Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter E-Meeting
November 5-7, 2007

Participants: Shelley French (President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Vice-President), Christine Strelecky, Lisa Seidlitz, Dan Stoyak, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Linda Driesner, Joe Scanavino, Karl Konrad, James Van Der Laan, Cori Crane, Brandy Trygstad, Jim Witte

1. On Monday, November 5th 2007, president Shelley French opened the AATG fall e-meeting. Shelley announced that the spring meeting will be held on April 5th, 2008, in Peoria at Illinois Central College. Details will follow.

2. Throughout the e-meeting the recipient list was updated. Jim Witte offered to set up an e-mail list for the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter.

2a. Cori Crane suggested holding the e-meeting on a discussion board.

3. Many participants had been in Springfield to attend the Deutscher Tag and expressed how well it had been prepared, managed and executed. The event appeared to have been beneficial on professional as well as personal levels. Anne Marie Fuhrig suggested that participating ATTG members and students send a thank you note to the providers of plentiful food items:
Monika und Fred Stachoviak
Motorboat Club, 17 Club Area
Springfield, IL 62712

4. Christine Strelecky asked which textbooks were currently being used at the university level and received the following answers:
" Lisa Seidlitz at Augustana College is using Deutsch, Na Klar! and likes it better than Treffpunkt Deutsch.
" James van der Laan at ISU is using Wie Geht's
" Cori Crane at UIUC is using Kontakte

5. Joe Scanavino asked if anyone was interested in starting an exchange program with a school in Germany, possibly through GAPP. The German school had recently lost their exchange partner in AZ and is now looking for a new partner. Interested teachers please contact Joe Scanavino at Sangamon Valley High School in Niantic.

6. Karl Konrad asked for input on the INSTANT IMMERSION DVD sets but it appears no one is familiar with those. Karl also mentioned that his students respond well to the grammar exercises by Gary Smith.

7. Cori Crane told us about using an online discussion board in the fourth semester class where students submit writings that are graded on quality and quantity. This procedure has students well prepared for discussion during class.
Cori is also working preparing instructional materials that will accompany the movie "Kebab Connection", and is offering to share it when it is done.
8. Shelley French congratulated Jim Witte on his certificate of merit award from the AATG/Goethe-Institut.

The meeting closed on Wednesday, November 7th, 2007.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Inge Jones.

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
March 3, 2007

The meeting was hosted by Cori Crane and the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures in the Lucy Ellis Lounge at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Special Thanks again to Cori and the U of I for providing a delicious lunch!

Shortly after 10:00am the meeting was called to order by President Shelley French. In attendance were Vice President Christiane Eydt-Beebe, Treasurer Peter Bachfischer, Secretary Inge Jones, Testing Chair Christine Strelecky, host Cori Crane, Dan Stoyak, Joe Scanavino, Whitney Luke, Rebecca Resnik and Anne Green.

1. Minutes: The minutes for the 1 April meeting and the e-meeting from November 3-5, 2006 were approved.

2. Treasurer's report: Peter Bachfischer reported that the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter's funds are now $2205.08. President Shelley French made the motion to provide Anne Green with $300.00 for travel expenses. Dan Stoyak seconded the motion. The motion carried.

3. Testing Chair's report: Christine Strelecky reported that interviews for 6 candidates were planned at the Bradley University. The cost of the lunch was $90. Previously the lunch was an informal part of the testing. This time it will be incorporated into the testing to observe candidates interact in a social setting. Committee members are Christine Strelecky, Elli Hansen, and Jutta Herren.
It was discussed that candidates from schools that participate in the GAPP program are disqualified from winning the AATG sponsored trip. It was suggested that the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter sponsor a scholarship should the selected candidate belong to a GAPP program and therefore be disqualified according to guidelines from the sponsor of these trips which is the German government. This scholarship would enable such a candidate to partake in the AATG trip, but self-paid. The cost of the trip is approximately $3000. Even with a scholarship this amount is high. It was suggested that the scholarship could also be used for Concordia Language Village. It was discussed whether the scholarship should be paid out in advance, after the trip or a check made out to the organization.
Shelley French made the following motion:
In the event that our recommended candidate is not selected for a study trip award by the national committee, we will offer that student a $500.00 scholarship to be applied to a German language learning experience. This German language learning experience should take place in the same calendar year as the testing.
Dan Stoyak seconded the motion and the motion carried. This scholarship will be offered beginning in 2008.

Addendum: Christine Strelecky, testing chair, reports: Out of 379 students who took the test in our chapter, 33 students scored 90% or better! Our senior nominee was the highest scoring student in the chapter!

