The Voces Summer Camp is a virtual event of training and inspiration. This year, we'll have two tracks: One offering support for our Comprehensible Input-based titles and the other offering support for our grammar-based titles along with more general support for you as a World Language educator.

The conference begins on July 26 at 10 am ET with a few kick-off sessions for everyone. After lunch, we'll split off into two tracks-you can choose your track or bounce back and forth between them. There will be exceptional educators and Voces teachers discussing best practices in world language teaching and demonstrating the use of Voces Digital. After four days of sessions, we'll reconvene on Friday, July 29 at 3 pm ET to reflect on and celebrate our successes.

What does it cost to register?
Registration is FREE for active Voces subscribers. Email [email protected] for your promo code.

Not a subscriber?
Register for only $50, or purchase a Teacher License for $100 and registration is free!

Will sessions be accessible after the fact?
Yes! All sessions will be recorded and available to watch after the conference.

Will there be participation certificates?
Yes! By registering, you will automatically receive a participation certificate. Expect it about a week after the event. Please note: The certificates will not have hours listed, nor will they be accredited by any institution or group.

What else can I expect?
Fun events, show and tell, group "desk" exercise sessions, mindfulness moments, prizes, special guests, and music!

Register Now

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Schedule

(*All times are Eastern Time)
Day 1 - Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1
10:00 (30 min)	Erin Almeranti	The Story Behind Voces In this opening session, we'll introduce you to the Voces Team and highlight what we do, why we do it, and what this conference aims to achieve!
10:30 (30 min)	Erin Almeranti	Know What Drives You Let's reflect on what drives you to be here, what drives you to do what you do in the classroom, and what drives you to be a world language teacher in the first place. This session is based on Allynn Lodge's chapter of the same name in "A Teacher's Guide to Our Story." The ideas presented can be a reflection on and centering of purpose, and may help you decide which sessions to attend this week.
11:00 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
11:10 (30 min)	Allynn Lodge	Starting the School Year Strong As you attend sessions this week, we encourage you to see the information through the lens of planning for next school year. With that in mind, Allynn Lodge will share some ideas for ways to start off the year in order to foster success through to the end of the school year. This session is also based on a chapter in Allynn's book, "A Teacher's Guide to Our Story."
11:40 (20 min)	Erin Almeranti	Overview of the Schedule and Choosing Sessions How do you decide which sessions to attend this week? What can you expect? In this session, Erin will give you an overview of the week's schedule as well as some advice on and insight into deciding which sessions to attend.
12:00 (60 min)	Lunch	Step away from the screen, but if you want to stay, then this is what we have in store: Oddest Object: Details will be given at noon and will involve an object in your house. Prizes will be awarded to winners! Group "Desk" Exercise Session: Let Erin lead you in a few desk exercise moves. Have one to share? Please chime in and show us! Prizes will be given to the best desk exercise ideas!
Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1	Presenter	Zoom Room 2
1:00 (50 min)	Gary DiBianca	CI & Our Story: An Introduction What is CI? How does the Our Story series support CI? This session is good for those new to CI and/or the Our Story series and want to know more about the foundation and fundamentals of the method and curriculum.	Erin Almeranti	An Introduction to the Voces Library Join us for a guided tour of the Voces library, from a look at the Our Story series to a dive into the grammar-based Spanish and French series. We'll highlight the structure of the different series as well as extra resources you may not have realized were available.
1:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
2:00 (50 min)	Eric Richards	Demo and Discuss: Teaching with CI Now that you have an understanding of the fundamentals of CI and Our Story, see a teacher putting CI into practice on day 1 of class. Eric will walk you through establishing classroom culture and getting to know students, all while using the target language (German, in this case). And who will be the students? YOU will be the students!	Lauren Sharon	Demo and Discuss: Introducing a Unit in Voces Let a Voces teacher demonstrate how one might introduce a unit from one of our grammar-based titles, starting with planning, moving through teaching the lesson, and ending in assessment. This will give you a good idea of how one might use Voces, although emphasis will be placed on variation and to each their own path.
3:00 (50 min)		Debrief with Guiding Questions in Breakout Rooms Breakout Rooms TBD: CI focus (Mix of presenters and VT members) What is CI? What are some resources in Our Story that directly help to deliver CI? What are resources in Our Story that support CI? What are some ways Eric made things comprehensible? What are some ways that Eric made students feel at ease? What are other ways we can provide quality CI? What are other ways we can put students at ease in our class when speaking in the TL? Breakout Rooms TBD: General focus What are some possible paths through the Voces curriculum (any title)? What are some ways to present information to students using the resources in Voces? How can we use the tools (like the editing and assigning tools) in Voces to scaffold the material? How can we ensure students are understanding texts, including authentic materials and videos? How can we engage students while staying focused on the days goals?

