DiLL-DIgital Language Lab

We were so lucky this year to have a Digital Language Lab installed! It has been wonderful to have the students look forward to using technology to work on their speaking and listening skills.  I love that it is personalized enough where each student can listen as many times as they need to get certain activities done.  It helps the slower learners develop their skills and it also allows the more advanced students to go ahead in order to continue challenging themselves.

With only one lab and 5.5 language teachers it has been a challenge to schedule time for us to get in as well as allow for the computer lab to be available at least two days in a row (A/B block scheduling) for other teachers to use the new Mac computers.  I think we finally have it the way we want it with teachers splitting the 72 minute blocks.

I feel like I really need to focus on my planning so that I can best utilize the time we have in the lab.  It is difficult for me to put as much energy into planning as I can with a 4 year old daughter and a husband at home, and I really want to start planning a more student centered classroom. I have been teaching for 7 years and I have improved a lot over that time, but I can see where I want to be and need to really focus on getting there!

My goal this week is to plan for students to be working together in the TL for at least 10 minutes per class. My goal for my next turn in the DiLL is to have students do 25% listening and 75% speaking in the TL.

Slowly but surely I will become the teacher I want to be!