Comments from team members about the rich learning and collaboration that occurred as a result of this project
Comments from World Language Team Members
- Team Leader Amity Beane
“I didn't have to learn any new technology in order to do the project because I already felt really comfortable with technology. However, I did have to get a better sense of what an OER actually was. That did take some time to figure out. Overall I think that what I got out of the project was a sense of just how much stuff there is out there that we can use with our students in and out of class. We don't have to go out and buy a lot of software to use in class because there is so much that we can use for free. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to weed through it all or to even find it in the first place, so I think that this project will be really helpful to other world language teachers because we have done a lot of that work for them. My one concern with the project is that it will become obsolete too quickly. It is not uncommon for sites to change addresses or to even disappear completely.”
- Cathy Jo Swain, Washington County Superintendent’s Region
“I have absolutely loved participating in the OER project. I feel this project has been a very valuable effort, as it has allowed the researchers to locate and evaluate web resources for teachers of world languages. Aside from the websites that I found and reviewed, I learned how to use Google Docs, Ning, and other technologies that were required to complete my work on the project. The time invested was well worth the outcome…. The process involved in the OER project has been very organized, thanks to our cohort leader, Amity Beane. We have held text chats, and more recently switched to Skype chats. Our meetings have been productive, and the directives very clear. I plan on sharing our findings with my colleagues, and with teachers at the ACTFL conference in Boston in November. I will also share the websites with my students and parents via my school webpage. Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in this exciting and innovative project.”
- Julie Mason, Mid-Coast Superintendent’s Region
“The process of compiling a master list of stellar OERs for use by other World Languages Teachers has been somewhat daunting, by very exciting. The idea of having numerous professionals working together from varied geographic regions with varying perspectives and experiences is great. The most difficult parts of this process included: muddling through the format and processes for finding and reporting; determining what constituted a true OER; determining how each OER fit into each of the categories required by leadership; and having to wait for the organization to decide the how and the what of the process. In spite of these roadblocks, the result will most definitely be worth the time and effort expended. The resources this will afford Maine teachers are invaluable
In working through this process I learned more about the practical application of many technologies. They included: broader ability to use Google forms and docs, and introduction to Skype and Google chat.”
- Kimberly Stokdijk, Aroostook County Superintendent’s Region
"I have really enjoyed this process, and would definitely do it again. Although I had to go abroad for 2 weeks, I was able to get the work done. It was awesome to see all of the resources that were found by the other teachers in our group, and I enjoyed searching for OER's myself. To start, I randomly chose sites that I had in my bookmarks to submit as potential OER's. After going through them, I ended up changing some and having to search for more because I wanted more variety in my resources and others had already reviewed them. It did not take long for me to do the first few sites I found because I already had them and had used them; but it did take much longer to search for the sites to fill the gaps I saw. The part that took the most time was the narrative part of each OER where we described how it could be used in the classroom and differentiated for varying levels. It was also tough to ascertain the "openness" of the sites as there was not ONE set definition of an OER."
-Sarah Bolaños, York County Superintendent's Region
"I found the research work on OER's to be interesting and just a little time consuming. However, as most of the work was completed during the summer I don't feel that it disrupted my schedule. The technologies we worked with were not too difficult and I enjoyed learning about and working with Google Docs, Skype and Ning (while it lasted) to be able to collaborate with other group members. The time required reviewing sites really depended on the type of site and whether I was able to find all necessary information to give it an appropriate rating. I really enjoyed getting to know the other people in my cohort and hope to continue networking with these World Languages professionals.
I would definitely do this type of work again if afforded the opportunity. Thanks!"
- Brett Trefethen, Kennebec Valley Superintendent's Region
"I enjoyed the process of identifying OERs. I felt I was working for my next school year. It was easy to focus on the goals of the levels I teach regularly. I was clear about the needs to carry out these objectives. I have the impression that I was able to access to different sites because I was in Europe while I was doing the work. I believe the traffic of Internet Websites from Barcelona is different than the one from Italy and than the one from the U.S. I feel that the investigation could be more efficient when searching by geographical areas of interest. Example: google.us is different than google.it and than google.es. The result is different and facilitates the search. Buena noche!!"
- Silvana Amelia Cuello Garrido, Hancock County Superintendent's Region
