AATI@Marist Final Conference Program

(click here for the PDF version)

 

 

AATI NATIONAL CONFERENCE
AT MARIST COLLEGE

 

MAY 31 – JUNE 1, 2019

 

American Association of Teachers of Italian
Executive Council

President Giuseppe Cavatorta, University of Arizona
Vice President (University) Daniela Cavallero, DePaul University
Vice President (K-12) Lyn Scolaro, Prospect High School
Secretary/Treasurer Enza Antenos, Montclair State University
Director of Communication Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Past President Salvatore Bancheri, University of Toronto

Regional Representatives
New England
Gina Maiellaro, Northeastern University
California
Clorinda Donato, California State University, Long Beach
New York State
Elisabetta D’Amanda, Rochester Institute of Technology
Maureen (Marina) Melita, Marist College
Mid-Atlantic
Daniele DeFeo, Princeton University
Southwest-South
Federica Santini, Kennesaw State University
Midwest
Chiara Fabbian, University of Illinois at Chicago
Plains-Southwest
Antontella Dell’Anna, Arizona State University
Rocky Mountains-Far West
Chris Picicci, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Canada
Teresa Lobalsamo, University of Toronto, Mississauga
Italy
Massimo Vedovelli, Università per Stranieri di Siena

 

Graduate Student Representative
Sara Galli, University of Toronto

High School Representatives
Antonietta Di Pietro, M-DCPS School District (FL)
Amelia Fausta Ippoliti, Rio Rancho High School (NM)
Patti Grunther, Watchung Regional High School (NJ)
Justin Ehrenberg, Bear Creek High School (CA)
Danny Monsalve Montilla, Abraham Lincoln High School

AATI Ex-Officio Members
Michael Lettieri, University of Toronto
Silvia Tiboni-Craft, Wake Forest University
Silvia Giorgini-Althoen, Wayne State University
Anthony Julian Tamburri, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, CUNY/Queens College

REGIONAL CHAPTERS OF THE AATI
REGION OF NEW ENGLAND
MITA – MASSACHUSETTS ITALIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
RITI – RHODE ISLAND TEACHERS OF ITALIAN
CITA – CONNECTICUT ITALIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION

REGION OF NEW YORK STATE
ITACNY – ITALIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK
ITALIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION – NEW YORK STATE
AATILI – AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ITALIAN, LONG ISLAND

SOUTHEAST-SOUTHERN REGION
FATI – FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF ITALIAN, FLORIDA BRANCH OF AATI

MIDWEST REGION
AATI MIDWEST
GREATER YOUNGSTOWN CHAPTER OF THE AATI

MID-ATLANTIC REGION
ITANJ – ITALIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY
AATI WASHINGTON D.C. CHAPTER

 

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Colleghe e colleghi,
a nome dell’Executive Council dell’American Association of Teachers of Italian mi fa un grande piacere dare il benvenuto a tutti quelli che hanno deciso di partecipare alla nostra conferenza primaverile qui a Marist College. Un grazie sincero a tutti quelli che presenteranno qui alla conferenza, ai chair delle sessioni, agli sponsor, agli espositori, a tutti i membri dell’AATI e ai nostri ospiti qui a Poughkeepsie.
La nostra missione è quella di tutelare, promuovere e diffondere lo studio nel mondo della lingua italiana, della letteratura e della cultura italiana nei suoi molteplici aspetti e di dare un appoggio a chi insegna l’italiano a qualsiasi livello. Questa conferenza è uno dei tanti tasselli che informano il mosaico di iniziative di cui ci facciamo carico ogni anno.
Mettere insieme una conferenza come questa è un impegno enorme e per questa ragione vorrei caldamente ringraziare chi da dietro le quinte l’ha resa possibile: in primo luogo, Maureen ‘Marina’ Melita (chair del comitato locale) che si è sobbarcata un lavoro smisurato per quanto riguarda l’identificazione e la disponibilità della sede unitamente a ogni possibile problema di tipo logistico; Daniela Cavallero (chair del comitato AATI) per l’organizzazione e la stesura del programma, tutti i membri del comitato per la revisione e accettazione delle proposte e di quello per l’assegnazione delle borse di viaggio (Biagio Aulino, Jessica Greenfield, Daniele DeFeo, Chris Picicci, Beth Salimbeni, Federica Santini e Lyn Scolaro), senza scordare Ryan Calabretta-Sajder che è andato ben oltre i suoi doveri di membro di uno dei due comitati o di quello della sua carica in seno all’Executive Council.
Sono estremamente orgoglioso del fatto che si sia riusciti, grazie al lavoro di tutti, a riportare la nostra conferenza negli Stati Uniti. Non è certamente un addio all’Italia, a cui ci lega un indissolubile filo, ma un semplice e necessario arrivederci, in risposta alla richiesta di molti dei nostri associati.
Tutti i membri dell’Executive Council dell’AATI vi augurano una buona conferenza e una permanenza da ricordare qui a Poughkeepsie.
Benvenuti!

