Flight Path
Hello! Bonjour! ¡Hola!
My name is Brian Barkhurst, and I’m a middle school French teacher in Columbus, Ohio.
My education includes a M.Ed. in Foreign/Second Language Education and a B.A. in Spanish/International Studies from The Ohio State University. I’m licensed to teach Spanish, French, and TESOL in grades K-12. I have taught ESL for one year in Japan, high school Spanish for Cincinnati Public Schools for a year, and middle school Spanish/bilingual education/reading in rural New Mexico for a year. Currently, I teach in a district with access to a wide variety of technology-based resources.
I’m in the MET program because I see a great deal of potential for technology to enhance world language instruction. I’m not the most tech-savvy person, however I see this program as a stepping stone to help me gain the ideas and the know-how for implementing various technology-based instructional tools in my middle school classroom and be a leader in my school district.
Currently, I incorporate technology in my own teaching in the following ways:
- I design and develop digital-age learning experiences by teaching with PowerPoints, using DVDs/CDs regularly, maintaining a course website with links for review activities, and communicating with my students and parents via e-mail. I would like to include more technology-based student-learning activities in the coming year;
- I model digital-age work and learning in several ways as listed above; and
- I engage in professional growth and leadership by working on the MET program and by taking several technology-based professional development courses offered by my school district.
In ETEC 565, I would like to challenge myself to learn as many technology-based programs and teaching methods as possible. My plan to accomplish this goal is to:
- design an e-portfolio and a professional blog on WordPress so that I can better understand through my own experience how this can be incorporated in a world language class;
- design audioblogs and speaking assessments that use technology such as Wimba and Audacity;
- understand the learning implications of having students develop multimedia presentations in another language;
- design an online module focusing on French-speaking cultures to be used in my Exploring French course; and
- communicate with my classmates about other ideas and implications for integrating technology in world language classes.
Throughout the MET program and teaching career, I plan to continue my professional development by attending workshops, taking in-district professional development courses related to technology, and networking with various people in the district.
