Cinderella’s Coach or Just Another Pumpkin?

Emerging Technologies and the Continuing Marginalisation of Languages in Australian

Schools

Lindy Norrisl.norris@murdoch.edu.au

Penelope Coutasp.coutas@murdoch.edu.au

Applied Linguistics Association of AustraliaNational Conference12-14 November, 2012Curtin University, Perth

Contextualising the research study

A large supporting cast

Assumptions to be explored

• Life for the marginalised and isolated language teacher should be easier.

• The experience of language learners in Australian schools should be more meaningful and bring them closer to the languages and communities that they are studying.

• Collectively this should be empowering for students and teachers, and inturn, empower the Languages learning area within the curriculum.

Assumptions to be explored

Bit-idy byte-aby

boo?

Just where am I driving this change?

Question:

How did language teachers in the study use technology to enhance language learning and make their professional lives easier?

I’ve heard that there’s

horseless carriages now?

Question:

How did language teachers in the study use technology to enhance language learning and make their professional lives easier?

Why not?

• Hardware

• Maintenance

• Technical support

• Learning area leadership support

• Management of learners and learning

Question:

How did students use ICTs to make language learning more meaningful and bring them closer to the languages and communities they were studying?

Question:

Were Languages, language learners, and language teachers empowered by opportunities for global connectedness and the use of ICTs?

Findings

Rather than enhancing language learning and teaching, technologies at the case study sites impacted negatively on the experience of both learners and teachers, and on the status of languages learning in schools.

A wicked problem

Wicked problems are tough to describe and have no clear-cut answers because of the social complexity of the problem or issues involved (Conklin, 2008).

Social complexity within the study

I will give you jewels, flowers,

attention, anything that will make my Princess happy

If only it were that simple.

Critical theory, the magic wand, and the glass slipper

Critical theory, the magic wand, and the glass slipper

Cinderella language

teachers can exert some

influence over the

complexity of their

circumstances. Living their

professional lives within a

critical framework has the

potential to help with the

easing into the glass

slipper.

Image credits

Slide 2: Deluxe Cinderella Doll Gift Set http://www.disneystore.com/deluxe-cinderella-doll-gift-set

Slide 3: Cinderella Promo 1http://www.flickr.com/photos/adplayers/6875925728/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Slide 4: Disney's Electrical Parade: Cinderella's Royal Coachhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/armadillo444/3845998492/in/photostream/

Slide 5: Cinderella in her coachhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/edrussell/261118061/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Slide 7: Learn 9 Languages with Cinderellahttp://www.ioffer.com/i/learn-9-languages-cinderella-language-laerning-software-105711149

Slide 8: Cinderella at her computerhttp://i46.tinypic.com/i3b890.jpg

Slide 9: Windows errorhttp://favim.com/orig/201107/11/art-cinderella-computer-disney-funny-illustration-Favim.com-101486.jpg

Slide 10: Wicked stepmother and ugly stepsistershttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38969690@N00/3175843742

Slide 11: A Christmas Fantasy: Prince Charming, Cinderellahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/armadillo444/3318035792/in/photostream/

Slide 12: Cinderella (droids)http://www.flickr.com/photos/45940879@N04/5499285074

Slide 13: Suck it up Princesshttp://rlv.zcache.com/suck_it_up_princess_button-p145136808965358790en8go_400.jpg