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In this episode of "Growing With Proficiency The Podcast," I'm super excited to chat with two incredible language educators, Alicia Shoemaker and Ben Fisher Rodriguez. We dive into the magic of 'Aha Moments'—those lightbulb moments that bring so much joy and energy to both students and teachers. We talk about what the research says about why these moments are so important and share some practical tips on how you can create more of them in your classroom.

We also get into the nitty-gritty of intercultural competence and cultural humility—big ideas that can take those 'Aha Moments' to the next level by making learning more inclusive and meaningful. Alicia and Ben share some awesome examples and resources that have worked wonders in their own teaching.

Resources:

Dr. Wesley Carpenter at the University of Akron - His definition of 'Aha Moments' as "a sudden conscious change in a person's representation of a stimulus, situation, event, or problem."

Dr. John Hattie and Dr. Jay Berkeley, University of Melbourne - Their 2023 article, Making Learning Visible: Observable Correlates of the Aha Moment when Moving from Surface to Deep Thinking, discusses how 'Aha Moments' in students lead to feelings of joy, relief, self-efficacy, and increased engagement.

2017 ACTFL Can-Do Statements on Intercultural Competence - These statements define intercultural competence as the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from other language and cultural backgrounds.

Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom by Florencia Henshaw and Maris Hawkins

Randall Munroe's "What If?" Questions - A resource mentioned for its effectiveness in encouraging students to think critically and reflectively about cultural scenarios, helping to create 'Aha Moments.'

Teaching Tools in a Flash by Dr. Deborah Clark and Dr. Sharma of Kent State University** - This resource provides practical examples of how to approach cultural humility in language classes.

Maris Hawkins’ Blog
Ben Fisher Rodriguez’s Blog

More resources:

Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes

GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List

Growing With CI FB Community

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I’m excited to share that the 2024 Klett World Languages Back 2 School Conference is now open, and the best part? It’s asynchronous, so you can dive in at your own pace! I’ll be there as one of the keynote speakers alongside the amazing Joe Dale, and we’re joined by an incredible lineup of experts.
Use code CLAUDIA for 30% off. Click here to get your ticket.