Beppe Cavatorta, AATI President

 

MARIST______________
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

 

 

 

 

Benvenuti a Marist! On behalf of the College, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2019 American Association of Teachers of Italian Conference.

Marist’s ties to Italy run deep, so it is fitting that we should host this conference celebrating Italian language and culture. For many years, Marist has had a branch campus in the heart of Florence’s old city, where we offer an array of academic opportunities: freshman year abroad, semester study abroad, our MA in Museum Studies program, and the only four-year US bachelor’s degree program in Florence. This beautiful city, the birthplace of the Renaissance, never ceases to inspire our students and faculty.

As scholars and teachers of Italian, I know that you are likewise inspired by Italy. Indeed, this gathering provides ample opportunity for you to explore the ways in which the country has left its mark on our world: through its language, history, art, music, culture, fashion, cinema, gastronomy, and diaspo ra. There are countless avenues for inquiry and discussion, making this conference a uniquely rewarding experience.

Again, welcome to Marist. I hope you enjoy your time on our campus and learn from these two days of enlightening panel discussions, talks, and presentations.

Cari saluti,

David Yellen
President
Marist College

MARIST COLLEGE | Poughkeepsie, New York 12601-1387 | marist.edu
Telephone: 845-575-3600 | david.yellen@marist.edu

School of Liberal Arts Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
Telephone: 845-575-3295 Fax: 845-575-3410 liberalarts@marist.edu

BENVENUTI! and a hearty welcome, bienvenidos, bienvenue, willkommen, dobro pojalovat, youkoso ,ahlan bekum, huānyíng, from the Department of Modern Languages & Cultures and the School of Liberal Arts.
We are especially delighted that the American Association of Teachers of Italian is holding its conference at Marist. At a time when all education must be globally minded, we have seen again and again how all things Italian hold a special place at our college, among our students and their parents, and in the larger community that surrounds us.
The Modern Languages Department was founded some sixty years ago by the Marist Brothers who also built this College with their own hands. They knew, and they taught that humanism is born and nourished foremost by language and art. Over the years, Italian grew from a minor to a Major, as Marist established its branch campus in Florence. Today, countless freshmen discover college life and themselves in Italy before they even join the home campus in Poughkeepsie.
Thanks to our dynamic colleagues, their Italian energies can find outlets, interning at local museums, organizing a colorful Carnevale, attending Italian Opera at the Metropolitan, playing online games in Italian and keeping alive their Florence social ties long after they return.
Again, welcome! We hope you enjoy your time this weekend at Marist College and in the beautiful Hudson Valley, which celebrates it own Italian-American heritage in joyful ways.
Claire Keith
Chair, Department of Modern Languages & Cultures,
Marina Melita, Italian Program Director, and the Entire Modern Languages Faculty

 

 

 

 

Dr. Ivette Romero, Dr. Patricia Ferrer, Dr. Kevin Gaugler, Prof. Irma Casey, Dr. Claire Keith, Dr. Maureen Marina Melita

MARIST FACULTY COLLEAGUES FOR THE AATI 2019 CONFERENCE:
Dr. Kristin Bayer
Dr. Sasha Biro
Dr. Patricia Ferrer
Dr. Kevin Gaugler
Dr. Janine Peterson

 

MARIST STUDENT AMBASSADORS FOR THE AATI 2019 CONFERENCE:
Gino Cassese ‘19*
Rebecca Cole ‘20
Steven Jacobs ‘20*
Cecilia McPeck ‘20
Nicole Morrissey ‘22
Alessandro Pirovano ‘20
Tierney Riccitelli ‘19

*GAMMA KAPPA ALPHA MEMBERS

FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019
8:00 am
Coffee and Pastries
Lowell Thomas Lobby

 

8:30 – 9:45 am
SESSIONS

 

Session Title: Gender and Language Politics
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Organizers: Elisabetta D’Amanda, Rochester Institute of Technology; Sara Galli, University of Toronto; Marina Melita, Marist College; and Federica Santini, Kennesaw State University for the AATI Gender and Women’s Studies Collective
Chair: Marina Melita, Marist College

Sara Galli, University of Toronto & Mohammad Javad Jamali, University of Toronto
Italian Language and Gender Neutrality: A Canadian Perspective

Mia Jordan ‘19, Kennesaw State University Undergraduate
Issues with Gendered Expressions in the Italian Language.