4. Upcoming Events: Der Deutsche Tag will take place in November. Nobody was present to speak about the event. Therefore further information will be shared via e-mail.

5. Chapter Administration: President Shelley French pointed out that some offices hold "hidden duties" that she wanted to make certain future office holders would be aware of. For example, the president is called upon to attend the ACTFL conference (at his/her own expense). The president should also attend ICTFL because the president has voting rights.
The secretary usually is responsible for the website, but this requires the Dreamweaver program. Shelley offered to take over a permanent position of Webmaster.

6. Other: The next meeting will be an e-meeting November 5-7, 2007. The next spring meeting will be hosted by ICC Peoria on April 5, 2008.
Anne Green suggested applying for Chapter Grant Programs that could offset the scholarship discussed earlier.
Applications to the Swiss Benevolent Society of Chicago for a scholarship to participate in the Concordia Language Villages were handed out.

After a break for lunch, Becca Resnik gave a delightful report about her AATG study trip to Germany.

Anne Green gave a presentation on Jugend-und Kinderliteratur in the classroom.

The session closed at 3:00pm

These minutes respectfully submitted by Inge Jones.

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter E-Meeting
November 1-3, 2006

Participants: Shelley French (President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Vice-President), Morris Vos, Dan Stoyak, Almut Spalding, Jo Ann D. Nelson, Cori Crane, Catherine Williams, Candie Graham, Joe Scanavino, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Marvis A. Dickinson, Christine Strelecky, Eric Koeppel.

1. On Wednesday, 11/3/06, the president, Shelley French opened the e-meeting with a short letter. The meeting was to be open until Friday, 11/3/06 at 5pm. Shelley French announced that the next meeting would be held 3/3/07, hosted by the Dept. of Germanic Languages and Literature at UofI in Urbana. The business portion will be from 10:00 to 12:00, the workshop will be from 1:30 until 3:30 with Anne Green, natl. president as guest speaker on children's and youth literature and AATG resources.

2. Contributions by Participants:
Dan Stoyak related about a session on Writing held by himself and Kathy Betterman ath the I.C.T.F.L. Fall Conference. Both Dan Stoyak and Kathy Betterman are trainers for the Goethe Institut Lehrnetzwerk. Dan Stoyak offered to share the presented materials with anybody interested.

Almut Spalding announced the Spring theater production at Illinois College, a collaboration between the Modern Languages and Theater Department. Brecht's one-act "Die Kleinbuergerhochzeit" will be performed. Please e-mail aspaldi@ic.edu for texts.

Jo Ann D. Nelson from Jacksonville High School will retire this summer. Jacksonville High School has a very active Germany program, level 1-5, approx 120 students at the HS and approx 40 at the JHS. Jacksonville also has a GAP program. Interested candidates contact Director of Personnel Jim Kiesow, jkiesow@jax117.morgan.k12.il.us

Cori Crane, Director of the Basic Language Program for German at UofI stated that the AAUSC (American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators and Directors of FL Programs) had been held at the same time as the ICTFL Fall conference. She recommends this meeting in the future for coordinators of multi-section college level FL instruction. UIUC is also phasing in "Kontakte", video material from "Treffpunkt Deutsch" and is using a children's book, "Im Land der Schokolade und Bananen" by Karin Guendisch.

Catherine Williams is also retiring at the end of this school year. The German program at her school will not be continued. Anybody interested in German teaching materials contact her. Also please contact her with leads for schools interested in continuing a GAP program with a school near Stuttgart.

Eric Koeppel replied that as a new teacher at Springfield High School he would be interested in establishing a GAPP.

Candie Graham shared information regarding a potential opening for a German teacher at Canton High School. Direct inquiries and resumes to:
Canton Union School District #66
Attn: James Lewis, Superintendent
20 West Walnut Street
Canton, IL 61520

Joe Scanavino reported on the first successful GAPP exchange in Woerth, Germany. Joe Scanavino asked for feedback on the Langenscheidt textbook series "GENI@L", Langenscheidt as a publisher and applicability with TPRS.

Anne Marie Fuhrig told us about a very successful Saturday School program, including Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten ("Krabbelgruppe"). The excellent results of this school program however pose the problem of transitioning to appropriate levels and defining competency. Anne Marie Fuhrig added that similar schools exist worldwide, encountering similar problems.

Shelley French recommended this website to Anne Marie Fuhrig:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp
a link to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment

Marvis Dickinson told us about his huge German program at Normal Community High School and inquired if anybody had insights to share about the AP audit.

