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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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Advocacy at Non-Classics Conferences

Patrick McFadden, Jessica Anderson, Kathleen Durkin, & Traci Dougherty

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Scan QR to access presentation

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Breakdown:

Introduction: “Advocacy in a Box”

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  • Patrick McFadden
    • High School College Counselors & College Admissions Officers

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  • Jessica Anderson
    • STEAM & Interdisciplinary Audiences

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  • Kathleen Durkin
    • Librarians & School Administration

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  • Traci Dougherty
    • Parents & Community

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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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High School College Counselors

& College Admissions Officers

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Strategic Advantages of Cultivating Latin Students

  • In the slides that follow, you will find a boilerplate product/discussion of the value of encouraging students interested in Latin

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  • All audience members are encouraged to use and adapt the information within as tools for advocacy

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Counseling and Classics Together

For the chance to speak today,

Thank You!

But, . . .

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Use a PDF today? You’re welcome.

Charles Geschke, Latin major, Xavier University

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“Dr. Charles M. Geschke 10.28.11” YouTube, uploaded by The City Club of Cleveland, 2 November, 2011,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgSiVi3I_5w&ab_channel=TheCityClubofCleveland

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Use Gmail today? You’re welcome.

Sarah Price, Latin Literature, Yale University; Ancient History, Oxford University

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What did you do before coming to Google?

I studied Latin Literature at Yale and Ancient History at Oxford. You are probably wondering how I ended up at Google! While I was a student, I also worked as a computer repair technician. I enjoy solving problems and teaching people about technology.

Kathleen Chen. “Faces of Gmail: Sarah Price.” Official Gmail Blog, 21 July, 2011, https://gmail.googleblog.com/2011/07/faces-of-gmail-sarah-price.html. Accessed May 24, 2023

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Vaccinated for COVID? You’re welcome.

Anthony Fauci, Latin and Greek, Regis High School & College of the Holy Cross

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“Conversations with the Chancellor: Dr. Anthony Fauci,” YouTube, uploaded by University of Colorado at Boulder, 31 October, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxP-0dQFU4&t=585s&ab_channel=UniversityofColoradoBoulder

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Buy anything on the internet? You’re welcome.

Tim O’Reilly, Latin and Greek, Harvard University

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Tim O’Reilly, “The Benefits of a Classical Education.” Radar, O’Reilly, 21 June, 2009, http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/06/benefits-classical-education.html?fbclid=IwAR141H4Mo0OAYpJwZMgAmwFfktGVyfGTqEFoRMAExAI2NGHV3L50vxsJ0rU. Accessed May 24, 2023

“Tim O'Reilly OSCON 2014 Keynote: ‘Technical and Cultural Revolutions’” YouTube, uploaded by O’Reilly, 23 July, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE9mrztIJPU&t=414s&ab_channel=O%27Reilly, Accessed May 24, 2023

“I believe this is behind what Socrates referred to as his inner ‘daimon’ or guiding spirit. He had developed the skill of listening to that inner spirit. . . .

This skill has helped me to reframe big ideas in the computer industry, including creating the first advertising on the world wide web, bringing the group together that gave open source software its name, and framing the idea that “Web 2.0” or the “internet as platform” is really about building systems that harness collective intelligence, and get better the more people use them. Socrates is my constant companions (along with others, from Lao Tzu to Alfred Korzybski to George Simon, who taught me how to listen to my inner daimon.)

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Enjoy sitcoms? You’re welcome.

Mindy Kaling, Classics , Dartmouth University

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Favorite school subject

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“Latin. I loved ancient Rome. It was so violent and sexy and interesting: things like Mount Vesuvius erupting and the remains of Pompeii. When you’re in seventh grade, that’s as close as you get to sex.”

“Q&A: Charles Best and Mindy Kaling.” The Blog. Warby Parker. 25 July, 2013, https://blog.warbyparker.com/q-a-charles-best-and-mindy-kaling/. Accessed May 24, 2023

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We’re everywhere!

Image: Twitter.com/twhiddleston

Image: Frank Schwichtenberg ( CC BY-SA 4.0)

Image: public domain

Image:https://twitter.com/lynnsherr

Image: John Matthew Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0 )

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Latin (Humanities) Long-Term ROI

Bennett Leckrone, “When it Comes to Future Earnings, Liberal Arts Majors Get the Last Laugh,“ The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 14, 2020.