 

Session Title: Rappresentazioni letterarie e cinematografiche dell’Italia contemporanea
Room: Lowell Thomas 133
Organizer: AATI
Chair: Roberta Antognini, Vassar College

Margherita Heyer-Cáput, University of California, Davis
Female Theology meets Poietic Writing: Michela Murgia’s L’incontro (2012)

Francesco Rabissi, University of Arizona
L’occhio pigro dell’Occidente in Fuocoammare (2016)

 

10:00 – 11:15 am
WORKSHOPS

The Weiss Language Center: A 2020 Vision for Language Learning with Technology
Room: Library 304, The Weiss Language Center
**PLEASE NOTE: This workshop takes place in the Cannavino Library, a 2-minute walk from the Lowell Thomas building.**
Presenter: Kevin Gaugler, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Weiss Language Center, Marist College
What should a cutting-edge language learning space look like in 2019? How can we build spaces today that are useful for language instructors and learners alike? Participants will discuss specific hardware, software, game platforms and web-based services in a newly renovated center with a mission to provide a dynamic environment where students can learn, explore, and interact with languages both academically and socially. Participants will also discuss ways of managing a language center by leveraging student employment and interest to create resources and programming for language learners.
La Dolce Vita University: Boosting Relevance and Engagement with “Trivia” and Storytelling
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Presenter: Carla Gambescia, author of the award-winning book, La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z.

Is there a “sweet spot” for individual and group learning at the intersection of traditional pedagogy and entertainment? The session will begin with participants sampling an Italian culture “trivia challenge” that Gambescia has conducted for a wide range of audiences across the country including college and high school students. On the basis of that shared experience, participants will discuss and explore the potential benefits and application of such an approach to enhance student engagement in a classroom setting.

11:30 am – 12:45 pm
SESSIONS

Session Title: Gaming Languages and Technology in the Language Classroom. Plesae bring a laptop to this session in order to participate in the hands-on activities to be discussed.
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Organizer & Chair: Marina Melita, Marist College

Laura Alessi, Suffern High School
Improving Language through Technology in a Meaningful Way
Laura Bilanceri, Duke University
L’uso della tecnologia nello sviluppo del lessico: alcune soluzioni pratiche
Kevin Gaugler, Marist College
Game of Tones: Gamification and L2 Learning, an Introduction
Session Title: Documenting the Italian Diaspora: Panel in memoria di Paul A. Colilli (1)
Room: Lowell Thomas 133
Organizers: Salvatore Bancheri, University of Toronto; Simone Casini, University of Toronto Mississauga; Michael Lettieri, University of Toronto Mississauga; Christine Sansalone, Laurentian University
Chair: Salvatore Bancheri, University of Toronto

Simone Casini, University of Toronto Mississauga
Una ‘lezione americana’ di Tullio De Mauro: questioni di educazione linguistica tra Italia e Nord America

Martucci Rosina, Università degli Studi di Salerno – Liceo “O. Flacco” di Portici (NA)
Pietro Corsi: scrittore e viaggiatore

Francesco Chianese, California State University, Long Beach
When Italianness Becomes a Racial Question: Mary Di Michele’s Under the Skin, Kim Ragusa’s The Skin Between Us and Igiaba Scego’s La mia casa è dove sono

12:45 – 2:00 pm
LUNCH
(on your own)

2:15 – 3:30
Film Screening
Lowell Thomas 019
Scenes from Blaq Italiano
Screening of Blaxploitalian

Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Italian-Ghanaian producer, film director and activist born and raised in Italy and based in Brooklyn. His award-winning film Inside Buffalo (2010) documents African-American veterans who fought in Italy during World War II, while his 2012 documentary 18 Ius Soli: The Right To Be Italian examines questions of citizenship for the one million children of immigrants born and raised in Italy. Kuwornu’s third documentary Blaxploitalian premiered at Rome, Martinique, Martha’s Vineyard and the Pan African Film Festival and has screened at over a dozen universities across the world.