Cori Crane replied that ACTFL had a session on AP credit, the presenters are Mary Ashcroft (College Board), Wiebke Strehl (Univ. of South Carolina), Margaret Hampton (Earlham College), and Beth Smith (Plano High School).

Christine Strelecky from Illinois Central College asked for a referral of possible contacts in Prague and Vienna for a trip to Germany that includes teaching a class of Contemporary Humanities.
Also the ICC International Fair will include the history of Trachten and a presentation of Volkstaenze.

Christian Eydt-Beebe shared information regarding GAPP. Two American schools may share a GAPP and a GAPP exchange may be done involving schools that do not currently have a German program. Check the GAPP website on guidelines or contact Sabina Mergalit.

The meeting ended Friday, 11/3/06 at 5pm

Minutes respectfully submitted by Inge Jones.

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
April 1, 2006
Eastern Illinois University

The meeting was hosted by the Department of Foreign Languages, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois.

Present:
Joe Scanavino (President), Shelley French (Vice-President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Secretary), Christine Strelecky, Dan Stoyak, Marvis Dickinson, Cori Crane, Sharon Lorinskas.

A. Business Meeting 10 a.m.

1. The president called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.
2. Minutes:
The minutes from the e-meeting (November 2-18, 2005) were read and approved without revisions.
3. Treasurer's Report:
Pete Bachfischer reported that we have $1,937.26 in our account. Some money will be used to pay for gifts and other expenses incurred during the interviews for the study trip award. Schools usually contribute $5 for each student taking the test.
4. Old Business:
a. Deutscher Tag:
It was suggested to schedule Deutscher Tag for Friday, November 3, 2006. Based on our experiences from last year, it was suggested to allow more time for the presentations and to get more students from the college/university level to assist in the activities. The final arrangements and scheduling will be made by Vicki Oldani.
b. ICTFL is scheduled to take place from October 19-21, 2006, at the Hickory Ridge Marriott in Lisle, Illinois.
5. New Business:
a. Testing Chair Report:
Christine Strelecky reported that 13 high schools participated in the contest, with 332 test takers, and 30 students scoring 90% or better. Rebecca Resnik from Metamora High School won this year's study trip award.
b. Upcoming Dates:
The Maifest will take place in Peoria.
c. Job Openings:
Two possible positions in the Normal and Springfield area were mentioned and need to be confirmed.
d. Election for New Secretary: We will need to search for a teacher at the secondary education level to fill this position. This position involves a 6-year commitment. Dan Stoyak will contact some members who may be interested.
e. New Officers: Shelley French will serve as president; Christiane Eydt-Beebe as vice-president.
f. President's Presentation: Joe Scanavino expressed a heartfelt thank you to everyone supporting him during his office as president of our chapter. Our thanks go to Joe for his enthusiasm, dedication, and generous spirit, which have made his tenure as president exemplary.
g. Date, time, and place for the next meeting:
It was suggested to ask the University of Illinois to host our next meeting in the fall. Cori Crane will contact Mara Wade about a convenient time.

6. The business meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. It was followed by a tasty lunch at Marianne's Deli in Charleston.

B. Program 1:15-3:15 p.m.

1. Christiane Eydt-Beebe:"Die Loreley im Unterricht"
Christiane Eydt-Beebe presented ideas how to explore the Loreley theme in class via Internet activities, songs and poems by Heine, Brentano, Eichendorff, Kästner, and the pop group Dschinghis Khan.

2. Dan Stoyak: "Spiel und Spaß im Deutschunterricht"(Presentation from the CSC Conference)
Dan Stoyak introduced us to a variety of very engaging activities designed to enhance student verbal interaction and cooperative learning. He provided a valuable handout with ready to use worksheets.

3. Shelley French: "Websites of the European Union."
Shelley French provided valuable information on how to use websites of the European Union in the classroom.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Christiane Eydt-Beebe.

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter E-Meeting
November 2 - 18, 2005

This was the first time the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter conducted their fall meeting as an e-meeting. This change of format was due to the fact that very few members would have been able to attend the meeting scheduled to take place on September 10, 2005, in Charleston, Illinois.

Participants: Joe Scanavino (President), Shelley French (Vice-President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Secretary), Peter Bachfischer, Heribert Breidenbach, Gabi Capellmann, Belinda Carstens-Wickham, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Jo Ann Nelson, Almut Spalding, Christine Strelecky, Morris Vos, Catherine Williams, Karen Zeigler.

1. On Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005, the president, Joe Scanavino, opened the meeting with a letter and a brief business update. Shelley French had updated the list-serve and forwarded his letter to all members on this list.

