novastartalk and startalk etower · 2020-02-21 · novastartalk and startalk etower elevating...

NOVASTARTALK and STARTALK eTowerElevating Critical Needs Language Instruction with Open Practices, Tools and Pedagogy

Dali Tan, Laura Franklin, Shaoyu Chi, Angela Gunder and Susan Picard

Agenda

▰ Foundational Definitions▰ About NOVASTARTALK▰ About eTOWER▰ Q&A

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Open Educational Resources

Any type of educational materials that are in the public domain or introduced with an open license

Foundational Definitions

Open Pedagogy

The use of open educational resources (OER) to support learning

Open Design

The practices, tools, critique and communities used to support open pedagogy

3OER: https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer

Open Pedagogy: https://open.bccampus.ca/what-is-open-education/what-is-open-pedagogy/

Target Language Use

Students will learn and

practice using the target language only or at the least 90% of the time.

Foundational Definitions

Prioritizing Target Language Use

Helps students become more confident speakers. If they only speak the target in class 90% of the time they will succeed in their quest to become fluent speakers.

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STARTALK

A variety of rich multimedia resources for best practices in the field of language teaching and professional development.

https://startalk.umd.edu/public/searchresources

Openness in World Language Instruction

MERLOT

Created in 1997, this repository of OER is one of the biggest in the world to provide free access to learning materials.

https://www.merlot.org/

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NOVASTARTALK

History and Goals

NOVASTARTALK was created to respond the need for LCTL instructors to merge their knowledge of their own target languages with established best practices for language learning. 7

Teaching in the target language (TL) while encouraging students to

do the same.

Expecting students to stay in the TL as frequently as possible.

388Total Number of Participants

from 2007-2016

290+Number of Learning Objects Submitted

to the NOVASTARTALk Database

11Languages Represented

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▰ Team planning online

▰ Alignment with STARTALK Principles and ACTFL World Readiness standards

Curriculum Design

▰ Task Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

▰ Technology mediated TBLT

▰ Close planning with site visitors

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▰ Moved from all beginner (2007) to differentiated cohorts (2008 on)

▰ Move from Chinese and Arabic cohorts to all STARTALK languages

Program Facilitation

▰ Added field trips to the Smithsonian to allow participants to create projects using media of authentic examples of culture

▰ Final Showcase10

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NOVASTARTALK Website

Technology Selection Process

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▰ Presentation Tools▰ Audio Tools▰ Video Tools▰ Collaborative Tools▰ Online Resources and Social

Media

Web Site and Products Created by the Teachers

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Place your screenshot here

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Learning Object Database

OLC

Build new collaborations with the Online Learning Consortium to support strategic language instruction in the online learning environment

▰ Professional Development▰ Research

Directions for the Future

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eTOWER

Goals of the eTower Program

▰ Bridge students to next proficiency level▰ Offer students further studies where none

are available▰ Offer resources for teachers to incorporate

into their Chinese lessons to use freely

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Module Structure

▰ Clearly defined learning goals▰ Interactive vocabulary introduction and practice with

immediate feedback▰ Recycling of the previously learned content▰ Promotion of Chinese literacy through a variety of interactive

practice activities▰ Contextualized Interactive Language Function instruction and

practice▰ Integrated Performance Assessment with Sample Answers as

models18

STARTALK Principles

▰ Implementing a Standards-Based and Thematically Organized Curriculum

▰ Conducting Performance-Based Assessment▰ Integrating Culture, Content, and Language▰ Using the Target Language and Providing Comprehensible

Input▰ Facilitating a Learner-Centered Classroom▰ Adapting and Using Age-Appropriate Authentic Materials

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Integrated Performance Assessments

IPA (Integrated Performance Assessment) requires:

▰ A real life or real-life-like scenario▰ The use of authentic materials and authentic tasks▰ All three modes of communications are assessed:

interpretive, interpersonal and presentational▰ Learners complete the tasks in three respective phases▰ Instructor provides timely feedback on performance for

each phase20

Technology

▰ Articulate Storyline

▰ Audior Voice Recorder

▰ HTMLUp▰ WeVideo

Design Methodology

OER

▰ Wikimedia Commons

▰ Freepik▰ MERLOT

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Publications

▰ Teaching and Learning Chinese as a Second or Foreign Language

▰ Conference Proceedings from Macau

Spreading the Word

Presentations

▰ TCLT9 at University of Macau

▰ 2nd OCTFW Michigan State University

▰ CLTA International Symposium at UMCP

▰ NCLC and ACTFL23

New Modules

The Goal is to complete the entire eTower from Novice level all the way to AP Chinese with the themes of pearls of ancient Chinese wisdom for the 21st Century world.

Directions for the Future

Additional Languages

Once the dream of completing the Chinese eTower is realized, the team will explore the possibility of using the structure to build modules in other languages.24

Q&AShaoyu ChiNOVA Online

schi@nvcc.edu

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Susan PicardNOVA Online

spicard@nvcc.edu

Laura Franklin NOVA

lfranklin@nvcc.edu

Angela Gunder Online Learning Consortium

angela.gunder@onlinelearning-c.org

Dali TanNOVA

dtan@nvcc.edu