Discussion with the Director, Fred Kuwornu, to follow.

 

 

3:45 – 5:00 pm
SESSIONS
Session Title: From Face-to-Face to Hybrid and Online: Student Engagement in Language and Culture Courses
Room: Lowell Thomas 133
Organizers: Daniele De Feo, Princeton University and Carmela Scala, Rutgers University
Chair: Daniele De Feo, Princeton University
Chiara De Santi, Farmingdale State College SUNY
Switching Class Format to a Hybrid and Online One: How to Engage Students

Eilis Kierans, Rutgers University
Empathy on the Other Side: Community and Care in the Online Classroom

Carmela Scala, Rutgers University
From Design to ‘Teaching’: Granting our Students a Fruitful and Engaging Learning
Experience

 

Session Title: ACTFL’s OPI Examination and the Language Curriculum
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Organizer: Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Chair: Marina Melita, Marist College

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Incorporating OPI Testing Skills in the Italian Curriculum

Mercedes Rooney, SUNY New Paltz
Redefining Oral Assessment in the Elementary Classroom: The Interview Poster
Project

 

Session Title: Scritture sperimentali/Experimental Writings
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Organizers: Beppe Cavatorta, University of Arizona Tucson; Gianluca Rizzo, Colby College; Federica Santini, Kennesaw State University
Chair: Gianluca Rizzo, Colby College.

Roberta Antognini, Vassar College
Amelia Rosselli e l’esperimento di Diario Ottuso

Beppe Cavatorta, University of Arizona
Rossana Ombres ovvero della pigrizia della critica letteraria
Gianluca Rizzo, Colby College
Ripetizione, identità e differenza nella poesia di Corrado Costa e Adriano Spatola

5:00 pm
Coffee Break
Lowell Thomas Lobby & Patio

5:15 – 6:30 pm
SESSIONS
Session Title: Documenting the Italian Diaspora: Panel in memoria di Paul A. Colilli (2)
Room: Lowell Thomas 133
Organizers: Salvatore Bancheri, University of Toronto; Simone Casini, University of Toronto Mississauga; Michael Lettieri, University of Toronto Mississauga; Christine Sansalone, Laurentian University
Chair: Simone Casini, University of Toronto Mississauga

Christine Sansalone, Laurentian University
The Italian Canadian Internment During World War II: The Case of Emilio Galardo of Sudbury, Ontario

Marisa Trubiano, Montclair State University
Le isole dell’Oceano Canada. Flaiano ed Andermann alla ricerca dei popoli “perduti”

Salvatore Bancheri, University of Toronto; Simone Casini, University of Toronto Mississauga
Questioni di lingue, identità e forme di vita tra emigrazione e immigrazione: il caso del comune siciliano di Delia

Session Title: New Critical Approaches to Pier Paolo Pasolini (Roundtable)
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Organizer: Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Chair: Beppe Cavatorta, University of Arizona
• Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
• Francesco Chianese, Fulbright Scholar at California State University, Long Beach
• Andrew Korn, University of Rochester
• Simona Bondavalli, Vassar College

 

6:45 – 8:00 pm
Welcome Address
Marist Keynote Speaker

Nelly Goletti Theatre
Murray Student Center

RACHEL CUNNING
Loveland Classical Schools

“Be the One: Cultivating an Inclusive Classroom”

Sponsored by Marist College’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and the School of Liberal Arts at Marist College.

Language teachers are in a unique, though precarious, position to address issues related to gender and inclusivity in their classrooms. Language teachers must grapple with gendered language from the very first day of class as they use masculine or feminine nouns and adjectives to address and describe their students. This can create a minefield of gendered language that can act as emotional triggers for vulnerable student populations. Transgender and non-binary students are often at an increased risk of bullying, self-harm, substance abuse, and suicide. Emotional triggers can include the use of dead names and incorrect pronouns in any language, but the nature of a world-language classroom adds an additional level of grammatical and cultural complexity to making all students feel comfortable. As teachers, our goal should be to not only teach the nuts and bolts of language to our students, but also to be there for them.

