Crossing Borders: Digital Cultural Exchange for Preservice Teachers

1. Crossing Borders: Digital Cultural Exchange for Preservice Teachers NECC 2004

2. Presenters • Karen Jogan • Albright College, Reading PA • Michele Mislevy • Albright College, Reading PA • Ana Heredia • Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica Chile • Gladys Aguilera • Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica Chile

3. Overview • What? • Cultural and bilingual exchange (Spanish – English) • Why? • To advance proficiency in target language and culture • How? • Through collaboration and technology • For whom? • Preservice teachers

4. Outline • Digital exchange as “best practice” • Establishing institutional collaboration • Addressing standards • Examining contexts of instruction • Defining project objectives – four models for cross-cultural exchange • Challenges and possible solutions • Discussion

5. Defining a “best practice” in preservice teacher education • Provide authentic context for learning target language and target culture • Allow for collaborative learning • Incorporate technology in the instructional model

6. Defining culture • What is culture? • …some definitions

7. Defining culture • “Culture is…believing that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs…and the analysis of [culture] to be … an interpretive one in search of meaning.” • Clifford Geertz

8. Defining culture • How can we engage students in interactive discussion of culture? • How can students view another cultural perspective? • How can we help students interpret the “web” of another culture?

9. Defining culture • Establish cross cultural connections • Connect with a colleague abroad… • Connect students with peers abroad • Locate a colleague abroad through http://www.iecc.org

10. Addressing standards • National and international organizations • ISTE • ACTFL • American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages • TESOL • Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages • Ministry of Education abroad

11. Selecting appropriate technology • Consider lowest common denominators • E-mail • PowerPoint • sound • digital images • streaming video • Blogs

12. Selecting appropriate technology • Advantages of asynchronous dialogue • Learner centered • Self-paced • No time zone problems • Requires limited tech skill

13. Examining contexts of instruction: • in Arica, Chile • in Reading, Pennsylvania

14. Examining contexts of instruction • Preservice teachers • Similar age • Similar educational background • Similar interests • Similar motivational level

15. Examining contexts of instruction • Roles of coordinators in US and in Chile

16. Defining project objectives • Cross-cultural competence • Communicative competence • Interactive strategies • Critical thinking and analysis of authentic texts • Collaborative strategies to support peer correction

17. Defining project objectives: cross-cultural e-mail • Advantages of e-mail • Promotes active collaboration • Authentic, meaningful context • Immediate and efficient • “culture is dialogically created through language in discourse”

18. Defining project objectives: cross-cultural e-mail • Project design • Time frame • Topics • Process • Coaching in dialog journal strategies • Assessment

19. Defining project objectives: cross-cultural PowerPoint • Collaborative research projects • On site team research • Dialog and discussion • Comparison and contrast • Creative final project

20. Defining project objectives: cross-cultural PowerPoint • Possible topics: • Compare Independence Day activities • Compare daily activities in school • Compare a supermarket • Interview an individual in a specific career • Describe a local monument and its significance

21. Cross cultural PowerPoint -- examples

22. Cross cultural PowerPoint -- examples

23. Cross cultural PowerPoint -- examples [Click on picture to view project]

24. Cross cultural PowerPoint -- examples [Click on picture to view project]

25. Culture Modules • Designing materials for teachers of English as a Foreign Language abroad

26. Culture Modules • Topic selection • Design process • storyboarding • identifying and capturing digital artifacts • Creating cultural module

27. Culture Modules – some examples [Click on picture to view project]

28. Culture Modules – some examples [Click on picture to view project]

29. Developing cultural insights • Post-questions: • What did you learn about this topic in your own culture? • What did you learn about cultural perspectives from your peers abroad?

30. Collaborative research projects • Topic choice • Digital exchange for research project

31. Collaborative research projects • Sample topics: • How can feedback on EFL essays improve writing skills? • What strategies can be used to measure improvement in EFL listening? • Compare education systems in USA and in Chile

32. Collaborative Research Projects – some examples

33. Collaborative Research Projects – some examples

34. Suggestions for Future Implementation • Establish alternate lines of communication • Assign peer/partner after training period • Promote flexibility in topic choice • Teach for improved coherence

35. Drawing conclusions • Cross cultural collaboration… • Promotes interactive dialog • Builds empathy and critical thinking skills • Employs a constructivist, learner-centered approach • Empowers through technology

36. Your turn… • Questions? • Comments? • Ideas for exchange?

37. Contact Information • Karen Jogan • kjogan@alb.edu • Michele Mislevy • mmislevy@alb.edu • Ana Heredia • aheredia@uta.cl • Gladys Aguilera • gaguiler@uta.cl