Workshops
Friday, May 31, 2019
8:30 – 9:45 am
The Weiss Language Center: A 2020 Vision for Language Learning with Technology
Room: Library 304, The Weiss Language Center
**PLEASE NOTE: This workshop takes place in the Cannavino Library, a 2-minute walk from the Lowell Thomas building.**
Presenter: Kevin Gaugler, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Weiss Language Center, Marist College
What should a cutting-edge language learning space look like in 2019? How can we build spaces today that are useful for language instructors and learners alike? Participants will discuss specific hardware, software, game platforms and web-based services in a newly renovated center with a mission to provide a dynamic environment where students can learn, explore, and interact with languages both academically and socially. Participants will also discuss ways of managing a language center by leveraging student employment and interest to create resources and programming for language learners.
La Dolce Vita University: Boosting Relevance and Engagement with “Trivia” and Storytelling
Room: Lowell Thomas 129
Presenter: Carla Gambescia, author of the award-winning book, La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z.
Is there a “sweet spot” for individual and group learning at the intersection of traditional pedagogy and entertainment? The session will begin with participants sampling an Italian culture “trivia challenge” that Gambescia has conducted for a wide range of audiences across the country including college and high school students. On the basis of that shared experience, participants will discuss and explore the potential benefits and application of such an approach to enhance student engagement in a classroom setting.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
8:30 – 9:45 am
The Weiss Language Center: A 2020 Vision for Language Learning with Technology
Room: Library 304
Presenter:Kevin Gaugler, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Weiss Language Center, Marist College
What should a cutting-edge language learning space look like in 2019? How can we build spaces today that are useful for language instructors and learners alike? Participants will discuss specific hardware, software, game platforms and web-based services in a newly renovated center with a mission to provide a dynamic environment where students can learn, explore, and interact with languages both academically and socially. Participants will also discuss ways of managing a language center by leveraging student employment and interest to create resources and programming for language learners.
Educational materials for Italian teachers in the U.S.A. New Italian Espresso1 and 2
Room: Lowell Thomas 020
Presenter:Diana Biagini, Alma edizioni
How do American students learn foreign languages? What kind of difficulties do they face? Which materials and strategies can help them through their learning path?
Through this interactive workshop teachers will have the opportunity to share reflections on the teaching materials they have been using in the classroom and judge whether they effectively meet their students’ needs.
Teachers will eventually explore New Italian Espresso, the two volume course book specifically designed for teaching Italian in the United States. The course book study will be carried through group or pair work. Teachers will be asked to play their own students’ role as well as to share and compare their professional experience. Also, they will be encouraged to reflect on the use of videos, learning technologies, games and motivational activities.
This workshop is primarily intended for secondary school and university teachers who are not familiar with New Italian Espresso. Teachers who already use it are most welcome to participate, share their experience and discover new ideas and strategies to develop in their classrooms.
All participants will receive a sample copy of one of the two volumes of New Italian Espresso.