Richard Donato (University of Pittsburgh) describes the private Website that the NFLRC will develop for this group to allow them to report progress on their Action Research projects and to seek advice. Dr. Donato pointed out the “expertise is in this group” and noted that the discussions in this institute have been “among the richest I’ve heard in a long time.”

Webmaster for the NFLRC, Jesse Drew, prepares to introduce WebCT, which will be used to house the private Website for the Action Research participants.

Heather Hendry (Washington DC), Margaret Rose (Virginia), and Luisa Forsgren (Morocco) listen to ideas on how to keep a journal for the Action Research project. Drs. Donato and Hartman advised them to use realistic parameters and not make the gathering of data “too great a burden.”

Douglas Hartman demonstrates how a reflective journal is organized.

Richard Donato emphasizes, “Dialogue is the most powerful tool in constructivism.”

Frieda Robins (New York) asks about the possibility of telephone conferencing to explore answers to key questions.

Douglas Hartman asks participants to reflect on their Action Research keeping in mind the big question, “So what? What does this all mean in the big picture of foreign language education?”

Back to Action Research Institute 2002