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ARMENIAN CLASS WEDS TRADITION AND MODERN PERSPECTIVE
Watertown TAB & Press
Sept 18 2009
MA
WATERTOWN -- .Up to the eleventh hour, it looked like Watertown's
decades-old Armenian program would be cut in half. But a last-minute
solution has created a new class where students learn not only the
language, but also about the culture of modern Armenia.
When the high school's advanced Armenian teacher retired last year,
the district posted the job, but got only one response.
"She was very interested in learning how to teach advanced Armenia, but
she was not ready to teach," said Superintendent Ann Koufman-Frederick.
With no teacher in place for the start of school, it looked like
third- and fourth-year Armenian classes would be cancelled. But then
Seta Sullivan, who works in the schools' business office and is a
former secondary teacher, said she'd take the class. However, there
was a new problem: There was no money left in the budget to cover
the position. Sullivan said she'd volunteer her time, and advanced
Armenian was back on.
The course combines language instruction and media skills, taught by
Vera Ventura. Combining Armenian with blogging, online research and
video has created a curriculum that is interesting to teenagers. And
so Armenian Media, or ArMedia, was born.
"There are no books with basic Armenian for teenagers," said Sullivan.
Students spend one day a week doing intensive language work. Their
other classes are spent working on vocabulary and studying Armenian
culture. The first 15 minutes of every class are dedicated to surfing
the Internet for information on Armenia and posting it on the class
blog. The class will culminate with students making videos for the
school's YouTube channel and Watertown Community Access Center in
Armenian.
Although she doesn't speak Armenian, Ventura said she worked with
ESL students as part of her master's program and became interested
in how technology can help in learning a language.
Koufman-Frederick said the ArMedia class could serve as a model for the
use of technology in other classes and as a problem-solving solution.
"This could make an impact on how we teach foreign languages in
school," she said. "Students are applying and using what they learn
in a real way."
Sullivan wants her students to use technology to help them learn
about modern Armenian culture, rather than focusing on its history
and the Armenian Genocide.
"I want them to be proud about who they are and not just feel bad
about what happened to us," she said.
Watertown TAB & Press
Sept 18 2009
MA
WATERTOWN -- .Up to the eleventh hour, it looked like Watertown's
decades-old Armenian program would be cut in half. But a last-minute
solution has created a new class where students learn not only the
language, but also about the culture of modern Armenia.
When the high school's advanced Armenian teacher retired last year,
the district posted the job, but got only one response.
"She was very interested in learning how to teach advanced Armenia, but
she was not ready to teach," said Superintendent Ann Koufman-Frederick.
With no teacher in place for the start of school, it looked like
third- and fourth-year Armenian classes would be cancelled. But then
Seta Sullivan, who works in the schools' business office and is a
former secondary teacher, said she'd take the class. However, there
was a new problem: There was no money left in the budget to cover
the position. Sullivan said she'd volunteer her time, and advanced
Armenian was back on.
The course combines language instruction and media skills, taught by
Vera Ventura. Combining Armenian with blogging, online research and
video has created a curriculum that is interesting to teenagers. And
so Armenian Media, or ArMedia, was born.
"There are no books with basic Armenian for teenagers," said Sullivan.
Students spend one day a week doing intensive language work. Their
other classes are spent working on vocabulary and studying Armenian
culture. The first 15 minutes of every class are dedicated to surfing
the Internet for information on Armenia and posting it on the class
blog. The class will culminate with students making videos for the
school's YouTube channel and Watertown Community Access Center in
Armenian.
Although she doesn't speak Armenian, Ventura said she worked with
ESL students as part of her master's program and became interested
in how technology can help in learning a language.
Koufman-Frederick said the ArMedia class could serve as a model for the
use of technology in other classes and as a problem-solving solution.
"This could make an impact on how we teach foreign languages in
school," she said. "Students are applying and using what they learn
in a real way."
Sullivan wants her students to use technology to help them learn
about modern Armenian culture, rather than focusing on its history
and the Armenian Genocide.
"I want them to be proud about who they are and not just feel bad
about what happened to us," she said.