Attendees will hear the presenter’s personal anecdotes, including about hate crimes and her burgeoning awareness of issues related to transgender and non-binary youth, while hearing the hard facts and research related transgender youth as well as research on how gender affects our perception of the world. Attendees will also hear practical classroom activities and suggestions to take back to their own schools or universities so they can continue to cultivate a climate that welcomes and accepts all students.

Biography:
Rachel Cunning earned her B.A. in English with a Minor in Classical Antiquity from the University of Kansas where she also received her M.S.Ed focusing on Second Language Acquisition. She is the author of “Engendering Inclusivity in a Language Class” on Teaching Tolerance and Cupido et Psyche: A Latin Novella, a novella written for advanced Latin students. She has worked on the Kansas Assessment Program developing English Language Arts summative assessments for Kansas in grades 3-10. She has diverse teaching experience from the elementary to the university level, including English, English as a Second Language, and Latin. She will be joining Loveland Classical Schools this fall as a Latin teacher. When she is not reading or writing, she is usually covered in dirt from her garden or backpacking in national parks where she is both reading and covered in dirt.

8:00 – Reception
Generously Sponsored by the Office of the President at Marist College
Lobby – Nelly Goletti Theatre
Murray Student Center
SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019

8:00 am
Coffee and Pastries
Lowell Thomas Lobby

8:30 – 9:45 am
AATI Advocacy Committee Meeting
All are Invited to Attend the Discussion on the Current State-of-Affairs Concerning Italian Studies in North America
Henry Hudson Room – Fontaine Hall 301 – 3rd Floor

8:30 – 9:45 am
SESSION

Session Title: Blended/Hybrid Italian Courses (Roundtable)
Room: Lowell Thomas 239
Organizer and Chair: Antonella Dell’Anna, Arizona State University
• Donatella Melucci, Georgetown University
• Daria Mizza, The John Hopkins University
• Antonella Dell’Anna, Arizona State University

WORKSHOPS

The Weiss Language Center: A 2020 Vision for Language Learning with Technology
Room: Library 304
Presenter: Kevin Gaugler, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Weiss Language Center, Marist College
What should a cutting-edge language learning space look like in 2019? How can we build spaces today that are useful for language instructors and learners alike? Participants will discuss specific hardware, software, game platforms and web-based services in a newly renovated center with a mission to provide a dynamic environment where students can learn, explore, and interact with languages both academically and socially. Participants will also discuss ways of managing a language center by leveraging student employment and interest to create resources and programming for language learners.

 

 

Educational materials for Italian teachers in the U.S.A. New Italian Espresso 1 and 2
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Presenter: Diana Biagini, Alma edizioni

How do American students learn foreign languages? What kind of difficulties do they face? Which materials and strategies can help them through their learning path?
Through this interactive workshop teachers will have the opportunity to share reflections on the teaching materials they have been using in the classroom and judge whether they effectively meet their students’ needs.

Teachers will eventually explore New Italian Espresso, the two volume course book specifically designed for teaching Italian in the United States. The course book study will be carried through group or pair work. Teachers will be asked to play their own students’ role as well as to share and compare their professional experience. Also, they will be encouraged to reflect on the use of videos, learning technologies, games and motivational activities.

This workshop is primarily intended for secondary school and university teachers who are not familiar with New Italian Espresso. Teachers who already use it are most welcome to participate, share their experience and discover new ideas and strategies to develop in their classrooms.

All participants will receive a sample copy of one of the two volumes of New Italian Espresso.

10:00-11:15 am
SESSIONS

Session Title: Innovative Tools for Teaching Italian Language, Literature, and Culture at ALL Levels (Roundtable)
Room: Lowell Thomas 239
Organizer: Silvia Giorgini-Althoen, Wayne State University
Chair: Maria Gloria Borsa, Bellaire High School (Houston, TX)
• Katie Boyle, Notre Dame
• Maria Gloria Borsa, Bellaire High School
• Alessandra Saggin, Columbia University
• David Del Principe, Montclair State University
• Margherita Berti, University of Arizona
Session Title: Teaching Italian Off the Beaten Path
Room: Lowell Thomas 017
Organizer: Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Chair: Marina Melita, Marist College

Enza Antenos, Montclair State University
Language, Business & Culture: A Direction for World Language Degrees of the
Future
Elda Buonanno Foley, Iona College
Teaching the Concept of MADE IN ITALY through Art

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
All Roads Lead to Rome…or Do They? MADE IN ITALY in Rome

