LRC Director

Interests

• Bringing new technology-based resources to the attention of department faculty and thereby initiating creative projects that enable and enrich language learning and teaching; achieved through the LRC Colloquium series and ongoing consultation with individual faculty members
• Enhancing in-class instruction by carefully selecting course components to flip and offer outside the classroom; exploring new resources and tools that facilitate effective presentation of course content
• Initiating student programming, providing services and resources for learning support and opportunities for cultural enrichment, and creating a physical space that enhances language exchange and fosters intercultural connections
• Exploring how physical setting enriches language learning

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Presentations and Professional Activities

• “First Year French: Integrating Instructional Videos and Creating a Layered Course Content Cycle” – Invited to co-present at faculty workshop, North Central College, Naperville, IL March 2016
• “Valparaiso-Langres Classroom Exchange: Summer Campers Explore Small-Town France Through Google Earth” – Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, November 2015
• “Exploring Small-Town France Through Google Earth” – lesson presented to 40 elementary-aged students enrolled in Summer Smart, Summer Fun day camp, Valparaiso University, June 2015
• “Self-authored Instructional YouTube Videos Integrated into Google-form Quizzes” – VITAL Teaching Fair, Valparaiso University, January 2015
• “The First Ten Weeks: My Partial Flip Integrating Video Content into First Year French” – Midwest Association of Language Learning and Technology, Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington, IN, November 2014
• “Google Forms: A Commonplace Tool Used as a Creative Learning Platform” – Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, October 2014
• “Small but Powerful: Two Tools to Use Today” – Valparaiso University Workshop for Teachers of French, Valparaiso University, February 2014
• “Building Connections Between Communities of Language Learners Through Conversation” – Midwest Association of Language Learning and Technology, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, November 2013
• “The Flipped Classroom” – co-presentation with Randa Duvick on a panel discussion by Valparaiso faculty, VITAL Symposium on Innovative Pedagogy, Valparaiso University, November 2013
• “Moving Stories of Humanity: Using Short Film to Engage Students” – Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, October 2013
• “Photo Story: A Low-Tech Story-Telling Tool” – Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, November 2008
  “A la Une: Using Actualités in French Class” – co-presentation with Randa Duvick, Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, November 2008
• “Warm-ups for the French Classroom: Using Proverbs and Pronunciation Principles” – Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, Indianapolis, IN, November 2003

• Hosted the 2015 conference of MWALLT, the Midwest Association for Language Learning & Technology (October 10, 2015)
• Website manager for IFLTA, the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (2005 to present)
• Website manager for AATF-Indiana Northwest, the American Association of Teachers of French (2000 to present)
• Named the 2009 Indiana State French Teacher of the Year (post-secondary level) by the Indiana AATF
• Chapter secretary for AATF-Indiana Northwest (2000 to 2010)
• Participated in the planning of the AATF-sponsored French Language Advocacy Kit (summer 2008, 2009)