I was thrilled to be invited to present at the Social Media Workshop organized by the Language Acquisition Resource Center at San Diego State University. Here are the slides from today's presentation: You can download the handouts from the session here. Check out the recording of the session, too.
Abstract
This presentation introduced Skype and how it can be used to: 1) connect teachers with other
professionals - and save on long distance charges - even internationally 2) empower language
teachers and tutors 3) give presentations and workshops 4) be a stepping stone to using more
sophisticated technology in the classroom. It was noted that for those who are new to using
technology in the language learning classroom, Skype is an effective way to experiment with
technology, while minimizing the risk of things going wrong. Using Skype can help teachers
improve their technology literacy and increase their confidence using technology in the language
learning classroom. It provides an excellent stepping stone for those who are not entirely "fluent"
with more sophisticated technologies.
If you're looking for a school or classroom for your students to partner with, there's no place like the World Wide Web. "People need to get out there and form an online presence," says high school French teacher Toni Theisen. There are online communities everywhere just waiting to be blasted with your callout for a sister classroom.
Skype is user-friendly, free video chat software that in recent years has become wildly popular for long-distance communication, be it with college students studying abroad who want to keep in contact with friends and family back in their home country or for international business correspondence.
"How can video clips embedded in multimedia presentations be used to improve learning in college courses? To answer this question, a review of the theoretical and research evidence on videos and the brain is presented first. That is followed by a description of the theory of multimedia learning as it relates to videos and a review of studies using videos over the past four decades in college courses. The results of these studies and the verbal and visual components of a video potentially provide a best fit to the characteristics of this Net Generation of students and a valid approach to tap their multiple intelligences and learning styles. Concrete guidelines are given for using available video technology in the classroom, selecting appropriate video clips for any class, and applying those clips as a systematic teaching tool. The use of clips can also attain 20 specific learning outcomes. Toward that end, 12 generic techniques with examples to integrate video clips into teaching across the college curriculum are described."
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