Don't Just Take My Word for It!

I'm always looking for ways to reinforce concepts in my Spanish classroom. My students come to class without a true working knowledge (that they'll admit to) of English grammar, so presenting Spanish grammar can be a challenge. One of the most challenging topics at the beginning of study is the gender of nouns. Why is a word considered masculine or feminine? Why do adjectives have to agree in number and gender? "Can't people just speak English?" Umm...no!

I love websites that are interactive. My students lose focus when forced to sit for too long. (At least that's what I tell them because I don't show movies in class!) Study Spanish has great FREE activities and podcasts for use in the classroom. Even podcasts like The Gender of Nouns 1 wait for a response. It's time to create some of my own to make them even more personal!

With my upper-level classes, I would like to have my students create podcasts using PhotoStory or MovieMaker for different units that we do. They can choose to do one on Activities to do on a Beach (using current vocabulary of course), a specific country, or a holiday celebration coming up like Las Posadas in Mexico.

It's a Small World (after all)...

About two years ago, I signed up for an account with ePals, because (as the site says), I wanted to take my school global. Sadly, I haven't done anything with that account as I was waiting for the right class. I was intimidated by the thought of managing 137 different students and making sure no one offended anyone else, thereby starting a global war of my own! However, this year I think I've found the perfect group to use this program.

In the beginning, I thought I would like to search for a school in Europe (Spain, specifically) but since I have an affinity for all things Guatemalan, I have found a school in Guatemala with which I'd like to build this relationship. My worry is whether or not to look at peer-level (age appropriate?) students for my students to communicate with or choose younger students who might be a little more patient with my Spanish-language learners.

My students (as most teens are) tend to lean on the narcissistic side of things. What's in it for them? Why should they do this? What's the point? The point is to make their worlds a little bit larger and realize that there's actual PEOPLE who live somewhere else, do some of the same things they do and SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, but at the same time share some of the same thoughts they do about things like television, music or politics. Since almost all kids like to talk about themselves...this one should be a slam-dunk! :)

Using Digital Stories in the Classroom

My students are captivated by anything video-esque; it could be a video on YouTube, flash cards that I make up on StudyBlue, or interactive activities on Learn Spanish. If it appears on the whiteboard screen, I pretty much have their attention for some fleeting moments before I switch to the next activity and the dance starts all over again.

Integrating culture has always been a challenge for me. As a mid-level Spanish teacher (level 2 and 3), I find myself mired in trying to find new and creative ways to integrate grammar and culture kind of goes in wherever I can, which is usually isolated holiday celebrations. I think using some digital storytelling websites like Animoto, Slideroll, or Stupeflix will help me get the culture integrated in my lesson and not just a box to check off at certain times of the year.

I created this short slide show using pictures from Antigua, Guatemala, a place where I spent a great deal of time over the past few years. Although the pictures are not mine (Creative Commons pics from Flickr), I found them easy to upload and put to the pre-loaded choices of Latin music offered at Animoto.

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

I can see myself using pictures of different locales and using them to teach about bargaining with different verbs and different vocabulary words and phrases. In this case, we could talk about the coffee, jade and gorgeous textiles found in Guatemala. The "chicken buses" in Guatemala are always a fun topic of conversation for me and something cultural outside of a holiday to share with my students!

Making Up Digital Stories

I used Bookr to make my very own digital story that I will DEFINITELY use with my students this year. Mi Vida Cotidiana (My Daily Life) was SO simple to use once I figured out what to do!



Although I did run into issues when it was published that I couldn't go back and edit, but that's the breaks, right?

I will require each student to narrate their own daily activities and find appropriately licensed pictures in order to do so. With technology being so accessible, I find it very important to make sure that my students credit the appropriate writer/photographer/artist within their work. I can see myself using these for verbs, vocabulary introduction, travel, transportation, art, personal identification - virtually ANY topic I need to cover, regardless of level!

Once Upon a Time (in a Digital World)...

Simply put, digital storytelling takes "old time" narration and marries it to a technology application and makes it POP! In 7 Things You Should Know About Digital Storytelling, it states:


"People tell stories to teach beliefs and values to others."


How better than to connect to someone (or a group of people) than with a story or personal narrative? How many meetings have you attended where a speaker provides a humorous anecdote or personal story to give credence to the subject to which he/she is speaking? Digital Storytelling takes it up a notch, so to speak. It can be as simple or as complex as the speaker would like. I remember when PowerPoint presentations were the height of sophistication. Now there are sites like Prezi or SlideShare so those types of presentations are much more portable.

photo by karathepirate

Digital Storytelling can be used in a multitude of ways and in a multitude of formats to connect our students to a world that is so beyond what they know in their neighborhood, town, city, or region. So...let's get connected!!

