march/april 2015 | volume 10 | issue 2 Features Look for this symbol throughout this printed edition of The Language Educator. It alerts you to enhanced content available in TLE Online, the interactive version of the magazine available at www.thelanguageeducator.org. FOCUS TOPIC Designing Learner-Centered Language Instruction • Project-Based Learning • Flipped Classroom 2.0 • Using Peer Responses to Improve Writing • Information Literacy and Language Instruction • Preparing Students for Life Beyond the Classroom • Empowering Students to Succeed UPCOMING FOCUS TOPIC Transforming the Pathway to Learning Submit by July 1 for the Oct/Nov Issue ON THE COVER: Students and instructors use VoiceThread to interact in Mandarin Chinese at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Find out more in the article on p. 42. 50 IN THE CLASSROOM: Designing, Using, and Evaluating Performance Assessments 57 Chad Everett Allan Mary Thrond and Janice Holter Kittok 22 Introduction: DESIGNING LEARNER-CENTERED LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION 39 The Spanish for Fluent Speakers Curriculum: Empowering Students to Succeed Lynn Fulton-Archer Aracelis Nieves 24 Centered on the Learner: Exploring Project-Based Learning 42 Talk to the Computer Before You Talk with Us: Flipped Classroom 2.0 STATE FOCUS: Minnesota VOLUME 10 | ISSUE 2 MARCH/APRIL 2015 Departments President’s Message ACTFL President Jacque Bott Van Houten 7 Breaking News 8 BriefBits10 Tech Talk 12 Inside ACTFL 14 So You Say 54 Legislative Look 58 Web Watch 60 Douglass Crouse Yu Li, Hong Li, and Leah Chuchran 28 Improving Writing Performance Using Peer Responses 45 Paired Proficiencies: Incorporating Information Literacy into Language Instruction Mary E. O’Donnell 32 Creating a Learner-Centered Classroom to Prepare Students for Life Beyond the Classroom Patricia McPherson 48 Nature Versus Cursor Upcoming Events Calendar 62 Darcy Lear Ryan East Advertiser Index 63 36 Focusing on Performance: Reinvigorating Teaching Toward a Student-Centered Classroom Rebecca Blouwolff 4 The Language Educator n Mar/Apr 2015