As one permanent member of the NCLCC (National Chinese Language and Culture Coalition), the National Council of Associations of Chinese Language Schools (NCACLS) is pleased to announce its third international conference on Chinese Heritage Education: Cornerstone to US Global Collaboration to highlight the importance of Chinese heritage education in the US for its role in global engagements and collaborations.
The conference will feature Chinese language educators and their best practices in the areas of: Global Competence, Curriculum Design, Instructional Strategies, Performance Assessment, Educational Leadership, Educational Research, Professional Development, Technology, and Program Development.
At this conference, Chinese language educators will have opportunities to exchange ideas on innovative technologies, obtain the latest research information on pedagogical practices, as well as share resources in the Chinese language teaching community. We cordially invite teachers, researchers, program developers, and administrators in the heritage school community and educators in K-16 settings to submit proposals and attend the conference.
ORGANIZATION AND CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
NCACLS has served as a national liaison organization for Chinese heritage schools since 1994. It currently consists of 15 regional Chinese School Associations across the United States, servicing nearly 100,000 students. Our mission at NCACLS is to represent member schools planning and sponsoring events relevant to Chinese language education in the national and international arenas.
For the organization’s third international conference, we have invited experts in K-16 Chinese language education to plan and lead the conference program. The Committee is led by Dr. Yu-Lan Lin, former Executive Director of CLASS, with following members: Theresa Chao, Henny Chen, Longhua Hu, Haohsiang Liao, Virginia Shen and Cathy J. Wei.
PROPOSAL TYPE & TIME LENGTH
1. Individual Presentation
Each presentation is allotted a total of 30 minutes. The presentation lasts for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute Q&A. For topics, please refer to the PROPOSAL TOPICS section.
2. Workshop Session
Each workshop session is allotted a total of 60 minutes and consists of two or three presenters. The delivery of presentations will last for 45-50 minutes, it will then follow by questions and answers for the remainder of the time. For topics, please refer to the PROPOSAL TOPICS section.
TIMELINE
Deadline for Proposal submission (up to 300 words): April 15, 2017
Notification of acceptance: May 15, 2017
Submission for full content to be published online: June 30, 2017
Late submissions will not be considered.
Proceedings: Presenters whose proposals are accepted by the Conference Committee are encouraged to submit a 4 to 10 page text with fully developed content by June 30. They will be published online. Details on the submissions will be announced as the time approaches.
PROPOSAL TOPICS
The NCACLS Conference Committee welcomes proposals of the following topics or the topic of your choice bearing relevant application and benefits to Chinese heritage education.
1. Global Competence
Global competence has become one of the core elements to be integrated into a school curriculum. Proposals in this category encompass discussions about essential skill sets and components for the development of global competence. The Conference Committee welcomes recommendations for globalizing the classroom to best prepare students to be linguistically proficient, culturally competent and knowledgeable global citizens, and encourages ideas for exemplary curricular modules, themes, or activities that will develop language and cultural competence across proficiency levels.
2. Curriculum Design
Proposals in this category may discuss focal issues involving curricular guidelines, development, and benchmarks. Other pertinent subjects for proposals include how Backward Design and thematic units help teachers better achieve instructional goals. Proposals discussing the development of the new literacy skills, 21st Century skills, Common Core of State Standards, AP and IB programs, and any other issues implicating curriculum design are also eligible for review.
3. Instructional Strategies
Proposals in this category focus on instructional principles, methods, and strategies, as well as selection and development of authentic materials for instructional purposes. Other topics for proposals include examples that highlight successful student-centered and differentiated instruction activities. Proposals discussing classroom management skills, student grouping, use of various learner-centered activities, and any other strategies implicating curriculum design and instruction are also eligible for review.
4. Performance Assessment
Assessment is a powerful tool to strengthen language curricula. Proposals in this category address an array of assessments such as: localized and/or nationwide assessments, World-readiness Standards in relation to assessment, performance-based formative and summative assessments, proficiency and performance guidelines, evidence-driven learning outcomes, self-/peer-assessments, and/or e-portfolios. Assessment proposals also discuss ways to provide feedback for students to improve performance, which allow learners to reflect on their learning progress.