2. President's Letter:
The Southern Illinois Chapter of AATG was well represented at the Oktoberfest in East Peoria and also at the ICTFL Fall Conference held in Isle, Illinois, where the president gave the welcome speech for the AATG sponsored luncheon. Deutscher Tag will be held in Springfield, IL, on November 4, 2005, with our chapter helping to sponsor and Vicki Oldani organizing this event. Central States will be in Chicago in March. Our chapter will be sponsoring several events at this conference. Globalfest will be coming up in March 2006, in Urbana. Check the website at ictfl.org for further details. Illinois College will sponsor a Mardi Gras. Contact Mrs. Spalding for further information. Foreign Language Week will take place the first week of March. Our Spring meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2006, at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. It will begin at 10 a.m. and will be hosted by Shelley French. Our tentative program for this meeting includes sharing reading and poetry information that can be utilized in the classroom.

3. Treasurer's Report:
We have $1,936.54 in our account, with no bills to pay.

4. Contributions by Participants:
Christine Strelecky from Illinois Central College reported on her ongoing contact with a Berufsschule in Germany. German and American students meet via discussion board. They help each other improve their language skills and enjoy learning more about each other's culture.

Under the title, "Deutsch ist populär in Osteuropa," Heribert Breidenbach reported about his work as a tour guide at the Ernest Hemingway Museum and "Geburtshaus" near Chicago where he frequently meets students from Eastern Europe who enjoy getting a tour in German. They have often learned German in school and speak it better than English. Heribert invited us and our German classes to visit him and enjoy a tour in German.

Gabi Capellmann-Harrison is a new German teacher at Collinsville High School and would like to get in touch with other German teachers. She would appreciate any advice about German clubs and student trips to German-speaking countries.

Karen Zeigler teaches German at Rochester JR. High in Rochester, IL. They host a GAPP exchange program every other year. Since their school is small and their German partner school, a Gymnasium in Rheinland-Pfalz, wishes to bring at least 20 students, they are looking for another school in the central Illinois area. The German teachers at Rochester would help with the program.

Annemarie Fuhrig attached an article on the role of German as a heritage language, "Should Our Children and Grandchildren learn German?" Annemarie is now coordinating the DANK schools, a handful of after-hours and Saturday schools for young children and adults, in cooperation with Alexandra Pradella Ott. Annemarie emphasized the enthusiasm that reigns in these schools and their importance in keeping and fostering good high school programs. Deutscher Tag on November 4th, 2005, promises to be a success with 150 registered students.

Almut Spalding from Illinois College shared news about Mardi Gras to which high schools within 90 miles of Jacksonville were invited. The overall German enrollment at IC is 44 this semester, with several students on fellowships in Germany.

Morris Vos from Western Illinois University reported a good interest in advanced level classes, with 12 students working at that level. WIU is offering a credit-bearing travel study course during Spring 2006. The course is designed for language development and cultural learning and was offered in 2002 and 2004. This short, motivational trip has good consequences for continued learning. Also, the German Department at WIU always sends students to Mannheim and has at least a dozen German students studying at WIU, especially business.

The e-meeting ended on Friday, November 18th.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Christiane Eydt-Beebe

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
April 9, 2005

The meeting was hosted by Joe Scanavino at Sangamon Valley High School, Niantic, Illinois.

Present: Joe Scanavino (President), Shelley French (Vice-President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Secretary), Dan Stoyak, Peter Bachfischer, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Morris Vos, Christine Strelecky, Kathe Gast, Daniela Pruß (Goethe-Institut).

