Using Interactive Whiteboards to Support Learner-Centred Approaches to Language Teaching and Learning

Euline Cutrim Schmid & Ton Koenraadreporting on 2 related projects:

• Professional development (Heidelberg, Germany)• Professional development (Heidelberg, Germany)

• Sharing Materials &

Practices (Utrecht, NL)

• Sharing Materials &

Practices (Utrecht, NL)

Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences / Fac. Education

E-Learning consultant & teacher educator (MFL pedagogy / CALL)

E-Learning consultant & teacher educator (MFL pedagogy / CALL)

Pedagogical benefits of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs)

Helps integration of new media in the regular language classroom

Enhances scope of interactivity & learner engagement

Supports development “electronic literacies”

Helps to address diversity in learning styles (aural, visual and kinaesthetic)

Can contribute to student attainmentIF…

Shared concerns & rationales

Important factors for successful introduction of IWBs:

- Teacher is KEY: pedagogical views, knowledge and media literacy

NEEDed: (Cutrim Schmid, 2008; Gray et al. 2005; Koenraad, 2008)

- Quality training

- Materials & inspiring practices for modern MFL Pedagogy

- Support for p2p learning

Research project (2009 – 2011): Towards a Model of Interactive Whiteboard Training for Language Teachers

Euline Cutrim SchmidUniversity of Education Heidelberg, Germany

Euline Cutrim SchmidUniversity of Education Heidelberg, Germany

Project information (1)

Characteristics of CPD-Model :- “bottom up” approach to teacher professional development in CALL

- a pedagogical framework based on a socio-cognitive view of communicative language teaching.

Research Team:- Junior Prof. + student teachers- nine practitioners

Project information (2)

Key Questions:- What teacher competencies are needed to use IWBs towards a socio-cognitive view of communicative language teaching?

- What kind of technical and pedagogical support is mostly needed by teachers in this process?

Research Methods:- in-depth longitudinal case studies

- ethnographic research instruments: classroom observations & field notes, video recordings, in-depth interviews and video-triggered reflective dialogues with the teachers

Interim Results (1)

Teacher competences:

- adapt / design interactive IWB materials

- manage IWB-based activities to activate ALL learners

- coherently integrate various multimedia resources (pace, cognitive load and active processing of content)

- enhance IWB functionality using peripherals

- finding and evaluating ready-made, usable materials

Migration needed for NEW, IWB-related Competencies

FROM a print-based approach and related black/whiteboard activities such as:

- annotate grammar rules, - grammar exercises- vocabulary items- worksheets (scanned documents or MS Word files): fill-in-the-gaps vocabulary & grammar exercises)

TOWARDS use of multimodal resources provided, such as annotation tools (e.g. shapes, lines), variety of colour, fonts, images & integrating internet resources

Characteristics of Training Replacement of “top-down” technological one-day

workshops with “bottom-up” training that:

supports refinement of pedagogical practice

stimulates collaboration with experienced teacher trainers or colleagues

has a sound theoretical basis and a clear pedagogical framework

focuses on teachers’ immediate pedagogical needs & contextualized examples, related to actual work

provides teachers with enough opportunities for gradual accumulation of knowledge and experience within their constraints of time and energy.

IWB-Project @ CALL-in-Practice

IWB4MFL CoP

Goals: - Sharing materials, practices & practitioner knowledge- Contributing to initial Teacher Ed. & CPD (Meskill et al., 2006; Preston et al.,2000; Koenraad, 2005)

Activities:

- Teacher Ed. Curr. Development

- Materials, Expertise & Partner spotting

- Resources development

- Blogging

- Formation Editorial Team

- EU project application

IWB4MFL CoP (2)

Website Components at CALL-in-Practice:

- Resources:

. Practice portraits

. Repository of IWB files

. Annotated links to external resources

. Research reviews & references

Introduction to IWB4MFL

Weblog Tool for Multilingual Blogging Circles (linking MFL and L1 teachers & resources)

Workflow for Teacher Ed. mentoring

Comenius Course: ‘Designing for the Web 2.0 Language Classroom.

Check out the 2010 Edition!