Using Skype in the Second and Foreign Language Classroom – Follow up

August 12, 2010

I was thrilled to be invited to present at the Social Media Workshop organized by the Language Acquisition Resource Center at San Diego State University.

Here are the slides from today’s presentation:

You can download the handouts from the session here.

Check out the recording of the session, too.

And if you’re doing research on using Skype for education, then you might be interested in the research paper that I wrote to go along with the presentation.

Also, for the first time, I put together a Diigo list of online bookmarks for this session. Check out all the resources I archived for you on my list “Skype for Educators”.

Here’s what people said about the webinar:

“I have used Skype for about a year to communicate with family during travel. Pointing out that Skype is easy to use for those less versed in new technology is important. People need to feel comfortable and the technology is invisible so that communication is the focus. With the globalization of education it is important that we maintain strong human connections and include both the older generation and the new digital natives.” – Denise Foures-Aalbu, USA

“Dr. Sarah provided participants with many useful ideas. Her enthusiasm encouraged others to add their ideas to the list. Well done, Dr. Sarah!” – Scott Miatech, Waterford, WI, USA

“Dr. Eaton did a wonderful and engaging presentation for our 2010 LARC Summer Social Media Workshop.  She provided motivation for participants to dive right into Skype and practical activities for the language classroom.  LARC hopes to continue collaborating with Sarah in the future and exploring the outer limits of distance education!” – Evan Rubin, LARC, San Diego State University.

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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.

Student portfolios for Language Learning: What They Are and How to Use Them

August 10, 2010

The use of student portfolios is increasing in education, as asset-based approaches to evaluation and assessment become more popular. When it comes to demonstrations of learning, student portfolios are gaining popularity at a rapid pace. They are collaborative efforts between students and teachers that provide clear demonstrations of students progress and achievements. Students are guided by their teachers to develop their own portfolios over time. Student portfolios contain demonstrations of their knowledge and authentic language use, such as:

  • Written work. These demonstrate the students use of vocabulary, knowledge of grammar and writing structures.
  • Digital and multimedia projects. These demonstrate their oral and listening competencies.
  • Reflections from students and teachers. This feedback replaces traditional grading. The intent is for the teacher and the student to engage in a kind of dialogue about the student’s progress. This also empowers the student to become self aware as a learner.

Whether they are traditional or electronic, portfolios are being used in classrooms across the globe at an increasing rate.  The beauty of the student portfolio is that the student owns it, not the teacher. Students carry their portfolios forward from grade to grade, taking responsibility for their learning as they go.

Here are some resources on the topic of student portfolios you may find useful:

Barrett, Helen.  February 18, 2009. ISTE Webinar. http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolios/iste

Barrett, Helen (2004). Professional Development for Implementing Electronic Portfolios. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.org/teachers/profdev.html

Barrett, Helen. (n.d.) http://electronicportfolios.org/index.html

Brownell, Wendy. Linguafolio and Portfolios. (n.d.) http://wendybrownell.wikispaces.com/Linguafolio+and+Portfolios

Dominguez, Juan. E-portfolios: Del PLN al Aprendizaje Retrieved 26 May, 2011 from http://juandomingofarnos.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/e-portafolios-del-pln-al-aprendizaje/

Grace. (1992). The Portfolio and Its Use: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment of Young Children.  Retrieved from http://www.tcdsb.org/academic_it/ntip/Assessment%20Files/PDF%20Format%20V5/4a-%20Assessment%20-%20Portfolio%20Assessment.pdf

North Carolina Regional Educational Laboratory. (n.d.). Portfolios.   Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/earlycld/ea5l143.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.

Using Skype for second language debates: Ideas for teachers

August 9, 2010

Two of the trends in language learning I found while researching Global Trends in Language Learning in the 21st Century were using technology for language learning and an increased focus on demonstrating language competence through speech and stories, debates and speaking competitions. How about combining the two?

I’ve been busy preparing my presentation on Using Skype in the Second and Foreign Language Classroom for the Social Media Workshop for language teachers put on by the Language Acquisition Resource Centre (LARC) at San Diego State University.

During my travels I came across Lois Smethurt’s blog. She has an excellent post on how she used Skype for an inter-school debate. She talks about the students’ reaction to the experience, as well as the logistics of putting together an inter-school debate using Skype.

