Join the Cyber-Community!

Workshop for World Language teachers sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association, the Center for West European Studies (CWES), and the Robert Henderson Language Media Center at the University of Pittsburgh

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In this workshop, K-12 language teachers will learn about about various aspects of the "cyber-community" (Internet) that can be utllized to enhance their capabilities to communicate with and provide interactive materials for their students. If you can word process, send e-mail, and go to a website, your computer skills are sufficient for these sessions.

First, we will “visit” online communities, and participate actively in our preferred virtual spaces. We will then learn how to create blogs (web logs) and audioblogs and join an online video teleconference. Next, we will explore “wikis,” which are often multilingual and offer great potential for second language learners. (See http://www.polyglot.pitt.edu/workshops/techspring05/blogs.html to find out more about blogs and wikis.) Participants will have an opportunity to develop instructional materials with tools such as Quia and Hot Potatoes. Other resources for professional development will be introduced as time permits.

Workshop Schedule:

Devin Browne is the Chair of the Technology Committee for PSMLA. He is a French and Russian teacher with Pittsburgh Public Schools and teaches part-time for Pitt. He regularly presents on technology both at conferences and workshops.

Claire Bradin Siskin has been involved in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) since the early 80's.

For more information, contact Claire Bradin Siskin at (412) 624-5939 or cbsiskin@pitt.edu.

Registration:

Please print out and send in the linked registration form.

Deadline to enroll is Friday, June 24, 2005. Enrollment space is limited. Sufficient enrollment will be required. If it is necessary to cancel, notice of cancellation will be by Monday, June 22, 2005.