News
Winter Newsletter
We hope you enjoy our Geddes Winter Newsletter.GNW15-16-v2
Cheers!
CLEAR newsletter – Fall 2015
Some of you have suggested that we include relevant information from CLEAR, the Center for Language Education and Research at Michigan State University when we find it. The current issue of the CLEAR newsletter focuses on assessment using ACTFL's Can-Do Statements. It leads off with an article on the subject by Bill VanPatten (whose webinar we viewed earlier this year in Geddes) co-authored with Walter P. Hopkins. Click here for a link to CLEAR's website where this resource is featured.
Faculty Development Week – Sept. 30 – Oct. 2
Download our Geddes_flyer for detailed information about our upcoming Faculty Development opportunities. Sign up on our Workshops page.
Summer Newsletter
We hope your summer is going well!
Please find the Geddes summer newsletter attached here. Inside you can learn about Technology Mini-Grants, WikiSpace, DIll, MyGeddes reservations and more...
As always, we're available throughout the summer for one on one training sessions, and consultations.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
- The Geddes Language Center Staff
BU Mini-Conference on Developing Proficiency using Technology
More than 50 faculty and staff from BU and neighboring institutions attended our Spring Mini-Conference held April 15-16. For our post-conference site with recordings and slides, click here.
Geddes honored at Inauguration Event in Mugar Library
For providing ongoing digital archiving expertise, Production Coordinator Frank Antonelli was cited by Prof. Emeritus John Hutchison last Friday during the program of the Inauguration of the Archive of the Republic of Niger at the African Studies Library. Pictured here are the President of Niger, S.E.M. Issoufou Mahamadou (left), Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to the U.S. Hassana Alidou (center), and Prof. Emeritus John Hutchison. Congratulations Frank for, as John put it, your "extraordinary archivist [work] helping to preserve documents in Nigerian languages, recordings, and even films of the Yazi Dogo Theater Troop. Your knowledge will be vital as we consider [further] collaborative archival projects."
Art Project in Geddes
Come to Geddes to view an original artwork by Priyanka George ’15, whose project we installed on the west wall of our computer lab. The subject of the painting is Japanese mythology and is intended to be mainly in honor of the Japanese department, Japanese being the language Priyanka took at BU. The painting is a multi-panel canvas, and the blue orb is the fox’s soul, which it carries with its tail.
We are grateful to Priyanka and the faculty of Site-Specific Art for making this project possible.
Upcoming AATSP Webinar: Against “Rules”, by Prof. Bill VanPatten, Michigan State University
The acquisition of a second language is often described as the learning of rules. But what if rules in the classic sense did not exist? In this webinar, we will explore this provocative topic, suggesting that language it is not a collection of classic rules and bears little resemblance to the way in which language is presented in textbooks or is talked about by teachers and many professionals. Implications for the nature of language acquisition as well as language instruction will be discussed.
Wednesday, February 11, 4p-5p, CAS430
Spring one-on-one training sessions
The Geddes Staff will be available by appointment from January 5 through the start of classes (and beyond!) for one on one training consultations. If you're on campus, or just have some free time, come see us!
Some popular training topics include:
Using Dill, the digital language lab, for assignments or oral exams
Creating a Blackboard site, and uploading documents, songs, videos, images
Using the Blackboard Grade Center
Grading assignments digitally within Blackboard
Creating video content in YouTube
Having students submitting video assignments with Blackboard and YouTube
Zoom, a Skype like application, for having students record video conversations with each other
Using the equipment in your classroom
These are only suggestions, we're open to whatever you want to learn to have a great start to the Spring semester.
Happy Holidays!
Halloween treats
Thanks to Services Coordinator Julianne McCobin, Production Coordinator Frank Antonelli, and our student workers for the assortment of Halloween goodies brought in today!