Teacher Megan King masterfully conveys the connections between language, teaching, and learning to paint a picture of the key elements that create meaningful educational experiences. Her recently published book, Designing the Modern World Language Classroom: How to Guide Students to Proficiency, uses one content area as the foundation for the numerous, practical explanations in its pages, but every example shared is applicable to any subject matter. Listen and take away more than a few great ideas to make things better for those you serve, especially if you are a dedicated educator. (A link to the book can be found in the Show Notes.)
5:05 – the meaning of engagement, with an emphasis on relationships
6:30 – engagement, challenge, reflection, and learning
7:35 – initial awareness of the concept of working on the work
8:25 – theory, practical application, and context for a student-centric approach
9:40 – a book is borne out of a passion for teaching
10:55 – sharing content on the internet is easy but taking it to the next level takes effort
12:35 – what it means to be a teacher leader
13:10 – leadership cultivates an environment that models for learners how to maximize learning’s benefits
14:25 – technology increases connections and provides a platform for interaction with many others
15:10 – it’s important to convey to students the value of what they are learning
16:10 – learning world languages can have an impact beyond the classroom
16:45 – literacy’s broad significance
17:55 – colonialism’s intersection with language and identities
18:30 – “Who are we?” and “Where do we come from?” are sometimes answered inside a study of world languages
20:30 – design qualities – the most important ones are those that appeal to the learners and draw them into the work
21:20 – novelty and variety – a great idea, when properly leveraged
24:20 – young people, to be successful, need to understand that their voices matter
25:25 – students need to realize the consequences and impacts of their decisions
26:45 – teachers need to be intentional about creating a classroom where every student is heard and valued
27:50 – ensuring that student talents and interests have a platform in the classroom
30:00 – the organization of the book is intended to provide a spectrum of support from Why? to What can I do tomorrow? And
30:45 – Mr. Bob Pollock, Lakeside High School, DeKalb County Schools, Georgia – storytelling as a teaching tool
32:30 – the importance of the backstory and highlighting connections that are sometimes missing in some educational materials
33:20 – the call to action – make sure that student voice and student empowerment are part of each student’s school experience
35:00 – read the book, use the book, one bite at a time, and it will make a difference in your teaching
Designing the Modern World Language Classroom: How to Guide Students to Proficiency
Music for Lead. Learn. Change. is Sweet Adrenaline by Delicate Beats
Podcast cover art is a view from Brunnkogel (mountaintop) over the mountains of the Salzkammergut in Austria, courtesy of photographer Simon Berger, published on www.unsplash.com.
Professional Association of Georgia Educators