Theresa Minick, Chair 

Ohio teachers of world languages have been designing Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs), and there are many ways that technology can help in the assessment process. Through technology and the internet, we have access to a plethora of authentic materials –websites, blogs, podcasts, videos; to name a few. Students’ interpretive skills –reading, listening, viewing-can be assessed through engaging tasks using these online resources. Technology tools also can help us to capture students’ conversations and their efforts to negotiate meaning, which helps us to assess their interpersonal skills. In addition, students can use technology to demonstrate their written and/or oral skills in a creative way. Web 2.0 tools as well as mobile apps can benefit both teachers and learners.

We are in the season of proposals and conferences so it is a good time to either share your knowledge by submitting a proposal or learn something new by attending some of these conferences.  If you are interesting in sharing what you know about technology and the learning of world languages and/or learning about technology, you may wish to check out some of the following conferences:  ACTFL (Nov. 22-24); Ohio Educational Technology Conference (Jan. 27-29); Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Mar. 20-22); and of course, our own OFLA Conference (Apr. 10-12). We are sure that you will learn about many ways that technology can serve you and your students!

If any of you would like to become a member of the OFLA Technology & World Languages Committee, go to the OFLA website and send me an email.   THINK ABOUT BECOMING A PART OF THE OFLA TECH TEAM!