Day 2 - Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1	Presenter	Zoom Room 2
10:00 (55 min)	Allynn Lodge	Introducing & Teaching Vocabulary Allynn will discuss the options for introducing vocabulary that are included in the Our Story series (TPR, Slideshows, PQA, etc.), as well as present some of her own games and activities for introducing vocabulary, which she discusses at length in her Teacher's Guide.	Hannah Meinecke / Lorena Ojeda	Introducing Vocabulary for the First Time Join Hannah and Lorena as they present on using vocabulary lists and slideshows, games (like Flyswatter, Blooket, the Game Center, etc.), and other techniques for introducing and teaching vocabulary in any classroom. Demonstrations will primarily use Our Storyscape, a new EFL curriculum.
10:55 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
11:05 (55 min)	Allynn Lodge	Demo and Discuss: Using Story Scripts with Confidence Almost all levels of Our Story include open-ended story scripts that involve taking contributions from students—this facet of the activity can intimidate even the most seasoned teachers. Fear not! In this Demo and Discuss, Allynn will provide an easy-to-navigate strategy for using story scripts and will demo a lesson in English. You will be the students so you can see firsthand how this light-hearted activity serves to build community in the classroom and strengthen students' vocabulary at the same time.	Kelsey Lewandowski	Open Voces Training Join Kelsey to learn the basics of navigating the Voces platform so you can follow along all week, including LMS integration. We'll take a look at common tools, terminology, and more to help you quickly become a Voces Digital expert.
12:00 (60 min)	Lunch	Step away from the screen, but if you want to stay, then this is what we have in store: Amy Silveston Takes the Stage: Listen to a few tunes by Amy Silveston, musician, voice-over artist, videographer, and all-around creative person from France. Mindfulness Moment: Join us for another mindfulness moment Gina Reichert.
1:00 (50 min)	Bryan Kandel	How to Teach with Stories Using Our Story About teaching with the short stories in Our Story, including techniques and ideas for presenting the stories to students (like reading them out loud, playing the audio, having them read it alone, etc.) and doing follow-up comprehension check type of activities (like retelling it with illustrations, having them draw and caption, having them act out parts, etc.)	Melisa Ferguson	How to Teach a Grammar Lesson Using Voces Digital How to use the wide variety of resources in one of our grammar-based titles to structure a complete lesson plan. Learn how you can select various activities to make your lessons effective, engaging, and fun from the minute students walk into the classroom right up to dismissal. This presentation uses our new Spanish novice title, Voces por el mundo, as an example, but the ideas can readily apply to any of our grammar-based titles.
1:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
2:00 (50 min)	Eric Richards	Demo and Discuss: Teaching a Story Eric is back to demonstrate how to "teach a story" using a short story from the German CI curriculum, Unsere Geschichten. He will illustrate some of what Bryan discussed in the previous session and discuss/unpack what he is demonstrating along the way.	Glennys Bistany	Demo and Discuss: A Lesson from Introductory Spanish How to use Voces to teach a lesson, from projecting material on the board and discussing it with students, to introducing vocab with games, to what students do next. Glennys will demo and discuss both the teaching of the material and how she uses the Voces tools to help her teach a lesson.
2:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
3:00 (50 min)		Debrief with Guiding Questions in Breakout Rooms Breakout Rooms TBD: CI focus (Mix of presenters and VT members) Breakout Rooms TBD: General focus (Mix of presenters and VT members)	Erica Peplinski-Burge	Herding Kittens with Nuestra historia: Primaria 1 and 2, an Elementary Spanish Curriculum Comprehensible Input works for all ages! In this session, learn about the mind of pre-literate language students and how to work with their energy and enthusiasm to create a joyous and productive classroom. Take it further by tapping into the resources in Primaria 1 y 2, where you'll find stories to make your students laugh, cry, and think about the world around them. You will also find new and creative activity types, engaging story videos, and a captivating collection of cultural resources your students are bound to love.

S'more sessions

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1
6:30 (55 min)	Sandy Lewis	Stick Figures in the Acquisition-Driven Classroom Storytelling comes to life with drawings! But the secret is to make the drawings simple and effective! For Sandy, it is an ever-evolving journey to draw stick drawings and simple art for stories, so come and join her as she shares some of her secrets and draws with you in this fun gathering!

