Center for Language Education And Research (CLEAR) at Michigan State University - On Site Workshops

Onsite Workshops

The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) at Michigan State University offers onsite workshops for foreign language instructors. These onsite workshops bring members of CLEAR's professional development staff to K-13+ institutions across the country.

Workshop topics include both methodology and technology-related areas. Onsite visits depend on the availability of CLEAR personnel. Contact us as far in advance as possible for the best chance of arranging an onsite workshop at your institution.

Please refer to the requirements and fee schedule below for more information. Contact Joy Campbell to inquire about presenter availability and booking a possible workshop.

Host Institution Requirements

The host institution is asked to pay a modest fee for the workshop, plus lodging and part of the airfare (see workshop fees, below).

A minimum guaranteed number of 15 people is required for a workshop.

In order to reach the maximum number of educators, we must limit the number of visits we can make to any individual institution. Schools that have never hosted a workshop will be given scheduling priority over institutions that have recently hosted workshops.

Workshop Fees (Valid August 15, 2009 - August 14, 2010)

CLEAR's onsite workshops are heavily subsidized by our Title VI grant funding, but we do still need to charge a modest fee, especially in view of our own rising costs.

Airfare and other transportation: For any workshop outside of Michigan (or any in Michigan that requires a flight), CLEAR will invoice the host for $300 toward the cost of the airline ticket for each presenter. In cases where airfare is less than $300, the host will be charged for the actual cost of the ticket. (Cost of tickets to be determined using MSU's travel agent and preferred carriers.) For a workshop more than 150 miles away from MSU's campus that a presenter drives to, CLEAR reserves the right to assess a mileage stipend in lieu of the airfare charge.

Per diem: CLEAR will pay for the presenter's(s') per diem food expenses.

Lodging: Host institutions are required to pay for lodging (e.g., hotel or B&B, not dormitory). The host can have the hotel bill the institution directly, or CLEAR can pay up front and add it to the invoice.

Workshop fees: Fees are split into K-12 and 13+ categories. We recommend a maximum of six hours for a one-day workshop.

	K-12 Institution	13+ Institution
1 hour	$200	$300
2 hours	$250	$350
3 hours	$300	$400
4 hours	$350	$450
5 hours	$400	$500
6 hours	$450	$550

Please note: Workshops are invoiced within one week after the workshop has taken place and are due 30 days from date of receipt. At this time we are not able to accept credit card payments.

Past Onsite Workshop Topics

(not an exhaustive list)

Rich Internet Applications for the Foreign Language Classroom
Communicative Ways to Integrate Technology into the Foreign Language Classroom
Teaching Speaking and Listening in the Foreign Language Classroom
Getting Your Students to Use the Target Language in the Classroom
Teaching Reading in the Foreign Language Classroom
Being an Advocate for Foreign Language Learning
Communicative Grammar Activities
How to Write Effective Test Questions
Effective Uses of Drama in the Language Classroom
Choosing and Using Authentic Materials
Validity: Making Tests Useful
Teaching Writing in the Foreign Language Classroom
Using Audio Portfolios in the Language Classroom
Heritage Language Teaching: The State of the Art and National Trends
Motivating Students with Language Learning Tasks
Wikis and Podcasts and Blogs, Oh My! Language Learning Online
Current and Future Approaches to Assessing Language Skills Online