Session Title: 1989-2019: VIA. Voices in Italian Americana: “ché la diritta via fu smarrita”?*
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Organizer: Anthony Julian Tamburri, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY
Chair: Mark Pietralunga, Florida State University
• Fred Gardaphé, Queens College, CUNY
• Paolo Giordano, University of Central Florida
• Anthony Julian Tamburri, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
SESSIONS
Session Title: Moving Toward Proficiency: Exploring the AATI Italian National Exam
Room: Lowell Thomas 017
Organizers: Gina Maiellaro, Northeastern University and Mary Jo Lubrano, Yale University
Chair: Gina Maiellaro, Northeastern University

Gina Maiellaro, Northeastern University & Mary Jo Lubrano, Yale University
Moving Toward Proficiency: Exploring the AATI Italian National Exam

Session Title: L’Italiano: Se non ora, quando? (Tavola rotonda)
Room: Lowell Thomas 239
Organizer: Daniela Cavallero, DePaul University
• Giuseppe Cavatorta, University of Arizona,
• Antonietta Di Pietro, Intensive Language Institute, University of Miami
• Lyn Scolaro, Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect, IL
• Mariastella Cocchiara, Bentley University
• Patrizia Lissoni, Pepperdine University
• Clara Orban, DePaul University
• Marco Saladini, Direttore ICE Chicago

 

Session Title: Giallo Genre in Writing and Cinematic Makings
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Organizer: Anna Iacovella, Yale University
Chair: Janine Peterson, Marist College

Anna Iacovella, Yale University
‘The Bastards of Pizzofalcone’: The Ability to Narrate Depth of Characters in a
Complex Reality

Elda Buonanno Foley, Iona College
Re-reading Gomorrah as a docudrama of the La Camorrista in the Southern Italian
Criminal “System”

Maria Grazia Lolla, Harvard University
The Mystery Genre in the Time of the Elves

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Gendering the Giallo in the Works of Amara Lakhous

12:45 – 2:00pm
Lunch (on your own)

12:45 – 2:00 pm
AATI Executive Council Meeting
Henry Hudson Room. – Fontaine Hall 301
3rd Floor

2:15 – 3:30 pm
Special Presentations
Lowell Thomas 019

The Most Learned Woman:
The Story of Elena Cornaro Piscopia
(Play, abridged version, 35 mins)
Actor/Director: Laura Caparrotti, Kairos Italy Theater
Violinst: Ludovica Burtone
1678, Padua. Elena Cornaro Piscopia becomes the first woman to obtain a doctorate from a university. Her story begins in Venice, in a beautiful palace on the water. Voices from her life are told by a narrator who is going to bring the audience back to the 1600s, while a violin will give voice to Elena’s feelings.

 

2:15 – 3:30 pm
Special Presentations Cont’d.
Lowell Thomas 019

 

Amici del Mare (Film, 20-25 mins)
Tara Guaimano ’20, Anthony Vitale ‘19
Amici del Mare is a short documentary film examining surf culture and lifestyle in a small beach town on the Tuscan Coast. Following the lives of the instructors and team riders of Amici del Mare Surf School, the film features a heartwarming story of family values in the beautiful coastal town of Castiglioncello. The story considers the transition of surfing in Italy from alternative to popular culture through a mutual, deep connection to the ocean. Director, Tara Guaimano and producer, Anthony Vitale are students at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Guaimano is an Italian-American surfer from New Jersey who crossed paths with the surfers during her time studying abroad in Italy.

Discussion with all directors/performers to follow.

3:45 – 5:00 pm
SESSIONS

Session Title: Strategies to Build an Effective AP Course Starting from the Beginning Levels
Room: Lowell Thomas 017
Organizer, Chair, & Presenter: Roberta Pennasilico, Naples Middle High School

 

Session Title: Performing Italianità (Roundtable)
Room: Lowell Thomas 239
Organizer & Chair: Antonietta Di Pietro, Intensive Language Institute & University of Miami
• Antonietta Di Pietro, Intensive Language Institute, University of Miami
• Daniela Cavallero, DePaul University

 

 

 

Session Title: From Language Functions to Content-based Modules
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Organizer: Paola Morgavi, Northwestern University
Session Chair: Paola Nastri, Independent Researcher
Maria Gloria Borsa, Bellaire High School & Patrizia Lissoni, Pepperdine University
Il secondo anno come ponte di collegamento fra il livello novice low e intermediate high

