William B. Fischer
Professor of German, Department of World Languages & Literatures, Portland State University

PSU - WLL PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97207
	503 725-5285	e-mail: fischerw@pdx.edu
http://web.pdx.edu/~fischerw
http://www.cosmolingua.pdx.edu	3908 SE Taggart
Portland, OR 97202
	503 232-7881	
Teaching and Research
language pedagogy; technology in language instruction; teacher education; interaction of science, technology and humanities, popular culture
Education
1979	Ph.D., Yale University, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. Subject of dissertation: German science fiction; advisor: Peter Demetz
1969-70	Carnegie Teaching Fellow, Yale University
1965-69	B.A., Yale College. Double intensive major with Highest Honors in German and English. Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, National Merit Scholar
1954-65	Public schools, Grants Pass, Oregon
Academic Employment
1978-	Department of Foreign Languages, Portland State University. Promotions to Assistant Professor, 1980; Associate Professor, 1983; Professor, 1987 (check this)
1974-77	Instructor, Department of German, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
1969-72	Carnegie Teaching Fellow and graduate assistant, Yale University
Publications (summary list)
“Literatur für Leser and Listeners: Herbert W. Franke’s ‘Papa Joe & Co.’” literatur für leser (Peter Lang), 29.4 (4/2006).
“Goethe, Schiller and Me: Reflections on Figuring out Literature While Teaching Others about It and Life Too in a Language They Don’t Talk Very Good Yet.” Teaching German in America: Past Progress and Future Promise. Cherry Hill, NJ: American Association of Teachers of German, 2002.
¿Cómo? Introductory Spanish for Proficiency (co-author), Simon and Schuster, 1995.
Wie, bitte? Introductory German for Proficiency (co-author). New York: John Wiley, 1989.
The Empire Strikes Out: Kurd Laßwitz, Hans Dominik, and the Development of German Science Fiction 1871-1945. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1984.
articles in Die Unterrichtspraxis and Science Fiction Studies; reviews and article translations in Technology and Culture, Science Fiction Studies, Die Unterrichtspraxis, German Quarterly, Science/Technology and the Humanities, Visions (journal of the Oregon Graduate Center), Oregon English Journal
Chief consulting editor for 2nd edition of Deutsch für alle by Haas and Mathieu, New York: Wiley, 1984; manuscript reviewer for John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York; referee for Die Unterrichtspraxis.
Poetry and prose in various local publications
grants, Prizes, Awards
PSU Center for Academic Excellence, AIM grant to create hybrid on-line course, 2010.
Peer review funding to support expansion of “SpeakEasy” course, 2009 ($3000).
President’s Internationalization Grant and CAE Academic Innovation Mini-Grant, 2006
NCLB Grant ($50K): “Styles- and Strategies-Based Instruction for Second Languages”, 2006
Pew Foundation Grant for Redesign of Large-Enrollment Courses ($200,000), 2001.
PSU Faculty Vitality Grant, 2000 ($15,000)
NEH Fellowship for College Teachers, 1982; DAAD travel grant, 1986; various university grants
co-recipient, Oregon Department of Education grant to develop core courses in training foreign language teachers (1996, $80,000)
co-recipient, Eisenhower-ODE grant to develop pilot course in multi-media use in language instruction, (1997, $16,000)
grant-supported (Eisenhower) member of three-year STEP phase of PASS, starting 5/96
Teaching in Technology award, PSU, 2005 & 1998
Recent Activity
‘Echo360 Lecture Capture Software in Language Courses”, invited presentation, PSU, 29 Nov., 2010.
“Binaural Stereo Sound and the German Science-Fiction Radio-Play”, Seventh International Hawaii Conference on the Arts and Humanities,” January 2009.
“The ‘Humboldt Project:’ Outreach to K-12 At-Risk Students through Experiential Learning about Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Environmentalism and Sustainability”, Seventh International Hawaii Conference on the Arts and Humanities,” January 2009.
“Thinking outside the Curriculum Box: Three Experiments”, Fifth International Hawaii Conference on the Arts and Humanities,” January 2007.
“I Really Gave My Students the Business – from Business Language Course to Business Simulation to Startup Company,” Spring conference of the Confederation of Oregon Foreign Language Teachers, 4 March 2006.
“Redesigning the Giant Course,” refereed presentation at International Humanities Conference, Honolulu, January 2003.
Chair of Educational Testing Service national committee producing new version of German CLEP test
1994- OSSHE PASS committees
1996 Japanese Magnet Program high school site selection committee
2002 Short trip to Berlin to gather fresh cultural materials for first-year program, text & software
2006 Travel in Germany and Austria to augment materials for first-year program, text & software
Technology Experience
producer and programmer of foreign language software (image- and sound processing, databases, DTP, HTML, JavaScript)
typesetting and layout of several books
producer of language tapes for publication (studio, DAT, computer digitization)
teach departmental course in technology and language teaching (since 1983)
New Courses Developed
“SpeakEasy” (intermediate/advanced German content-based instruction course that has created a student-run business); fundamentals of literary research for graduate students in foreign languages; entire new first-year German program; German radio drama; science and technology in literature (German and European / American); several teaching methods courses for graduate and teacher certification students; Fall 1993 Freshman Seminar; technology in foreign-language teaching; “God, Gods and Goddesses in German Literature”
Other Scholarly Activity
Numerous invited conference presentations and independent workshops; extensive advice to colleagues contemplating writing textbooks; training of graduate students in textbook, tape, and software production
President, Oregon Association of Teachers of German, 1980
Chairman, Fall Conference, Confederation of Oregon Foreign Language Teachers, 1983
Language Teaching
first-year: since 1974, generally one or more sections every quarter; regular pace, accelerated, and triple-accelerated; supervisor of first-year German at PSU since 1980
second-year: since 1969, but only occasionally since 1980
third-year (language, not culture and civilization or survey of literature): since 1974, and every quarter one or more sections since 1980; currently working on a third-year comprehensive text package
translation: theological, technical German
methods for teachers: regularly since 1983; proficiency-oriented, survey of methods, assessment, CAI; often teach combined sections with French, Spanish, German, Japanese participants
Literature Teaching
400- and 500-level courses in modern German fiction; science and technology in literature; German radio drama; science fiction; European/American Enlightenment
Languages
German (ACTFL Superior); French (ACTFL Advanced-Low); Spanish (ACTFL Intermediate-Mid)
Committees & misc. service
2007ff. Portland State University Institutional Assessment Council
OSSHE computer committee
OSSHE PASS Committee
various university and departmental committees
Chair, Portland Campus Christian Ministry Board, 1998-; member, Lutheran Campus Ministry Board, 1995-; member, PSU Center for the Study of Religion board, 1997-9
Portland Public Schools Second Languages Design Team, 1998-99
member of Portland Public School project to write grant application for FLES programs and related teacher training; work with Richmond Elementary School Japanese Immersion Program
appearance as auxiliary chorus member in five productions of Portland Opera, one nationally televised
occasional sermons in my church as substitute for pastors when they are away
Other Employment
typesetter, letterpress printer, secretary, truck loader, waiter, forest worker, Boy Scout camp counselor
Personal
born 1948 in Nebraska; residence in Oregon, Connecticut, New York, Georgia; married, three daughters; wife is a journalist; hobbies: piano and baritone horn (member of PSU Brass Ensemble and Wind Symphony, Encore Brass), choir (university community, church, Portland Opera, Portland State Opera, Portland Bach Cantata Choir), astronomy, woodworking, dog training for handicapped, usual Northwest outdoor interests