Hello, after a short hiatus we find ourselves back, but remotely for many of us, and rather than refreshed and ready to go, we might still be weary as we take another collective deep breath as we see what awaits us.
It has been a difficult summer, every day arriving with news from around the world, the tragic blast in Lebanon, the senseless killings of Black people and protesters in the US, the immense loss of life from Covid-19. Fear and division surround us, but we must go on, active and engaged, making change possible through what acts great or small. These are times of uncertainty and unrest, but we have each other.
In this (restart) issue you'll find links to resources that you may wish to explore for yourself or embed within teaching and research. Working in teaching, learning, and research can sometimes feel lonely but know that there are many spaces where discussion, shared practice and reflection are welcome. You might notice a small tweak to the title of this newsletter, which we've made to better reflect the content.
We would like this newsletter to be one of those spaces and invite your contributions and responses either by hitting reply and sending us an email or through our social media channels Instagram and Twitter.
Xochimilco, Mexico - The Lucha libre wrestlers Mr. Jerry and Gran Felipe Jr stop a car to hand out face masks to passengers as part of a local campaign to promote the use of masks against Covid-19
Photograph: Hector Vivas/Getty Images Found at The Guardian.
People, Places, and Things
Second Languages can't shift perception suggests Dr. Manon Jones from Bangor University in Wales. Her study showed that perceptions can change between the different languages if you speak more than one and that bilinguals can even start denying the truth in one of their languages but not the other.
With so many schools and colleges adapting previous modes of remote delivery, David White writing in his blog thinks about the need for Presence not ‘Contact Hours’ which he sees as an important distinction between being there for your students, rather than just being there.
I was moved by this paper - Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom - to think about perceptions of learning in students and whether this can be carried into online spaces?
6 Classroom Strategies that work for Generating Student Discussions online advocates for student thinking time, small group learning, and coming to terms with silence.
Storyjumper is a web-based tool that allows students to create their own stories and design characters, it looks perfect for MFL use, it's free online and although the examples are for younger students, I can't see any reason why older learners wouldn't benefit. (via FLTMag with walkthrough)
From The Guardian - Lecturer and student relationships matter even more online than on campus which although published in June still resonates as we enter the new semester.
Your students may want to supplement their studies or learn useful digital skills at Domestika. I've linked to this site before, but there's been a huge increase in courses over the summer, many now on offer for only $10 - most in Spanish and Portuguese but an increasing number in English.
Almost all the shared facilities, including language labs and maker spaces I know about, are currently closed for students and staff, but there has been some informal sharing of equipment, posting kits, or arranging contactless collection. That's fine, but remember to clean everything that arrives. These helpful tips for cleaning VR headsets might come in handy.
Do Black Lives Matter in Bilingual Education? This @TESOL_Assn webinar was so powerful! The questions that @nelsonlflores posed where so rich & the panelists @Man3ka @BroussardRhonda @MCP718 were phenomenal. #bilingualeducation #BLM #TESOL pic.twitter.com/ExrprAOAse
— Claribel González (@claribel716) September 4, 2020
Resources and links.
This Black Lives Matter card at Madsci.net contains links for teachers and antiracism resources for you to include in the class. The Black History Month google doc is packed with links to Black Intellectuals, Artists, and readings on movements and notable text.
Raising Race Conscious Children supports adults who are trying to talk about race with children. There are many useful resources here that could be adapted by educators across many different levels.
Language Magazine reports that The transgender advocacy group Trans Lifeline has opened a hotline for Canada and the US to support Spanish-speaking people.
Article about the #scholarstrike taking place for 48 hours immediately after Labor Day. There's a statement here if you want to find out more.
Enjoy the Journal of Imaginary Research which includes many strange and wonderful stories and articles reflecting on our times.