ACTFL 2012 presentation
How can iPads enrich language acquisition? In this session, results from a 1:1 iPad pilot program in a foreign
language classroom will be analyzed Lesson plans, activities and assessments will be shared and strategies for applying best practices, even in classrooms without iPads, will be discussed.
ACTFL 2012 presentation
"Attendees will learn to revise traditional activities by incorporating advertising and smartphones into their teaching. Advertising is everywhere and smartphones are part of most students' life. They can be tools that shape student awareness of other languages and cultures. "
Abstract
This study contributes to the body of research that aims to understand the relationship between online communication and foreign language (FL) learning, in particular when teachers seek to provide authentic opportunities for interaction for their learners. The study was motivated by efforts made in the New Zealand context to overcome the geographic limitations of interaction between FL learners and native speakers. We report on the findings of an exploratory study into an online reciprocal peer tutoring program established to enhance the FL learning of a group of beginner eleven-year old students of Spanish, with particular focus on the benefits of written corrective feedback. The project aimed to examine the processes by which students tutored each other in the online environment as they responded to each other's texts. The analysis of the students' messages focused on (1) the aspects of language corrected by the tutors, (2) the frequency with which tutors accurately identified and provided input on errors, (3) the types of feedback provided by the tutors, and (4) what the learners did with the corrections and feedback. The findings indicate that the students were willing to contribute to peer correction and used different strategies and correction techniques to foster attention to linguistic form, although they were not always capable of providing accurate feedback or metalinguistic explanations.
But true authenticity comes from the activities we use during class time, leaving an impact on the communicative skills of our students.
Use the language proficiency site developed by UTexas to gain access to native Spanish speakers talking about a variety of themes. These are conveniently divided into proficiency levels.
I tried this activity by having each group research then report about an Arabic speaking country of their choice and the activity was a great success. They seemed to have had a lot of fun, presented short clear sentences (for the most part) that also provided factual and relevant material, and it opened the door for some spontaneous cultural themes and relevant dicussions.
I've used some of the videos from UTexas. Some of the novice level videos are still too difficult for my middle schoolers though! I have to give lot's of scaffolding and support.
remember these rules when selecting activities:
They must be authentic.
They should always be engaging.
Activities should be varied.
They need to be focused around the unit theme.
Perhaps most importantly, they should force students to use the target language.
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.
Sign-up for the 30-day, but a year - free!
Here's info I got in an email notification:
We are glad to announce a free WizIQ individual membership for K-12 and College teachers. To be eligible for this offer, teachers need email addresses associated with their educational institutes (e.g., aprofessor@college.edu or ateacher@adistrict.k12.ma.us.)
If you are a teacher from K12 or a College, apply and claim your free membership by following the steps below:
Steps to get free WizIQ membership:
1.Sign up for a 30-day trial by clicking on the 'Apply now' button below
2. Verify your email address from your email inbox
3. You'll receive a confirmation email from us once your free membership is approved
Apply now
WizIQ's free teacher accounts give educators at accredited institutions access to a range of teaching tools. To many educators, the virtual classroom for which WizIQ is best known only means live classes, which they might not need considering they see their students in person every day.
But with the WizIQ Virtual Classroom teachers can also:
Offer online courses for their school
Run virtual office hours and homework help
Run summer school online to address transportation and facilities issues
Give AP students a jumpstart with virtual summer class sessions
Let athletes or homebound students work with their classes, live, even if they can't be there
Easily set up classes - without IT help
Bring subject matter experts into their classrooms virtually
Support group and project-based learning
Engage hard-to-reach parents with:
Virtual parents' nights
Virtual conferences
Adult education and community outreach
Virtual math and literacy nights
Broadcast live school committee meetings on the web
Record lectures or flip their classrooms
Conduct virtual field trips
Run professional development when and where staff are available
Share teaching resources among schools
Teachers can take full advantage of every WizIQ feature, including screen-sharing, polling, video-confe
Focuses on creating a free and open source on-line platform that gathers Information and Communication Technology-based applications and pedagogies to practice oral skills on-line.
"the easiest way to communicate and work in groups" - might be good for classes?
- communicate via group email, text, and voice messages
- host web meetings, conference calls, chatrooms
- keep shared calendar
- store and edit files in one common folder
-poll group in real-time
- keep track of group's task, resources
A virtual learning platform that looks very simple to use and can create an environment much like Facebook without the security issues or Twitter exposure