Not Just Another Course to Teach: Humanizing the Digital Divide

By:
Dr. Arturo Rodriguez
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Embarking on my first tenure track assignment as assistant professor at a regional University I am somewhat perturbed. Having been given an online course to teach I study the previous syllabi, look at the course description and the course content, all seem what I am used to: fulfill the mission of the school, include current standards and research from the field, use technology. These I can do, however, I look at the schedule, the timeline for the course from beginning to end, four weeks: so, how do I help support an experience for my students that is meaningful, relevant to their teaching practice; serving language minority students in the Treasure Valley given that the course spans such a short period of time? I look to the tools I have to work with: a Desktop PC, email, Blackboard and two weekend face to face sessions. During this paper presentation I will engage the audience in discussing the results of the study I conducted in supporting in-service and pre-service bilingual teachers using the previously mentioned technology. This study, part critical auto-ethnography and part case study, is a presentation of my theoretical and philosophical background and a discussion of: what worked, supported learning, what didn’t, student suggested changes, and ways to improve hybrid distance learning graduate courses.


Keywords: Pedagogy, Humanizing Curriculum, Distance Learning, Critical Case Study, Auto-ethnography
Stream: Pedagogies and Teaching Practices
Presentation Type: 30 minute Paper Presentation in English
Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Dr. Arturo Rodriguez

Assistant Professor, Department of Bilingual Education, Boise State University
Boise, Idaho, UNITED STATES

Arturo Rodriguez graduated from New Mexico State University completing the requirements for a Ph.D. degree, May 13, 2006 in Curriculum & Instruction with areas of focus in Language, Literacy and Culture and Bilingual Education and TESOL. He began his career in education as a Spanish and English teacher having taught in secondary schools in El Paso, Texas, Sacramento, California and East Harlem, New York. In addition he taught graduate and undergraduate teacher preparation courses at New Mexico State University. At present he is Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at Boise State University where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Bilingual Education and acts as an an advisor for student teachers. His research interests include: Intercultural and democratic education; language and literacy acquisition; bilingualism and biliteracy; literacy and bilingual education; district, state and federal school language policy; inquiry and research design and methodology.

Ref: LS7P0087