December 21, 2016
We’re up to the third most popular post on Musicuentos for 2016. It’s a post on Five ways to use infographics in language class I’ve often said that infographics are a go-to authentic resource, particularly in novice classes. They are ready-made materials that help you provide input in the visual ways students are increasingly becoming […]
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December 19, 2016
Book Club 2016: All the Fluff
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It’s that time again – the time of year when I take a bit to reflect on what I’ve read this year, and since this is my blog, I do it here. Like last year, I’m putting all the non-professional-related books I read in this one post and I’ll make dedicated posts to other books I […]
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December 13, 2016
The fourth-most popular post of 2016 on Musicuentos was a post in which I detailed where I felt the agreement was among people with very different opinions in our field (and there are as many opinions as there are us!). Where are the points of agreement in language teaching? When I graduated from my master’s […]
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December 8, 2016
It’s December and time to look back at the best of 2016 on the Musicuentos blog! If you missed some posts, never fear – here we begin the top five of what posts people found worthy to read this year. The fifth most popular post of 2016 was published as part of #Authres August and […]
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December 6, 2016
I tell you what, I’ll not be terribly sad to see 2016 go. It’s been a tough one. How would I label this year? It’s been- The Year of Confused– about my teacher and professional identity. The Year of Bridges Burned– when I stopped being an island I discovered this: When people discover I get it […]
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November 19, 2016
News flash: Textbooks are not the enemy. Faulty reasoning for evaluating the universe of language teaching activities that are out there, in print, online, passed out in sessions- that is the enemy. So whether you’re evaluating an activity I’ve shared or one you’ve seen on the authentic resources activity collaboration or one in your textbook, see if […]
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November 14, 2016
Where will I meet you? I’d love to learn with you at any of these professional development opportunities this year. ACTFL Convention & Expo 2016 I’m headed to the annual Convention and Expo of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (gulp) THIS WEEK. I am participating in three sessions at the convention, […]
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November 2, 2016
I need an answer to one more poll question if you have 30 seconds. So you’ve become proficient in one or more languages beyond your native language. Did that happen because of a teacher using proficiency-based methods or because of something else? Please take a moment to answer, and THANK YOU. So you’re proficient in […]
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October 31, 2016
How did you get to be a proficient speaker of your second (or third, etc.) language? I need your help. In just over two weeks (two weeks!) I’ll be giving one of the ImpACTFL Voice talks at the ACTFL Exposition & Convention. The topic is “Pathways to Proficiency.” It’s no secret I love to talk about […]
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October 28, 2016
What is your all-time favorite, most-used school supply? Your computer? Projector? YouTube? White-board markers? Mine is quite low-tech: sticky notes. I love sticky notes because they come in a ton of colors. Because they come in a ton of sizes. Because they can have lines or no lines, shapes, full sticky back or not. I love sticky notes […]
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October 19, 2016
Caution: There is danger in listening to only one voice. Whether in politics or teaching philosophy, we tend to surround ourselves with people who think pretty much like we do. It takes a lot of mental energy to be challenged on closely-held beliefs and defend them, and we’re already spending a lot of mental energy just […]
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October 10, 2016
Rabbit trails aren’t always a bad thing. Sometimes they turn out to be the yellow brick road with the Emerald City at the end. Here’s the one I hit today: I subscribe to Richard Byrne’s Practical Ed Tech blog’s Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week. Weekly, I get Richard’s great tip of the week […]
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