¡Mucha Lucha! #ACTFL19

Masks, mystery, and language proficiency!  It’s a combination that has brought us delight and joy to share with our session participants at ACTFL this year.

Find our presentation with linked resources here.

Thanks for joining us on this leg of our language journey!

–Fantasía del Futuro (Bethanie) & Chile de Goma (Karen)

ACTFL 2019, Here we come!

The ACTFL annual conference is in about two weeks, and I’m taking some time this weekend to prepare.  I’ll be presenting on Saturday at 5:30 with Karen Goering on how Lucha Libre can be the foundation for Comprehensible Input driven units from level 1 on up.  I’d love to see you there!  It’s the last session of the night, but we have some awesome things planned for our participants.

As I’m preparing, I’m reminded of how intense and overwhelming this conference can be, even for experienced attendees.  However, careful planning and some tips can make it an amazing experience.  Here are some things that have come to mind:

For Presenters:

• proofread your presentations
• look at your *projected* presentation and make sure that the visual effects like color contrast and font size are well designed
• have a plan for sharing content easily, especially for those who are unable to attend your session.  Need a spot to share? Contact me about guest posting here.
• bring speakers, dongles, clickers, all the toys 🙂

For Attendees:

• ACTFL is like Disney World.  It’s big, shiny, totally awesome, and if you don’t pace yourself everyone gets cranky!
• Use the app to plan your schedule
• Be sure to plan time to relax and grab a cup of coffee with your professional friends 🙂  Some of my best conference moments have taken place outside the context of the session rooms.  Come say hi!
• Spend time in the exhibition hall with amazing vendors!
• There will often be several sessions you want to attend all at once.  Having a squad of friends with similar interests can allow you to divide and conquer.
• Wear comfortable clothes in layers, and pack light.  The convention center is BIG.
• ENJOY DC! While there are many famous locations to visit in the city, I’ve prepared a list of places to consider that are a little off the beaten path that my family and I enjoy.  We live about 4 hours away, but go to the city a few times a year.
  • National Museum of African American History & Culture:  one of the newest museums on the mall.  You could spend days here and not see it all.  The basement galleries are intense and not to be missed.  The music section–including Celia Cruz artifacts (top floor) and sports galleries are really cool. Passes sometimes needed–check ahead.
  • Newseum–a museum to the First Amendment.  Closing at the end of the year 😦  Get passes in advance.
  • The monuments on the mall.  The Vietnam, Lincoln, MLK, and Korean War monuments are clustered fairly closely together and it’s easy to walk between them. These four–especially the Korean War monument–are especially fascinating at night, and will have smaller crowds then.  There are restrooms open at night in the base of the Lincoln. The FDR monument is also super cool if the fountains are on, but they haven’t been the last several times we’ve been there.  The WWII monument is often being visited by veterans during the day.
  • Getting around: Metro is easy and inexpensive, and navigates just like the ones in Madrid & Barcelona.  Capital Bikeshare is also a good option–download their app.
  • Dining: any restaurant by José Andrés like Jaleo or China Chilcano. Another family fave: take an Uber out by Gallaudet University to Union Market, a food hall + market and take a little culinary trip around the world.
  • The National Cathedral–take a guided tour, attend an organ recital, soak in the architectural beauty, and see if you can find the Darth Vader grotesque carved on the outside of the building.
  • The view from the Washington Monument is awesome, but it is currently closed to visitors.
  • The American Veterans Disabled for Life memorial is beautiful, touching, and inspires deep appreciation for the sacrifice of so many.
  • The Library of Congress–get your library reader card while you’re there.
  • Many of the museums have teacher/educator centers.  Check them out for lots of resources while you’re in town.