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Latin (and Humanities) Hires Help Diversity

Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture

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Adi Ignatius. “Accenture CEO Julie Sweet on the Most Important Skill Job Seekers Need Today” Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Publishing ion, 6 May 2022, https://hbr.org/2022/05/accenture-ceo-julie-sweet-on-the-most-important-skill-job-seekers-need-today

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Latin Helps All Learners - Critical Thinking

  • When reading a language not based on word order linearly, every sentence is a critical thinking exercise

Noun, plural, object Noun, sing., subj. Noun, sing., subj. Verb, sing., perfect

Verb, sing., perfect Noun, plural, object

  • Romanōs vicit Hannibal = Hannibal Romanōs vicit.

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Either way, Hannibal conquered the Romans.

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Critical Thinking

  • “Metaphrasing” fragments

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  • Romanōs vicit = Subject defeated the Romans

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  • Vicit Hannibal = Hannibal defeated Direct Object

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Latin Helps All Learners - STEM: Coding

LiveCode

  • Pull Latin Word
  • Request English
  • If match, positive response & point
  • If no match, negative response

Julian Morgan (2014) LiveCode (Version 6.6)[source code]. https://livecode.com/

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Seeing Latin as Coding

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An Aside on International

Math & Science Scores

(Fareed Zakaria, In Defence of a Liberal Education [2015])

United Nations, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. PISA 2018 Results: Combined Executive Summary, Voll. I, II, & III, 2019.

  • U.S.: 38th & 19th
  • Sweden: 17th & 20th
  • Israel: 42nd & 43rd

Image: “Programme for International Student Assessment” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundat ion, 30 December 2022,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment#:~:text=PISA%20aims%20to%20test%20literacy,science%20on%20an%20indefinite%20scale.

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(2018) Bloomberg Innovation Index;

World Economic Forum Innovative Economies

U.S.: 11th & 2nd

Sweden: 2nd & 7th

Israel: 10th & 3rd

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China: 17th and 27th

“South Korea and Sweden are the most innovative countries in the world” World Economic Forum, 6 February 2018, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/south-korea-and-sweden-are-the-most-innovative-countries-in-the-world/

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Bottom Line: U.S. Education Put the Only Flag on the Moon and Created the Internet by Losing at Math and Science

  • Better to execute formulas faster or be good enough & perceive the whole system?
  • Our STEM fields are doing more than fine.
  • Ask Mt. Sinai Medical School: 50% of admissions reserved for “HuMeds”
  • No Pre-Med; No Organic Chem; No MCAT
  • By end of second year indistinguishable.
  • Dean David Mueller: "People who look at the same problems through different lenses will make us better in the long run."

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“Mount Sinai Study Shows that Humanities Students Perform As Well As Pre-Med Students in Medical School.” Icahn School of Medicine, Mt. Sinai, The Mount Sinai Hospital, 30 July 2010, https://www.mountsinai.org/about/newsroom/2010/mount-sinai-study-shows-that-humanities-students-perform-as-well-as-premed-students-in-medical-school

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How Do We Counsel Students?

Is the #1 rating for X or Y most important?

What about best fit?

How important is the reputation of the school 5 years out?

How important is your major for success?

How important is your major for thriving and finishing your degree?

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Latin Helps All Learners -

Forgotten Diversity of European History

Memnon (Ethiopian) Andromeda (Ethiopian)

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Image: Montrealais (CC BY-SA 3.0:)

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N.B. Color in Ancient Art Can be Deceiving

Black and white may visually code male and female.

Seneb and Family (24th-23rd c. B.C.)

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Emperors from Africa and the Near East

Septimius Severus Julia Domna Alexander Severus

(Libya, Berber) (Syria) (Phoenicia, mod. Lebanon)

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Berber Romans Helped win Punic Wars; Aided

Julius & Augustus Caesar; Authored Great Works

Massinissa (3rd-2nd c. B.C.) Juba II (1st c. B.C. -1st c. A.D.) St. Augustine (4th cent. A.D.)

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Diverse Roman Cities: Fayum Portraits

(1st c. B.C. - 3rd c. A.D.)