A. Business Meeting: 10 a.m.

1. The president called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.
2. Minutes: The minutes from August 14, 2004, were read and approved without revisions.
3. Treasurer's Report: Pete Bachfischer presented the financial report. We have $1,685.41 in our account, without testing expenses. We expect $372 from AATG.
It was suggested that the money could be used to pay for the facilities used during Deutscher Tag, or used for prizes or awards for students who competed for the study trip to Germany. The report was approved.
4. Testing Chair: Christine Strelecky reported on this year's test results and interviews for the AATG study trip contest. She provided a handout listing pertinent results and developments from 2000 to 2005. This year's winner is Paige Martin from University High School in Urbana. Although 22 students were eligible, only three candidates came to the interview. How to improve student interest in interviewing for the study trip award was discussed. Ideas included offering prizes and other rewards to participants.
It was noted that DANK, for example, is already supporting each candidate with $5.
5. AATG Update: Dan Stoyak opened the discussion on how to promote the study of German. Ideas included compiling lists to find out how many students in Illinois study German. An effort to work on and consolidate these lists is already under way.
6. Deutscher Tag Update: Anne Marie Fuhrig gave us an update on Deutscher Tag. Attendance was about 100 students, who attended from 2:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. DANK supported the event. It was suggested to possibly reduce the fee to $12. Deutscher Tag 2005 is scheduled for November 4, 2005, from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
7. ICTFL News: Dan Stoyak talked about this year's topic, Das Jahr der Sprachen. This year's conference is scheduled for October 20-22, 2005, in Lisle, and will offer an appealing program focusing on immersion.
8. AATG Chapter Meeting Discussion: Shelley French presented ideas on how to conduct future chapter meetings. Suggestions included e-meetings or chat rooms, which could allow more members to participate. Concerns included having to face possible technical difficulties. It was proposed to further research this new format and consider it for spring 2006.
9. AATG Fall Meeting: The next AATG meeting is scheduled to take place on September 10, 2005 in Charleston. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
10. Other Business: Morris Vos moved that $150 be used to cover the costs for using the facilities during Deutscher Tag. Pete Bachfischer seconded. The proposal was accepted.

The business meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m. The business meeting was followed by an excellent lunch that was provided by Sangamon Valley High School. Thanks to our hosts for the tasty and plentiful meal.

B. Program: 12:45 p.m -3:00 p.m.

The overall topic was "Das Deutschprogramm."

1. Christine Strelecky presented her experience with Taos Skital, also known as Deutsche Sommerschule von New Mexico in Taos Ski Valley in Taos, New Mexico. She gave an in-depth presentation on the history and goals of this total immersion program designed for students and teachers, who are interested in enhancing their speaking, writing and comprehension skills in German. Participants can also earn credits towards their M.A. in conjunction with the University of New Mexico. The curriculum offers a wide variety of courses in Sprachunterricht, Geschichte, Kultur, and Literatur, as well as special workshops, Lehrerseminare and many extra-curricular activities. Christine described Taos Skital as a highly effective as well as fun program located in a stimulating environment.

2. Daniela Pruß, Language Consultant from the Goethe-Institut, opened the discussion on ways to promote the study of German. She addressed how teachers can advocate their programs. Discussion points included the benefits of learning a foreign language, the status of German, its competition with Spanish programs, and the attitude of foreign language learners towards different languages. She pointed to German as economically significant language in Europe, especially in the East, the economic status of German companies in the US, the frequency of student exchanges between the US and German-speaking countries, and the numerous institutions supporting German programs and study abroad programs. We received many valuable materials (handouts, brochures, posters) to help us promote and advertise German programs in the US.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Christiane Eydt-Beebe

Minutes of the AATG Southern Illinois Chapter Meeting
August 14, 2004

The meeting was hosted by Peter Bachfischer at Metamora High School.

Present: Joe Scanavino (President), Shelley French (Vice-President), Christiane Eydt-Beebe (Secretary), Dan Stoyak, Peter Bachfischer (Treasurer), Karl Konrad, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Morris Vos, Christine Strelecky.

