Cambrigde language plaza_2011

Cambrigde language plaza_2011

• 1.
  The Fourteenth CambridgeInternational Conference on Open, Distance and e-Learning 2011 The Language Plaza: Online habitat and network to promote language skills and increase equity Thorbjörg St. Thorsteinsdóttir, Brynhildur A. Ragnarsdóttir, Sólveig Jakobsdóttir School of Education, University of Iceland Centre for Research in Foreign and Second Language Learning The Centre for Educational Research on ICT and Media
• 2.
  The Presentation Content Presenter/perspective • Introduction and equity • Brynhildur (teaching) • The Language Plaza • Thorbjörg (design) • The Future, networking, • Sólveig (research) community building
• 3.
  From homogeneity todiversity • The number of migrants with a different language background have been growing fast in Iceland • Currently people of foreign origin comprise ca. 8% of the total population and come from over 170 countries • About 5.4% of pupils in compulsory schools have about 40 different mother tongues – The number had more than tripled from 1998 to 2010.
• 4.
  The Professional Context •Limited number of professional language teachers available. • The teachers are often unspecialized classroom teachers, or else alone in teaching their subject. • The schools in rural districts cannot offer as many elective subjects as those in the capital area. • Unequal access to continuing education and in-service training compared to the capital area. • Very little subject related consultation available.
• 5.
  Schools & Childrenof Migrating Background • Little experience in teaching Icelandic as a foreign language. • Experience gained in one school does not necessarily transfer to other schools. • Low number of educated languages teachers teaching migrants their mother tongue as SL • Resources for teachers distributed in many different places.
• 6.
  Vision • To ensurethat students enjoy the equal opportunities which they have a right to according to law. • Encourage the cooperation of teachers working together without regard to their physical location. • Support in-service teachers with mutual communication and practical supplementary materials. • Share materials and harness the collective knowledge and experience of the users in a way that benefits all.
• 7.
  Current Focal Areas •Foreign language teaching. • Multicultural education. • Resources for first language teaching. • Learning materials for Icelandic as a SL. • Methodology, activities and organization. • Teachers’ communities. • IT resources for designing on-line materials.
• 8.
  Current Incentives • Goodpractice from the classroom • Peer-consultation • External-expert consultation • Professional development • A bridge between the teacher education and the classroom • Visible threads between research and materials; materials and curriculum; materials, activities and the practices of the classroom.
• 9.
  The Language Plaza •Online community supporting teaching and learning languages in Iceland • Roots in public policy and vision for needs and future of education • Contributors (Icelandic and Nordic) – The Ministry of education and culture , UI – School of Education – The Municipality of Reykjavík, The Association of Local Authorities in Iceland • Opened in November 16, 2010 www.tungumalatorg.is
• 10.
  • Resources andoppertunities for learning and social interaction • Consultation and information
• 11.
  Contributions • The materialis published in the form of text, pictures, videos and screen recordings • Links to relevant and useful material from other websites created around the mother tongues of immigrants and materials for Icelandic as second language are also included • The intellectual properties are published under the licenses of Creative Commons and the community is open to everyone
• 13.
  The Future • Minimumfunding for next 3 years garanteed • NETTORG – Researchers and graduate students associated with five research centers at the UI-SE – Seven studies: community building online and six studies focus on the Language Plaza
• 16.
  Communities of Practice Digital Habitats. Stewarding technology for communities. Wenger, White, Smith.
• 17.
  Digital habitats, howused? • Conole, Galley, & Culver (2011) - DBR with Cloudworks, studied emergent patterns of user behaviors • Site used in several ways, some aligned with orientations by Wenger et al. • Additional ways were academic: debates, reviews, courses, reading circles.
• 18.
  Collaboration • There isinterest in working with European partners (and/or from other countries) to do research and develop this model further with participation of more countries to promote greater cultural exchange and sharing of digital resources and methods in teaching and learning languages with new technologies (foreign and second language acquisition/SLA, L2)
• 19.
  A colorful community Sea Equity Between schools groups, areas Ice Freedom Open resources Fire Social networking community building