Innovation in Language Learning

With extraordinary advances in technology and a growing emphasis on creation and innovation, the educational needs of language learners of today are constantly evolving. Pedagogical practices in language instruction are not only being reinvented, but also reimagined to best support the rapidly changing needs of students. Educational programs need to effectively support students to answer problems of global significance and also need to empower students to engage in conversations with students in classrooms internationally.  In this fast-paced and interactive session, participants will be introduced to ways to connect language students to the world through innovative instructional practices and integrated technologies. Likened to building a bridge, participants will be guided through the entire process of global collaboration and the use of meaningful language experiences with students of the world through videoconferencing and Nearpod technologies. Specific examples of global projects and connection to international standards of instruction will be examined and tech tools for collaboration will be demonstrated. The session will demonstrate ways to connect globally with a focus on answering questions of world significance can allow students to become leaders of change and solvers of problems.  The significance of having a “digital artifact” will be explained and examples with diverse world languages and across all grade levels, elementary through higher education, will be provided. The session will outline and provide questions for educators and administrators to ask themselves, and will share ways to prepare students for a world that is centered on global and digital competencies.  Participants will leave with ready-to-use ideas for the classroom and with ways to integrate global projects and digital technologies into instruction.  Innovative presentation and videoconferencing tools will be details and explained for use in language instruction. This session that will help to build the bridges that will bring innovation, connection, and inspiration for language instruction of the future today!

Participant Benefit:

This session exposes world language teachers to new technologies for connection, creation, and productivity to help them connect with the world. By viewing learning as ceilingless and seeing the classroom as the entire world, participants will understand that the search for knowledge is limitless.  Participants will be engaged in an interactive discussion and opportunities for sharing will be incorporated throughout entire course of the session.

Goals include:

1. define global collaboration and digital literacy

2. connect to international standards of practice and current research

3. demonstrate pedagogical practices with use of digital tools

4. demonstrate and allow for exploration of tech tools for global collaboration (e.g. Nearpod, Skype, Google Hangout)