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ANVILL (A National Virtual Language Lab) is a speech-based toolbox for language teachers

Digital Nation | FRONTLINE | PBS Video

"What you see here are candid submissions from people who have engaged in a little exercise. Here's how it works. Think about the word Race. How would you distill your thoughts, experiences or observations about race into one sentence that only has six words?" This National Public Radio blog makes the perfect starting point for a multicultural lesson for ESL/EFL students. The entries are sheer poetry and give a great deal of content to think about the issue of race and one's place in society, for better or worse. Each 6-word "poem" makes us, as one contributor said, "Look past race to underlying humanity."

This important article by the ACTFL discusses how the U.S. Common Core standards can be aligned with the National Standards for Learning Languages. Presents several diagrams and other visuals to help teachers see the crossovers for each skill--reading listening, speaking, and writing--in presentational and interpersonal modes, and how culture is woven into the whole.

"Global collaboration projects, which allow students to work with peers across state and national boundaries, aren't just fun. They can also address several of the ISTE Standards for Students, including Digital Citizen, Global Collaborator and Empowered Learner. " Good ideas for getting started and maintaining the spark, including ensuring your class is already working as a community before going global.

This is a good article on what makes a good teacher, but see my comment on it to understand why outstanding single examples of good teaching are not enough to create reform of a whole system.

This is the big question. See my comment below about the problems involved, however. --EHS