Texas Summer Institute DPISD 2023

Organic World Language Texas Summer Institute 2023

This three-day training is a time for teachers to grow in their practice and make invaluable connections with other educators across the country. We will spend the time together sharing our successes and challenges, learning about proficiency and second language acquisition, and working with a structure that creates an interactive, student-directed classroom. Participants experience the strategies through demos with students, when possible, and in whole and small groups. The focus is on an immersive, target language environment where students are highly engaged and intrinsically motivated. Teachers leave with new techniques and relationships for continued collaboration! This training builds on concepts throughout and allows time for feedback and collaboration.

All OWL workshops are interactive, hands-on and purposefully geared towards the audience at hand. No matter where you’re at in your OWL journey, there’s something for you!

Workshop outcomes:

• Proficiency foundation
• Techniques for high student engagement
• Exploration of the immersive second language environment
• Strategies for eliciting student production
• Working with the PPATH planning structure
• Novice and Intermediate demos
• Intro to questioning strategies
• Application of State & National Standards
• Application of Second Language Acquisition research
• Creation of proficiency-based lesson plan
• Practice Questioning Strategies
• Creating a Structure (Planning) and Post-Planning
• Introduction to Student Feedback
• Role of the Organic Roadmap
• Introduction to de-unitizing

To ensure all participants health and safety during this opportunity, OWL will be following all recommended CDC guidelines. As guidelines change, OWL will keep all participants up to date with safety protocols.

Daily Schedule

Morning Session: 9am-12:00pm CST

Lunch: 12:00pm-1:00pm CST

• Lunch will be on your own, an opportunity for networking and further conversations with colleagues.

Afternoon Session: 1:00pm-4:00pm CST

To Further Enhance Your Experience

• Participants may take advantage of half hour one-on-one consultations with a member of the OWL facilitation team at an additional $40 per session. Topics can include: school specific dilemmas and challenges, feedback of a previously recorded classroom session, question and answer, and much more!
• Participants can purchase additional OWL Resources to further aid in your implementation of a proficiency-based classroom.
• College Credit: There is an optional post graduate credit through Southern Oregon University. $70 fee per unit plus a one time $30 processing fee. Can receive up to 2 credit for the three days. (Totals: $100 for 1 credit). Teachers pay with a check or money order in person and course requirements will be distributed at the time of Bootcamp. If you would like information prior to Bootcamp, please contact [email protected]

Travel Information – The nearest airport to Deer Park is Houston Hobby Apt (HOU) Airport which is 9.9 miles away. The other closest airport is Houston (IAH) (23.6 miles).

The event is located at the Deer Park High School North Campus in the Multipurpose Room

Lodging recommendations – Coming soon! Some participants choose to stay in an Airbnb.

Funding Tips & Recommendations 

We suggest checking with your school about Title Funds and monies. Our work falls into many different categories and teachers have received funding assistance (partial or full) from Title money. Please contact us if you need specific information from us in order to apply or request funds: [email protected].

We offer payment plans. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested.

Please let us know if you have found a way to receive financial assistance that may be open to other teachers. We would love to make the Summer Institute as accessible as possible to all.