I went straight to the "New Challenges" section- good stuff here to help US with this course and to help watch out for these issues when we start doing these things with our students!
It's pretty clear teachers are collaborating with each other by sharing solutions to their challenges—links to articles, resources and practical ideas:
Thanks for sharing this article, Laura. I've been investigating and working with this app for the last week and, though it has its challenges, I'm enjoying where it can take a project!
This article addresses the
extent to which technology‐mediated social interactions dominate our daily lives,
how we can leverage those interactions to the benefit of our learners, and how we
can engage them in learning experiences in ways that will encourage them to practice
language extensively.
The theme of this article is same as what we have been talking in the workshop "Using the Web for Communicative Language Learning."
In addition to challenging existing dichotomies (face‐to‐face vs. online courses;
synchronous vs. asynchronous uses), it is also important to understand the extent
to which research can inform our use of technology.
The development of distance learning courses for less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) often meets with instructional challenges, especially for Asian LCTLs with their distinct non-Roman characters and structures. This study documents the implementation of a fully online, elementary Japanese course.
The blog consists of three parts: Blog, Teaching Toolbox, and Workshops. We can read about issues, tips, comments that are pertinent to language instruction. Teachertoolbox provides new resources and activity ideas. We can find where and what kind of PDs are available in Workshops. The world language consultants, Kara Parker and Megan Smith are the authors of this bog. They understand the challenges language teachers are facing and believe it is very important to provide and share resources and support each other to stay being an effective language teacher.
And this is my hope, that empathy leads to agency and action on the parts of my students--L2 is an amazing tool to support action and change
Orwell developed new friendships, shifted his views on inequality, and gathered some superb literary material. It was the greatest travel experience of his life. He realised that empathy doesn’t just make you good—it’s good for you, too.
This is a great example of empathy-- I want to bring more of these types of anecdotes into my classroom-- via web apps--
Orwell developed new friendships, shifted his views on inequality, and gathered some superb literary material. It was the greatest travel experience of his life. He realised that empathy doesn’t just make you good—it’s good for you, too.
I chose this article, as I feel empathy is the root of language learning, and I am searching for rationale and 'hooks' for student engagement in their L2 learning.
I chose this article, as I feel empathy is the root of language learning, and I am searching for rationale and 'hooks' for student engagement in their L2 learning.
ighly empathic people (HEPs) have an insatiable curiosity about strangers.
This is what I want from my students-- I look forward to using the tools of this CARLAtech18 to draw them in and help them to become lifelong language learners
the power of empathy to overcome hatred and change our minds.
I am especially interested in the intersection of L2 learning and empathy-- I think that a deeper understanding of culture--differences and commonalities, helps to form a bridge between peoples-- In learning language, we learn humility and stepping into the unknown--trying on new ways of saying things and seeing the world.
I like that this focuses on the active role we play in learning better empathic responses - sometimes I think we act like empathy is either something we have or we don't and that we all feel the same.
. Evolutionary biologists like Frans de Waal have shown that we are social animals who have naturally evolved to care for each other, just like our primate cousin
HEPs challenge their own preconceptions and prejudices by searching for what they share with people rather than what divides them.
This article is not the most recent, but it's still an interesting read.
trying to have a conversation with someone you have never met, over a low quality video connection, in a language you don’t speak very well, is quite challenging socially as well as linguistically.
This is the most interesting point in the article. Even when speaking with another native English speaker on Skype or Google Hangouts, it can be hard to negotiate turn taking.
A "text" isn't limited to something written down. A text can be a film, an artifact, anything in a language and culture that conveys meaning.
Created texts have long dominated the materials used in language classrooms. But increasingly, educators are coming to understand the need to bring more authentic texts into the learning environment.
"Authentic" appears to mean: naturally produced by authentic source for communication in a native setting. What concerns me is that the call for "authentic" dates back to perhaps 20 years ago? We are still claiming it is important, yet we scaffold authentic text often to the point that they loose their intrinsic challenge.
Colleen has presented on the Mirroring Project in some of my classes. It seems to have impressive results for international students' pronunciation and presentation skills.
The goal here is for the international student to copy the TED speaker as much as possible. They should think about pronunciation, intonation, stress, and gesture.
speaker with strong non-native rhythm and intonation patterns.
Adrianne,
I found the site with a lot of information. I particularly enjoyed "Virtual Exchanges in the Foreign Language Classroom." It explains how to make the target language more accessible to students allowing for an understanding of perspectives and practices. Good outline of benefits of virtual exchanges.
This is a practice-oriented publication that's a bit more casual in tone and practical in content than its scholarly counterparts, while still rigorous in the quality of information it offers. We will feature articles, interviews with notable folks in the field of language teaching and learning, reviews of software, materials, and books, and more!
Adrianne!!
It is awesome. I am (as many of us) so engaged with this teaching technology and using the web in foreign language classes.
Congratulations!! and wish the best to you and this experience with the FLT magazine.
I already have it in diigo and have subscribe me to follow you
What a comprehensive resource for the world language teacher--blogs, articles, interviews, webinars, conference reviews... I could spend hours exploring all of its content. Thank you for sharing this.
A lot of great ideas and a nice way to stay informed and to, at the same time, feel connected with a network of language educators who are addressing the same challenges and concerns.
I really appreciated reading this as I just tried recording my first screencastify minilecture yesterday and found it really challenging! One tip that I got from this that I will try is to put the recording in EdPuzzle so that I can put in some comprehension checks!
I found this to be a very informative and helpful article with lots of practical suggestions and useful links. I wish I had read this before I tried to make videos with Screencast-o-Matic for my classes this past Spring. I could have used his suggestions! I will definitely be referring to it when I begin to make videos for my classes this fall. I too liked how he put his video into EdPuzzle to increase student interactivity. Thanks for sharing it!
Hey this is really useful. I have a feeling that I'm going to be using screencasts often as I convert all my teaching to online in the fall. It will be most useful for grammar explanation types of lessons. It looks like it is just what is needed to fill that need for personal explanations that the students want. I prefer interactive worksheets but I get the feeling students don't like them as much as I do.
I used Screencast-o-matic for sharing my presentation while creating a video and it was a great program. Kaltura is also a great way to create presentations.
Online distance learning is impersonal and has the potential to violate personal privacy. Even a matter as seemingly straightforward as turning on web cameras can raise difficult questions: Are cameras needed to humanize the lesson? Do they force an uninvited intimacy, revealing the realities of students’ and faculty members’ living situations?
Important ruminations for instructors at urban public universities who are moving to online teaching. (Not specific to FL teaching per se, but it's well worth our bearing some of these caveats in mind....)