A. Business Meeting: 10 a.m.
1. The president called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.
2. Minutes: The minutes from the March 27th meeting were read and amended as follows:
Three re-certification CPDUs were available to high school teachers for participating in the educational part of the meeting, which was conducted in German. Amendment was made by Anne Marie Fuhrig, seconded by Morris Vos.
3. Treasurer's Report: Peter Bachfischer presented the financial report.
4. Testing Chair: Christine Strelecky reported that Maxwell Beshers, the winner of this year's study trip award, was not able to attend today, but will try to come to our spring meeting.
5. Membership: Karl Konrad opened the discussion about how to improve AATG member participation. Ideas included calling members about their current membership status and interest in participation. Other suggestions included meeting during ICTFL, promoting AATG during immersion days, inviting speakers and/or bands. To book a band for the southern area, early contact with the Goethe-Institut is necessary.
6. ICTFL/ACTFL News: Dan Stoyak talked about plans for the upcoming ICTFL and ACTFL Conferences. ICTFL is scheduled to meet October 21-23, 2004, in Bloomington. The 21st is an immersion day. Dan Stoyak and Kathy Dexheimer-Smith will present a unit on "Märchen im Unterricht," showing how to integrate and teach them as well as how to assess student work (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
7. Upcoming Dates and Events: Thanks to Joe we have a calendar of many upcoming events from September 2004 through March 2005 on the back of today's agenda handout. ACTFL will take place November 18-20, 2004, in Chicago. ICTFL membership should allow members to get registered for ACTFL membership fees. Christine Strelecky reminded us of the Oktoberfest in Peoria, which will take place on September 18, 2004, at the River Front.
8. AATG Awards: Dan brought to our attention that we have not nominated anybody for the AATG awards (presented at ACTFL) in a long time. Nominating outstanding teachers, for instance, might also help membership.
9. Testing: Karl spoke about his impressions of and experiences with the new test required for teacher certification. Concerns were voiced about deficient item descriptors, its fairness, and how it relates to Illinois standards.
10. Globalfest: Globalfest is scheduled for March 18-19, 2005, at Urbana High School. Possible projects were discussed, such as diverse Bastelprojekte.
11. Deutscher Tag: Anne Marie Fuhrig gave us an update on Deutscher Tag, which is scheduled for November 5, 2004, in Springfield. It will again include such popular activities as Singen, Spiele, Sketche, Tanzen. Possible problems were discussed, such as timely registration, students' tardiness in paying, and a possible need to limit the numbers of participants per school. DANK will continue as patron of Deutscher Tag. DANK members will again kindly help with the registration.
12. Our Spring AATG meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2005, in Springfield.
13. Certificate Renewal: Dan Stoyak gave us an update on the new Certificate Renewal Requirement designed to simplify the application process. For example, reflection statements are no longer needed. However, teachers need to submit an assurance form stating the completion of CPDUs. For details on the new law, see ISBE web site (www.isbe.net).
14. Internship in Germany: Anne Marie Fuhrig informed us that a Kindergarten in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is interested in hiring an intern to teach English for three months this fall. The intern would have an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand experience with the German Kindergarten system. The question of how this internship could translate into credits will have to be discussed on an individual basis.
15. German TV; Deutsche Welle: Karl Konrad informed us about the plight of German TV, which is in danger of being eliminated due to funding problems. Also at stake is Deutsche Welle. Concerns were voiced that closing these channels could negatively impact the German image in the US.
16. Pete Bachfischer moved to end the business meeting and Dan Stoyak seconded. The business meeting was followed by an excellent lunch that was provided by the Bachfischers. Thanks to our hosts for the tasty and plentiful meal.

B. Program: 1:30 p.m.

The overall topic of our program was "Wir gehen nach Deutschland."

1. Shelley French informed us about available college exchange programs. She provided a handout with valuable information on the existing programs and institutes in the US as well as in Europe.

2. Peter Bachfischer described the successful programs at Concordia Language Villages, of which the German village, Waldsee, is the biggest. Active, hands-on learning and total immersion make for a unique and highly effective program, whose success can also be attributed to energetic and enthusiastic teachers, many of whom have learned German there themselves.

3. Christiane Eydt-Beebe spoke about her experiences with the high school student exchange program GAPP (German-American Partnership Program). In May/June 2004, eight students from Stewardson-Stasburg High School spent two weeks at the Werratal-Gymnasium in Schwallungen (Thüringen), followed by a trip to Berlin, the Rheinland and Heidelberg.

4. Karl Konrad presented methods to integrate and teach culture in the German classroom by exploring German towns and cities over the Internet. Sample towns were Erfurt, Kassel, Bad Hersfeld etc. He supplied a handout "Web Tips zum Stadtprojekt," detailing possible search questions, and showed examples of student work.

Three re-certification CPDUs were available to high school teachers for participating in the program, which was conducted in German.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Christiane Eydt-Beebe.

Minutes of the March 27th, 2004 Meeting of the Southern Illinois Chapter of the AATG

