Lighting the Spark for World Language Students: Creating Immersive Experiences in Digital Environments

Presented by Betsy Vergara Strawn, Former Language Acquisition Coach for World Languages and ESL Programs, Current World Language Content Specialist, Carnegie Learning; and Jane Maloney, Former Spanish Teacher, Current World Language Content Specialist, Carnegie Learning

Sponsored by Carnegie Learning

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There are endless ways to bring culture into the world language classroom. The most impactful methods connect culture to your communicative goals in ways that are meaningful to students. While technology can be used to showcase culture, creating digital environments goes a step beyond—and can be the spark that ignites students’ deep exploration of culture and love of languages. During this edWebinar, we share:

• New ideas on how to harness technology to generate immersive experiences where students more deeply connect cultures and languages
• Fresh perspectives on how to engage and inspire students with relevant cultural content
• Concrete examples, using familiar tools, for using technology to provide gateways into authentic culture
• Ways to create digital spaces that stimulate students’ curiosity while connecting to your overall communicative goals

You’ll come away with a toolbox to create the types of experiences that prompt cultural exploration, with high-impact, easy-to-replicate lessons using a variety of cultural media.

This recorded edWebinar is of interest to middle and high school world language educators and leaders.

About the Presenters

Betsy Vergara Strawn is a world language content specialist for Carnegie Learning. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and found her passion in education, specifically in world language teaching and learning. She was a language acquisition coach for world languages and ESL programs where she developed curricula, designed and delivered professional learning, and coached teachers. She has taught all levels of Spanish in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas and continues to tutor in her spare time. Betsy hopes to continue building relationships with educators working with world language students to continue her commitment to inspiring students to develop a love for language learning, maximizing student performance, and creating lifelong learners.

Jane Maloney has a strong passion for teaching and learning world languages and has experience as a Spanish teacher of various levels ranging from Pre-K to AP. Throughout her career, Jane has taught at public, independent, and contract schools in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Ohio, and now resides in San Antonio, Texas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in world languages education from Pennsylvania State University and has been intrigued by the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures for as far back as she can remember. In her current role as a world language content specialist, Jane most enjoys using her love of languages and language learning to serve teachers and students across the country.

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Carnegie Learning is shaping the future of education. Born from more than 30 years of learning science research at Carnegie Mellon University, the company has become a recognized leader in the edtech space, using artificial intelligence, formative assessment, and adaptive learning to deliver groundbreaking solutions to education’s toughest challenges. With the highest quality offerings for K-12 math, ELA, literacy, world languages, professional learning and more, Carnegie Learning is changing the way we think about education, and creating powerful results for teachers and students alike.