Daniela Pozzi Pavan, Northwestern University
A Content-based Module: Sustainability and Language Competence

 

5:00 pm
Coffee Break
Lowell Thomas Lobby & Patio

 

5:15 – 6:30 pm
SESSIONS
Session Title: Bridging the University and High School Systems through Innovative Italian Teaching Approaches and Projects
Room: Lowell Thomas 017
Co-organizers: Teresa Fiore, Montclair State University, Patti Grunther, Watchung Hills Regional High School, Marisa Trubiano, Montclair State University
Chair: Teresa Fiore, Montclair State University
Gina Maiellaro, Northeastern University
Articulation of Assessment across the HS and University Systems in North America

Giusy DiFilippo, College of Holy Cross
A Free and Online AP Italian Language and Culture Course. From a Small Liberal Arts College to the High School Students around the World and Back

Teresa Fiore, Montclair State University, Patti Grunther, Watchung Hills Regional High
School, and Marisa Trubiano, Montclair State University
Connecting Students of Italian Language and Culture along the K-16 Continuum
Innovative Approaches Inclusive Networks and Expanding Opportunities in Montclair

 

 

Session Title: Critically Thinking Italy: From Fascism and Jewish Culture to the Present
Room: Lowell Thomas 239
Organizer: Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas
Chair: Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, University of Arkansas

Piero Garofalo, University of New Hampshire
The Ethics and Politics of Translation under Fascism

Sandra Dugo, Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”
I luoghi della natura e dell’anima nella narrativa di Giorgio Bassani

Valentino Baldi, Università per Stranieri di Siena
Lo statuto della saggistica letteraria nell’Italia contemporanea

 

Session Title: IACE Grant Opportunities for K-12 Teachers and Students of Italian
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Chair & Organizer: Mario Costa, IACE Treasurer

Mario Costa, IACE Treasurer
IACE Grant Opportunities for K-12 Teachers and Students of Italian

 

 

END of CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Saturday Evening Keynote Information Follows

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:45 – 8:00 pm
Closing Address
AATI Keynote Speaker

Nelly Goletti Theatre
Murray Student Center

CLARA ORBAN
DePaul University

“Avanti”
The idea of moving forward—Avanti—was embraced in the early 20th century on both sides of the political spectrum. The socialist incitement to surpass bourgeois values was captured in the title of the party’s newspaper, born in the late 19th century (the title of this presentation as well). The futurists, politically right-leaning but certainly not artistically conservative, made forward motion and dynamism the central tenets of their aesthetic. In our profession, we hear “Italian is declining.” “Students are gravitating towards STEM.” “Italian is losing students to (fill in the blank here: Mandarin?).” Italian teachers have seen this happen before, but is the situation different this time? Will Italian recover? An AATI member throughout her professional career, Clara Orban will reflect on the profession as it currently stands. Together, we will explore ways to increase enthusiasm in language learning and how we could make interest in all things Italian translate into increased enrollments. Some of the questions we can ask: What factors hold us back? What new strategies could propel us forward? And most of all perhaps, what are we doing to create a fun environment for our students so they want to stay in our classes? Esploriamo insieme come possiamo andare sempre più “avanti.”
Biography
Dr. Orban’s publications range from seventeenth-century linguistics to the pedagogy of upper-division Italian conversation courses. Her books include: Au travail!, a workbook for Business French; a translation of Herve Guiberts Cytomegalovirus; The Culture of Fragments: Words and Images in Futurism and Surrealism; Surrealist Case Studies: Literature, Medicine and the Arts; the novel Terra Firma, second place winner of the 2003 CNW/FFWA award for fiction, Body [in] Parts: Bodies and Identity in Sade and Guibert, and the wine appreciation book Wine Lessons: Ten Questions to Guide Your Appreciation of Wine. Dr. Orbans’s book, The Guide to Illinois Wine, will be published in 2014. Her articles have appeared in journals such as The French Review, Italica, and Literature and Medicine.

She is on the advisory and editorial board of the online Hektoen International: a Journal of Medical Humanities, and former chair of the board of IMPACT Chicago, an organization that teaches self-defense to women and girls so they can prevent, minimize, and stop violence.

Student interest led her to inherit Geography 350: the World of Wine. In 2007, she became a certified sommelier and leads regular wine tasting events as fundraisers.

Dinner to follow at Cosimo’s Poughkeepsie. See next page for more information!