Those Who Can... Tweet!

Social Networking and Social Media have blown up as career choices for young people, but what about those of us who are knee-deep in our chosen career and want to make use of those tools? In 28 Creative Ways Teachers are Using Twitter, that appears on www.bestcollegesonline.com, fantastic ideas are thrown out about how teachers can use Twitter to enhance their instruction.  I like the idea of instant feedback from my students, especially the ones who may be too bashful to speak up in class.  About 3 years ago, a colleague had told me about Twitter and recommended that I download TweetDeck on my computer.  I did it immediately and had "Twitter Fridays" with my level 2 Spanish students.  Those students are now seniors (I had them as freshmen) and still using it!  I would tweet a question in Spanish and students (either using a laptop or their phone) would respond in Spanish. They considered me a technological genius (and I didn't tell them any differently)!!  Now, with the changes in internet safety, Twitter is blocked in my district as a social networking site, so we're unable to use it in the classroom.  However, to connect with my students outside of the classroom regarding events inside of my classroom, I would certainly not be opposed to using it!

In his blog post entitled, Twitter for Teachers – a professional development tool, Paul Hill emphasizes the importance of developing a PLN (Personal Learning Network) and throwing your ideas out there to develop and evolve as a professional.  Since I've had my "professional" Twitter account (just a week or so), I've followed educators that I've found interesting; some of whose ideas make sense and some whose perspectives I wouldn't normally have found unless I reached out into the interwebs.  To maintain my professional certificate in my state, I need to have 175 hours of Professional Development every 5 years.  I can find 175 hours of PD using Twitter in about two months!  I can't use the time I spend on the service for my PD, but it does give me ideas on how I can make my professional life more productive!

Technolanguages is a site I have belonged to for a while, but had forgotten about it!  Sometimes, I take workshops, find something that I become very interested in, sign up and then never log into it again.  It's probably a side effect of my vida loca... :)  It's expanded a little bit since my last visit, but it doesn't appear that the forums are any more active than they used to be.

Spanish Teacher Chatboard is another place I use to connect to others in my field.  The chatboard takes on a couple of different tangents: one is the "newbies" asking for advice and the other is discussion about how to approach different topics within our common levels.  I like this particular site because one can take a look and discuss theory and practice as well as connect on grade level and find out what topics are trending in the field.

I can't say that I contribute much to these boards, I mostly lurk with a purpose in mind.  At this point in my career, I feel more confident beginning a thread or contributing my ideas to add to a discussion.  After all, I'm always willing to learn something new!

On NOT Becoming Obsolete...

A teacher is like an extension cord: plugged into two different outlets, bringing energy and power to each one.  On one end is her students; on the other is the rest of the world.  Her students are like the power source; if they aren't "plugged in", all of the power and energy is lost.  At the other end of the cord is the rest of the world, which is where her students appear to be connected.  This could be through a computer, in books, on a cellphone, or even face-to-face with each other. However, I believe that if a teacher isn't there to link the two sides, the connection is lost.


I found many interesting statements in George Siemens' article Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, but this really resonated with me:

"The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual. This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed."


In the same line of thinking, one of the things he says in his video The Network is the Learning, is:


"If I'm not continually learning, I'm becoming obsolete in my particular field or knowledge space."


He then goes on to talk about how taking courses can only do so much at extending our knowledge and helping us continue to learn.  By being a part of a NETWORK of learners who share our interests and passions, our personal knowledge will continue to evolve.  


I, for one, do not plan to (as Dylan Thomas once wrote) "...go gently into that goodnight" as an educator.  Many of my peers are doing their countdowns toward retirement rather than keeping up with technology and creating meaningful learning opportunities for their students while at the same time, "speaking their language."  It's so important for me to keep my connections viable to feel like I'm doing right by my students, my district and myself.  I do not and will not pretend to be an expert on anything and enjoy being a lifelong learner in any form.  By staying plugged into what's going on in my field and adding my two cents where it might be needed or wanted, I will NOT become obsolete!!

What Will "THEY" Think of Next?

So, the newest thing on the horizon is this service called REMIND 101: find it here.  It's being touted as TWITTER for TEACHERS and if it's as fabulous as it sounds - I'm in business!  Rather than having to have access to a computer for email or a social networking site, students AND parents can receive SMS text (you don't even need a SMARTPHONE!) messages from the teacher.  The service is only TEACHER to STUDENT/PARENT and there are no exchanges of numbers, but rather just the use of a pre-determined code for each group. Sounds secure to me! In addition, a history of messages is retained by the teacher on a dashboard feature.

