The 2019 Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy (VSCTA) in conjunction with the Virginia STARTALK Chinese Student Academy (VSCSA) will continue to create an innovative blended training model to train Chinese language teachers to teach online. With proven excellence and teacher participants’ testimonials since 2008, the Virginia STARTALK Chinese Teacher Academy (VSCTA) at the University of Virginia has established an excellent reputation in academic rigor and quality training the nation and will continue to attract a large application pool from different geographical areas in the nation.
The VSCTA program aims to recruit 12 passionate teachers nationwide. The recruited teachers will actively engage in synchronous and asynchronous interactive platforms created for the 2-week pre-program online training modules and 3-week residential onsite training at the University of Virginia (UVa). The 5-week teacher program begins with 2-week online training (June 18- 29), followed by 2 & 1/2-week onsite training (July 2-19). The 12-day student program will be running virtually from July 5-19 (excluding July 7, 8, 15).
This year the teacher program continues to offer the 3-credit or 5-credit graduate level course in teaching Chinese as a foreign language that features a well-sequenced curriculum with online and onsite training. Teacher participants should demonstrate competence in teaching Chinese language and culture in K-16 educational settings, have prior knowledge and skills in implementing online tools in teaching, and show willingness to collaborate with teaching fellows to explore the online teaching model in the VSCTA/VSCSA community. The capstone in the development of trainees’ competence will be the completion of an E-portfolio that documents trainees’ extensive learning experiences in launching or advancing their careers in teaching online Mandarin Chinese courses.
The integration of both theory and practice will be delivered through a blended instructional model before, during, and after the program. Practicum is a crucial component of the teacher program. Teacher participants will closely work with the technology team and practicum facilitators to complete practicum requirements in a multi-faceted reflective cycle. During the practicum phase, teachers will have ample opportunities to apply effective pedagogy and STARTALK-endorsed principles for effective teaching and learning to teach rising 9-12 graders online. With the versatility of advanced technologies and innovative pedagogy, students in the STARTALK student program will fully engage in active learning through powerful and user-friendly online platforms, frequently interact with instructors, assistants, and peers, and receive strong rapport within the online learning community.
