Teaching practices
Language learning through social media: evolution of teaching practices
This key dialogue involves the Institut français de l'éducation(IFÉ, Lyon), Adalsic (editor of the highly regarded scientific journal ALSIC, Apprentissage des langues et systèmes d'information et de communication - Language Learning and Information and Communication Systems ) and the University of Luxembourg.
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SPECIAL ISSUE
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The special issue “Social media and language learning: (r)evolution?/ Médias sociaux et apprentissage des langues : (r)évolution ?” is now available in Alsic.
As the rise of social media use in language learning and its impact become significant, the Alsic (Apprentissage des Langues et Systèmes d’Information et de Communication) special issue (Vol. 15, n°1) examines an underlying question “social media and language learning: (r)evolution?” .
Through the selected papers, this special issue explores which elements of the social-technical landscape of social media in language education bring something new, and which of them represent an evolution in terms of language education.
Read this special issue online, click here
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WEBINAR
A webinar "Teacher training in the age of Web 2.0: The current situation & future perspectives", organised by IFÉ(local coordinator: Prof. Christine Develotte) took place and broadcast live from Lyon, Wednesday November 30th time 14:00-15:00 Central European Time(GMT+1). The poste is here.
Based on two main questions of training for new teachers and continuing education for current teachers (“in-service” training) in relation to technologies and social medias, an interactive debate with three leading researchers has shed light on the current practices and the future indications in the field of teather training.
Did you miss the Webinar? Here is a recording of Webinar (please wait a couple of minutes for the video to load and click play sign).
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FORUM
A forum discussion was open to the public for two months animate dynamic interactions with the public after the November 30th webinar "Teacher training in the age of Web 2.0: The current situation & future perspectives"
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EXPERT INTERVIEWS
The expert interview videos have recently been uploaded in LS6 Vimeo channel. Interviewd with three prominent experts,Christine Develotte,Melinda Dooly and Mirjam Hauck, the series of expert video explores poignant insights and thoughtful opinions, from three leading professionals, on social media in the field of language teaching and teacher training.
The direct link of Vimeo channel is here
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KEY ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1) In terms of ICT
Key Point: Teachers need to be convinced of the validity of ICT use, and so do their educational institutions.
Recommendations:
Make the use of ICT tools commonplace in order to avoid barriers to adopting them. Awareness can be conveyed through workshops and seminars or via meetings with interpersonal transmission. Teachers who discover the benefits of integrating ICT into their practices are the best ambassadors to their colleagues.
2) In terms of training
Key point: Currently teacher education does not include the integration of ICT as part of the learning process for future teachers.
Recommendation:
Training in identifying the added value of ICT regarding the 4 skills, that is reading, writing, and listening (understanding oral) and speaking. We need to incorporate ICT into teacher education in all the courses and to disseminate ICT teaching practices to other teachers (via Vygotski “zone of proximal learning”).
3) In terms of distance education
Key point: As tools are changing continuously in distance education, new roles emerge for educational institutions, educators and trainers in organizing effective learning: “Four interlocking systems that together create a coherent induction programme: system for mentoring, expert inputs, peer support and self-reflection” (European Commission Staff Working Document SEC, 2010).
Recommendation:
Flexible attitude in the use of tools as they are changing continuously.
4) In terms of social presence
Key point: Social presence drives participation and online learning, therefore, social presence and teaching presence can be understood and linked and this in turn can inform our training with practitioners. Social presence is a motivator, a reference point, and the precondition for content building and knowledge transfer since it creates the very environment in which all this can happen.
Recommendation:
Seeing and experiencing how others project themselves is a skill that is learnt collaboratively and also echoes the idea of experiential modelling.
- Task design: stimulated and ongoing reflection on motivation, online participation and the relevance of social presence.
- New form of collaborative online educator training: teacher ethnographies as models of the collaborative processes that underpin social presence.
5) In terms of language learning
Key point: Language learning as socially distributed cognition implies 3 types of processes at work involving individuals, artifacts and the environment:
- Individuals: knowledge through action is distributed via the (embodied) members of a social group.
- Artifacts: products of earlier events can transform the nature of related events (knowledge artifacts may transform or be transformed) - students are already adept at ‘finding’ new information to build on further.
- Environment: Must connect the dots between internal (individual) and external (material or environmental) structure.
Recommendation:
- Include a wide range of relevant tools and technology resources.
- Foster interactive, shared learning through interaction with online partners.
- Integrate the use of Web 2.0 across the curriculum and as an everyday part of the classroom interaction.
- Manage Web 2.0 resources as a means to reach learning goals, not as the goal itself.
- Design activities for learners to interact and share knowledge about complex and everyday questions, issues and problems.