Educator workshops Credits - The French Traveler - France travel Specialist

Graduate Credit Information

In conjunction with the University of Massachusetts at Boston, The French Traveler is pleased to offer three graduate credits for the Classic France workshop in France in July of 2010. Candidates apply separately for the credits before departure by paying a $1250 fee for the course. Upon returning from France, candidates will be required to submit a research paper by September 1, 2010 to a designated professor at UMass/Boston on a topic based on information presented during the workshop. Candidates will then be issued a grade and a transcript from UMass shortly after receipt and evaluation of your work. Registration forms will be sent out from our office, and we will be happy to share with you the requirements for the written work. See below for further information on the paper requirements; for additional details and information, contact The French Traveler.

In addition to graduate credits, each participant may receive a certificate of 85 Massachusetts Professional Development hours for the workshop after showing proficiency in a relevant subject area and submitting an appropriate end-of-course assessment to be decided upon at the conclusion of the workshop in conjunction with the Director. Although The French Traveler is not authorized to share or publish these assessment results, they will be kept by our office for a required period of five years, in the event of an audit by the Massachusetts Department of Education. There is no fee for the PDPs.

All candidates will receive, upon successful completion of the course, a Certification of Completion which attests to your efforts and your presence at the course. For many school districts, this certificate is sufficient proof of successful professional development. To be sure of exactly which professional qualifications you need, check with your department chair, superintendent, or administrative office to be sure before you leave for the summer.

CLASSIC FRANCE 2010 : APLING 612

Designed and implemented by The French Traveler, Inc., in collaboration with the Modern Language Department and the School of Continuing Education at UMass/Boston

GUIDELINES & COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR 3 GRADUATE CREDITS

The French Traveler, Inc. is proud to collaborate with the University of Massachusetts Boston Continuing Education Department by offering a unique program designed exclusively for French teachers in a different city in France each summer. In 2010, teachers interested in improving their written and spoken French will be immersed in French language and culture in and around Lyon, France for a period of 12 days. Through a variety of instructional means both formal and informal, the course aims to refine proficiency in the language and familiarity with cultural aspects of France today. Morning seminars cover various aspects of the country’s burning issues and afternoon excursions highlight places of cultural and historical value. Outside the classroom, learning continues through immersion in the various activities and interaction with local intervenants which The French Traveler has arranged for the student so meet.

Participating teachers pay a course fee to the University of Massachusetts to register for the credits before attending the workshop. After the workshop, each participant is required to write a paper in French which shows significant research on a topic of interest covered in the workshop. The topic will be discussed and decided upon by the end of the workshop and then researched and e-mailed to the designated professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston by September 1st of each summer. We expect participants to approach their research in a scholarly and serious manner. In addition to actively participating in the morning seminars and afternoon excursions, reading the articles we provide during the workshop, we expect participants to consult scholarly journals, articles, books, or other media for additional research into their topic. At least four bibliographical references must be cited, theoretical, sociological, scholarly, or otherwise. Although we do not proscribe a particular length, the paper must demonstrate critical thinking and reflection. All work will be discussed orally with the seminar professor in France and a grade granted by a professor in the Modern Language Department from UMass Boston before a transcript is mailed out in the fall.