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Title: Digital Stories in a Language Classroom
Body:
From http://fltmag.com/digital-stories/
Digital Stories in a Language Classroom: Engaging Students through a Meaningful Multimodal Task
by Polina Vinogradova
July 1, 2014
Language educators have been in search of new technologies and pedagogical approaches that can assist us in bringing engaging student-centered practices into the language curriculum. Digital stories have the potential to meet this demand. In addition, language educators have been extensively discussing and advocating for the urgent need to introduce multiliteracies and multimodal materials to the process of learning second, foreign, and heritage languages. These discussions are triggered by the increasing sociocultural diversity of our language learners, our recognition of the value of multilingual and translingual practices, and deepened understanding of multimodal communication.
Read the full article at http://fltmag.com/digital-stories/
Source: FLTMag
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Title: Differentiated Activities for the Language Classroom Using Mobile Apps
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From http://fltmag.com/differentiated-activities-using-mobile-apps/
Differentiated Activities for the Language Classroom Using Mobile Apps
by Unsoon Won and Kara Mac Donald
July 1, 2014
The diversity of learners in our classrooms requires us to adjust our instruction to maximize learning for all students. Differentiated instruction capitalizes on the readiness levels, learning styles and personal interests of learners (Blaz, 2006) and allows teachers to engage with these diverse factors. Recent developments in the mobile learning environment offer a wealth of opportunity to differentiate activities and best meet learners’ needs.
Read the full article at http://fltmag.com/differentiated-activities-using-mobile-apps/
Source: FLTMag
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Title: 8 Options for Playing or Creating Geography Games for Kids and Adults
Body:
From http://www.freetech4teachers.com
Read teacher and blogger Richard Byrnes’ reviews of several games for improving geography knowledge at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/07/8-options-for-playing-or-creating.html#.U7tKnqin7uU
Source: Free Technology for Teachers
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Content Type: 4
Title: Transformational Practice in the Day-to-Day
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Using everyday activities as opportunities for transformation has the potential to make an immediate impact on classroom practice as well as sustain long-term growth.
Objective: To utilize action research and reflective practice as an opportunity to impact student learning.
Resources: Transformational Practice in the Day-to-Day
Procedure:
- Select one reflective activity you will do this month and commit to making it happen.
- Utilize the Transformational Practice in the Day-to-Day Resource Sheet as your planning and reflection guide.
- Complete the activity as you planned and then meet with a colleague or peer to talk about what you learned.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Content Type: 3
Title: #Langchat as a Professional Development Resource
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Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell is the blogger behind musicuentos.com, the author of the Calico Spanish Homeschool Learning Series, and a founding moderator of #langchat. Find her on Twitter as @secottrell.
When today's sixth-graders were born, Facebook and Twitter did not exist. Most people would not have known what a smartphone was; and for most teachers, a "personal learning network" consisted of the teachers at one's school, or perhaps the colleagues met once a year at a conference. These days, however, technology is shrinking the world and transforming communication in every way, and professional development has felt the changes in a good way: teachers have access to professional learning and collaboration that no one would have dreamed of just a few years ago.
From social to professional
Through online social networks, teachers have found a place to discuss problems and successes. In January of 2011, a small group of world language teachers decided to organize this discussion on Twitter through the hashtag #langchat. Via Twitter, teachers can share whatever they like in 140 characters or less, and simply adding #langchat to each "tweet" allows this communication to easily followed or searched. Today, hundreds of teachers use the hashtag anytime to share resources and ask questions, and many "meet" online weekly to discuss a specific topic voted on during the week, from the flipped classroom approach to effective feedback and everything in between.
No limits
Conferences and workshops can be helpful, but they may fall outside a teacher's reach because of constraints like budget or location. However, French teacher Cristy Vogel lauds #langchat as an opportunity to learn, share, and network with other world language professionals, and not just locally or even regionally, but around the country and the world, points out blogger Amy Lenord. As Japanese instructor Colleen Lee-Hayes says, "The biggest benefit of #langchat is 24-7 ideas... not limited by geography, budgets, or time zones." It is a virtual place where you can be exposed to "ideas and experience beyond the scope of one's own school, system, state, or region," says French teacher Kris Climer. #Langchat offers teachers a place to learn and collaborate with people they may never meet otherwise.
Putting the "best" in "best practices"
Another benefit of #langchat is that teachers can discover trends that are not only innovative but also informed by the latest research, notes world language teacher and presenter Diego Ojeda. Evaluating practices can be tricky, but as Don Doehla, director of the Berkley World Language Project, points out, teachers discover and discuss "best practices in world language teaching and learning." Teachers can challenge their thinking and find out what makes best practices so good. Author and teacher trainer Kristy Placido likes the "vast network of perspectives" a community like #langchat offers because it helps a teacher "reflect upon and hone teaching practice." PBL enthusiast Laura Sexton summarizes #langchat this way: "If you want to know what you're doing wrong or how to do it right, there is always someone who can help point you in the right direction and offer assurance or suggestions."
Connections for life
The connections teachers make on #langchat are not limited to the internet. President of Calico Spanish Erica Fischer points out that within the chat community teachers have the opportunity to develop online professional relationships that lead to real-world connections and friendships, often at regional and national conferences. Kris Climer has also enjoyed the "permanent, ongoing access" the online learning network offers, "more than just one workshop, session or conference."