Image: Orf3us (CC-BY 4.0)

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Image: Sailko (CC-BY 3.0)

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Image: Brück & Sohn

Kunstverlag (CC-BY 4.0)

Image: Zde (CC-BY 4.0)

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Image: Zde (CC-BY 4.0)

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Foil for Modern Issues: Social Conflict

Republic ends in 100 years of political violence and civil war - Binary factionalism

  • Assassination of Gracchi (133-122 BC)
  • Social War (91-88 BC)
  • Civil War of Marius & Sulla (83-81 BC)
  • Catilinarian Conspiracy (63 BC)
  • Civil War of Caesar and Pompey (48 BC)
  • Civil War of Octavian (Augustus) and Antony (31-30 BC)

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Growth of Society, Immigration,

and Citizenship

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Citizenship and citizen rights constantly evolved

Extend to Latin cities(5th -3rd c. BC)

Granted to all Italians (Social War, 91-88 BC)

Declared for all free citizens of empire (212 AD)

Demanded by Germanic allies (4th c. AD)

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Supporting the Need for Future Teachers

R. Ancona and K. Durkin. “There is a Shortage of Certified Latin Teachers: Please Spread the Word!” Amphora 12.1 (Spring 2015) 6-7.

(https://classicalstudies.org/scs-blog/parian/there-shortage-certified-latin-teachers-please-spread-word)

  • U.S. Dept. of Education named as a specific discipline short of teachers
    • Current database and historical data (through 2017)
  • Positions go unfilled
  • Programs discontinued or not started
  • Rely on interstate reciprocity for non-licensed teachers

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Latin Teaching Jobs Easy to Find

American Classical League Placement Service

(https://www.aclclassics.org/using-placement)

  • Over 150 postings annually
  • 2022-2023 had over 200 postings!
  • Mobile applicants are highly and speedily employable
  • Administrators get quick leads; If you can’t find a teacher, you are not looking here.

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What Can We Do?

Intentional funnel from admission to enrollment (already exists with religion, music, athletics, etc)

Connect with programs

Are there scholarships?

Are there donors?

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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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Latin’s Interdisciplinary Appeal:

Advocacy with STEAM Audiences

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Latin’s Interdisciplinary Appeal

  • Collaborating with English and Social Studies teachers
    • Low hanging fruit, but still good to pick!
  • Projects related to ancient Roman history and culture
  • ELA
    • The Iliad, The Odyssey, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc.
    • Historical fiction
  • STEAM
    • Appeals to all ages
    • Equity: Nathalie Roy’s Myth Makers presentation
      • There are no native speakers.

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#LatinIsEverywhere

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Interdisciplinary connections

are exciting for students!

#LatinIsEverywhere

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Science

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Science

  • Infinite etymological connections and incredible field trip potential…
    • Botany and Horticulture
      • Iter Botanicum
    • Zoology
      • Iter Zoologicum
    • Paleontology
      • Dinosaur Names

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Technology

  • Technology can be a tool that Latin teachers use; Latin can also be a vehicle for teaching and exploring technology.
  • Canva
  • Green Screen
  • Augmented Reality & VR Field Trips
  • ChatGPT
    • Literary vs. literal translations
    • Students generate prompts for ChatGPT translations, both literal and literary.
      • Then, students grade ChatGPT’s translation and provide feedback.
        • Leads to interesting discussion and forces students to think critically rather than have ChatGPT think for them.
  • Nathalie Roy’s Roman Technology class
  • Maureen Lamb: Making AI Work for Language Teachers

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Engineering

  • Roman Road project
  • “Self-Healing” Roman Concrete: “Taking inspiration from Roman concrete ‘might be a cost-effective way to make our infrastructure last longer through the self-healing mechanisms we illustrate in this study’...”
  • Aqueducts
  • Roads and bridges
  • Arches…

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Art

  • The possibilities are endless!
    • Interdisciplinary projects
    • Field trips…so many field trips…
    • Service projects
    • Collaboration between schools/grades
      • e.g., High school students working with elementary school students
  • Weaving
  • Day in Clay
  • Hadestown - On tour throughout America and Canada
    • Coming to London in 2024!

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Make Field Trips Interdisciplinary

  • Invite chaperones from other disciplines
    • They will bring a whole new perspective to the venue

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Math

  • Roman numerals :)
  • Mary Brown at ACL 2022: “...I refer to this capacity of Latin as ‘non-linear word order’ to help students to understand the author’s intent – using emphasis, juxtaposition, irony, framing, alliteration, figures of speech, et alia – to kickstart the math-science parts of their brains as they develop their intellection. Engaging the math-science work ethic in Latin – and Greek – of students is fundamental to decoding the author’s style, syntax, and basically what she or he is saying to the reader or listener…”
    • Pat’s slides cover this too…

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Collaborating with Colleagues

from Other Disciplines

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  • Builds community
  • Allows you to see your students in a new context
    • Teaching the whole student, rather than teaching Latin with tunnel vision
  • Gives your administration and local school board another reason to love and support your Latin program
    • Kathleen: “Be your own PR Machine.”
  • Proves the fact that #LatinIsEverywhere
  • Creates new opportunities (STEAM → grant money)
  • Is FUN!!!

