Week 6 Blog

Student Centered Learning tells us that the most effective way to learn is by experiencing it first-hand. Traveling to a different country can really place someone in an uncomfortable situation and force them to apply their knowledge on the spot. However, if language is stopping you from traveling check out this link http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3913108/Do-language-barriers-travelling-easiest-countries-English-speakers-visit-revealed.html It provides you with the proficiency skills needed to travel and speak in other countries. It even tells you about the countries where you need to know the least amount of a foreign language to be successful.

Can going to a technology conference change your approach to teaching? Read this article http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-schools/ci_30545742/bvsd-hosts-ed-tech-summit-featuring-google  to find out how it change the way a teacher teaches. This conference allowed  Jeff Sanders to discover Genius Hour. He talks about how it is amazing to to see what the students can do when you allow them to invest in a passion. It also talks about the idea of having students’ BYOD or Bring Your Own Device. This is very similar to the concept of MALL which we recently discussed in class. In the end it also provides examples of teachers experiencing student centered learning at this conference. I truly find it amazing how much learning is increased when learning is hands on instead of teacher lead. 

Can learning a language in a student centered way increase scores in other subjects? Nixa Public Schools thinks it can. Read this articlehttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/digital-world-language-program-coming-140000617.html to find out how. They are providing all of their students grades K-12 with a digital device. They are also providing students grades 2-6 with Rosetta Stone. They believe that this application will provide students with the opportunity to learn a foreign language both in and out of class. We can only hope that their commitment to both technology and language in a student centered approach will be successful. 

I would have to agree that I am not the biggest fan of students using cell phones during class. I can definitely see the benefits; however, I can also see how they can be a distraction. I agree that this app sounds great! It is definitely important to make students more accountable.