Present: Karl Konrad (President), Joe Scanavino (Vice-president), Shelley French (Secretary), Christiane Edyt-Beebe, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Dan Stoyak, Christine Strelecky, Andrew Weeks, Janelle Voss, Elke Segelcke, Eric Koeppel, Aida Latie, Gale Holford
1. The president called the meeting to order at 10:15.
2. The minutes from the August 16th meeting were approved. The motion was made by Christiane Edyt-Beebe and seconded by Dan Stoyak.
3. Karl Konrad read the treasurer's report. S. French moved to accept, D. Stoyak seconded.
4. Christine Strelecky, testing chair, reported that Maxwell Beshers was the recipient of the Southern Illinois study trip. He is a student of Paul Weilmuenster.
5. Karl Konrad discussed officer selection for 2004-2006. Joe Scanavino agreed to serve 2 years as president, Shelley French 2 years as vice-president. Andrew Weeks nominated Christiane Edyt-Beebe to be the chapter secretary 2004-2006. She accepted and was unanimously approved.
6. The date for Deutscher Tag, at the U of I in Springfield, was set for 5 November 2004.
7. Dan Stoyak spoke about the fall ICTFL conference dates; 21 - 23 October. The conference will be held in Bloomington at the Chateau. The German Immersion day will be run by Kathy Dexheimer-Smith and Dan Stoyak. All are encouraged to attend. Karl Konrad spoke aout the website, http://www.deutsche-maerchenstrasse.de/seiten/index.html . This site may be helpful to those wishing to make a presentation at the conference.
8. Andrew Weeks talked about the new Illinois Certification Testing System exams. He agreed to register concerns about the German content exam to the appropriate authorities on behalf of the chapter.
9. At 11:56 Shelley French moved to end the business meeting and Dan Stoyak seconded.
The business meeting was followed by an excellent meal that was prepared by the Weeks family. Vielen Dank seems inadequate for such fine work.
After the meal Dan Stoyak made a dynamic presentation on PROFILE, a Langenscheidt's reference CD for German teachers. Dan's presentation is theresult of a Goethe Institute TrainerNetzwerk workshop for German teacher's from public schools and universities in the greater Midwest. Once trained, all workshop participants are encouraged to give similar presentations intheir AATG chapter. The PROFILE CD incorporates German as it is spoken and written in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. All vocabulary and sentences are coded by proficiency levels and can be accessed easily and exported into M.S.Word with just a few clicks. Such transfers from the CD to MS Word include the selected vocabulary of a given proficiency level and related sample sentences.
Three re-certification CPDUs were available to high school teachers for participating in the educational part of the meeting which was conducted entirely in German.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Shelley French.

Minutes of the 16 August, 2003 Meeting
of the Southern Illinois Chapter of the AATG

Present: Karl Konrad (President), Joe Scanavino (Vice-president), Shelley French (Secretary), Peter Bachfischer (Treasurer), Christiane Edyt-Beebe, Linda Driesner, Dan Stoyak, Christine Strelecky (Testing chair) Guest - Alexander Hess

1. The president called the meeting to order at 12:25.
2. The minutes from the March 29th meeting were approved.The motion was made by Dan Stoyak and seconded by Linda Driesner.
3. Karl spoke about the Weimar Seminar to be held at the Goethe Institute 26-28 September, 2003. The seminar is part of the Trainernetzwerk effort targeting new and seasoned teachers in five states. German teachers from the S.IL.AATG are encouraged to participate. See website and contact:
Dr. Bernd Klewitz, Fachberater
Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes
150 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60601
Tel 312 263 0474
Fax 312 263 0476
http://www.goethe.de/chicago
4. Karl talked about the GERMAN TV offer. See the website www.german.tv.
5. Dan reported on the ISBE Overview of Requirements for Approval of "X"-Type CPDU's. See the website www.isbe.net.
6. The abridged version of the CPDU Point Values was discussed. (www.isbe.net)
7. The Treasurer gave his report. Karl proposed paying for Alexander Hess' dinner. The report and the proposal were approved. The motion was made by Dan Stoyak and seconded by Peter Bachfischer.
8. The second annual Deutscher Tag was discussed. See http://www.southernillinois.aatg.org/links.html for details. Possible dates for next year were mentioned, 19 November was the most popular.
9. At 1:24 Peter Bachfischer moved to end the business meeting and Dan Stoyak seconded. The Spring, 2004 meeting (27 March) will be held in Normal and the Fall, 2004 meeting (14 August) will be in "Meta Mora Germantown" near Peoria.

After the business meeting, Alexander Hess gave an informative talk in German about his trip to Germany. Those present discussed various games for inclusion in our classes and the October 3rd Deutscher Tag as a language immersion activity. The group concluded the meeting with a German immersion dinner.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Shelley French

Minutes of the March 29th, 2003 Meeting
of the Southern Illinois Chapter of the AATG

Present: Karl Konrad (President), Joe Scanavino (Vice-president), Shelley French (Secretary), Peter Bachfischer (Treasurer), Christiane Edyt-Beebe, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Linda Driesner, Dan Stoyak, Christine Strelecky

