IALLT Conference 2013

Looking forward to the 2013 conference of the International Association for Language Learning Technology, which will take place in Ft. Lauderdale June 11-15, 2013.
Proposals are now being accepted through January 11, 2013, and I am planning to submit an abstract for the Film Trailer Project course in Intermediate French I, together with Dr. Rouxel-Cubberly.

Suggested topics include:

• Best Practices in Computer-Assisted Language Learning
• Professional Development Solutions and Challenges
• New Frameworks for Distance Education and Hybrid Environments
• Leadership in the field of Language Learning Technologies
• Innovative Practices in K-12 Language and Cultural Learning
• Lab and Media Center Administration
• Generation NeXt, Technology and Language Education
• Online Language Learning Today and Tomorrow
• Student and institutional privacy issues in digital language learning contexts
• New Horizons in Gaming and Virtual Reality for Language & Cultural Learning
• Augmented reality for the language learning context
• The Edges of Copyright & e-Learning
• Mobile language learning

Information can be found at http://www.iallt.org/iallt_2013_3

Google Virtual Tours

In the past week, I looked at some tools and brainstormed possibilities for classroom integration together with graduating students. When it came to overview Google Maps, many wonderful ideas came out of our brainstorming sessions.
I am very interested in using the My Maps feature. I like how students can pin locations and embed their information and add pictures and YouTube videos. I like the idea of combining the use of Mymaps, Street View with screencasting and have students record virtual tours of their own maps. I particularly enjoy using ScreenOmatic for screecasting, and I really enjoy the latest feature of the tool, which allow for picture-in-picture screencasting using a webcam.
www.screenomatic.com
We also overviewed projects like Google Art, World Wonder and Google Lit Trip. The students were really enthusiastic and connected these projects with many of the skills covered by the ACTFL 21st Century Skills map, which I had previously distributed.
Overall I feel that Google Maps presents enourmous opportunities for language learning and teaching, and I am looking forward to piloting some ideas in Beginner French I in the Spring semester.

Word Clouds

I have always found Word clouds really cool and intriguing. They are a nice way to visually engage students with text, but until now, I had never explored ways to integrate them into a language course.

Today I taught a seminar and discussed word clouds with pre-service language teachers. I particularly enjoy brainstorming seminars, where you first illustrate the tool and give an idea or two of how you think it could be used, then you let participants input additional ideas for implementation. That's the format we followed today.
These are some of the uses we discussed:
- Project it on the screen at the beginning of the lecture to have students guess and anticipate what the topic will be about
- Practice for oral presentations using Word clouds rather than an outline
- Scramble sentences and have students put them in order
- Use word clouds as inspiration for speed writing or creative writing activities

I have come across this article on Language Learning and Technology that overview the use if Wordle in an action research project conducted in a Spanish course
http://llt.msu.edu/issues/june2011/actionresearch.pdf