Michelle Benegas & Suzanne Gilchrist McCurdy
Welcome to MinneTESOL Journal volume 38, issue 1! We are happy to share a collection of articles that highlight the ingenuity of English language practitioner-scholars from a variety of contexts.
Jeanne Beck and Sebnem Kurt describe a teacher’s journey of creating and implementing a new unit for a middle school English learner and technology curriculum in “Project-Based Language Learning with 3D Printers: Integrating Technology, Language Form/Function, and Assessment into a Middle School CAD Unit.” Beck and Kurt share their perspectives and takeaways from the project as well as easily accessible materials for implementing such a project in readers’ own classroom.
In another report straight from the classroom, Ami Christensen and Kaishan Kong share an innovative project borne from COVID restrictions at their university in “Flipgrid Classroom Conversations: International Virtual Pen Pal Exchange.” The authors detail their process and their learners’ experiences using Flipgrid as a tool to gain and share cultural knowledge and experiences while engaging in authentic language tasks.
Crossing boundaries in “Does Translanguaging Work in Adult ESL?” Alayna Klco argues that pedagogical translation, a translanguaging approach developed for K-12 classrooms, can be adapted for use in adult education. Klco delineates pedagogical translation and the work of Project TRANSLATE and describes modifications that may be used in the adult education context.
Please read, enjoy, and share the research and practice ideas in this issue of MinneTESOL Journal! Stay connected to our MinneTESOL Journal community by following the journal on Facebook and on Twitter (@MnTESOLjournal).