I can definitely see myself using this in my classroom to remind students/parents of upcoming quizzes/tests/projects or interesting events.  One of the people who commented mentioned that he taught in a lower income district (as do I) and that not every home has a computer, but more and more homes use cellphones and have access to text messages. I don't really see a downside to using this service and if it can improve communication between school and home, I'm all for it!  I plan to do a little research, present it to my higher-ups and ask for permission to use it with my students and parents!

Who needs to travel when you have TECHNOLOGY?

In reading Brave New Digital World, by Robert Blake, I was touched by one single quote: "Technology, then, if used wisely, could play a major role in enhancing L2 learners' contact with the target language, especially in the absence of study abroad" (2).


I re-read the quote a few times and looked at it from differing points, before I really saw the word ENHANCE and not read it to mean REPLACE study abroad.  Obviously, nothing compares to standing on top of a hill looking down at a village in Guatemala that sits at the foot of a volcano or ordering in an ACTUAL (and not just authentic) Mexican restaurant.  However, I teach in a high-need urban area.  In reality, how many of my students are going to be able to afford to study abroad when they're worried about meals for the week?  By my curriculum being enriched by the sights, sounds and possible interactions with people from other cultures, maybe my students can escape their own reality for a bit and gain some of the innocence they seem to have lost by experiencing some things for the first time! Skype has proven to be quite the tool for this type of interaction and I hope when the time comes, my students are as receptive and excited as I am!


I see teaching a LOTE as one part communication and one part culture.  You can't truly understand one without the other.  For my students to be able to see even a bit of the life outside of their sleepy little town could mean the world to them. It's essential to me to learn about other cultures and I want to help them not to be so ethnocentric and see that it's okay that people do things differently.  After all, if we were all the same, what fun would that be?

Pay Attention!

This video, from http://t4.jordandistrict.org/payattention moved me to think about a few things.  I know in a class of 30 high school students, that it's likely that 25 of them have cell phones and of those 25, it's possible that 20 of them have smartphones or internet access.  Why am I not using them?  Recently, some forward thinking administrators in my district have left the decision to allow their use (or not) up to the individual teacher. I LOVE that and I'm excited to try something using a medium that so many of them find necessary to their daily lives.  I had never thought about the SMS texting use that is mentioned in this video.  A class set of laptops can run into problems - but a student's phone?  SO much more reliable than a network or equipment that may or may not work at any given point!

Safety on the Internet

A local school district's policy on internet usage: http://tinyurl.com/3r6p3pz


I found this article on http://www.netsmartz.org to be helpful as a parent to talk with my adolescent about use of the internet.  Here's some highlights:


1.  I will talk with my parent/guardian about their expectations for going online.
2.  I will keep my identity private.
3.  I will not respond to online communications that make me feel uncomfortable.
4.  I will never meet with anyone "in person" that I have first met "online" without discussing it with my parents or guardian.
5.  I will respect OTHER people's rights while online.


This site also has more grade/age appropriate pledges as well.


An interesting read: http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

Blogging in the Classroom

While there are many blogs that I enjoy reading for leisure and information, it was only recently that it occurred to me that I could potentially use them in my own classroom.  I have a colleague who frequently used hers for her AP English class writing prompts, but I worried that my use might be a little too simple.  That was BEFORE I read, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, by Will Richardson.

After reading his chapter on blogs, lightbulbs started to go off in my head.  My curriculum standards are deviating from the TWO state standards and are embracing the national LOTE standards. The FIVE C's are Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities (http://www.actfl.org).  These standards are perfect for the blogosphere.  I see myself using them for communication with my students, to help them make connections and comparisons between cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and how they can help in their own communities. All the while, they would be making their world smaller AND larger at the same time!

My students love to give feedback, whether it's positive or negative.  By encouraging students to own their opinions and feedback in a blog format, it's a win-win situation for me as a teacher.

Is Technology Making it a "Brave New World" for Teachers?

I find myself uniquely entrenched in this type of debate smack dab on the middle of the fence.  On one hand, I'm a classroom teacher who has historically used technology in the classroom to augment my instruction, but never use it in my place.  I'm always physically there, encouraging and managing my classroom.  On the other hand, I'm fortunate to be an online course instructor for high school students.  I helped create the curriculum for some of my classes and I supplement the others with other unique opportunities for students.  I skype (now there's a verb for the 21st century!) with them whenever we're able to make that work.  In addition, I use podcasts and record my notes for them so they can SEE, HEAR and READ them.  Does it replace my work as a teacher?  No!  Is it more difficult for my students to get my immediate feedback? Most definitely.

One of my major frustrations as a language teacher is the use of online translators (or apps) in the classroom.  Can I equate them with the introduction of calculators in a Mathematics class?  I'm trying, but it isn't easy! I think learning a language is just different than managing numbers, because they don't seem to change no matter which language you speak!.