10 Ways to Excel as a 21st Century Language Teacher

March 3, 2011

This week I’m doing a session at the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention (GETCA) on Global Trends in 21st Century Language Learning.

As a complement to that work, I put together this poster for the teachers at the conference. I’m sharing it here so you can enjoy it, too. It’s a free downloadable poster. Please feel free to share it with other teachers, student teachers an administrators.

10 Ways to Excel as a 21st Century Language Educator – downloadable .pdf poster.

View this document on Scribd

Why not download this poster and use it to spark conversation at your next staff meeting or professional learning day?
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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Live Internet Video for Language Learning

February 24, 2011

Web-based video is a hot topic in 21st century language education. The Internet offers a cornucopia of options for language students to include video and television in their target language in order to help them learn the language. Researcher Elizabeth Mejia points out that “video” can mean a variety of things including popular films, documentaries, television advertisements, materials produced by textbook companies to accompany their books and accompany classroom instruction, educational broadcast and amateur videos made by teachers and students.

Sites such as YouTube and Vimeo offer educational videos, as well as “how to” videos produced by language teachers and students alike. Students can get tips, study strategies and answers to question through such video sites.

In addition, news sites such as CNN, Deutsche Welle and the BBC offer multilingual live, real-time news casts, available both on television and via the Internet. At the time of this writing, for example, Deutche Welle offered current news in 30 langauges. The BBC has an entire section of its website dedicated to language learning that includes courses, testing and activities all centred around real world news.

Web-based, live video has become an valuable augmentation, and may eventually replace, static video that is stored on tapes and DVDs, as a means to offer studetnts exposure to relevant and current information and content in a multilingual context that connects them to real issues of pressing concern around the globe.

Live Internet video provides a means for language learners to make sense of the world around them, while making sense of the language they want to learn.

Reference

Mejia, Elizabeth. Video in Language Education:  Making News Broadcasts Work for You. Retrieved from http://lookingahead.heinle.com/cnn/mejia.htm

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

How to Use Google Forms – Free Training Manual and Webinar Recording

February 22, 2011

Google forms are one of my favorite tools to use. You need a Google account (also known as a Gmail account) to use the forms. Once you have that, you can build any type of form you like. They are free and easy to design.

The primary ways I use them in webinars are:

  • Evaluations
  • Registration forms
  • Volunteer sign-up forms
  • Testimonial collection

Free manual

Get your free How-To Manual here: Exceptional Webinars – Using Google Forms

Webinar recording

I recently did a live demo via webinar on how to build, design and use Google forms. Thanks to the friendly folks at Elluminate for sponsoring the session by providing the technology to run the session.

Check out the 60-minute step-by-step webinar recording. (Note: You’ll need to grant permission for Java to launch in order to view the recording.)

Participant testimonials:

“I learned so much in an hour. I very much appreciate the Elluminate technology and the quality of the presenter.  Thanks!” – Susan Sanders, UMKC, Kansas City, USA

“This webinar is well-paced and gives an good grounding in the use of Google Forms. Sarah knows her subject and handles questions with grace and confidence.” Sue Goodrich, University of Southern Maine, East Boothay, Maine, USA

“Sarah possesses an invaluable combination of skills—a great mastery of content, the ability to make that knowledge understandable and useful to others, and an engaging, interactive and well-paced delivery.” – Barbara Lindsey, University of Connecticut, Connecticut, USA

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Marketing Language and Literacy Programs: Focus on the benefits

February 21, 2011

Marketing materials are meant to draw in customers. You want to show them how they’re going to benefit from your program. This does not mean making false promises, but it does mean showing them what they will learn, how they will grow and what they will experience. Consider the difference between these two statements:

Option 1: “Our program is 13 weeks long and we offer classes at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.”

Option 2: “Whether your level is beginner, intermediate or advanced, we have a 13-week comprehensive program to fit your needs.”

The first statement is a description focused on the program. The second is a persuasive statement focused on how the student benefits from having a comprehensive program at the right level for him or her. It also uses the word “you” more.

Too many educational marketing materials focus on describing programs, rather than highlighting the benefits to the students. Sometimes lots of information is given with no indication to the student that he will actually benefit from any of the services provided.

What do your own materials say? Do they highlight the benefits of your program? If not, now is the time to re-work them.

This post is adapted from “Idea # 13: Focus on the benefits ” in 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Free Webinar – How to Use Google Forms

February 9, 2011

How to Use Google Forms
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
08:00 Pacific / 09:00 Mountain / 10:00 Central / 11:00 Eastern / noon Atlantic

Learn how to use Google forms to:

  • Create evaluation forms for your online events
  • Create sign-up sheets for volunteers or participants
  • Survey your stakeholders

Google forms are free to use. I’ll give you a demo of:

  • how to create your own form
  • how to e-mail others a link to your online form
  • how to embed the form on a website
  • what the data from the form look like in a Google spreadsheet.

Intended audience: teachers, trainers, speakers, workshop facilitators, non-profit communications and marketing professionals, webinar hosts and anyone else with an interest.

A big thank you to Learn Central and Elluminate for sponsoring the event.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on Free Webinar – How to Use Google Forms | education, non-profit, Uncategorized, webinar | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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