Meeting the Needs of Students in a Multilingual Classroom: Linking Research to Practice

Werklund School of Education

December 6, 2016

Hosted by the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, the session introduced research from Dr. Rahat Naqvi, Dr. Patricia Enciso, and Dr. Jacqueline D'Warte. A primary take away from the research and following small group explorations of the material and its application in classrooms was:

• by engaging learners as linguistic ethnographers of their own languages and literacy practices, curriculum and classroom practice could be improved for all learners, especially those with English as a second language.

The engagement of learners in presenting content and assignments in combinations of their first language and English was presented as a pedagogical approach that could be used any where and did not interfere with required curriculum outcomes in any way.  Concept acquisition and use improved as learners could bring multiple linguistic tools to bear on challenges presented by instructors.

The opportunity for CEFL classrooms is to open up curriculum exploration by learners through the engagement of the learners' other languages. Concepts and ideas have different representations in different languages and this offers an opportunity for a different kind of exploration by learners.

New BrightSpace Features Coming to D2L Soon!

December 2016 Technology Engagement: Special D2L Presentation

To keep in line with Any Time , Any Place, Any Path, Any Pace or “Any T, Triple P”, Bow Valley College had decided at add several BrightSpace add-ons to D2L.

As D2L moves forward, its main platform will be available on the computer, on the IPAD, and on the phone in one similar viewing format.

As many students will want to explore their course on their phone, D2L created:

Pulse

Pulse is a free online app that allows students to:

·         stay on task

·         View a weekly calendar

·         View a daily calendar

·         Get notification alerts from their instructor

·         Respond to their discussion boards

·         Access learning content (through links that will lead to the main platform)

·         Take notes

·         Communicate by email

·         Check their grades

·         Provide direct feedback to D2L

Bow Valley College will launch and promote Pulse in January 2017

Capture

Capture will allow instructors to present to their student LIVE or ON DEMAND

Videos will easily embedded to D2L

Videos will be able to be searched by Text (key words)

Videos will be stored by D2L (private)

YouSeeU

YouSeeU is NOT made by Brightspace, however YouSeeU is a partner of D2L.

YouSeeU is described as being similar to adobe connect.

Using YouSeeU will allow students to ask questions via video and receive video responses from their instructor …all on their own time.

All students will be able to submit video assignment and receive feedback specific to presentation time. For example, Feedback for minute 1,  Feedback for minute 5.

Insight

Insight will provide instructors with data that is meaningful directly on the course home page.

For example:

·         How many learners logged into your course today?

·         Who is at risk?

·         How many logged in everyday of the week

·         Who posted in the discussion board, how many times?

·         Who replied to posts, how many replies?

·         How many students have 80’s?

   HYFLEX

      All these tools plan to improve the pilot: HYFLEX, a classroom course that has all its content available online and allows instructors to teach the class in real time online once a week. The course is designed to allow the student complete flexibility. Students can attend class, be online, or watch via real time online any day of the semester.

Online Proctoring

Hopefully coming soon!