Group items tagged

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 :)

"This study was conducted to examine the use of social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter, as a pedagogical instrument in beginning level Spanish courses. "

A report and then a discussion of the report by various experts.

There are notes that should be investigated here, too - government quality indicator proposal (#3), students disappearing (#5). I think you will find the article very interesting - even if the study was done on a required course for students in "College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management"

In their study of 10 multilingual undergraduate students, they say they expected texting to be a regular practice, but "what we had not anticipated was the range of valuable uses and substantive gains afforded by texting."

"Music is a wonderful tool to integrate into your teaching repertoire, especially if you are a foreign language teacher."

This sounds fun! I would love to try it next year!

"have"

"have"

I love these ideas. Just concerned about privacy matters...

"...open access eBook contains 133 chapters with over 850 pages documenting best practices, strategies, and efforts by teacher educators, professional developers, researchers, and practitioners. It is divided into seven sections that address pedagogy, collaboration, field experiences, preservice education methods, professional development, digital tools, and equity issues. Chapters are presented as innovations with supporting materials that could be easily replicated or studied. (v1.02)"

"What do highly effective teachers do in online classrooms? We combed through dozens of studies to find the best research-backed ideas."

I don't think I can annotate this article because it is a Google book and has access limitations. I have worked with Dr. Christine Appel, one of the authors of the article "Synchronous tandem language learning in a MOOC context: A study on task design and learner performance". My main interest here is: "How can we best design online synchronous tasks to achieve the optimal outcome?". Sometimes we focus too much on the tool and not so much on how we can make the most of it. The article studies real tasks to find the effects task design have in student performance.

a good read

"Abstract The U.S. National Educational Technology Plan recommends the need to have a common set of technology competencies specifically for teacher educators who prepare teacher candidates to teach with technology (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2017). This study facilitated the co-creation of the Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs). The TETCs define the competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) all teacher educators need in order to support teacher candidates as they prepare to become technology-using teachers. The TETCs shed light on the roles and responsibilities of teacher educators who address technology within their courses. A highly collaborative research approach was used to develop the TETCs which involved the crowdsourcing of technology-related literature, a Delphi method for expert feedback, and an open call for public comment. As a result, 12 competencies with related criteria were identified. The TETCs should be viewed as a first step in a larger reform effort to better address technology integration in teacher preparation programs. The release of the TETCs provides future research opportunities including, but not limited to, implications for course design, relevant faculty development for teacher educators, and policy implications."

Mentioned in Edutopia article - "With a native speaker in your ear, you can study a language and be transported at a time when we all need an escape."

A language class could benefit so much from being able to virtually travel to the location that is being studied! Take a look at these virtual reality tools!

I am fascinated by this notion of "lurking" to describe students/ people on-line who do not respond immediately but take time to read and reflect. Interesting research questions whether this impacts their learning positively and how to assess their learning. Maybe someone can find a better name, too?

Spanish Pronunciation | Spanish Grammar | Spanish Vocabulary | Spanish Verbs | Travel Helper | Directory of Spanish Schools | Daily Word | Cultural Notes | Idioms Speak Spanish Conversationally! Did you study Spanish in high school or college, but never achieved conversational fluency? If conversational Spanish is your goal, we have the solution!

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 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!