The most valuable part of this article is the ppt at the end (25 interesting ways to use VoiceThread in the Classroom) Check it out! Great ideas that can be applied to the WL classroom.
Flipping the Classroom. By Cynthia J. Brame, CFT Assistant Director Printable Version Cite this guide: Brame, C., (2013). Flipping the classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/. "Flipping the classroom" has become something of a buzzword in the last several years, driven in part by high profile publications in The New York Times (Fitzpatrick,...
A very recent article, published August 2016. from Vanderbilt University website. This paper praises on the idea of the benefits of the flipping classroom across disciplines (humanities, economics, sciences, etc.)
This article can lead to think beyond those disciplines and to deepen into the already going research on this subject applied to World Languages.
"Systematic reviews of literature are studies that strategically search for published research on a specific topic in order to synthesize what is known about the topic. This systematic review describes 157 articles on synchronous online learning (SOL) from thirty-four different countries on instructional setting, content areas, participant demographics, research designs, independent and dependent variables, SOL technologies, and data-collection tools.
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Abstract:
This paper sets the stage for the articles selected for the special issue "Language learning and social media: (r)evolution?". Starting with some definitions of mainstream terms like "social media", "web 2.0", "social web", "social networking sites (SNS)" and "web 2.0 language learning communities". The purpose is not to "reinvent the wheel" by suggesting new definitions, but to synthesize definitions of mainstream terms and juxtapose them to similar concepts from CALL literature. We then critically discuss three key features of web 2.0 technologies (user participation, openness and network effects). Despite the fact that these three features were present to some extent in technologies prior to social media, we examine whether they take on a radically different meaning in the social media era. Research insights are discussed in the last section of the paper.
Why do the terms "nature," "landscape," and "wilderness" have such positive connotations in German? Why do humans yearn for nature and protect it? How does this differ from culture to culture?
Dossier article from the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
The debate about teaching languages online continues - with Rosetta Stone at the center of this article. With a teacher, without a teacher, with RS or without, the key is still how it is taught and that can differ widely from class to class!
I totally agree with you. I think that RS is a good tool to use in place of a textbook, but it doesn't change the fact that you need more than a textbook to learn something with great quality. Conversation is key and having someone there to converse with is what helps and increases the learning. If you don't use it, you loose it fast.
This is an interesting collection (from 2009-but still) of articles/ book chapters around social networking. The author reads the various projectors as communities of practice. Not all articles deal with language acquisition, but are still interesting. One of them delves into why and how students use Facebook. One of them looks at virtual learning communities in the US and Australia vs. Europe. Good spring board to look at some of our topics more.
These are great! I wish that we were allowed to use youtube in our courses. I guess that before using this tool you would have to make sure that youtube would be allowed in your school. Some sites such as this and vimeo are blocked.
This article gives a brief overview about why Google+ is useful to educators, and has some links to related articles at the bottom with more information on how educators can and should be using G+ in their classrooms.
Came across the idea in Carlatech in July, but this article provides multiple ways of implementing. Something you can start doing in just about any class tomorrow!
This is a collection of articles in Spanish organized by many different topics. These articles are at a level that's appropriate for intermediate level Spanish students, or possibly for reading Spanish as a research language courses.
There was a hyperlink to an article about whether we should still teach cursive. Apparently high schools are not doing it any more. My son stopped cursive in about the 5th grade and didn't have to use it and now he is struggling at the university because he can't read when the professor uses cursive in anything, like comments on his papers. I have to print when I leave him a note. Wow, technology is wiping out one of the long-standing activities that took humans decades to develop.
I have to wonder if kids can write notes well without using cursive. I'd struggle and I still write by hand quicker than I can peck things out on a keyboard. Spell/grammar check are helpful, but I still wonder if the student pays any attention to corrections and can't write well without this automated help.
I like the balanced way this piece presents some of the pros and cons of technology in education. Just this week I had a conversation with another educator who has encountered recent studies suggesting a link between handwriting (of any kind) and certain cognitive development. Some schools are now emphasizing handwriting instruction because it helps boost students' academic achievement.
My daughter is 8 years old and she started learning cursive this year. So it must be back! I'm not sure if will help boost her achievement or not, but I'm glad she is learning it. I think the article made a good point about how students today have a short attention span and easily get off track. If they are typing a paper on the computer, for example, they can open a browser and start surfing the web. They don't necessarily stay focused on the task at hand. It is even hard for me sometimes. If I don't ignore email (just put it off until later, I mean), I would never get anything done!