Search for Professional Development Resources

The Professional Development section of LangSource began as a project funded by the National Foreign Language Center in 2000. The primary purpose of the project was to create an on-line database to identify resources that could be used by foreign language teachers’ K-16. It was thought that these resources could be used either to develop and/or enhance their knowledge of foreign language pedagogy. Items considered for inclusion in this database were any and all resources (books, tapes, URL's, software, etc.) related to language teaching and learning.

With the support of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages the first editorial board was established and charged with identifying those groups within the profession that might benefit most from such a database. During this phase of the project the data-base was organized by topics reflecting the interests of the foreign language education community; specifically university program coordinators, teacher educators, and -K-16 teachers.

In the second phase of LangSource, the editorial board concentrated on collecting data relating to the professional needs of the k-12 foreign language teachers. Specifically identifying resources in each state of the United States where teachers could find information relating to teacher assessment policies and licensing procedures. Institutions that provided professional improvement were also included. These resources were documented by their URLs.

In the current phase of LangSource the Professional Board is concentrating on identifying resources that foreign language teacher educators, preservice and inservice teachers use to facilitate their interests in the teaching of culture. Items frequently cited as useful and needed by the community are currently being identified and submitted to the database. We would like to recognize the following individuals for their past and current contributions to this section of LangSource:

Anne D. Cummings, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
Bryan L. Watkins, Omaha Public Schools
Charles J. James, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dale Lang, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota
David Byrd, University of Iowa
James Sweigert, Baltimore Public Schools
John L. Watzke, University of Notre Dame
Leslie L. Schrier, University of Iowa
Michael E. Everson, University of Iowa
Michael G. Fast, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Monica Ackerland Vuksanovich, University of Iowa
Susan Hildebrandt, Longwood University

Search for Professional Development Resources