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Interdisciplinary Opportunities

for the Advocacy of Classics:

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  • ISTE
  • Maker Faires
  • EDCamp
  • Let’s continue this list on ACL communities…

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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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Advocacy with/for Librarians & Administration

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Connecting with Librarians/Media Specialists

  • Engage with Library Organizations
    • National & Regional Groups:
    • What resources are available to (non-)members?
    • Look for papers/presentations at their events/conferences
      • Attend to make connections and to learn from the experts
      • Propose panels/presentations together with a librarian
    • Engage on Social Media
      • Search #tlchat to connect with librarians (especially on Twitter!)
    • Join Facebook’s Future Ready Librarians group to find an active community

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Connecting with Librarians/Media Specialists

  • Engage on Social Media
    • Search #tlchat to connect with librarians (especially on Twitter!)
    • Join Facebook’s Future Ready Librarians group to find an active community

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Librarians: Take the First Step

  • Public Librarians seek foot traffic
    • Programming is essential to the success of public libraries/librarians
      • Connect with personnel to develop community resource or hands-on programs
    • Consider collaborating, showcasing school projects, having clubs/honor societies lead programs
    • See if you can write anything for/in your library’s newsletter if they accept such submissions

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Librarians: Take the First Step

  • School Librarians work to support the school
    • Get to know your audience
      • What are their strengths? What have they done?
    • Are there tools that would benefit you(r students)?
      • e.g. 3D printing, database use, newsletters, events
    • Find ways to equally support them in sharing the library as a resource for students in the school

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Libraries as a Tool for Advocacy

  • Get them to see classics’ updated and timeless relevance
    • Find books your library already has available and make recommendations for purchase or inter-library loan when you are doing a specific project
      • Graphic novels, updated retellings, new translations, hist. fiction, etc.
    • Consider showcasing or promoting books during important times of year:
    • Don’t have a collection of works to display?
      • Work with your librarian to seek out new resources,
      • Share a repository like Calliope’s Library to promote new books

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Get to Know Administration

  • Buy-in and support from administration can make or break a program
      • Building Level
        • Department Chairs / Program Coordinators
        • Guidance/Counseling
        • Assistant Principals & Principals
      • District Level
        • District/Central Administration
          • Superintendent
        • School Board Trustees & Officers
          • This applies to public, private, and charter, though they might have different compositions.

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Who? Why?

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Where do you feature?

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Where do other stake- holders appear?

Fig. 3.2, DelGuidice, M. (2012), p.21

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Building Level Administration

  • Department Chairs/Program Coordinators
    • Likely are already your advocates BUT…
    • Share knowledge of standards and philosophy/approach to language learning
    • Educate on opportunities for students of Latin/Greek in and out of your classroom
      • Clubs, exams and contests, scholarships, honor societies, activities (e.g. state classics days)

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Building Level Administration (cont’d)

  • Guidance/Counseling
    • Get to know the who, what, when, why of the programming process:
      • How is it done?
      • When is it done?
      • How do other courses recruit?
      • How does the current process affect you?
      • What happens with too-low or too-high enrollment?
    • Make sure they know how your course(s) will fulfill state graduation requirements or add accolades/enhancements to a diploma (e.g. Seal of Biliteracy, special commendations)

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Building Level Administration (cont’d)

  • Assistant Principals & Principals
    • Do they know what you do all day?
      • Help them see the value of your program → do not isolate
        • Publicize! Good press is good for everyone
        • Share on your school website or school page
    • Show innovation and interest in school-wide activities and collaboration
      • “Showing up” is investment in the students, the school (culture)
    • Clear communication is key
      • What do you need? How can they help you get there?
    • These leaders will often be advocates for you at the district level
      • Course creation, classroom curation, supply purchases
      • They will help you with the resources to execute your day-to-day

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District Level Administration

  • Superintendent and Central Administration
    • Who does what?
      • Oversees district curriculum
      • Some see classical language as “different.” How does that affect how a program is seen? Why?
    • What do they know about the classical language program in district?
    • Share good news (local newspaper is a great place to start)
      • When a program brings good news and publicity to the district, it is everyone’s success
    • “Your superintendent is the doorway to receiving an audience with the school board” (DelGuidice, 20)

