Themes
GETVICO24
Diversity here refers to the cultural and social diversity in human societies. It has already become a mainstream topic in various educational contexts and plays a decisive role for a fairer society that makes the best possible use of its potential and creativity and in which barriers to social participation are not dependent on characteristics such as gender or origin.
During the conference, it should be discussed, how the theoretical term »Diversity« can be put into practice and what it has to do or should have to do with each individual.
Submissions on this topic should intend to raise awareness of a diverse society and initiate discussions and widening of horizons. They should present best practice examples from the educational context that show how teachers can integrate diversity as a topic into their everyday life and can stand up as role models for a diverse and fair society.
Sustainability has become a model for today's society. The core idea behind this is that in the long term we cannot live at the expense of people in other regions of the world or future generations. This is where education for sustainable development comes in: ESD enables everyone to understand the impact of their own actions on the world and to make responsible, sustainable decisions.
During the conference, such educational concepts on sustainability should be presented, that go far beyond the purely ecological dimension of the term and raise visions of a future, that also have an impact on the economic, cultural and social spheres.
Submissions for this topic should present theoretical considerations and lesson plans that have been used in practice and deal with the question about which future scenarios determine our current thinking and actions and how these can be taken up in an educational context.
However, imparting a modern image of Germany isn’t always simple. Intercultural learning is a complex part of teaching a language and can be integrated into the foreign language classroom in various ways. At the same time, up-to-date information about a country is constantly changing, which is why many existing textbooks are often already outdated. Then there is the fact that the content depends on the personal interests and lifestyles of the language learners.
During the conference, presentations should be held on best practice examples from the classroom that demonstrate the action-oriented and successful use of current issues in German speaking countries in foreign language instruction. Here the goal is not so much to impart a “correct” image of German speaking countries, but rather to show sensible ways of how current events can be used to promote the development of language skills as well as intercultural learning. Submissions for this topic area may also include presentations on potential resources for sociocultural content in German lessons.
In this thematic block we will discuss different metrics and concepts that can help to manage a group with different learners and their varied knowledge bases and learning speeds. The following questions will be discussed: How can we support different learning types? How can teachers give differentiated feedback and evaluate the learning progression of their students?
Throughout the conference, we will be looking for examples that show how internally differentiated lessons can be planned and which forms of feedback are especially useful for heterogenous learning groups.
During the conference, participants should discuss the possibilities and limitations of digital media in foreign language classrooms. The goal is to present sensible offerings that demonstrate how digital media can be used in the classroom or for individual enrichment.
Submissions for this topic area should present best practices examples from the classroom that show how teachers can integrate digital media into the language learning process in an action-oriented way. Presentations should focus on how applications and options such as iPads or other mobile end devices can be used in the classroom and incorporated into lesson plans. We are also looking for contributions that show hybrid (blended) learning concepts and models and provide interesting insight on informal learning.
The conference should include a number of presentations that are meant to help teachers understand the concept of action orientation as a theoretical approach that can be implemented in their classrooms. How can we define action orientation in foreign language classrooms and differentiate it from other models?
We are also looking for presentations that will give conference participants specific practical examples of implementing and reflecting upon action-oriented teaching models. Which action-oriented models have I tried in my lessons? How were they implemented and what is my assessment of the learning success?
Submissions for this topic area will present theoretical considerations and lesson plans that have been used in practice. The goal is to engage in a theoretical discussion on action-oriented models for lesson planning and collect interesting and successful examples from real classrooms.
The conference should include presentations that highlight examples of audiovisual resources and literature being used for various target groups. We are also looking for contributions that identify various aspects and factors for successfully using these media. Which possibilities do these resources offer for increasing motivation and learning success among secondary school students and/or adults? What must a teacher keep in mind when using these media? We welcome presentations that address methodological and didactic issues, as well as those that use sources without infringing upon any copyrights.
Submissions for this topic area will present theories and lesson plans with the goal of engaging in a discussion on the methodological and didactic issues related to using audiovisual media and literature in the teaching of German as a foreign language and collecting examples from real classrooms.
Implementing a successful student exchange is a complex and challenging task for teachers. We are looking for experienced GAPP coordinators presenting best practice examples and inviting others to discuss real-life solutions for the most common topics such as: Promoting the exchange & Fundraising; Matching students; Timelines; Social Media; Use of Electronic Devices During the Exchange; Alcohol Policies; Liability Questions; etc.
In this segment, we will also present the new Goethe-Institut project “Studienbrücke Deutschland”. Studienbrücke is designed to prepare US students linguistically as well as academically to apply to German universities. The program includes language courses as well as a year abroad in Germany.