Can Technology Help Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning in our Second Language Classrooms?

You may be one of the many teachers who as a student took several years of Spanish but cannot order a meal at a Mexican restaurant.   If that is the case, you’re not the exception and you are not alone.   
Many of us were part of the “drill-and-kill” and rote learning era that did not promote language fluency and communication.    

Fortunately for us, technology is changing the face of education and the potential and possibilities in a foreign language classroom are limitless.

Florencia Gascón Home        Learn More        Standards        Inspiration        About the Author

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Our Second Language Classrooms are in Desperate Need of a “Face lift” or Even a “Complete Remodel”.

Most of us grew-up in a typical language classroom that prepared us (and sometimes really well) to memorize words, pass the tests and fill-in the blanks.   
The traditional second language teaching, usually based primarily on a textbook and teacher lectures is what I call a “one dimensional - one directional” classroom.   That type of teaching has no room in our globalized world where the sharing of cultures and exchange of ideas flows in all directions at all times.

Our students are becoming more and more interconnected and fascinated with the world as a result of  the cultural exchange that is taking place in their lives.  Knowing that we are no longer living in “a bubble” and that remaining monolingual is no longer an option, we, the second language teachers, have the responsibility to prepare and inspire our students for the demands of today’s world.  The wonderful world of technology has already begun to inspire and educate our students in ways few years ago we could have never imagined. Embracing technology with passion, while holding on to those proven methods of education that work, will only create more opportunities, interest, and knowledge for the students of the future.

Click on the video below
to see what my Capstone project
is all about.

Re-inventing and Enhancing our Unit Plans with Seamless Integration of Technology:

Now that we are well into the 21st century, many second language teachers are starting to use more technology in their teaching.   The “sexiness” of some of the new aps is irresistible for both, teachers and students.  However, we have to ask ourselves if all those fun activities are truly helping our students learn a second language.

Only a Mindful Integration of Technology within our daily lessons and units will maximize teaching and learning.
Included on the Learn More page I put a Skills section that  shows what digital tools can be used to learn each one of the four skills or areas of language: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
It offers many options and possibilities that can guide and help teachers design a strong unit with seamless technology integration