Tag: teaching
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An Education Worth Having
No pain, no gain I have come a long way from when I began my schooling career to where I stand today, nearing the completion of my master’s degree program. As I reflect on where I have come, it is impossible for me to look away from how dramatically my perceptions have changed about what…
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Assessment as a System for Feedback
At the broadest level, language learners are assessed on their ability to make meaning from input – through listening, reading, or viewing – and to be understood through their own communicative output. Learning targets for language learners include both concrete linguistic skills as well as more nuanced soft skills. For example, learners will need to…
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Designing Meaningful Assessment: Centering the Learner
Assessment, at its core, is the interaction between a learner and their goals. It is a living process that allows the learner and facilitator to monitor progress, identify gaps in understanding, and create a space to celebrate growth. When thoughtfully designed, assessment becomes inseparable from the learning experience itself. As an instructional designer, I create…
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Learning and the Brain – Exploring Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis
For learners to engage effectively in language acquisition, it is essential that they feel safe enough to take risks. One key factor in fostering this sense of safety is Krashen’s (1982) affective filter hypothesis. The “affective filter” refers to emotional factors—such as motivation, anxiety, or self-concept—that influence language learning. A high affective filter, indicates that…
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Successful Independent Language Learning through Affinity Spaces
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash If I had a dollar for everytime someone told me they took French in high school but can no longer speak the language, I could treat us all to a café and some pâtisseries with this blog post. When it is common – and even easy – to forget…
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Learning in schools – Connecting Sociocultural Theory to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
There are a number of different ways that students learn in schools all over the country. Depending on the school one might visit, one could observe, widely, different kinds of learning taking place. What beliefs are driving student outcomes in schools? What learning theories reflect the kind of outcomes educators want from students? In this…
Thrasher Designs 