Penn Language Center

This certificate program focuses on new pedagogical trends with developing technologies in foreign language education. Specifically, it is designed to provide Penn foreign language educators with the skills and background knowledge for:

• Effective teaching practices and lesson planning with technology

• Scaffolded in-class and
  out-of-class activities with multimedia, the Internet and communication networks.

Certificate Eligibility: PLC and Penn Language Instructors who are planning a blended, flipped or online course  (limited to 10 participants).

Program Requirements:

1. Attend six meetings  
2. Active participation in online forums through posting, sharing and discussing your reactions to assigned readings
3. Attend 6 workshops of your choice organized by the David Weigle Information Commons.
4. Participate in a Web Quest workshop for FL teaching (TBA)
5. Complete a Final Project: Demonstrate your knowledge and your skills to incorporate instructional technologies in a sample lesson at the end of the program. (Read project description for April 25 meeting)

Seminar Topics

Sept. 27: Relating the Standards and the Principles of SLA to Learning and Teaching with Technology

Oct. 25: Technology Integration in the Classroom through Multimedia and Authentic Content.

Nov.15: Designing Community-Centered Learning Environments through Computer-Enhanced Communication, Social Networks and Web Conferencing.

Jan. 24: Task-based Learning and Scaffolding Digital Tasks

Feb. 28: Flipping the Classroom: Using Pre-recoded Classroom Presentations with online Assessments.

Mar. 28: Building online Student Portfolios.

April 25: Final Project: Teaching a Sample Lesson in the TL. For this demonstration, instructors are expected to prepare for their peers a lesson that incorporates purposeful uses of technology in teaching their language to others. For this lesson, instructors will set goals for the participants and involve them in learning tasks to achieve those goals through technology. 

Certification: Upon fulfilling program requirements and final project, the Penn Language Center issues participants official documentation of successful completion for inclusion in a professional dossier. In addition, a small stipend will be awarded.

Photo: Dr. Junko Hondo, lecturer in the Graduate School of Education, leads a discussion and workshop on task-based learning and teaching with technology on January 24, 2014.