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After serving many years LinguaFolio Online coordinator at CASLS, I felt very confident about the utility and power of LinguaFolio Online. I knew all the theoretical research behind the tool, I knew LinguaFolio Online from the inside out, and I provided instruction and support on how to implement the tool successfully.  

Brimming with excitement, I sketched out plans for our STARTALK Swahili College Readiness Academy, a two-week residential summer program. I would introduce the ideas of goal-setting and reflective learning, thus motivating the students to become brilliant self-directed learners. The students would then unleash a storm of creative proficiency, documenting every vibrant aspect of their language learning journey. We would blaze new trails in learner autonomy!

Students in the STARTALK Swahili College Readiness Academy at the University of Oregon put on a final performance for community members.

And then reality happened.  Logistics were sticky, as they frequently can be. The computer lab we booked was rescheduled for another group, so we scrambled to find appropriate computer access. 

We wanted to capture as much natural interaction as possible, so we had a floating video camera that staff members used to film activities as much as possible. Filming was straightforward, but managing the subsequent video clips added another complicated dimension. I ended up uploading the videos to one single YouTube account, and then telling students which videos included their proficiency evidence.

Although the program went very smoothly and the students had a wonderful experience, LinguaFolio Online was not the most stellar aspect of the program. Some key lessons as I reflected on the program:

-Identify Purpose: Students want to know WHY they are working with LinguaFolio Online. What are the benefits for students? How is the information used? Who is it for?

-Encourage Creativity: Since LinguaFolio Online is intended to help facilitate self-directed learning, allow students to use the tool in novel and creative ways. Skits, poems, music videos, comic strips, and multimedia collages are fun ways for students to show off their language skills.

- Align with Curriculum: Spend some initial time identifying which CanDo Statements align with your current curriculum. CanDo Statements can be fairly broad, so they can apply to many different content areas and activities. The more specific sub CanDo Statements can provide concrete ideas for various language tasks. Provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency in a variety of formats.

-Plan for Technology: For every unit of instruction, plan for an initial goal-setting session to discuss the unit outcomes with students. They can set up their accounts and select the appropriate CanDo Statements as goals. Then plan for periodic sessions to update CanDo Statements and upload evidence throughout that unit. Finally, plan a session for students to reflect on their progress, update CanDo Statements, and upload final culminating evidence. Think about how students will capture evidence, especially for audio or video evidence.

Do you have strategies or stories to share about LinguaFolio Online? Email us at info@uoregon.edu or join our conversations on Twitter and Facebook.