Sunday, March 30, 2008

Resquiescat in Pace, Robert Fagles

Sad news from the New York Times. Robert Fagles, Translator of the Classics, Dies at 74. Professor Fagles is best remembered for his best-selling, contemporary English translations of the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, and Vergil's Aeneid.

Conventiculum Buffaloniense: The Buffalo Spoken Latin Weekend Workshop

Conventiculum Buffaloniense, the Buffalo Spoken Latin Weekend Workshop, will take place June 27-29, 2008, at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, and is aimed specifically at educators.

The workshop has two goals: it will introduce participants to spoken Latin and allow them to begin practicing it, and also provide a forum for learning and discussion of spoken Latin pedagogy.

The workshop represents an ideal starting point for those intending to participate in other active Latin seminars and informal discussion groups. The participation fee is quite moderate at $75, which includes some meals.

The three main moderators are Neil Coffee, Assistant Professor of Classics at UB; Matthew McGowan, Assistant Professor of Classics at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY; and Scott Ettinger, a teacher at the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, NY.

Each have several years experience in speaking Latin and leading spoken Latin groups (particularly at the Conventiculum Latinum in Lexington, Kentucky), and are eager to speak with area educators about spoken Latin in the classroom.

Please check the Conventiculum Buffaloniense information page at the University of Buffalo Classics Department site for more information, a schedule, and the registration form.

Latin Pedagogy Workshop

This summer, the 12th Latin Pedagogy Workshop will be held at the new National-Louis campus in Skokie, Illinois from July 7 to July 10, 2008.

The Latin Pedagogy Workshop is filled with helpful and hands-on strategies for teaching Latin atvarious levels. Presenters include college, high school, and elementary school teachers.

There is an exciting program lined up for this year, featuring maskmaker and poet Kate Hovey, returning presenters Barbara Hill and Deborah Ross, Ruth Breindel, and James Chochola. This year we will also be offering the opportunity to register for one or two days.

Please visit the Latin Pedagogy Workshop's website at for more information about the program and to download registration instructions.

Cambridge Latin Camp

The Cambridge Latin Camp will be held this year from July 14-17, 2008 on the Jersey Shore in Red Bank, NJ. This workshop welcomes teachers at all experience levels, from newbies to the most seasoned pro. Over the years, parents of homeschoolers, retirees, distance learning teachers and special needs teachers have also been welcomed. There is something for everyone.

Each session starts with a hands-on tool that may be used immediately in the classroom. Topics are specific and somewhat driven by participants' needs and interests. Bring a suitcase with lots of room -- you'll need it!

Registration for the camp is $550 with no increase for the 3rd summer running. There is a $50 discount for teachers who register and pay their fees by March 31, 2008.

Registration includes continental breakfast, full hot lunch and breaks during the workshop, meeting facilities and services, opening lunch, closing dinner (somewhere fun), tote, instruction and hand-outs, materials and notebooks. (Nota Bene: Monday and Tuesday dinner are not included.)

Visit the Cambridge Latin Course Connection to obtain a registration form and full workshop agenda.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Better Late Than Never! Beware the Ides!

This should have been posted earlier, but the Ides fell on a Saturday this year. Oh well, better late than never...

As most of you undoubtedly already know, according to the Roman calendar, the Ides take place every month on either the 15th (March, May, July and October) or the 13th (all others). The Ides of March are the most famous Ides because Julius Caesar was assassinated on the 15th of March, 44 BC.

National Public Radio seems to take the Ides of March pretty seriously, because they have quite a few streaming audio clips in their archives commemorating Caesar's demise.

From the BBC comes lesson plans for Sixty Second Shakespeare and a page from the Sixty Second Times outlining the events of the day!

Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of the Vroma Image Archive

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Pompeiiana!

For nearly twenty years Bernard Barcio produced Pompeiiana, a Latin language newspaper for students which was filled with articles, comics, puzzles and games. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers has received exclusive rights to all 229 issues which they are planning to scan and make available online for Latin teachers worldwide. Other projects based upon Pompeiiana are also in the planning stages. As you would no doubt expect, the reaction of Latin teachers has been overwhelmingly positive!

Bolchazy-Carducci is asking Latin teachers for their help in locating 2 missing issues. Do you have them? Vol. 2, Issue 1 and Vol. 2, Issue 4. If so, Bolchazy-Carducci would love to hear from you!

Conversational Latin Language Videocasts

Colloquia Latina spectate et audite! The University of Kentucky's Division of Classics has placed a number of videocasts featuring fluent Latin speakers (including Terence Tunberg and Milena Minkova) on their website. Rumor has it that there are more to come!