Abstract:

In my presentation I’ll discuss the variety of ways I’ve paired technology and hands-on projects to boost students’ critical cultural awareness via campus-based projects in New Jersey as well as during a semester abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. I will present elements from three different content-based Spanish courses I’ve taught about the following topics: Technology and Culture, Latinos in the U.S., and migratory movements in Spain. Each class contained a significant community-engaged learning component such as: designing a website for a soup kitchen in Spain, teaching job-readiness classes to immigrants in Spain, tutoring adult students preparing for the citizenship exam in Trenton, NJ, and an interview project with Latino high school students from Central NJ. Additionally, my course on technology and culture (taught in both New Jersey and in Spain) is a content-based course that uses both technological tools and technology as a topic to deepen students’ critical cultural awareness.

In my presentation I’ll discuss how I’ve used social media, Skype and shared web resources to foster language exchanges as well as to help students sharpen and share their knowledge of cultural differences. I’ve found that getting students to reflect on their language exchanges and service-learning projects is key to developing their critical cultural awareness. I will discuss a variety of formats for reflection including: cultural journals, reflection papers, and podcasts.

Finally I’ll discuss the benefits as well as the potential pitfalls inherent to these types of hands-on experiences. Both online language exchanges as well as service-learning projects have the potential to boost oral proficiency, cultural competence and civic and global awareness. However, if not done correctly these types of endeavors can also create misunderstandings and reinforce stereotypes. My presentation will use data from cultural journals, reflection essays and discussions with students and community partners in order to suggest ways that technological tools can effectively boost students’ critical cultural awareness.

Keywords:

Technology, Culture, Intercultural Communication, Critical Cultural Awareness, Spanish, Service Learning, Higher Education.