Day 3 - Thursday, July 28, 2022

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1	Presenter	Zoom Room 2
10:00 (50 min)	Erica Peplinski-Burge	Authentic Voices and Perspectives Using the Interview Videos Having a wide variety of authentic voices expressing cultural perspectives from all over the world should be a vital part of our curriculum. But how do you bring authentic voices and cultural perspectives into your curriculum? The Our Story series has you covered with the "Interview" sections in Extra! Extra!! In this session, we will talk about the "Interviews" and what teachers and students can do with them. We'll also show you how to use the Editor to add Cloze activities to the videos - something you can do with any video with a transcript!	Cal Powers	Finding the Culture in Voces Where is the Culture in Voces? How Do We Teach Culture Using Voces? In this session, we'll look through ALL titles and series and discuss where and how the culture is incorporated. We'll look specifically at panoramas, interview videos, and embedded cultural material, and share with you developments we're working on to bring even more authentic culture to Voces!
10:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
11:00 (60 min)	Laurie Clarcq	Using and Making Embedded Readings (especially those focused on Culture) From news articles to biographies to texts on cultural practices, there is so much rich and nuanced information we want to impart to our students about the products, practices, and perspectives of the target culture. How can we do this while staying in the target language? Embedded readings offer the scaffolding learners need and, if done right, have the advantage of "the pull" of a story. In this session, Laurie Clarcq, who (together with Michele Whaley) developed the use of embedded readings in the world language classroom, will show you how to use embedded readings in the classroom, including those in the Our Story series, and ways to create your own.	Linda Temby	Dig Deeper into Culture In this session we'll explore why we teach culture in language class and what more we can do to teach culture that is relevant, comprehensible, interesting, and current. This session will include tips for getting students interested in target culture and for representing target cultures responsibly. We'll also discuss how to avoid bias and how to avoid presenting other cultures as "weird," while understanding the purpose and beliefs behind practices, and how we can supplement with realia (videos, blogs, images, etc.), engage students in thoughtful discussions and cool projects that encourage students to explore the culture further!
12:00 (60 min)	Lunch	Step away from the screen, but if you want to stay, then this is what we have in store: Picture-Perfect Pet: Details will be given at noon and will involve your pet. Don't have a pet? Don't worry—pretend pets will work for this event too. Prizes will be awarded to winners!
1:00 (50 min)	Bryan Kandel	Assessing with Our Story Assessment is a vital part of any World Language class. However, assessment can be difficult in a CI classroom, especially for new CI teachers. In this session, we will examine the assessment options in the Our Story curriculum series. We'll discuss assessment goals and strategies, as well as techniques that guide all we do, and we'll demonstrate how the Our Story curriculum series can help to implement those strategies and meet our assessment goals.	Melisa Ferguson	Assessment in the WL Classroom This session will explore assessment in a WL classroom, from developing rubrics, to preparing students with formative assessments, to incorporating all the modes in your assessment and discussing the key role that IPAs - like those found in all Voces titles - can have in your classroom.
1:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
2:00 (50 min)	Gary DiBianca	Planning a Lesson with the End of the Year in Mind Join Gary DiBianca as he explores lesson-building using the Our Story series with the end of the year in mind. We will focus on these questions: What do you want students to do in the target language throughout the year? What do the levels of proficiency tell you about what students should be able to do? How do you articulate your goals and objectives to students and/or administrators? How do you prepare daily lesson plans to meet your goals for students? Having a developed curricula like Our Story is amazing to guide us, but it is only the beginning in our role as teachers and facilitators of acquisition. In this session, let's paint the big picture together.	David Wilson	Voces Training: Assignments and Parameters In this session we will explore the tools in the Assignments tab which can be helpful for scheduling and planning, directing your students' learning, and adjusting how your students complete activities. We'll cover how to set up, manage, and monitor student completion of assignments.
2:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
3:00 (50 min)		Debrief with Guiding Questions in Breakout Rooms Breakout Rooms TBD: CI focus (Mix of presenters and VT members) Breakout Rooms TBD: Not CI focus (Mix of presenters and VT members)	Bryce Hedstrom	Building Community and Understanding with "The Special Person" Interviews Join Bryce Hedstrom as he helps you build community and understanding in the classroom through "The Special Person" interview. Bryce will show you how to foster respect and interest among the class, while students learn the language in a relaxed social context.