8:30 – Dinner
Cosimo’s in Poughkeepsie, NY
Four-Course Meal
Reservation Required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you in Washington D.C. for the AATI@ACTFL 2019 Conference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AATI ADVOCACY

In the spring of 2018, members of the AATI Executive Committee came together to create the AATI Collapse of the Humanties Committee, chaired by Prof. Clorinda Donato with an objective of documenting the current situation of High School Italian programs throughout the United States. After the successful completion of this part of the overall advocacy program, a new committee was formed at the Executive Committee Meeting at ACTFL in November 2018. This time called the AATI Advocacy Committee and co-chaired by Chris Picicci and Marina Melita, the goals are to continue the excellent work began by Prof. Donato and to expand upon it, while also collecting data on university programs, and protecting and promoting those programs already in existence.

However, we are currently spending most of our time trying to save HS Italian programs, several of which are in jeopardy of elimination, as you read this. Unfortunately, the outlook is bleak for those currently facing dissolution.

It is slow going, difficult, at times disheartening, and always extremely time-consuming volunteer work, which requires the quick organization of the AATI Advocacy Committee along with the support of the entire AATI membership, local Italian-American organizations, and regional consulates, in order to save just one HS program, but we think it is a worthwhile task. We are also in the process of developing an Action Plan that can be used by any AATI member, when there is the threat of program elimination.

As stated in a recent email to the membership, if we do not act in a timely manner, most of our HS Italian programs will disappear within the next 20-25 years, if the current rate of attrition continues unchecked. This fact will no doubt affect the future of our university programs as well. This is every member’s issue to face. Therefore, we are asking for your help. Last year, we were able to save three HS Italian programs, with your assistance.

There are several ways to support the AATI Advocacy Committee, but the two most important are listed below.

1. As soon as you hear about a potential program closure, please contact the AATI Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs (marina.melita@marist.edu and chris.picicci@csupueblo.edu) immediately with as much, detailed information as possible, regarding the situation.

2. Sign and share every petition to save a program that comes through the AATI listserv. To be clear, we will not ask for signatures unless and until we have fully vetted a potential closure.

As well, if you have time to help with this committee, please email the co-chairs directly. Even just volunteering for a couple of hours, would help us all, immensely!

Thank you in advance,
Marina Melita and Chris Picicci
Co-Chairs, AATI Advocacy Committee

2018-2019 AATI Advocacy Committee Members
Enza Antenos
Daniele DeFeo
Antonietta DiPietro
Chiara Fabbian
Teresa Lobalsam
Gina Maiellaro
Acknowledgements

The organizers of this conference would like to thank the following people, organizations and departments for their support and assistance, which made this event possible.

Annamaria Maciocia
Becky Sellmeyer
Brian Coons
Carlo deJesus
Charles Lee
Cindy Miller
Claire Keith
Dean Martin Shaffer
Dolores Breidenstein
Donna H. Tompkins
Elizabeth Clarke
Elizabeth Tavarez
Emily Saland
Hayley Denning
Irma Casey
Ivette Romero
James Morrow-Polio
Janie Pierson
Janine Peterson
Joe Giacalone
John Cordella
Jon D. Littlefield
Jonathan Dorin
Julie Gardinier
Kevin Gaugler

 

Kim Bodendorf
Kristin Bayer
Linda Pisacano
Lisa Bellis
Lisa Rao
Marist Admissions Office Staff
Marist International Programs
Marist Office of Public Safety
Marist Print Shop
Marist School of Liberal Arts
Office Staff
Michelle Lee
Nathaniel Rice
Patricia Ferrer
Peter Wenzel
David Yellen, President of Marist
Rebecca Albitz
Sarah English
Sasha Biro
Sodexo Catering Staff
Theresa Beretta
Tracy Kopchik
Thomas Wermuth,
Vice President of Academic Affairs

 

 

Finally, thank you to all who helped make this conference possible,
and who may have been inadvertently omitted from this list.

 

Notes:
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Thanks to ALL of Our Sponsors…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Special Thanks to Anthony Julian Tamburri
and the Bordighera Press for printing this program.

 

Bordighera Press is a non-profit publisher of Italian-American literature since 1989. We publish works spanning award-winning poetry and prose to groundbreaking scholarship and research. Based in Indiana with editorial offices also in New York City, Bordighera Press has an international presence as the foremost publisher of italianità in North America.