Professional Development Webinar Series – Spring 2023

At Vista Higher Learning, we are passionate about the future of language learning and its growing importance for economic growth, global citizenship, and access to opportunity in the 21st century.

In our Professional Development Webinar Series – Spring 2023, we invite you to learn about how to foster communication in the classroom, the importance of raising awareness and empowering students to bring their voices and creativity into the learning process, how to use digital tools to save time and open the door for meaningful conversation, and more. 

Using Projects to Foster Meaningful Communication and Inspire Creativity

Stephanie Langston, Senior Lecturer of Spanish at Georgia State University Perimeter College, will lead the webinar Using Projects to Foster Meaningful Communication and Inspire Creativity. 

In this webinar, Stephanie Langston will explain how, through the use of projects, faculty can empower students to play to their strengths and create something of personal interest while learning to produce with the target language. 

Watch the webinar recording by clicking on this link.

Stephanie Langston, Senior Lecturer of Spanish at Georgia State University Perimeter College.

From Advocacy to Resilience: Taking Care of Your Program, Your Students, and Yourself

Dr. Dennis Looney, who was Director of the Office of Programs and Director of the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages at the Modern Language Association from 2014 to 2021, will present the webinar From Advocacy to Resilience: Taking Care of Your Program, Your Students, and Yourself.

As language professionals, we train our students in one of the key skills that employers demand: empathy, which is the skill at the center of intercultural or global competence. 

If the goal of a successful program or department is to make itself tentacular through its curriculum, the ultimate goal of the work in a tentacular program or department is to give our students themselves this same ability to reach out and across, to find a niche in which to build something new, to take root and grow through appreciating difference. 

Tentacularity not only makes for strong language programs in ever-strengthening departments; it also makes for strong students and faculty. 

Language learners and faculty have an uncanny ability to embrace difference, to thrive on change, and to embody tentacularity. That knack is the essence of a liberal arts education.

Watch the webinar recording by clicking on this link.

Dr. Dennis Looney, former Director of the Office of Programs and Director of the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages at the MLA.

Promote Meaningful Communication and Motivate Students with Authentic Content

Language teachers are constantly challenged to find materials that are relevant and current for students.

Did you know that Vista Higher Learning adds brand new, up-to-date, and vetted authentic materials with activities every month of the academic year? Students want to use language in practical and everyday situations, let’s give them what they are asking for! In this webinar, we will explore how integrating authentic content and videos to the course materials saves you, the instructor, time and gives your student supportive activities to maximize the impact of the authentic material.

Watch the webinar recording by clicking on this link.

Donna Marqués, Associate Regional Manager at Vista Higher Learning.

Digital Resources to Help you Flip Your Classroom with Students in Mind

Kate Grovergrys, Spanish Professor at Madison Area Technical College, will present the webinar Digital Resources to Help you Flip Your Classroom with Students in Mind.

Flipping the classroom allows students to learn and be prepared for class, while giving instructors the opportunity to bring culture and opportunities for more communication into the classroom. 

By using interactive grammar tutorials and other digital resources, you can create a safe space for students to learn vocabulary and grammar outside the classroom, while opening the door of the classroom to more meaningful communication and culture in order to develop cultural and communicative competence.   

Watch the webinar recording by clicking on this link.

Kate Grovergrys, Spanish Professor at Madison Area Technical College.

Reflections on Inclusive Teaching in the World Languages Classroom

With Dicho y hecho co-author Silvia Sobral, Spanish Coordinator at Brown University & Kate Grovergrys, Spanish Professor at Madison College.

At the heart of good teaching is the notion that all students need a welcoming learning environment, where they feel empowered to participate in meaningful learning activities that reflect their realities and expose them to new viewpoints. How can we create learning communities that honor the diversity of today’s language students? Join Silvia and Kate for a reflective and insightful conversation about inclusive teaching. They will share their own experiences, as well as solicit and respond to questions and comments from webinar participants. Inclusive teaching is a journey that requires humility, intentionality, collaboration and self-reflection. Together we can make a difference for our students.

Watch the webinar recording by clicking on this link.

Silvia Sobral, Spanish Coordinator at Brown University.

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Read also: At Vista Higher Learning we are committed to making a difference