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Twitter, where to begin. Like others, I was hesitant to jump on the twitter band wagon because of the time it would take to manage. It seems to take quite a bit of time, but I am becoming more efficient at participating on twitter. Here is a link to my twitter handle @KarenFrenchprof. One pleasant surprise is that I have found that it is an efficient way to keep up with the news in France, especially educational happenings. I think it could serve as an effective reminder for me next year to incorporate la fête de la gastronomie (@_gastronomie_)  and la fête de la science (@fete science).

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I am following COP21 Paris 2015 to keep abreast of the Climate Change conference later this year. (@COP21). If you visit their website you have three language options: French, English or Spanish. I would like to incorporate the Climate Change Conference into my curriculum this year, and the twitter account should make it easier for me to follow the news there. 

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I also participated in a Twitter Chat organized by ICE. It was my first Twitter Chat, and an interesting experience. The most challenging aspect was the speed at which the conversation flowed. I found it a little difficult to follow and to process, but I think these skills would also improve with more experience.  The conversation was interesting, and I understand now how it can help teachers connect with other teachers to build a network. I would like to try a chat that is about teaching languages next. I saw that #langchat is one option.

One resource that I found on Twitter is TUICnumérique which is on scoop.it. This resource was retweeted by @EnseignerTV5. Scoop.it is a way to curate content and share the content. It is also a way to find content efficiently. Organizations and people can use scoop.it to help them find content and publish the resources they find. If you find a scoop.it account that fits your needs, you can visit the scoop.it to see the resources the organization or person has discovered. From those resources you can see what works for you! The particular scoop.it I found useful brings together digital resources for education in French. It gives me some insight into the French education system and shows me resources that I would probably not find on my own. For example, here is a link to the brochure for a competition (for native speakers and non-native speakers)  Dis-moi Dix mots (Tell me 10 words). The French really love their language: there are 72 pages in this brochure!

Here is the screen shot of the ICE chat I participated in, but I couldn't see my posts, only others. Here's evidence for Sonny though!

Stages of Technology Integration

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The stages of technology integration ring very true for me professionally. Macintosh computers were just reaching colleges when I was a student, and as a secretary for the math department I had easy access to a computer. I am grateful for this because I think I was introduced to computers at a young enough age to not be intimidated by them. Although I may resist technology in certain aspects of my life, I recognized from the beginning of my teaching career that technology has value, especially in teaching world languages.

Reflecting on my attempts to integrate technology into my teaching practices, I think I found the adaptation stage the easiest. In this stage I let students use technology for word processing and to drill vocabulary. I was substituting work on the computer for work done by hand. It did not involve any creativity, and the uses of technology were obvious. The stage I found the most difficult is the stage where I am currently, the innovation stage. This is also the most interesting stage, but challenging. I want to integrate more technology into my teaching practice, but in a meaningful way that enables students to create authentic materials to share with a real audience. Students generally think it is fun to use technology, but I do not want to use technology just for the sake of using it. If it does not enhance a unit or the students' learning then it is probably not worth the time or effort.

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The internet and world language acquisition are a natural fit. The internet gives teachers and students incredible access to authentic language. We can explore the language and culture of countries where our language of focus is spoken. We can also use the internet to connect with other educators and students to practice the target language and learn about the culture. However, I think it is important to not abandon all former methods. At the basic level of language acquisition where memorization is required, many people benefit from writing by hand. This forces them to work more slowly and allows time to process the work as they write it. I think the physical movement also helps many people to remember vocabulary and language patterns. In addition, one of the main reasons to learn a second language is to be able to communicate in that language in a conversation with native speakers. The skill of face to face conversation remains relevant to learning and using a second language.

I agree with the five stages that are listed from the ACOT study, but I would add one more. I think there is a stage between Appropriation and Innovation. I would call this stage Embracing. For me, there was, and often I think I am still at this stage, a point where I embraced technology, but not to the  point of excess. I integrated technology where I could, but was not quite at the stage of Innovation. I used technology in some creative ways, but had not worked my way up the SAMR ladder for most of my technology influenced lessons. Of course, teaching is a practice that continually evolves, and working toward the Innovation stage is part of what keeps me engaged in education.