Why technology classes are important

It is 2012 and technology plays such an important role in the language classroom!!! Now you actually can bring the language into the classroom from any country. There are podcasts, newspapers online, videos, and many magazine, plus websites of department stores to supermarkets. These sites can be used effectively in conjunction with the thematic units in textbooks.  Then there are all the sites that are used for fun to practice the language or that are guides that help students with vocabulary or particular grammar topics.  

A course like this is very important and as we move forward in technology, it is important to stay current with what sites are offered and how they can be utilized in the classroom. In this course, I was familiar with some of the sites presented to us, but I was given the chance to reflect on how to use it maybe in a different way that would benefit my students. I was able to see how I can use certain sites and integrate it into my curriculum.

Teaching and language learning should be creative and an exploration of the language. By using technology in the classroom, we help make that connection and bring the language to life. It demonstrates that words in a textbook are used “for real” and students are explore all this with technology!!

Ana and Mimi, Thank you for a great course!! I truly enjoyed it!!

My Webquest

It is much easier to type out the directions for a project and hand out a paper, but a webquest brings a project to life a little more. Students have easy access to the site, so they can’t say they lost the papers with the directions for the project. Also, it is colorful and you can add pictures and list websites that can be used for the project. It is a much better guide for the student to follow.

I received very nice comments about my webquest, but one person thought I should have placed a power point on the web quest as an example. Of course, I disagree because this project is for high school students in 10^th or 11^th grade, and they know how to create a power point. Also, I chose to use a power point because not only is this an art project but a speaking project. In the project I state that students must only use bullet points because they must discuss the art and artist. They can use note cards but they are no permitted to stand in the front of the room and just read their cards. The slides are a guide.

I do think I could list a few more sites on the webquest to guide for the students, but overall the webquest states exactly what I am looking for in the project and I am looking forward to using it in my class. I will be creating another webquest soon for my French 4 class on music in France.

Quizlet

This is a site my students love to use. There is no need to buy index cards or flash cards anymore. All you have to do is use this site. Some students create their own , but many have been created already for particular book series.

I like to present all vocabulary in the target language, but this site does help my students in French 1. Once we have started the vocabulary, I go to quizlet and search for the chapter we are doing. I enable the sound and pick a student to come to the smart board. I place that student in charge of advancing the cards. Students must repeat the word…and the pronunciation in not horrible on the site.  This gives me a chance to go around and check homework and take attendance. Also, the students LOVE being the person at the white board controlling the cards.

Once they are finished, I can continue my lesson and use the target language knowing that some students might have a better understanding of what I am saying because of this site. I also know, many use it at home to review for a test. They even can print out a list of the vocabulary.

I do not assess my students matching or listing vocabulary on a test or quiz, but I like fill in the blanks and ask questions using the vocabulary. At first I did not like the site because it was just a list of vocabulary, but using it more, I see it does help them with the fill in’s and questions.  I see that my students have a better comprehension of their vocabulary and use it more. So I strongly recommend this site.

Symbaloo

This is something over Christmas break I must design for myself and my class. I love this site and how it organizes all websites in one. I would like to create one for each of my three classes.  It is a neat and organized way to list important websites in class.

I always tell my students to use different sites to help them with their language learning, plus there are ones that I specifically use. For example in French 4, I use French in Action, a video series all in French, or we look at certain French TV stations.If a student is absent when I show a episode, they must go online to watch it. Wouldn't it be great to go to an organized spot and just click on the site. This is site is student friendly and in an organized fashion for the students to access.

Also, as we look at new book series, many have extra practice online or the textbook and workbook are online. Here we could list all the important sites that are used in the course for the year and then add new ones!!!

This site is easy to use, inviting and easily can be navigated. It is easy access for students and I believe they would be more interested in using it.

learning with puzzles

Sometimes learning vocabulary or the conjugation of verbs can be boring and tedious, but with puzzles it can become more amusing and engaging.

I forgot about using puzzles, until a friend of mine who teaches seventh grade, was telling me how she used a crossword puzzle the other day to review vocabulary. Regardless of the grade, I knew my students would like it. My freshmen were getting ready for a test and I decided to create on to reinforce the vocabulary and grammar topics from the textbook.

Like I mentioned before, I belong to Discovery Education through school, and the site offers a great puzzle maker.....puzzlemaker.com. All you have to do it plug in the words you want and it creates the puzzle for you.  After I created a “criss-cross” puzzle, I decided to create a word search, a personal favorite. The next day, they were a success and the students told me that it was a great review and fun. I let them work with a partner and they used their highlighters for the word search.

This is something that I use to do and not sure how I got away from doing this in class. It is a non threatening way to review for a test. Puzzles are associated with fun…what a fun way to review vocabulary and grammar. I also discovered my book series, one which I can not stand, offers a puzzle making component. I think it is the only redeeming quality of the book!!

TED

What a great site and a great resource of information. Even though the site is not geared towards learning another language or was the site created to aid in this process, it is a great site to use if you are teraching ESL. For a few years, I did teach ESL and found this site very useful.

I like the variety of videos and how you can change the language. I would use the site as a listening activity and create a set of questions for each video. I would pick different topics that I know would interest my students.  This site is educational and there are many different topics to choose from.

Also, TED offers two other great features. One is that many of the videos offer subtitles in another language and second, there is an additional transcript and a person watching the video can skip around to any sentence in the video.

