Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher is essentially used to create printed pieces of work that can be a combination of texts and graphics. I have used this application to create newsletters, postcards, calendars or brochures.

One project I have used about this application is where students create a brochure about one of the Spanish Authors we have studied. They put pictures of the author and list facts about his or her life. Also, they list different works of literature for the author.

Students enjoy doing this project and I have them present their brochures to the class before I display them. Using Microsoft Publisher creates a well organized and colorful brochure. It is easy for students to manipulate and input any information on the author.

Rosetta Stone

Last week, we worked with Rosetta Stone and I did not like the program at all. I chose Turkish and I thought it was not clear. It seemed to basically to be talking flash cards.  A person can learn some language, but they must be motivated and willing to pay the very high price.

 Yes, it is a way of gaining knowledge of the language to achieve some intermediate level of proficiency but there is no way a person will be able to achieve an advanced level of proficiency.  I would hope that by using this program,  a person would be motivated to start seeking other methods and resources to learn the language.  Additionally, I believe this is not a substitute for having a real human being to talk to and practice the language.  From what I understand, Rosetta Stone offers no real world exposure to the language.

Thus, I feel the result from using Rosetta Stone is that people might be able to understand certain words or expressions, but will not be able to engage in conversation. So, this might be good to gain some background knowledge, but nothing is better than being in the classroom!!!!

2nd 3 minute demo lesson

At the aiport. As we continue with the unit on vacations and traveling by plane.

Level: Grade 9- French 1

Title: Bon Voyage

Objective: The class will examine the chapter vocabulary being put to use in authentic videos and on the website of Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Pre-Activity: Using a You Tube, students will listen to a safety video by Air France. They will circle the words they hear in the video on their worksheet. The video will be played more than once.

You Tube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4uxveoggD0

Lesson: We will look at the Charles De Gaulle website. We will look at the site and look for cognates. Using the vocabulary from the chapter and reviewing time, we will look at the arrival and departures of flights from all over the world.

CDG website: http://www.aeroportsdeparis.fr/ADP/fr-FR/Passagers/Accueil/

e.g. I will ask them: A quelle heure arrive le vol en provenace de Los Angeles?

This lesson will strongly focus on oral participation. Students will be expected to be able to answer all questions based on the information.

This lesson will lead to a future lesson in the computer lab where students will given 8 cities from all over the world, and they will use the Air France website to look up fares, tell me what class they are traveling in, the times of the flight, the type of plane, along with other information.

This is one of my favorite chapters, as I like to travel. This is a great project to review skills that were taught earlier in the year, like numbers and time.  Also, it was a good way of putting the vocabulary to use. This lesson is basically an oral lesson using the information from the website and responding in the French.
The next day, I take the students to the computer lab and I give them 8 cities around the world. Students use the Air France, in French, and look up the price, the times, type of aircraft and amenities offered on the plane.

This same activity can be used in Spanish also. I have done the same activity in Spanish 1 using Madrid, Barajas Airport and Iberia Airline’s website.

1st 3 minute demo lesson

Cloth Shopping. As we continue with the unit on clothing, today, we will look at a French Department Store. We will first look at the difference of a department store in France. We will look at different clothing for Men and Women.

Level: Grade 9-French 1

Title: Mes Vêtements

Objective: After looking at department store web site, students will be given 400 USD to spend on clothing for themselves and a friend of the opposite sex for a new wardrobe.

They will have to use a currency converter to ensure they stay within their budget.

Each article must be described in French when creating the catalog.

e.g. C’est une jolie jupe.

       Elle est verte et orange.

       Ça coûte 36 euros.

Pre-Activity: Review chapter vocabulary and supplemental clothing vocabulary using the Randomnizer on the Smart Board.

Review the use of the currency converter at http://www.xe.com/

Lesson: We will look at the website of Galeries Lafayette.

http://www.galerieslafayette.com/ It is the biggest and most famous department store in Paris.

