Learning and Leading - December 2009/January 2010

Students first identify and label objects that are important to them at home, school, and in the classroom using a word processor. They keep a list and create a table of all the objects they have labeled using a word processor or spreadsheet. They then read the table to their teacher aloud.

Students scan images or download digital pictures to create illustrations accompanied by text, using drawing and/or presentation software. With students’ help, the teacher then compiles all the entries into a paper-based or electronic dictionary, creating a book. In the final phase, students deliver presentations of their entries orally to the class, supported by the visual aids that they created. The teacher then assesses the presentations based on a rubric developed in collaboration with the students.

Note that the activity types used in this example helped to make vocabulary learning more student centered

and active. Although the same learning goals might be met through other activities and using different technologies, this particular combination helps students make and reinforce connections between language and familiar objects in multimodal ways.

Invitation for Collaboration Given the dynamic nature of language, plus advances in curricula and technologies available for learning, the range of learning activity types will change over time. We invite you to help us expand, refine, and revise the world-language learning activity types taxonomy. Please visit the Learning Activity Types Wiki and share your ideas via the online survey.

Resources

ACTFL National Standards: www.actfl.org/i4a/ pages/ index.cfm?pageid=3392

“Grounded Tech Integration,” L&L, September/ October, 2009, pp. 22–25

“Grounded Tech Integration: Math,” L&L, November, 2009, pp. 24–26

Learning Activity Types Wiki: http://activity types.wmwikis.net/World+Languages

“Tech Integration in Social Studies,” L&L, September/October, 2009, pp. 26–28

Marcela van Olphen is a faculty member in the foreign languages program at the College of Educa- tion, University of South Florida in Tampa. Her teaching and research focus on teacher prepa- ration for foreign language and English for speakers of other languages with emphasis on technology integration into the curriculum.

Mark Hofer is an associate pro- fessor of educational technology at the College of William & Mary. He works with classroom teachers to incorporate technol- ogy to support curriculum- based teaching and learning.

Judi Harris is the Pavey Family Chair in educational technology at the College of William & Mary. Her teaching and research focus on K– 12 curriculum-based technology integration, telementoring, and teacher professional development.