2008-2009 Grant Proposals
Antonio Barbagallo
"Italian Consulate 'Pedagogy Workshops'"
Pedagogy Travel Grant proposal
Project Proposal: The Education Office of the Italian Consulate and Northeastern University (Boston) have organized a series of "Pedagogy workshops" for the teaching and learning of the Italian language. The workshops will run on three consecutive Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. starting on October 25 at Northeastern University, Boston Campus.
The workshops center, above all, on the usage of authentic multimedia texts through formal and alternative approaches. Theoretical modules will be flanked to laboratory modules that will allow to exercise strategies relative to the approaching and manipulation of said texts, and to potentiate base and integrated communicative abilities. In other words, the workshops will not only present us (the participants) with the theories, but actually put them to practice.
Multimedia materials offered by institutional Italian agencies, in particular those of RAI (Italian National Television), will be the object/instrument of the proposed modules. There will be "mock" classrooms that are actually "laboratories" because multi-media and technology will be used. Materials taken from Italian media will be used: news, TV series and documentaries. The presentations will be made by people who have "actually" worked with these approaches and not just theorized about them. It will be interesting to me to see and learn how these new approaches are utilized in a classroom setting.
The workshops will also offer participants the opportunity to exchange didactic experiences in the teaching of Italian. The object of the workshops is to work on a curriculum that will center on language and culture teaching with the aid of the above mentioned technical support.
The workshops will be of great benefit to the Stonehill students who are studying Italian, because I will be bringing to class materials and techniques that are new to me. Presently I use movies for cultural purposes and to expose my students to the language spoken by different voices. I also use film clips, mostly music videos on "YOUTUBE", to expose students to Italian music of all kinds. I can only imagine that there must be a million things one can do with today's media and technology. Thus, it is most clear to me that whatever I learn will be brought to my classrooms if I deem useful and necessary. My classes will not be turned upside-down, because my style of teaching is unique and effective as it is. However, it is unique and effective because I am always willing to learn. Therefore, any "new" material, style, approach that I believe will be beneficial to my students will be "incorporated" or added to my classes, not only at the elementary, but also at the intermediate level. All this in light of the fact that the Italian Government (through its Consulate) is offering these workshops free of any registration fees.
Whatever I learn will be brought to campus and will be shared and discussed with other faculty who are teaching Italian, and my guess is that much information can be shared with faculty of other languages.
Budget: Since the workshops are free, I am requesting mileage at the rate of $ .585 for a total of $87.75 (total of 150 miles in 3 days). I estimate that parking will be about $25 per day. Total $75 for three days. Lunch $20.00 per day for a total of $60. I request a total of $ 222.75