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Thank you to all of the participants in the Feb. 3rd and 4th workshops; we heard many comments from you all, but the unanimous sentiment had to do with delight at just having the time to explore the web. Indeed there is an overwhelming amount of language stuff out there; we need more time to explore and finally integrate the "good stuff" into our classes. I know that I have already begun using the "good stuff" and find that my students automatically expect the web to be part of the curriculum. Technology in education has arrived, and we must view access as another exciting aid to our teaching.
This second newsletter contains
This newsletter will come to teachers in participating districts in paper form, as well, through your district office. If you are in a district other than Corvallis, Albany, or Lincoln County and would like a paper copy of the newsletter, please email joyce.bryan@orst.edu or write to Joyce Bryan, ELI/OSU, 301 Snell Hall, Corvallis OR 97331-1632.
by Melinda Sayavedra
In the afternoon of Feb. 4, one of the options offered to participants was a session on using video in the classroom. Participants had a chance to view both commercial videos and student-generated videos and then brainstorm how to use them most effectively in the classroom. Several points became clear during the discussions.
Participants agreed that videos, like anything else, need to be an integrated part of a broader context for them to be most effective with second language learners. And, just as in reading, it is important that linguistic, content, formal and strategic schema be set through various pre-viewing, while-viewing, and post-viewing tasks.
A couple of participants suggested that songs from commercial videos can also be used in practicing formulaic speech to aid in fluency and automaticity.
Participants also agreed that when having students make their own videos, students should be given a series of tasks that lead up to a finished product. These tasks not only set schema but are rich in communicative activities that provide a natural information gap, allow students choice and a chance to negotiate and get feedback while using the second language.
Finally, it was agreed that using video in the classroom is not only a communicative and task-based approach to language learning but is also highly motivating to students.
Lots of handouts of sample lessons using video were provided.
by Joyce Bryan
Deborah Healey is not only one of the project directors for the Eisenhower project, but also, an internationally respected expert and recognized leader in the area of technology in education. We were very fortunate to have her skillful guidance throughout the technology sessions offered in the winter workshops. On the morning of Feb 3, we explored useful Internet sites, wrote annotations for them and posted them as links into our Nicenet class sites. If you weren't at the workshop, but would like to check these web sites out, take a look at the Resources for Teachers page or go to our Nicenet class, Ed 571A , and click on Links. The annotations are not only useful, but also entertaining.
On Feb.4, we explored software resources and high-interest student generated projects including Culture Capsules and the animated Hollywood software. We also learned how to create our own web-based projects using the freeware Hot Potatoes and Netscape Composer, part of Netscape Communicator.
Tours of the ELI Learning Center and the Department of Foreign Language's CAN 8 system demonstrated how computer assisted instruction provides authentic language practice and interaction. Thanks again to Juan Trujillo of OSU's Foreign Languages department for the CAN 8 introduction.
These technology sessions clearly outlined the tremendous potential of computer assisted instruction and the challenge for teachers to understand and keep abreast of developments in the technology and the pedagogy.
by Jim Cassidy
At our February 3 meeting, we received a statewide perspective from two representatives of the Oregon Department of Education: Gloria Muñiz, Specialist in Bilingual Education, and Betsy Costi, Foreign Language Specialist.
Together, Ms. Costi and Ms. Muñiz addressed many questions in the two areas. In an open-ended question-and-answer format, the two representatives of the ODE touched on a wide range of topics, including:
We believe that this discussion promoted greater understanding between our participants and the ODE, and hope that it will be just the first in an ongoing conversation. We are pleased that it brought to light some of the common goals and concerns of the two specialties represented within our group, and hope that it will lead to a deepening of our common purpose. We extend our sincere thanks to Ms. Muñiz and Ms. Costi for sharing their time, their expertise and their insights into the questions raised by our group.
In our upcoming meeting on April 13, Jim Cassidy and Deborah Lindsay will be leading a work session around the themes of proficiency, assessment, and the implications of our choice of assessment for what we do in the classroom. We would like you to think about several questions, and to bring examples of any relevant materials you are using in your class/school/district. It is our hope and belief that this discussion will be equally relevant for the teachers in foreign language, ESOL, and bilingual ed. programs.
In anticipation of the work we'll be doing, please consider the following questions:
We ask that you give some thought to these questions prior to our April 13 meeting, and that you bring any relevant materials or examples of work in which you are currently engaged. Please note that we don't expect any specific level of prior knowledge on these questions. Also, we will not be judging any materials in absolute terms, but rather examining a variety of assessment and teaching approaches, and discussing their relationship to a variety of performance goals.
We approach this workshop with three goals. First, we hope to enhance our understanding of the meaning of proficiency in language use. Second, we want each participant to develop and/or refine a meaningful and appropriate performance assessment instrument for his or her specific teaching context. And third, we want to consider the implications of this kind of assessment for what we do in the classroom.
Deborah Lindsay teaches German at South Albany High School. In addition, she is a certified tester and a trainer in the Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI) workshop of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). She is currently a member of the development team for a national foreign language assessment, through the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Center for Applied Linguistics, and is a participant in the Oregon "Articulation through Standards" program administered by the Oregon University System.
Jim Cassidy coordinates the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in foreign languages at Oregon State University, as well OSU's first-year Spanish program. In addition, he is an ACTFL-certified OPI and MOPI tester and trainer, and, like Ms. Lindsay, a member of the Oregon "Articulation through Standards" project.
On April 14th, we will offer sessions on cross-cultural awareness. Some of the activities scheduled include: a panel discussion with international students; creating and sharing sample lesson plans on cross-cultural awareness; resources in our communities; value systems; web sources and activities on cross-cultural awareness. If there is a specific focus that you would like to cover under the broad topic of cross-cultural awareness, or if you have specific resources or suggestions that you would like to share, please let us know as soon as possible. Send your requests or suggestions to Joyce.Bryan@orst.edu.
We'd like to remind all practicing teachers that stipend application requests are due on March 15, 2000. If you did not receive an application and you would like to submit a request, please email Joyce.Bryan@orst.edu and I'll fax one to you immediately. Again, these requests are intended to help teachers gain the resources and/or training necessary to incorporate a cross-cultural component into their programs and share the information with their colleagues. The application is a two page document detailing how the money forwards this purpose. Any practicing teacher is welcome to apply for this stipend award.
It has become clear that most of the participants in the workshops are using the Ed 571A Nicenet site. We'd like to emphasize that all participants in the workshops, not only those who are officially enrolled in the Ed 571 class, are welcome to respond to the issues being raised in this forum, and we encourage you to post quesions of your own for discussion and feedback.
If you were originally a member of the Ed 571X site, please join the Ed 571A site since this is the most active of the two sites. To join a new class, you do not have to create a new username and password. Instead, log in and join a class from within your existing account. Go to your homepage and click on Join a Class, a choice from the menu on the left-hand side of the home page. Then enter the Ed 571A key: AZ8240E53. Thereafter, when you log in, you will have two classes from which to choose.(See Choose a Class in the lower left-hand column of the menu.)
*We are currently working on consolidating all of the links that were posted in both Nicenet sites into the Ed 571A site. From now on, we will only be actively maintaining the Ed 571A site.
**Don't forget, if you come across useful web resources, please add them to the list of links in our Ed 571A site! We will also be posting these same links to the Eisenhower-ElI web site.
Following are some of the comments from the winter workshop.
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