2019-20

Computer Headsets for Online Language Learners and Instructors

Presenters: Rebecca Ramsey and Jeff Holdeman

Computer Headsets for Online Language Learners and Instructors

Considering purchasing headsets? Learn different features of headsets based on thorough investigation and search for headsets for instructors and students in online foreign language classes. To prepare for the webinar, please go over the informative and detailed resources below, which will serve as the starting point for discussion and questions.

This is an informative document that explains important features to consider when you and your students are comparing the different models online and making decisions on which one(s) to get. The document includes a list of headsets based on different categories too.

The Excel sheet has detailed information for more models of headsets.

Webinar Slides

Summer Unconference Day

Interactive Workshop for Online Language Teaching

Bitmoji Conversation Hour

Presenter: Amber Kennedy Kent

Learn strategies to get learners talking in your classrooms or virtual conversation hours by creating interactive guided discussion frameworks that will break the ice and provide scaffolded support.

Bitmoji Conversation Hour

Alternative assessment options: formative assessment for language learning and teaching.

Presenter: Umida Khikmatillaeva

The role of formative assessment in the language classroom is essential. Formative assessment helps instructors to collect evidence of learning, to provide feedback, and improve their own instruction to better meet students’ needs. This session will demonstrate how interactive games can be used for formative assessment. Also, the presenter will demonstrate the possibilities of using some platforms (Jeopardy, Nearpod, Powtoon, Baamboozle) to conduct formative assessments.

Presentation slides

Performative Teaching Online: hotseating and discussions in role

Presenter: Susanne Even

At first glance, performative teaching seems incommensurable with online teaching. However, with a few adjustments, students are still able to work with their bodies and imaginations even when sitting in front of a computer. This session will introduce some performative conventions that have worked very well in my online classrooms, namely 'hotseating' and 'discussion-in-role'. The session will include examples from actual lessons, as well as links to supporting programs.

Presentation Slides

Creating a Google Site for Language Learning Portfolio

Presenter: Xiaojing Kou

This session will demonstrate how to create a Google site to be used for language learning portfolio. The presenter will also demonstrate a template that CeLT created for the Italian program for the Fall.

Peardeck: An interactive companion tool for Google Slides

Presenter: Dinara Abakirova

This session will focus on Peardeck, an add-on application within Google Slides that facilitates interactive participation in a synchronous online language learning environment with functions such as the ability to add multiple choice questions slides, make drag and drop question slides, create matching items slides, etc. Every learner uses their own slide to complete the activity, and the instructor can simultaneously observe the learner’s slides. There are also collaborative features as well, where learners work on slides together.

Padlet: An interactive and collaborative tool

Presenter: Dinara Abakirova

Padlet is a tool for facilitated class discussion that includes functions such as commenting, inserting audios, images, etc. Furthermore, this tool can be used collaboratively in Zoom break-out rooms, unlike whiteboard.

Panelists: Iman Alramadan (Arabic); Yingling Bao (Chinese); Beatrix Burhardt (ELIP); Betty Dlamini (Zulu); Jeff Holdeman (Slavic); Piibi-Kai Kivik (Estonian); Karolina Serafin (Italian)

Virtual Pet Peeves Event

In the Spring semester of 2020, many foreign language teachers have unexpectedly found themselves offering their classes online for the first time and have encountered a new set of unforeseen challenges on their end of the camera, on the student's end, and on the technology in between.
A roundtable discussion features a panel of guest experts (some experienced on-line instructors, some who are new to the game) who will answer questions from the audience about their recently discovered "pet peeves" (i.e., especially annoying frustrations) from teaching language on-line to students whose homes have become their classrooms (and teachers whose homes have done the same).

Presenter: Jeff Holdeman, Senior Lecturer, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Instructor of Czech

Emergency Online Teaching: Some explorations and considerations of technology for online language teaching

In this video, Jeff Holdeman, Senior Lecturer, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and instructor of Czech, Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures shares his experience on teaching online and tools he is using. Dr. Holdeman has been using Zoom to teach distance courses through BTAA CourseShare. He talked about using old school whiteboard, document camera at home, iPad/tablet and Notability for grading homework electronically, basic non-verbal communication ideas, and Zoom settings. 

Workshop Handout

Presenter: Paul Coats

Racial Expectations in the Classroom and the Cruelty of "Caring"

Undoubtedly, the teaching profession is full of some of the most caring people in the world. But when can caring lead to a stifling or even crushing environment for a student and ultimately cause their failure? This workshop will be conducted as a directed discussion, by way of which we will work to understand how teachers’ innocent desire to provide extra support for certain groups of students can cause anxiety for these very students and destroy their motivation in the subject—and their studies in general.

Workshop PPTWorkshop Handout

Presenters: Elisa Räsänen and Sanni Törmänen

Creating an engaging and effective virtual language class meeting

This workshop discusses using tools and strategies to enhance student engagement in virtual (Zoom) language class meetings. Presenters demonstrate using Padlet, Kahoot, and Zoom from a student’s perspective. Participants had a chance to exchange ideas, brainstorm, and design their own online class activity.

Workshop PPT   Workshop Handout

Presenters: Svitlana Melnyk and Veronika Trotter

Project-Based Language Learning with Wikipedia

Project-based learning and community-based language learning have recently been adopted widely by language educators across the US. These approaches go beyond regular classroom practices to create socially meaningful results for language learners, thus increasing students’ engagement and motivation. In this workshop, we will discuss the benefits and challenges of creating Wikipedia pages with students. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss the project in groups, provide feedback, and share their ideas on implementing socially meaningful language projects.

Workshop PPT

Presenter: Iman Alramadan

Community Involvement in the Language Classroom

Connecting students with the community through volunteer work with native speakers is one of the strategies that encourage students to adopt L2 in their everyday communication. This strategy helps improving students’ conversation skills, increasing vocabulary, learning idioms, and exploring the target culture, as well as increasing students’ engagement and motivation. This workshop will discuss strategies and provide examples that can be used to reinforce students’ speaking skills. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss in groups and provide feedback as well as share ideas.

Workshop PPT