1. The president called the meeting to order at 9:40.
2. The minutes from the August 24th meeting were approved. The motion was made by Dan Stoyak and seconded by Shelley French.
3. Karl spoke about the ICTFL immersion day to be held at the Goethe Institute on 6 November,2003. (ICTFL Fall Conference, 6-8 November, Itasca)
4. Methods to improve AATG member participation were discussed. Ideas included telephone trees, comparison of membership list with list of high school German teachers, visits to universities/colleges that have German teacher education programs. Indiana's effort to track members with the use of a map and different colored dots for different teaching levels was discussed. Tracking new teachers was also discussed. The chapter greatly appreciates Linda Driesner's offer to represent our AATG chapter when she shares her expertise as a German teacher to teacher trainees at the university level in her area. We look forward to an update at the next meeting.
5. Christine Strelecky (testing chair) reported on the results of the AATG/PAD Study Award. Alexander Hess won the Southern Illinois Chapter award. He is a student of Peter Bachfischer.
6. The treasurer issued a $100 check to the Testing Committee and treasurer gave his report. The report was accepted. The motion was made by Anne Marie Fuhrig and seconded by Shelley French.
7. The Kongress-Bundestag Austasch Programm was discussed.
8. The next meeting was set for August 16th, 2003 at the University of Illinois. Details to follow. The Spring, 2004 meeting (27 March) will be held in Normal and the Fall, 2004 meeting (14 August) will be in Peoria. A planning-session for Deutscher Tag will be arranged at the August 16th meeting. Dan Stoyak moved to accept these proposals and Christine Strelecky seconded.
9. The date for Deutscher Tag was set for September 24th, 2003. Shelley French moved to approve the date and Christine Strelecky seconded.
10. At 11:04 Shelley French moved to end the business meeting and Peter Bachfischer seconded.

The business meeting was followed by an excellent German meal that was prepared by Karl and Judi Konrad who spared no time or expense. Vielen Dank seems inadequate for such fine work.

After the meal Anne Marie Fuhrig reported on last year's Deutscher Tag. This led to a discussion of the upcoming event on September 24th, 2003.As indicated earlier, the event will be discussed at the August 16th meeting and another planning session scheduled. Following this discussion, Christine Strelecky made a dynamic presentation on the use of phonetics in the German classroom. The presentation included much audience participation. Our thanks to Anne Marie and Christine.

Both the business meeting and the presentations were conducted entirely in German. Three re-certification CPDUs were available to high school teachers for participating in the educational part of the meeting.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Shelley French.

Minutes of the August 24th, 2002 Meeting
of the Southern Illinois Chapter of the AATG

Present: Karl Konrad (President), Shelley French (Secretary), Peter Bachfischer (Treasurer), Christine Strelecky (Testing Chair), Dan Stoyak, Anne Marie Fuhrig, Donna Treece, Morris Vos, Christiane Eydt-Beebe, Hedy Hoemmen

1. The president called the meeting to order at 9:15
2. Peter Bachfischer received the film Lola rennt as a token of appreciation for his service as past president.
3. The minutes from the March 23rd meeting were approved. Motion made by Anne Marie Fuhrig, seconded by Dan Stoyak.
4. The treasurer reported that the chapter had $1769.23. Anne Marie received a $100 reimbursement for German Day expenses. Karl Konrad received reimbursement for newsletter expenses in the amount of $65.30. These expenses were approved by a motion from Peter Bachfischer, seconded by Shelley French.
5. Karl Konrad introduced the officers for 2002-2004.
6. Prizes available from Internationes and possible uses for them were discussed.
7. Possible speakers for the German joint AATG chapter luncheon at the October ICTFL conference in Springfield were discussed. Dr.Wolf Fuhrig, professor of Political Science, was suggested to present a talk related to the outcome of the German Elections in September 2002.
8. The Spring meeting has been scheduled for March 29th, 2003 at Eastern Illinois University. Details will follow.
9. The president announced that the webmasters of the chapter solicit comments on and suggestions for the website(www.southernillinois.aatg.org), for example, teachers tips. Mail to Shelley French and/or Karl Konrad.
10. Peter discussed the Oktoberfest in Peoria that will take place 20 -22 September. There is a $5 entry fee, but groups of 20 or more are free.
11. Peter moved to adjourn the business meeting, Shelley seconded. The meeting was adjourned at10:23.

Anne Marie Fuhrig led a planning session for Deutscher Tag. The session was conducted in German and included specifics for various immersion activities, for example "Schnitzeljagd" "Volkstanzauffuehrung". After lunch, Anne Marie presented the collaboratory project Germantown. (http://collaboratory.nunet.net/cwebdocs/)

Re-certification CPDUs were available to highschool teachers for participating in the educational part of the meeting.

FYI

zur Ordnung rufen - call to order

beantragen - move, make a motion

unterstützen - second (a motion)

vertagen - adjourn

abstimmen - to vote (alle die dafür/dagegen sind/stimmen)

das Protokollbuch führen - keep the minutes