano, TX, hosted by Beth Smith. Students from all over North Texas competed to win individual as well as school honors. They danced, cooked, baked, sang, recited, spelled, acted, and had fun knowing facts about Germany and the German language. The top qualifiers went on to compete at the state competition held in Austin.
The Osterfest was again held at Tirnity High School, and we had twice as many participants as the year before. The awesome instructor was patient in explaining the wax techniques to all students, and helped with the best color selections for the eggs.
Deutscher Samstag was again held at The University of North Texas in Denton. A few organizational changes made this the best event yet. Students had fun being immersed in the German language all day long, learning new vocabulary terms and a few things they had never done before. They learned egg coloring, music, art, crocheting, had fun at jeopardy, decorated gingerbread hearts, and even ate some good German food. It was a fun day for teachers and students alike. At the end of the day all students were awarded prizes.
The third annual Maifest was again held at Trinity High School in Euless. It was a rainy day, yet many more people came to see the folkdancers. The food was wonderful. Everyone could try real Bratwurst on a pretzel bun – what a treat. This year’s event was combined with Trinity’s GAP club (Girls Awareness Program), which included vaccinations for dogs and cats. Another successful and great day for the German students and the community.
The annual meeting in September was held at Jasper High School in Plano. We offered seminars on blogging (by Dr. Scott Williams), literature (by Beth Smith), GAPP (by Laura Boyle), and cultural crafts we do in class. Gayle Cope showed us how to make easy Apple Strudel, and it tasted almost like in Germany or Austria. Several teachers introduced different cultural items: the chocolate game, making advent wreaths, making Nikolausstiefel/schuhe, pop-up cards, Apfelmännchen, and many more things done in class or in our German clubs. Host Dana Molnar provided us with a very nice lunch, sponsored by her German club and parents of her German students.
October saw the Sportfest again, where students compete in biking, hiking, playing soccer, guzzling root beer and eating pretzels. Students get up early on a Saturday morning just to win the honor of being the best. This is a fun filled day for all students.
Weihnachtsfest was held at Tarrant County College in Hurst. There were almost 150 participants. It was wonderful to see everyone making Apfelmännchen, Strohsterne, coloring Weihnachtsbilder, making the pop-up cards, doing Christmas games, and singing songs. And then there was the typical German food, including Glühwein (non-alcoholic, of course). Students, parents, and teachers alike got to try some authentic German food and desserts.
Our annual Mavericks night will not happen until January. Nevertheless, we are excited about meeting Dirk Nowitzki again.
Submitted by: Hildegard Lombardo, Chapter President. Email: hildegardlombardo@hebisd.edu
In the spring we again held our Stammtisch meetings and met with German teachers across the Houston area at a Café in the River Oaks area. It has been enjoyable to the teachers, as it is always nice to get together with colleagues and share ideas and concerns (especially since most of us are the only German teacher on the campus).
We held our annual Awards Ceremony for the German National Exam results on April 24, 2009. It was held at Cypress Falls High School. Turnout was somewhat better than last year, probably because of the later time that we have still adhered to. We were honored to have Thorsten Gottfried, the Vice Consul for the German Consulate of Houston, to be a guest and say a few words.
In the fall we introduced the new website for the Houston Metropolitan Chapter of the AATG. Shane Thomas was kind enough to get it going for our chapter for a very reduced price. He is the president’s brother, residing in another state and with a major in Computer Science. It has been very user friendly and has been updated on a steady basis. We also continued with the Stammtisch meetings. We only held two due to busy schedules and holidays- September and October. September’s was again at the Café and October’s was at the residence of Yvonne Thomas for a Spielabend.
The Deutscher Samstag (Immersion Day) was hosted on the November 14 at Cypress Ranch High School in Cypress Fairbanks ISD. The event started promptly at 9am and was finished by 3:00 pm. The theme was the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In December, we had our Nikolausabend meeting at a local German restaurant (Rudi Lechner’s). Rudi Lechner’s has long been a supporter of the Houston Metropolitan AATG. After a wonderful dinner, we discussed the events for the upcoming year. A slate of officers was also decided upon to present at the spring meeting, which will be held on April 23, 2010.
Submitted by Yvonne Thomas, Chapter President. Email: yvonne.thomas@cfisd.net
2008 was a very eventful year for the South Texas AATG chapter. On February 2, Sprachfest (South Texas) Regional German Contest was held in San Antonio for South Texas middle- and high school students. Those who ranked in the top 5 places in most events advanced to the Texas State German Contest, held February 23 at the University of Texas in Austin. Once again, this event allowed nearly 900 German students the opportunity to showcase their talents and skills, and provided the motivation and recognition that helps build German programs.
March 27 – 29 marked the Texas Foreign Language Association spring conference in Corpus Christi, Texas. Several South Texas members presented sessions on such topics as drama techniques for the language class, Fußball im Deutschunterricht, and the regional and state contest systems. The three Texas AATG chapters also held a joint meeting during the conference.
We had planned our fall meeting for Saturday, September 13; but as that weekend approached, so too did Hurricane Ike, and we ultimately were forced to re-schedule. On November 1, our fall chapter meeting was held at St. Edward’s University in Austin. Our program was Technology for the Foreign Language Classroom. Jason Reichert, Meagan Tripp, and Ewa Siwak presented on a variety of technology topics, including Didaktisierung of podcasts such as “Slow German” and “Top-Thema”, downloading materials from YouTube and iTunes, useful websites such as Deutsche Welle and Europa Aktuell, and accessing music and listening sources. Zsuzsi Abrams presented on UT’s “Deutsch im Blick” and “Grimm Grammar” websites, currently being used with UT German classes but available to all German students. Mary El-Beheri also provided information about the regional and state German contests. During the business meeting, new officers were selected for 2008/09: Kerstin Somerholter, president; Pam Schultz, vice-president; Ewa Siwak, secretary; and Sandi Mays, treasurer. Evelyn Saucier will continue as program director and Mary El-Beheri as webmaster; Meagan Tripp continues as membership chair.
The fall TFLA conference was held in Houston on Oct. 16-18.
Several South Texas AATG members received awards this year. Lee Ann Hartmann of LaGrange was named one of 10 outstanding teachers in the state, receiving a 2008 Texas Exes Award for Outstanding Teachers from The University of Texas at Austin's alumni association, the Texas Exes. Nella Spurlin of Temple High School was named Foreign Language Teacher of the Year for Texas at the spring TFLA conference. Evelyn Saucier of Round Rock Westwood High School received the prestigious AATG Outstanding Secondary German Educator award at the November ACTFL meeting in Miami. At the same conference, Meagan Tripp of Temple High School became the first recipient of the German Embassy Teacher of Excellence Award. Terry Smith of Plano received the AATG Friend of German award; our chapter had nominated him for this recognition. We are very proud of these outstanding teachers.
Our chapter website can be found at http://www.germancontest.org/staatg/
To network with other German teachers in the area, a listserv is maintained for local AATG members. We can be contacted at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TeachSoTxAATG/
A Listserv has also been set up with information about German teaching positions in Texas.
To post message: texasgermanjobs@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: texasgermanjobs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: texasgermanjobs-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com For additional information on the South Texas Chapter of the AATG, check our Web site http://germansa.home.texas.net/aatg/
Submitted by Nella Spurlin, Past Chapter President. Email: nspurlin@hot.rr.com
