"Seeing is believing, and Professoressa Ardizzoni is able to express this succinctly through the use of documentaries and visual aids." Students nominated Dr. Michela Ardizzoni for a Fall 2013 ASSETT Teaching with Technology Award for her teaching of Italian 4990: Multiculturalism in Italy. A student also wrote in Ardizzoni's nomination that, "The use of videos and powerpoint presentations in class have really conveyed the message of this class (Multiculturalism in Italy) ..."
Ardizzoni shared her thoughts about teaching with technology with us.
What do you like best about teaching?
Trying to make students as enthusiastic as I am about the topics of my courses. It's always very rewarding when that happens!
Depending on the type of course I teach, I can include documentaries, feature films, music videos, news stories, TV programs, interviews, etc.
The overall goal is to help students see a connection between the theoretical framework of our discussions and readings and the cultural artifacts produced by various societies.
Again, it depends on the class. I can use PowerPoint, clips of different kinds, Padlet, Prezi, word cloud and others.
I use them to clarify some points made in the assigned readings, to create a conversation around a particular topic, or to provide an example which we discuss as a group.
I would say the only challenge is really some students' resistance to technology - at least, at first. Some students are still cautious about engaging with tools they are not familiar with, and they require very detailed instructions on what to do with technology.
