Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom:

iPads for learning on Classroom 2.0 LIVE!

Yesterday I had the prestigious honour of delivering a webinar for the award winning US site Classroom 2.0 LIVE on the use of iPads to enhance teaching and learning. A summation of months of research and enquiry, it was wonderful to have such an incredible opportunity to share my findings, top tips and app suggestions with a worldwide audience. I was delighted with the positive response from the chat and on Twitter.

Huge thanks to Peggy George, Kim Caise and Lorna Costantini for co-hosting the session and for collating all the links in a fabulous Livebinder as well as creating a SlideShare and uploading a video of the presentation within hours of it finishing. Audio and video versions are also available via iTunesU too. Kim kindly wrote this post webinar post too

Enjoy!

Here are some of my favourite accompanying tweets:

For those who would like to download the PowerPoint direct, click here or scan this QR code linking to my public Dropbox adapted with the PhotoString app as recommended by Tim Bedley.

Using ICT to support classroom practice and professional learning of MFL teachers

Download Edutalk Joe Dale ICT MFL mp3

Being asked to appear on the last live Edutalk show of 2012 and give my take on how language teachers are currently using technology in and out the classroom was an absolute pleasure. Unsurprisingly, I championed the impact of the MFL Twitterati on classroom practice and shared my top tips for nuturing a successful subject specific community. Below is a summary of our discussion. Feel free to leave a comment here or get in touch via Twitter if you'd like to know more.

• Introductions and background
• mobile learning with iPads 1:1, teacher tool, learner tool
• Hull University research on the use of iPads in Scottish primary and secondary schools main finding was students learn best when they own the device, can take it home and personalise instead of one device for multiple users
• schools investing in one or two sets of iPads and doing trials
• encouraging listeners to tweet in
• 3 way split on how ICT is being used in the languages classroom
• using ICT in the classroom and using ICT to improve PD
• where schools are with ICT use: receptive interactive exercises, grammar, vocab revision
• using ICT creatively with Web 2.0 tools
• mobile technology, different platforms iOS, Android, brand loyalty
• importance of having a personal learning network to keep up to date with the latest developments in edtech, inform yourself and ask questions
• no longer you can be an expert in all aspects of ICT
• personal recommendations, blog posts. aggregation tools
• introducing the MFL Twitterati as a unique dynamic collaborative, influential and organic community
• importance of creating and managing subject specific communities
• nuturing community of practice, linking and bringing people together, using side projects as a vehicle to find out about new potential members
• importance of regular contributors and leadership
• creating a Twitter list and being limited to 500 people
• the need to take people off if not tweeting regularly or not tweeting interesting relevant info to add value to the community
• having a cabinet reshuffle from time to time
• wanting the 'movers and shakers' on the list
• MFL Twitterati is like a classroom without cynics
• giving the community a name giving it an identity.
• being proud the hashtag has gone global
• drawing people in via the MFL Times through the paper.li site, creating a languages related daily e–magazine as an experiment which has become a huge success
• finding about new language teachers which I hadn't come across via follow requests
• creating the MFL Twitterati dropbox
• creating a core community which is regularly refreshed with new members
• finding out about more people via requests to join
• creating language specific DBs plus CA moderation
• vehicle to help people connect and connect with each other.
• doing search for those people using #mfltwitterati
• comunity has changed people's live
• adding value, hearing latest news from national press and events around country
• trying to make the MFL twitterati a group of regular active contributors not lurkers to make community work
• MFL Flashmeetings - cathartic way of discussing the latest developments in languages. taking part live or watching replay
• using Twitter well and creating a powerful community
• Graham Wegners's blog post about Twitter being low hanging fruit.
• Twitter v blogging for CPD and personal reflection.
• penetration into MFL teachers as a whole
• Listening to podcasts while going for walks and reflecting on conversations
• being inspired on a daily basis by my Twitter community
• building up your community to avoid echo chamber mentality
• blogging can be a 'big ask' compared to Twitter
• crowdsourcing doesn't always work if the expectation too high or demanding
• evaluating the impact of being part of the MFL twitterati on PD and classroom practice, pupil attainment, creativity and engagement with crowdsourced evidence.
• finding time to blog and prioritising tweeting over blogging
• the difficutly of finding empirical evidence on the value of being part of an online community and showing how the MFL Twitterati is making an impact to the MFL profession
• funding difficulty and being allowed out of school
• community promoting itself.
• 200 million Twitter users worldwide and 80% broadband connectivity in UK
• making the MFL Twitterati a household name
• reaching local people with the 'influencers' via MFL Show and Tells
• using social media professonally / personally
• MFL always leading the way in use of tech
• Facebook v Twitter proving the value of being part of a Twitter community, aggregating content to make it as simple as possible to help people understand value
• wanting to change the world!
• the joy of reading MFL teachers blog posts about their classroom practice.
• language teachers like to talk putting the C in ICT e.g Communication
• tweeting about new resources e.g buddy poke, sharing resources, links coping with changes and initiatives.
• London Festival of Education audio recording of interview with Michael Gove being able to quote him on his thoughts on languages in the context of the eBacc.
• revealing the title of my ililc3 keynote Meeting the challenge of change – jailbreaking the languages classroom.
• making sense of the world
• feeling the 'love in the room'
• questions from the listeners
• not forgetting the importance of the face to face meeting
• reflecting on the content of recent keynotes and encouraging others to replicate models of MFL Twitterati
• making the MFL Twitterati Dropboxes manageable raising the issue of impact of deleting files from the DB. FAQ wiki rules.
• MFL Twitterati driven ideas
• Have you heard of the MFL Twitterati blog post for the Network for Languages London blog.
• enjoying the challenge of working out iPad techniques
• Trouble–shooting issues with Twitter community.
• importance of making connections with like-minded colleagues from across the curriculum as well as MFL Twitter colleagues.
• collaborating with language teachers across the UK and raising awareness of different practices and curricula
• Being inspired by Scottish initiatives such as PiE, MFLE and Scottish Cilt
• Introducing 2 day languages conference in Glasgow in April
• importance of publishing resources to a real audience using web 2.0 tools and mobile devices and raising the profile of languages departments
• highlighting good or outstanding use of ICT according to Ofsted in their latest subject specific report.
• collaborative learning is the way to go!
• rising a virtual wee dram to celebrate the last Edutalk podcast of 2012 and promoting the educational value of digital audio.
• the pleasure of interacting with your community via a Twitter backchannel while multi–tasking at a face to face conference or watching television and getting to know followers' interest on a personal level.
• constructing and driving a grassroots bottom up community.
• persevering with the belief we could achieve a tipping point/critical mass
• the impact of the first ILILC event on building the MFL Twitterati community
• the value of being part of a community in your daily life and the personal as well as professional support it can provide
• a few final thoughts

Thanks of course to David and John for inviting me on!