5. Educational Leadership
Educational leadership plays an important role in Chinese language education. Proposals in this category explore effective ideas on advocacy to improve the prospects for funding, legislation, and policies that define and advance language programs and schools. Suggested topics include examples of effective advocacy, collaborative efforts, and leadership development at the local, state, or national levels in response to policy and articulation changes.
6. Educational Research
Instruction should be guided by research. Proposals in this category inform language educators of research and data-driven findings. They include those practices that engage learners, promote active learning experiences, develop desirable proficiency, and build pedagogically sound programs. Advice on how to successfully translate theory into practices in classrooms is most welcome.
7. Professional Development
Teacher professional development is pivotal to program success. Proposals in this category may include case studies, school/district programs, and qualitative/quantitative analyses that document different professional career paths. Recommended topics are mentoring, coaching, teacher evaluation systems, opportunities and resources for teacher development, and requirements for teaching effectiveness.
8. Technology
Proposals in this category exemplify successful experiences that incorporate technological resources and mobile devices to fulfill curricular goals and achieve successful learning outcomes. Discussions of recommendations and challenges when transitioning from face-to-face to blended and online teaching are of great interest.
9. Program Development
Chinese language programs vary in many ways. Horizontal and vertical programs articulate in heritage and non-heritage school settings remains an area that deserves exploration. Proposals in this category focus on the development, management, and sustainability of quality programs in Chinese schools and other educational settings. Discussions include domestic and study abroad contexts.
BLIND REVIEW PROCESS
The Conference Committee will be responsible for reviewing all proposals submitted. The review of the proposals is conducted through a “blind review” process; neither the presenter’s name nor affiliation information is seen during the review process. Reviewers are required to use the NCACLS proposal review rubric to rate each proposal. The final decision will be made by the Conference Committee.
PROPOSAL GUILDELINES
Submissions are open to teachers, researchers, program developers, administrators in the heritage school community, K-16 educational settings, and educational organizations. All presenters should adhere to the following proposal guidelines and posted instructions in completing their submission online in a timely manner.
1. Submission in English or Chinese
The proposal can be written in either English or Chinese (traditional or simplified characters). They are to be submitted in PDF format through the centralized online system; any other forms of submission are not to be accepted. All proposals must be written in the third-person voice, thus, avoiding the use of “ I or We.” NCACLS reserves the right to edit when necessary. Online submission requires the lead presenter to key in background information, requisite information for the proposal, and confirmation of agreement. After completing online submission, the lead presenter will receive an automatically-generated message confirming successful completion of submission.
2. One Submission per presenter
Submitting more than one proposal per person will eliminate the proposals from a full consideration. If you submit a panel session as a lead presenter, you are responsible for adding information for your additional presenter(s) and completing all required information. Only the lead presenter will receive confirmation of a successful online submission; however, both the lead presenter and additional presenters will receive the acceptance/rejection notification via email.
3. Additional reminders
All proposals are the property of NCACLS. Any proposal that is thought to be a sales pitch for a commercial product will not be considered for review.
REVIEW PROCESS & CRITERIA
The NCACLS Conference Committee is responsible for reviewing proposals through a ‘blind review’ process. Neither the presenter’s name nor his/her affiliation is seen during the review process. Reviewers rate each proposal first, and an average of the combined scores from all reviewers is then generated. The number of proposals that can be accepted for presentation is based on the score rating and meeting space. Submission are reviewed and scored in four areas: Content and Purpose, Organization and Clarity, Quality and Clarity; and Outcomes and Benefits.
Contact Information
For questions on proposal submission, please contact Hsiao-Ling Mao (hmchin@comcast.net) For any technical issues, please contact the NCACLS Webmaster (ncaclsweb@hotmail.com)