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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

April at the Language Center: A cornucopia of events for language instructors

Please consider joining the Language Center for the variety of presentations, workshops and demonstrations offered throughout April. All instructors and graduate students are welcome to attend, and refreshments will be served. Please register in advance if you are able to come.

PACE Presentation: Can one use Authentic Listening Texts from the First Semester on? Jawohl!

Thursday, April 12, 2018
2:30 - 3:20 p.m.
Nolte 140
Register Online

Over the course of a year the German program created 18 lessons incorporating authentic listening texts into the 1001-1004 curriculum. Each lesson focuses on one authentic audio or videotext and is tied to chapter content. The lessons integrate metacognitive strategies and/or a multiliteracies approach and expose students to a variety of genres across the four-semester curriculum. In this presentation, we will highlight two of the listening lessons and explain why and how we conducted this large-scale project, what we have learned so far (including student and instructor feedback collected), and what we hope to do to strengthen and sustain this project in the future.

Presenters: Beth Kautz, Helena Ruf , and Ginny Steinhagen

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

Monday, March 19, 2018

PACE Demonstration: Options for enhancing online test security in LC classrooms

Monday, April 23, 2018
2:30 - 3:20 p.m.
Jones 35
Online Registration

This presentation will provide participants with a recommendation for ensuring that students complete tests and quizzes fairly. The session will demonstrate Proctorio, an online security and monitoring service that is integrated into the U’s implementation of Canvas, to enhance test security measures for use in the Language Center computer classrooms and online. The session will walk instructors through the process of deploying Proctorio within course assignments, and will provide them with general guidelines on practical uses and logistics. Participants will learn about the process for deploying Proctorio, and how to prepare students for taking tests in the computer classrooms.

Join us for a productive afternoon to learn about test security in the LC classrooms. Come and experience Proctorio first-hand! Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance.

Presenter: Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, CLA Language Center

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

Online and Hybrid Strategies for Enhancing Your Students' Language Learning: A Tri-State Workshop

Friday, April 20, 2018
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. (Central), 2:00- 5:00 p.m. (Eastern)
University of Minnesota (Jones 15), Michigan State University (Wells B104), and in Cyberspace
Please register online

This workshop is free! Supported by the College of Arts and Letters Collaboration Grant at Michigan State University, and the College of Liberal Arts Language Center and CARLA at the University of Minnesota.

The sponsors are very excited to invite you to participate in this tri-state workshop adventure in a new format! We are coordinating to link up three different state sites so that you can attend in person at MSU or UMN, or attend virtually from anywhere.
  • There will be two presentations, one each from the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota. See presentation information below.
  • All attendees will have the opportunity to network with both virtual and face-to-face (F2F) attendees. If you attend a F2F session and bring your laptop, you will be able to participate in online discussions as well as discussing with those sitting right next to you. 
  • Virtual attendees will need to supply their own coffee and treats - offered only to those attending F2F!
Once you have registered online, you will be sent further information and instructions on locations, both F2F and virtual connections.


Presentation 1: Free Technology Tools for Foreign Language Instructors


With the ever-increasing number of web-based applications, mobile apps, browser extensions and free multimedia software available today, the thought of finding and selecting those best suited for foreign language instruction can be daunting. This presentation will streamline your efforts by highlighting some of the best free technology tools for foreign language instructors. Examples of what instructors can do with the tools include: extract video clips and images from a DVD; download, subtitle, combine or extract segments from YouTube videos; convert file formats; share groups of links with optional annotations; create screencasts.

Presenter: Keah Cunningham, Assistant Director of the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center, holds a B.A. in Information Systems (with an Italian minor) from the University of Kansas and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Educational Technology. Keah provides support and training to instructors in the use of technology in the classroom and serves as the lead web designer for the Center's projects.

Presentation 2: From Transition to Transition: Strategies for Preparing Courses for LMSs

Transitioning to a new LMS (learning management system) is not an uncommon move in most higher-ed teaching contexts. However, these moves are not only increasingly becoming more common, but also more frequent. This presentation will provide strategies for language instructors on how to prepare for LMS transitions. Those considering using LMSs will learn about reasons for using LMSs for language teaching, such as ideas for incorporating cultural content and authentic materials in their courses. Participants will be guided through the process of developing course materials that infuse instructional design principles and can be easily transported to multiple LMSs. After participants learn five basic considerations for transitions, participants will engage in hands-on guided practice to identify content and resources from their courses to prepare for transition or development. Examples from two common LMSs - Canvas and Moodle - will be provided.