S'more sessions

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1
5:30 (55 min)	Leah Boch	Breaking Down the Language Binary "Either-or" questions are a classic part of any circling strategy in a CI classroom, but when we rely on extreme ends of a spectrum in our descriptions of characters, we are limiting the ways in which our students can interact with the world in the target language. Join me for a session that exemplifies why we need to move away from this binary, while giving you some simple strategies to start making your classroom more inclusive and multi-dimensional next year.
6:30 (55 min)	Allynn Lodge	Discussion of the Guide Have you been hearing about "A Teacher's Guide to Our Story" and wondering what all the hype is about? Join Allynn Lodge, author of the Guide, as she shows you excerpts, answers your questions, and discusses some of the concepts in the Guide. This is an open, collaborative discussion and everyone is welcome! Learn more about the Guide here.

Day 4 - Friday, July 29, 2022

Time	Presenter	Zoom Room 1	Presenter	Zoom Room 2
10:00 (55 min)	Allynn Lodge	How to Plan a Unit In this session, Allynn will discuss her approach to planning a unit using Our Story, both exclusively and a la carte. This information is based on similar information in "A Teacher's Guide to Our Story," which you can learn more about here.	Leah Boch	Using Flexible Graphic Organizers to Keep Students Engaged Bell to Bell "Students forgot how to be students" was something I heard from countless teachers across the country this year. The pandemic disrupted our classroom environments, and suddenly, keeping early-language level students engaged and on-task seemed like a more impossible task than normal. In this session, we will talk about how to utilize an open-ended graphic organizer to keep students engaged throughout the class, especially in those transition moments which can easily derail a lesson.
10:55 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
11:05 (55 min)	Kyle Carr	Chaos vs. Order in Planning and Pacing with Our Story The human brain craves structure. It's why the most creative people work most effectively under a certain foundation of structure rules (poetry, musical masterpieces, etc.). Yet the human brain also craves chaos; the novelty of unpredictability. The classroom cannot be overly structured and it cannot be overly chaotic. There must be chaos within the confines of a safe structure. How do you balance routine and novelty; order and chaos in the world language classroom? Specifically, how do you achieve this balance when using the Our Story series? Kyle Carr, AKA Profe Loco, aims to answer this question, offering his philosophy on the subject and various tools to be used both within Our Story and without it to achieve this balance.	Kelsey Lewandowski	Voces Training: Grading and Progress In this session, we'll explore the grading portal as well as other ways to check students' progress in Voces. Kelsey will demonstrate how to find class data, student activity history, and more. Along the way, we'll learn how to send grades to your LMS or otherwise export your data.
12:00 (60 min)	Lunch	Step away from the screen, but if you want to stay, then this is what we have in store: Show and Tell - What magic have you created using the Voces tools and content? Show us your favorite custom Voces material and tell us about it. A sign-up sheet will be sent out beforehand, but people can show and tell without signing up as well. Prizes will be awarded (a bit arbitrarily to anyone who shares)!
1:00 (50 min)	Jeremy Jordan	What's so super about Super Lapiz and Super Crayon? Learn how to soar with your students while using the Súper Lápiz/Super Crayon level 1 series. This session will include ideas for personalization, discussion, and tips and tricks to get even more out of the episodes while having a SUPER time.	Kelsey Lewandowski and Other Team Members	Voces Training: Hidden Gems of Voces Do you think you know everything about Voces? We bet you don't! Join some of the Voces team members as we show you our favorite (often overlooked) features. We'll also talk about some specific solutions for those niche scenarios teachers often find themselves in. Feel free to come with your favorite feature in mind, or with a problem for us to solve!
1:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
2:00 (50 min)	Bryce Hedstrom	Building Community and Acquisition with a Simple Daily Practice Requiring students to say a "password" in the target language before entering the classroom may seem exclusionary. In this session you'll find out how it is actually inclusive, gets students to listen to you, and increases acquisition. It's simple, but there are some techniques that will make it work for you.	Kelsey Lewandowski, Neall Gleason, and Other Team Members	Voces Training: Technical Q&A Join the Voces team for an open session to address any questions about the Voces platform. We'll recap the other Voces training sessions and show off some new and upcoming features.
2:50 (10 min)	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!	Break	Step away from the screen, get some fresh air, stretch, grab your beverage of choice, and return in 10 minutes for the next session!
3:00 (50 min)	Erin Almeranti and Voces Team	Endnotes: A Balance of Collaboration and Making Your Own Path Join us for this final session of reflection as we discuss options for further collaboration and professional development, as well as ways to support yourself as you make your own path forward with Voces and, more importantly, as an educator.

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