Online Translation Manual – Elementary Applications

Prior to attending teacher’s college I did Anglo-Saxon translation work in both my undergrad and Master’s program. The following is a refereed online publication I wrote which is still in use in the Old English course at McMaster as an online teaching tool to help students learn how to translate old texts. I was fortunate to be able to present this learning object at a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2007, which has been a highlight of my educational career: http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~beowulf/manual/index.php

While I am now working in the primary/junior field of education, the experience of writing and creating a learning tool of my own imagination has been foundational in my development as a teacher. I love creating learning objects, particular ones that involve the use and integration of technology. The Ed Tech program at Brock has given me a new range of tech experiences and skills that I will incorporate in my own classroom and teaching. I will continue to make learning objects and have had the opportunity this past year to create a collaborative Math Blog with my peers and also several instructional videos about how to use specific tech tools (all of which can be found on this blog).

One of my favourite aspects of teaching is the creativity involved with creating learning objects and lesson plans and critically thinking about how to best communicate and reach students. When I was planning the translation manual, for example, I had to determine how to most effectively communicate different kinds of grammar and inflections, giving my students the opportunity to play and practice the language themselves. I am excited to teach Language Arts and incorporate similar strategies and approaches in the classroom with a younger audience.

While the translation website is primarily intended for adults, there is an opportunity here for both myself and others to show elementary students what the English language used to look like and where are current syntax comes from. There is a section of the website called “Image Riddles” that is more child-friendly and can be used in a Language Arts or Social Studies context to teach junior students about different historical cultures. In grade 6, for example, when you discuss the Vikings and exploration you could incorporate a brief discussion of the Anglo-Saxons and their influence as well, perhaps having the students write their own image riddles about what they are learning in the classroom. While early medieval history is not specifically covered in the Ontario Curriculum there is an opportunity to show students how medieval history is not just about that specific period of time where there were knights, feudal relationships and the Crusades, giving them greater historical breadth and understanding. I am continually grateful for my past experiences in the realm of History and English and am excited about the ways in which I can use these ideas to enrich learning in my own classroom. I want to encourage my students to be invested in language and history and use these subjects as ways to investigate and navigate their own daily experiences.