Providence Catholic Implements Four Mobile Language Labs
Spanish 4 Honors Teacher Mrs. Katie Pavur (centered with glasses), assists Billy Griffiths ’18 (Mokena) during Language Lab
NEW LENOX (November 7, 2016) – Providence Catholic’s World Language Department now offers four Mobile Language Labs that provide students with a differentiated classroom experience to acquire a second language. The versatile labs are able to be moved from classroom to classroom and shared amongst the Spanish and French classes throughout the day. The generous funding for the labs came from an anonymous donor who values technology and understands the benefits of learning a second language.
“Instead of having a dedicated classroom with specialized equipment and encountering difficulty with scheduling seven different teachers’ classes for use of that one space, we thought it would be great to have the labs come to the individual classrooms. This will allow many more students to benefit from this great asset,” said Mrs. Katie Pavur, World Language Department Chairperson.
The four labs consist of tablets, headsets and styluses; the interactive process allows students to use their language skills individually, with partners, and small groups. The Mobile Language Labs give students the opportunity to practice the four components of a language: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with the most modern software and applications available. For example, Passport is readily available with features like Avenue and Flipgrid, where students can video record themselves in the target language. They also have access to iCulture, where they can learn about current events happening in language specific countries in the target language. The students of the World Language Department are benefiting greatly from these labs.
“The Mobile Language Lab has provided the opportunity to incorporate meaningful technology into my lessons. When using the tablets, my classroom is more student-centered, allowing students to work at their own pace and allowing me to give individual attention when needed,” said Mrs. Jackie Poulos, Spanish teacher.
“With an exceptionally fast Wi-Fi connection, the Mobile Language Lab provides my students with the versatility of convenient tablets and the content delivery of a traditional language lab anywhere in the school. I can design relevant and engaging language learning activities featuring real-time information and data for my Spanish students regardless of course level and student ability. The Mobile Language Lab puts myriad learning opportunities at the tips of my students’ fingers and as a result, the improvement of their language skills has been amazing,” said Dr. Mike Burke, Spanish teacher.
“The labs are awesome! We use them all the time and it allows us to hear and speak the language at our own individualized pace. You can go back and forth for clarification, which has really made a big difference in my ability to learn the language,” said Claire Barrett ’18 (Tinley Park).
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Jamie O’Brien
Director of Communications
815.717.3163