We will discuss the site and look at the difference of American department store compared to a French one.

We will look at cognates and back ground information to help understand the meaning of unknown vocabulary.

We will then look at specific clothing and I will ask specific questions in French.

What do you want to buy?

Why do you want to buy this item?

What color is it?

How much does it cost?

After navigating the site, students will begin to create their catalog using the website.

My first demo lesson is a project that my students have enjoyed doing. I enjoy showing the vocabulary in the textbook is really used. I also use a couple other department store sites, so students have more options.

Using the guidelines of the project, see the objective, students create a catalog of items they bought. They can do a power point and must present their project in front of the class.

Schoology

Schoology

I have used Moodle and really did not like it. I currently use E-chalk, and it is fine for what it is, but after being introduced to Schoology, I rather use this Course Management Site.
The other day, I decided to show my seniors Schoology for a few minutes and get their opinion since and compare it to E-chalk, which they have been using the last 3 years. They liked it and said they would use it more. An instant reaction was that it reminded them of facebook. They felt it was easy to use and clear.

Taking a closer look at the site I like that there is the discussion area for blogging or class discussion, the ability to post galleries of pictures, links, files, pages- information for students to access- and the ability to expand to include clubs and study groups more easily  puts Schoology a great choice for this generation of students.

Brian Pop App

As my school is promoting the use of the Ipads and use of technology in the classroom, one of the in service sessions I attended a few weeks had to do with the use of  iPads in the classroom. Many teachers have been given Ipads to use in class and they would like to work with apple to purchase a few classroom sets for students to use in class. I know that many students rather write down notes on an Ipad or Laptop. Also, the school believes it would be easier to monitor student’s usage with an Ipad than Laptop. I know many of my students have access to IPads and would love to bring them into the classroom. I love the amount of growing apps that promote language learning and can be specifically used in the classroom.  There are many that  take advantage of the visual and audio capabilities of the iPad and have specific content in intermediate Spanish for a high school student.   

One that has potential is Brian Pop. This app presents a 4-5 minute movie on a specific topic like Frida Kahlo or water pollution in Spanish with lots of animation.  There is a script that runs at the bottom of the movie so the learner can hear and see the words.  The vocabulary is not watered down, but there are a lot of cognates. It may be a challenge for many students in a Level 1 or 2 class, but I would love to test it out with my Spanish 3 classes and see how much of the information they can get using previous knowledge, context clues and the animation.  After seeing the video, the student can re-watch or take a 10 question quiz.

An interesting IPAD app...

I love my Ipad and it is one of my favorite toys.  A friend of mine who teaches elementary school showed me a great app that she uses to teach French vocabulary. It is  called  Frenchie Teachie by Voila Designs.  You can start off with a free version to give it a try, then upgrade to the full version for just a few dollars.  Children have an opportunity to learn vocabulary, and then play identification games. Some of the  thematic topics include treats, farm animals, fruits, sea creatures, kitchen, numbers, the alphabet and colors. You simply click a button to hear the pronunciation of the vocabulary word, then swipe for the next.  The native speaker is easily understood and the cartoon graphics are engaging and fun.  

 For the games, the learner sees and hears a French word.  When the corresponding image is correctly tapped, the child is rewarded with an enthusiastic “Yippee!” A successful round results in an adorable animated “comptine” sung by French children.  Traditional songs include À la Volette, À la Claire Fontaine, Il était un petite Navire, Promenons-nous dans les Bois, Il pleut Bergère, and Sur le Pont du Nord.  It’s a nice way to expose children to a little French culture! The Frenchie Teachie app is a wonderful way for children ages 6 and up to expand their French vocabulary.  I even recommend it for my middle schoolers who are “young at heart” since it will introduce some new words in a fun, stress-free way with NO English. I wish I knew about this app when I taught 5^th grade one year. A year that I would like to forget…lol  It can be used with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod. 
 
Thanks to Voila Designs for this engaging French learning tool!