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A website that helps to optimize language learning.

Rich Internet Applications project helps create tools that engage language learners in active learning.

Mashup is a great tool and the students like it too.

Thanks for posting this; Audio Dropbox would be a useful tool for practicing leaving voicemails, etc.

When I took online classes, doing projects in teams was one of the things I liked least - at the beginning - but after having done some projects that were well-structured, I have to say that those were the learning experiences where I learned the most.

This paper profiles 40 organizations that are blending online learning with brick-and-mortar classrooms. These represent a range of operators, including state virtual schools, charter management organizations, individual charter schools, independent schools, districts, and private entities. The organizations profiled in this paper are not a "top 40" list. Thousands of other schools are currently participating in blended learning and may have superior programs.

More Edutopia - this section is on mobile learning, which the credit people were discussing in their group. Note also all of the resources for integrating iPads by grade level.

"Whether digital media sparks fear or intrigue, it is a fundamental part of students' lives and can enrich teaching and learning in and out of the classroom. This course will examine how the creation and consumption of digital media can enhance education by engaging and empowering teachers and students. Throughout this project-based course, you will learn how to use free web 2.0 tools to create, implement, and assess digital media."

Abstract: Since their emergence in 2005, Web 2.0 technologies have been advanced as potentially transformative in the area of education in general and foreign language learning in particular. Web 2.0 technologies are presenting new opportunities for developing diverse online learning environments and enhancing interactivity, participation and feedback between students, their peer groups and teachers. This article examines one of the most significant Web 2.0 tools, Social Networking Sites (SNS), and focuses on Livemocha, an example of an online community specifically aimed at encouraging collaboration between foreign language learners. Results from the ethnographic approach adopted in the paper indicate that: (a) SNSs can be used by language learners to explore new relationships rather than merely maintain existing ones and that (b) longitudinal studies are required to achieve a better understanding of the complex processes of mediation involved in online community formation and maintenance

Funny! I also found this article last week and even attached it to last week's blog post in the ning. I've noticed this morning, that reading and commenting on it is also one of this week's assignments. I guess I chose well :)

Center for Applied Linguistics Resource

This article is about England but has some good tips for beginning to engage students using social media. It also shows that other countries struggle with promoting the importance of FL learning too.

This blog provides facts about the influence of new technology in society and it engages instructors to be updated and open to new ways of teaching. It also provides some examples on how we can engage our students to learn languages through the use of social media. Carlatech17

It's great to have these webinars available. I struggle with patience to watch long webinar videos though. It is harder to pay attention to someone who can't see you...

Nice resources. I have not heard of Actively Learning. But I have used screenomatic and Edpuzzle together. It worked well.

Lots of good ideas. I would like to look into Actively Learning. Sounds like a great resource. Pear Deck is another one I would like to try. I agree that the virtual pen pals sounds like fun, as does having students text in Spanish and send you screenshots. They already have tons of personal experience with that already.

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!

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.

SpatialChat looks so fun! I'll be curious about pricing, and appropriateness and safety for high schoolers.

Learning materials, tutorials, assessment tools. social networking tools, anything digital that supports learning outcome

The article highlights the effectiveness of collaborative and cooperative language learning activities such as school exchanges and pairing students with counterparts abroad. It also bring up the issue of difficult assessment gets in the way and brings to the front solo performances and summative examinations.

I certainly agree with this as being an effective way to language learning. We in the military community use the group/pair work approach for many reasons. Pair work keeps them interested and motivated to learn. It also makes better use of class time. I also think that when the students are ready for the OPI, they generally do better than if they were in a traditional classroom. As for assessment, yes it is more difficult, but it is up to us as instructors to find ways to measure the students' performance based on the interaction. Once the student is in country, it will be up to him/her to communicate with others. That will be the true test.

You might want to print off the Power Searching quick sheet before starting with this course. "Gaming to learn" - this course is made up of challenges along with tips and tricks and keeping track of how you found things. A good learning challenge!

Great source of information, examples and ideas about using Voicethread for digital conversations.

thanks for sharing Roxana. I really like how this blog discusses the language and cultural uses of using voicethread to create learning communities. It provided me many practical examples I can use in my classroom to help students focus on langauge development while using the technology. This post puts the focus on learning not on the technology. The handouts are great supports that help students stay on the learning track and because of this, the coummunity of learning is built. I was a little concerned by the deficit language used on the scoring rubric for asynchronous content. I will probably use something similar by change the wording to be a little more constructive, as meaning can be lost online and harsh wording can be misinterpreted.

The article reports students' feedback about flipped classroom videos in L2 learning. Based on the findings, the author raises three suggestions in order to make the flipped classroom more successful. For those of you who are interested in flipped classroom model for language learning, this is a very practical article.

Lucy Norris and Professor Agnes Kukulska-Hulme explain how teachers can help language students get on top of their own learning by using mobile phones.