Distance learning

This post is just a compilation of good resources to be utilized on a distance learning environment. I personally think that we, language teachers, have been using most of these resources for quite a while now but it is always a good opportunity to re-think and re-share what we use for our classes. 
On the presentation below you'll find a brief description of the website, what can you use it for and a link to the site.

A potential problem I personally find with all these resources is the amount of screen time we are exposing our students to. Some solutions for that could be to incorporate more real world assignments or having our students to do their tasks in their notebooks and take a screenshot to share it with us. If you are concerned about this too and have an idea share it in the comments.



Some entries that could be of interest:

• Flexible homework [click here]
• Independent learning [click here]
• Developing strategic competence [click here]
• Students portfolios [click here]

Lunaprofe 3/07/2020  2 comments

Independent learning

There is a debate at a college level whether Independent learning should be included in the first year curriculum, considering it as one of the secrets to success in tertiary education (Rachael Field, James Duffy & Anna Huggins, 2014).  

According to Zimmerman (1986, p. 308), when students are able to self-regulate their learning, they: 

• have an understanding of their own approach to learning and how best to maximize their learning in the most efficient ways
• are motivated to take responsibility for their learning 
• are able to work with others to enhance the depth and breadth of their learning

I personally think that is a skill that should be learned at a secondary level as well. And for doing this, we have to adapt the idea and the resources to our learners. This presentation is my adaptation, a simple way of introducing our learners to their independence in our Spanish class.

If you put this into practice in your class, please contact me and let me know how it went.

There are more ways of motivating our students to be more independent, if you are interested in this approach, check these posts below:

• Developing strategic competence through portfolios: a language biography
• Flexible Homework
• Mr Luna is absent

Sources:

• Independent Learning Skills, Self-Determination Theory and Psychological Well-being: Strategies for Supporting the First Year University Experience [pdf]
• Independent learning: a literature review and a new project [pdf]

Lunaprofe 10/08/2018  No comment