I hope to teach an ESL class again and I would love to use this site!!

Audacity

A teacher in my department has made using Audacity a requirement for her course and it is 20% of the students grade. She teaches AP Spanish and has used Audacity for the last few years. She has found a students’ recordings has great quality, it is easier to evaluate their voice files, and the students’ overall preparation for the exam.

It is very easy to have students record regularly and place their files into a shared folder where she can access them, offer feedback, and the students can then listen again with her comments. Our technology department helped establish shared folders for students to be able to submit a work group and aid in turning in their files.

 The students and my colleague really love using this Audacity. The students feel they are getting good feedback and great practice for their actual test day. Anything beats using those old cassette tapes!!

makebeliefcomix.com

Makebeliefcomix.com is a great way of introducing comics into a language class. I first used another site years ago with a family project, but after trying this site, I am ready to create a project where my students can have as much fun using it as I did.

The site allows any user to create a multi strip comics in English and a variety of languages.. There are a number of characters, emotions, thought bubbles,speaking balloons and background colors to choose from. Students can organize the characters on each strip and add text. They have some controls with regards to layout of the characters within the strip.

After adding the content to the comic the students have the option to print the final comic or email it. By using the print screen command on the keyboard the students can also paste the comic into word or PowerPoint for easy presentation.

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!

Discovery Education

 
When I first started using the Discovery Education website, I went to the site, logged in, and thought, Hmm.. Where do I start? There is so much to the site that it can be overwhelming. I knew that there was a lot to learn when I saw that the help files themselves were broken up into beginner, intermediate and advanced and if the online help screens weren’t enough, I could have also watched videos that teach about how to use the site but it is pretty easy to navigate.

As for many disciplines, there is a ton of language videos. There are some grammar and vocabulary videos, but also some quirky but funny programs for language learners. My French 1 students enjoy the "game show" TOP. It is all in French and the contestants are students from France and students who are learning French. It has different categories like trivia, search for items using direction words and prepositions. It works well with Level 1 vocabulary.

For upper levels, there is a French and Spanish video series, which the kids associate to be like "Friends". It is about a guy Sam who lives with two women in Paris or Barcelona. It is corny but the kids seem to like it. it is done mostly in the target language, but Sam speaks English a couple times to help explain certain terms, especially any slang that is used.

Sadly, this is not a free site and a school must pay for access. From what I understand it is not cheap, but I think worth the money.

teachers who don't use technology

Today, during our inservice, we were presented with a possible new grading system online. The full time French teacher, who has been teaching for 30 years, was so upset. She claims she just learned the one the school has been using for a few years. She hates technology. She does have white boards or Smart Board. She has a projector and only uses it in homeroom for the news in the morning. She is content with her chalk and black board. She has no desire to learn how to do anything and claims she is scared of technology.

What is worse is that my students from last year, who know how much I like technology, are bored stiff. On the first day they asked her if the book was online. She said no and said to go ask me how to do it. This year I have students that she had for 3 years, and they thrilled that I have brought the language and culture into the class. It just seems that technology and Education work hand in hand. My school is a true believer that we must enhance our use of technology in all subject areas. We have begun an IPad program and looking to go all MAC in the future.

Education is always changing and as a teacher I feel that it is important to keep up with it. I never want to become like the French Teacher mentioned above. If I can't keep up, maybe it will be the time for me to retire.

Using a video story as an alterante assessment..

I do not believe giving seniors a written final. They don’t study anyway, so I prefer  another form of assessment. I usually give them a list of proverbs, some we have learned in class or they are seeing for the first time. They must create a story of how the proverb came to exist. When I first did this project years ago, students use to create a book. Now with so much technology being available in schools, I have students create a video story.

It is a a lot of work and have students work with a partner and must narrate at least 5 slides each for a total of 10. They students must also find the appropriate pictures to narrate the story and use various tenses to communicate effectively. A written script must be turned in with the project. I like any additional effects or transitions of the story to create an interesting story. I provide a rubric so students know exactly what I am looking for in their project. It is a lot of work, but I think students enjoy making this video story and get more out of it than taking some written exam.

Echalk, Moodle, Blackboard...

What great tools to have blackboard, echalk, moodle and other software to communicate with students and parents. These can be used to post homework, worksheets and notes from class. A separate page can be created for each class and can be customized to meet the needs of the class.  This tool is used to collaborate with students, teachers and parents so they can view what their child is doing in class. It creates an online community where information is shared and different media can be uploaded to aid students. One example is, if students did not write the homework down in class, they can check this page and see what needs to be completed. Links can be found to worksheets or to an online textbook.  Also, links can be posted for different websites that can provide additional practice on specific topics. I have site like conjuguemos.com and le conjugeur.com on my site. Students can use these sites to conjugate verbs in any tense and practice.

Podcast Project for Spanish 3

My Spanish 3 classes will create an advertisement to promote health living, daily routine or personal care using the command form of either Ud or tú. It is important to be consistent in your dialog and use the same command throughout.  Students will work in groups of 2 or 3 and use at least two affirmative and two negative commands a long with other tenses and reflexive verbs to promote their ad. The ad must be 30 to 45 seconds long and be clearly spoken. The ad must be accompanied by a written advertisement and typed written script. Students will present their advertisement to the class and all podcasts will be saved on my echalk page.