Presenter: Adolfo Carrillo Cabello is the Coordinator of Professional Development at the College of Liberal Arts Language Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Adolfo holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology from Iowa State University. In his current position, Adolfo plans and delivers professional development interventions, and provides support for curricular changes to language instructors from five language departments.

Universal Design Resources for Traditional, Hybrid and Online Education

The university is committed to providing equitable access to information and information technology associated with administration and services, courses of instruction, departmental programs, and activities. Incorporating principles of universal design in the development, acquisition and implementation of these resources ensures access by the widest possible audience — including users with disabilities.

Whether you teach a traditional, hybrid or online class, you may want to check out the 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course. It’s just one of a list of local and national resources compiled by our own Disability Resource Center to help you ensure accessibility in your courses.

PACE Presentation: Looking back at curricular changes: Success and challenges in SPAN 1004

Monday, April 16, 2018
2:30 - 3:20 p.m.
Nolte 140
Register Online

In 2016 and 2017, the PACE Project supported curricular revisions for five language programs with the goal of attending to areas that were lagging based on proficiency test results. These areas included speaking and listening. In the case of Spanish, changes to the curriculum focused on the interpretive mode of communication with an emphasis on listening. Now that the changes have been in place since Spring 2017, the presentation will revisit changes made to the course as part of the project, evaluating example activities, reporting student feedback, and sharing the practical challenges of incorporating changes in the multi-section context.

Presenter: Sara Mack, Coordinator of Spanish 1004, Department of Spanish and Portuguese

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Inclusive Teaching in Canvas Series - Session Added for March 23, 2018

In this series, language instructors will learn practical strategies for inclusive teaching within the context of Canvas. You'll get a mix of tools and techniques, informed by best practices from the the fields of universal design, accessibility and web usability.

Registration is required since space is limited. Participants can register to one or all of the sessions. You may submit questions in advance you would like addressed at the sessions.

Session 3: Collaboration options, group work, and managing communications

Due to popular demand, this session will be offered twice.  The content will be repeated.  Use the same registration link for both sessions.

Friday, March 23, 2018
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Folwell 8 (note room change)
Register Online

Friday, March 30, 2018
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Folwell 6
Register Online

Session 4: Co-teaching, sharing resources, and creating blueprint courses
Friday, April 6, 2018
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Folwell 8 (room change)
Register Online

Session 1-4 Facilitators:
Ann Fandrey, LATIS, Educational Technologist Consultant
Shanna Crosson, LATIS, Educational Technologist Consultant
Adolfo Carrillo Cabello, CLA Language Center, Professional Development Specialist

This series is cosponsored by the PACE Project, the Language Center and LATIS.

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.

PACE Presentation and FRIT Lab: Speaking of Love in French

The Enhancement of a Bilingual French Course in Medieval Literature

Friday, April 27, 2018
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Folwell 108
Register online (optional)

As the PACE Project comes to a close, the French program in the Department of French and Italian is beginning to discuss the data it has generated. This presentation will begin with an overview of the way the program is interpreting the data concerning French majors and their success in reaching advanced proficiency in all four modalities of language use, including writing, a component assessed with supplementary funding from the Department.

Most of the hour will be devoted to the enhancement of one of the advanced courses for majors and minors, French 3611/3711, Speaking of Love in Medieval France, which is made possible by PACE funding for a TA in Spring 2018.

The challenge this semester is to adapt a large-enrollment, bilingual literature class format so that the French students continue developing as speakers of the target language. This experiment speaks to the following larger issues:
  • Teaching medieval/pre-modern topics in foreign languages effectively
  • Enhancing language proficiency and cultural/literary content in advanced courses 
  • Responding to enrollment and staffing pressures, while still enhancing students’ oral skills in the target language
The presentation is cosponsored by the Department of French and Italian and the PACE Project, and is designed to be accessible to professionals of language teaching, specialists of French language and literature, and medievalists and early modernists in other fields. All are welcome! A light lunch will be served.

Presenters: Mary Franklin-Brown and Ray Balstad, Department of French and Italian Studies

The PACE Project is funded by a grant from The Language Flagship.