More than just a podcast contest!

ACTFL sponsors a video podcast contest every year in order to promote language learning. This contest is open to students from elementary levels through university. This year's theme, "Languages for Life", was intended to inspire students to see language learning as an essential part of life-long learning, especially in their careers and lives of the 21st century. The outcomes included that students would synthesize (a higher level critical thinking skill) into a video podcast that would encourage both students and adults to see language learning as a critical component in their education and in their lives. ACTFL collaborated with Pearson Prentice Hall as a sponsor , Merlot and the Center for Language education and Research at Michigan State University (CLEAR). (By the way CLEAR has developed a series of free Internet tech tools such as an audio dropboxes and mashups and provides super professional development summer workshops, many centered around technology.) I took the Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning: Introductory Techniques workshop last summer and I learned so many new tools to engage the 21st century learner. But now back to the story.

The contest goes like this: Create a compelling video podcast that encourages and advocates for language learning. This contest draws both students and teachers together to collaborate using tech to create a meaningful product. ACTFL provides a simple way to upload the video. Any student can do it in a flash. The videos are then judged and finalists are chosen. At this time the online voting starts. It like "American Idol" ACTFL style. Students, with all their wisdom and online savvy, get the ball rolling. Loading videos on social media sites, encouraging friends and family all over the planet to vote. Facebook pages were buzzing with video podcast news and status updates and students, parents, principals and teacher were all tweeting to get the world to vote. And as all of this was unfolding, so was the essential message about language learning unfolding-like no commercial, PSA or ad could ever do. Students wanted to see each others' published work-a caveat of the 21 st century learner. Everybody was a potential audience member.

But now a special story. In the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina, an ambitious group of fifth-graders, led by their super teacher Lynn Fulton-Archer, took on the challenge. Organizing into 10 teams, these students collaborated on the theme, wrote the script and produced the podcast. So many were excited about the process, because this is how they live their lives-in a media-rich world. Video podcasts were uploaded to the ACTFL site and then the waiting began. Excitement availed all to keep checking on whose videos would be in the final round. The day came and the finalists were notified and posted. One of the video podcasts from the fifth-graders of Richmond Drive Elementary School was a National Finalist! Wow!

Jumping on the opportunity to keep the message alive, Ms. Fulton-Archer contacted the local newspaper. For this was an event for the city-a group of fifth-graders getting national attention about their videos on language learning. The newspaper came, the students were interviewed, the story line grew and the excitement spread. Because now the whole city knew and this is exactly the grassroot efforts needed to keep the advocacy alive. The Herald/Online wrote a beautiful story-a story that any parent and teacher could be proud of. For these were their kids, their future citizens explaining to the world why they wanted to be able to communicate with the world with their new language. The last line of the article encouraged the community to vote for their new hometown celebrities. And I am sure they did! For these students were speaking about what they wanted and needed for their futures. And as we all know, the wisdom and truth from a child is authentic and from the heart. It would benefit us all to pay close attention. Just ask The Little Prince.

Congratulations to all the winners. Grab on to this opportunity for next year and watch true communication in action. The podcast rules and theme will be posted in the fall. And certainly examine the winning videos posted for all of us to use as positive, powerful advocacy tools. Thanks ACTFL and The Discover Languages Campaign for giving us new ways to promote language learning all while engaging our learners.