Indeed, #langchat is a perfect example of how technology removes obstacles. In #langchat, Twitter offers teachers a place to creatively and effectively improve practice by connecting with some of the best teachers in the language teaching profession.
All of the educators mentioned in this article are also moderators of #langchat. Meet @CoLeeSensei, @msfrenchteach, @dr_dmd, @CalicoTeach, @krisclimer, @DiegoOjeda66, @SraSpanglish, @alenord, and @placido there anytime or at the organized chat on Thursdays at 8 PM ET, 5 PM PT.
For more information about #langchat, including past archives and summaries of chats, visit langchat.pbworks.com. Also, meet the #langchat moderators and learn more about how to collaborate via #langchat at a special workshop at ACTFL 2014, Saturday, November 22, at 10:00 AM.
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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Content Type: 5
Title: CASLS Says Farewell to Chinese Flagship Coordinator Genevieve Beecher by Mandy Gettler, CASLS Associate Director
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Chinese Flagship Coordinator Genevieve Beecher began working for CASLS in June 2012. Genevieve provided support to the program's students and parents, coordinated student life activities and immersive housing experiences, offered advising for the program's students, and facilitated several Flagship initiatives.
Genevieve will be leaving the CASLS and Flagship teams to rejoin her family in the Midwest. "I will miss working with a wonderful team of professionals at CASLS that collaborate well together and demonstrate respect for each person's insights, opinions, and feedback," Genevieve says about her departure. "I will also miss seeing the students grow and mature throughout the years while developing their professional goals."
Staff wish her a reluctant farewell. "I will miss Genevieve's fun and unique personality, as well as her can-do attitude," says CASLS Educational Software Programmer Carl Burnstein.
Staff agree that Genevieve's attitude in the face of complex projects and timelines is one of her greatest assets. Instructional Designer Deborah Cooke, who worked closely with Genevieve on developing and implementing online Chinese Flagship courses, adds, "Genevieve is a deeply thoughtful person who clearly thinks through objectives and initiatives, making collaboration a breeze."
Genevieve plans to continue working on higher education after she moves. She hopes to find a position where she can effectively use her Chinese skills and passion for student services and international education. "I truly believe that human beings can learn to live peacefully with one another through building cultural competence, tolerance, and compassion." We're certain Genevieve will contribute to making such a vision a reality, and we all wish Genevieve the best of luck in her next adventure.
Source: CASLS Spotlight
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Content Type: 4
Title: Connect with Other Language Professionals Online
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Summer is a good time to explore online networks and find listservs, blogs, Twitter hashtags, Pinterest users, and online fora where you can communicate with other language professionals throughout the year.
Download our suggestions for Online Networking Resources and explore some of them - by joining in on a Twitter chat, subscribing to a listserv or blog's RSS feed, or finding your state organization's website, for example. By summer's end you will have found which resources are the most valuable to you, and you may be sharing with others as well.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Title: Spring/Summer Edition of SCOLT Talk Now Available
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The spring/summer edition of the newsletter of the Southern Conference on Language teaching is available at http://issuu.com/scoltdj/docs/scoltalksummer2014final
Learn more about SCOLTalk at http://scolt.org/index.php/publications/scoltalk
Source: JNCL-NCLIS
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Title: Book: Measuring L2 Proficiency
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From http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781783092277
Measuring L2 Proficiency: Perspectives from SLA
By Pascale Leclercq, Amanda Edmonds, and Heather Hilton
Published by Multilingual Matters
The creation of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has given rise to interest and debate among policy makers, testers, teachers and researchers alike in the reliability and feasibility of the assessment of second language (L2) proficiency. This volume brings together concrete ideas on identifying and measuring L2 proficiency from different branches of SLA research (psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, corpus-based, applied linguistics) to contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means to be proficient in an L2. The chapters introduce a wide range of tools that are innovative, reliable, and easy-to-use for the evaluation of learners’ language level with respect to both productive and receptive skills and provide a variety of answers to the question of how to assess L2 proficiency in a valid, reliable and practical manner. The collection will therefore inspire language teachers, teacher trainers and language testing specialists and help them adapt their assessment practices when necessary, and will also be a valuable resource for postgraduate students and researchers.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781783092277
Source: Multilingual Matters
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Title: Book: Multilingual Cognition and Language Use
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From https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/hcp.44/main
Multilingual Cognition and Language Use: Processing and typological perspectives
Edited by Luna Filipović and Martin Pütz
This volume provides a multifaceted view of certain key themes in multilingualism research today and offers future directions for this research area in the context of the multilingual development of individuals and societies. The selection of studied languages is eclectic (e.g. Amondawa, Cantonese, Bulgarian, Dene, Dutch, Eipo, Frisian, German, Mandarin Chinese, Māori, Russian, Spanish, and Yukatek, among others), they are typologically diverse, and they are contrasted from a variety of perspectives, such as cognitive development, aging, acquisition, grammatical and lexical processing, and memory. This collection also illustrates novel insights into the linguistic relativity debate that multilingual studies can offer, such as new and revealing perspectives on some well-known topics (e.g. colour categorisation or language transfer). The critical and comprehensive discussions of theoretical and methodological considerations presented in this volume are fundamental for numerous current, future, empirical and interdisciplinary studies of linguistic diversity, linguistic typology, and multilingual processing.
Visit the publisher’s website at https://benjamins.com/#catalog/books/hcp.44/main
Source: John Benjamins Publishing Company
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