New name... Same Learning Game...

Since I got my MEd in Curriculum and Instruction: Second Languages and Cultures from the U of Minnesota in 2010...

I decided I needed a new name for my blog since I am technically no longer "Alyssa at the U" (of M). But I got to thinking that even though I have my Master's degree, the learning doesn't stop... (hence the new title for my blog) I am currently enrolled in an online course through CARLA at the University of Minnesota entitled Social Networking in the Foreign Language Classroom. It is quite interesting and has so far roped me into many hours on the Internet, a Twitter account (which I thought I would never do), Diigo, and many endless readings of blogs. I have also been very casually and unofficially "auditing" my husband's (Casey) online classes (he's getting a second Masters in Educational Technology) via discussions with him, eavesdropping (with permission) on his Jing videos and Skype conversations, papers/projects etc. It seems like Casey and I can talk of nothing else except education- I wonder why we don't get sick of it?- so we tend to share cool ideas with each other and therefore get double the fun from one of us going to a conference or taking a class [although only one of us gets the official paperwork :(]

I also decided it's time to write another blog post since I apparently haven't done so for 2 years- ay! I have a lot to process as I just finished up attending the PLC conference at the convention center her in Mpls (search #atplc on Twitter) and have been thinking a lot about the 4 questions of a Professional Learning Community:

1. What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
2. How will we know if they have learned it?
3. What will we do if they haven't learned it?
4. What will we do if they already know it? (DuFour)

Even though it appears to be "another initiative," the PLC movement is really just common sense- Why wouldn't we be asking these questions in order to be effective teachers and learners? *"I'm sorry Bob, I just can't get behind the idea of Learning..."* I start a class on Second Language Acquisition tomorrow (again, a CARLA institute).

I am very excited for some more learning!

"Spring" 2009

I took another grad class this past fall called "reading and writing in a second language." It was an okay class but it was entirely too focused on ELL... I didn't do a whole lot of reading because I found it semi-inapplicable and uninteresting... ergo... B+

But... my current class seems excellent so far! It is "issues in second language curriculum design" and so far so good... I've read almost every word and enjoyed it?! crazy, I know... anyway... hoping it will help guide my department's decisions during our curriculum articulation...

Digital Storytelling

This is a VoiceThread of my Digital Story Creation process... I think you can leave comments... it's my first VoiceThread so we'll see. My Digital Story was the birth of my daughter (December 22nd, 2007).

Grad School Again?

I start grad school classes on Monday again. 9-1... the class is called Digital Storytelling. I really don't know what to expect... I needed an elective credit and my advisor recommended this one and another one on creative storytelling... hopefully the classes will work for Spanish... too often it's hard to translate what I learn into something that will work in my classroom...

Foundations of Second Languages

My most recent class is pretty time consuming. I suppose that might have to do with the fact that it's no longer summer. Oh well, at least the readings (the ones I actually read) have been pretty interesting. I just wish there weren't so many papers and assignments... I can't keep up...

Foundations

I just started a new class called Foundations in Second Language Education (or something like that). So far it's been fine. 6-8 page paper due on the 2nd day of class! Anyway, my classmates seem pretty cool. Almost 50% of the speak Chinese as their first language! Lots of people getting their license to teach Chinese...

Culture as the Core

I sent my final project today for the CARLA summer institute Culture as the Core class. It was a very challenging class especially in light of the class I took previous... In Audrey's class we discussed much that reform cannot happen if structural change does not happen... making culture the core is definitely one reform that requires a paradigm shift. I created a unit that tried to make culture-general learning a focus. We'll see what Francine says when I receive her comments...