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District Level Administration (cont’d)

  • School Board
    • Attend and get to know those involved
      • Names and faces are important
        • You may teach their children, you may run into them in the community
    • What are the Board priorities? Annual Goals? (+ mission, vision, values)
    • Are languages ever featured at your meeting in presentations?
      • Make sure you are a part; modern languages need not get all the credit
        • Propose ideas for presentation
        • Classical languages are a feature, not a bug
      • They cannot support you if they don’t hear from you (even better, from your students)

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Additional Resources

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  • Thanks to super librarian Margaux Calemmo (@metadatachick) & GCHS Principal Kevin Steingruebner for the expertise and support

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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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Parent & Community Outreach

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All Roads Lead To….

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Connecting with Parents: First Step

  • Use your data
    • Parent email addresses (in your student information system)
    • Parent surveys (sample template)
    • Yet Another Mail Merge (free ad-on for google sheets) for mail merges with data
  • Introduce yourself and the program
    • Show off your Google Website
    • Share Calendar of events
    • Define the Ask
      • Help with the fundraising?
      • Grow the Program?
      • Community Outreach?
  • Design opportunities for the parents to participate virtually
    • Back to School Night Virtual - Parents learn Latin
    • Conferences Virtual - student led
    • Award Show Virtual

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Connecting with Parents : Next Steps

  • Ongoing Communication
    • Send Weekly messages - Grow or Glow
    • Assign Classroom Job - Photographer
    • Write Newsletters - Student and/or Teacher
        • Which skills and topics the students are working on?
        • How parents can support language learning at home?
        • What cultures are at home?
    • Homework - Involve the family (ETC goosechase)
  • Ongoing Collaboration
    • Invite parents into the classroom
      • Audience for Presentations & Assessors part of projects
      • Share how Latin has impacted their career and education
  • Ongoing Cultivation
    • Equip parents to be WL advocates
    • Support parents in developing their advocacy skills
    • Encourage them to join school and community leadership
      • PTO - Liaisons - Foundations - Committee Chairs - School Board

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Data sent to Parents

Attendance +

Classroom Jobs

Daily Agenda +

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Connecting with Community: First Step

  • Use your data and tech tools
    • Ask parents for contacts <- NATHALIE ROY !!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Collect email addresses (in your student information system)
  • Introduce Yourself and the Program
    • Engage with Community Events
      • Local Township Page - Calendar of Events
          • Tricential Parade & PRIDE Celebration
    • Engage with Community Organizations
      • Businesses, agencies, cultural and civic organizations, and colleges
        • Local Township Page
    • Engage with Community Leadership
      • Community Project

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Connecting with Community: Next Steps

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  • Ongoing Communication
    • Survey community leadership and organizations (template)
  • Ongoing Collaboration
      • Invite Community into the Classroom
        • Audience for Presentations & Assessors parts of projects
        • Share how Latin has impacted their career and education
      • Invite community into the School
        • World Language Fest
      • Invite students in the community
        • Design experiential and community-based learning opportunities
  • Ongoing Cultivation
    • PTO - Liaisons - Foundations - Committee Chairs - School Board

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Get to Know Your Parents and Community

  • Back to School Night
    • Teach the Parents Latin
    • Teach X to adult, family member, pet, stuffed animals (living in the same household)
    • Text message or phone call
  • Parent Teacher Associations
    • Funding
    • Networking
  • Community Organizations
    • Service
  • Cultural Projects that involve the family
    • Meals
    • Room Design
    • Fashion Show
  • National Classics Week
    • Service Advocacy Athletics Academics and Spirit

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Community as a Tool for Advocacy

  • Provide a range of low-risk opportunities for parent input, feedback, and advocacy sharing.
    • Input
      • Actively facilitate advisory, advocacy, and mentorship roles
      • Intentionally craft and promote volunteer opportunities and teacher aide positions
      • Offer outreach partnerships and community liaison roles for parents
      • Collect input via parent focus groups, advisory committees, suggestion boxes, surveys, and interviews
    • Feedback
      • Consistently utilize parent feedback to inform decision making at the classroom, school, and district levels
    • Sharing
      • Organize parent-created learning sessions
      • Host a variety of parent-school partnership events

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The American Classical League

76th Annual Institute

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#ACLClassics2023

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