I loved this idea for language learning. We can organize debates not only between schools, but between countries, too. Check out Sue Water’s blog post on how to connect with schools and classrooms in other countries using Skype. She offers an amazing resource list for teachers from around the world to connect using Skype.

Between them, these two insightful, innovative Edubloggers offer us the ingredients to put together inter-classroom, international second language debates using synchronous technology that allows students to use real language in real time.

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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 Using Skype for second language debates: Ideas for teachers | 101 Ways to Market Your Language Program, ESL, languages, second languages, social media, technology, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Why we should stop worrying about putting “bums in seats”

August 3, 2010

Remember that moment when you were so enthralled with what you were learning it seemed like time stopped? Your worries melted away and you were in that space somewhere in between reality and potential. It’s a little like being in a dream state isn’t it? You feel your untapped potential surging forward, about to launch you into a new space, where you had abilities you’d only previously dreamed about.

I remember a time like that when I was learning Spanish. It was the moment when I was so into a conversation that drudgery of memorizing verbs and vocabulary melted away. It was the moment – ever so fleeting that first time – when I was so into the moment that my lack of confidence vanished and I just spoke. It was the moment when my heart filled with joy because I realized that moment had been a dream for me – and it was coming true.

Having the ability not only to speak – but actually to engage with someone else in a meaningful conversation – was something I hadn’t been capable of in Spanish up to that point. Once I’d passed the threshold, I knew I could do it again. Knowing that spurred me on to keep learning.

Ever had a moment like that? Sure you have.

If you didn’t, you wouldn’t believe in the power of knowing other languages.

Your students have those moments, too. Or at least, they crave them. Learners crave breakthroughs; breakthroughs make a challenge worth the effort.

What are you offering your students to help them achieve those “ah ha!” moments? How are you challenging them to reach within themselves to tap into their potential? How are you making their dreams of fluency and sincere connections with others, enabled by their language learning experiences, come true?

When it comes to marketing your ESL, second language, literacy and other educational programs, keep your goals worthy and your sights firmly set on why we do what we do.

Stop worrying about how to put bums in seats.

Always worry about how to empower your students.

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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.

A picture says a thousand words: Tap into the world of stock photos

August 2, 2010

A while ago I did a post on photo tips and ideas for language and literacy programs. In that post I gave some ideas on the types of things you can take pictures to marketing and promote your language and literacy program.

Really though, unless you have someone on staff who was has excellent photography skills, your photos may lack professionalism. Using stock photography has some advantages for marketing. Not only are you guaranteed to get excellent quality, royal-free images, you also don’t have to worry about getting students or their parents to sign waivers allowing you to use their image to promote your school.

There are a number of companies out there that offer stock photos, as well as images and sometimes audio tracks, too. Either you buy credits which allow you to purchase photos on a pay-as-you-go type of arrangement, or you buy a subscription for a certain period of time. Buying credits is a good way to test out the system for not very much money, just to learn how it works.

Once you get to the site, type in a key word that matches the image of what you’re trying to portray. You’ll usually get thousands of images, some of which will work and others won’t. Words I’ve used for marketing ESL and EFL programs include “multicultural”, “students”, “international”, “school” and so forth. Get creative with your key words if the results aren’t giving you what you’re looking for.

  • Getty Images
  • Jupiter Images
  • Fotolia
  • iStock – The photo from this post is from iStock. Every week they offer a freebie for members. This particular freebie was very appropriate for languages and literacy, so how could I resist?

The size of the photo you buy depends on what you are using it for. For website use only, you can get away with smaller images. If you’re using them in printed materials such as brochures, school prospectuses, etc. then you’ll want a higher quality image.

Once you’ve purchases the rights to a photo, you can use it for a variety of purposes, providing you stay within the agreements. For example, don’t go and re-sell the image by putting it on merchandise such as coffee cups or T-shirts that you charge money for.

Some people have said to me that using stock photos seems insincere because the subjects aren’t real students or staff from your school. That is true. It is one trade off of using pro quality stock photos. Ultimately you need to decide what you want – and can – do for yourself. Also, have a look at what your competitors are using in their photos. If their images are pro quality, you may be looking at stock photos.

For me, using stock photos for at least some of your marketing materials, is a good investment of resources.

Do you have a favorite site for photos that’s not listed here? Leave a comment, so others can find out about it, too.

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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.

2 Comments | ESL, languages, marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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