Summer Institute 2000 Participants
Robert Todd Bruce
Teaches English, Introduction to Foreign Language, and Computer Skills
in Hillsborough, NC
In all honesty, I was approaching this conference expecting to gain some theoretical insights about linguistics, about language pedagogy, and about the use of technology in the language classroom. As a middle school teacher, I have become skeptical concerning promises (stated or not) of practical knowledge; however, this conference completely met and exceeded my expectations. In addition to the wonderful theoretical material we covered, much of what we learned has become immediately practical. Many of our discussions empowered me to deal with a classroom full of learners with diverse motivations and ability levels. Probably the most important part of the conference for me personally was the HTML instruction. I have begun creating web-style interactive resources for my students to use in my Introduction to Foreign Languages course. In all, it was an exceedingly stimulating experience.