World-Wide Classroom Collaboration: ePals

A few weeks ago, some of my 8th grade students asked me about pen pals, and if that's something I could look into for them. They seemed really interested and excited about this possible project. Recently, I checked out the website ePals. Since writing actual letters is pretty antiquated (and time consuming), ePals is a way to connect with other classrooms around the world online through email, and other means of communication. If you go to this website, there is an option to pick a language and an age range. So I chose Spanish, with the age ranges of 11-13. Immediately I found several classrooms looking to connect with English speakers to share cultural information, traditions, and to use their second language. One teacher from Argentina posted: "My students are Spanish speakers who are learning English as a second language. They would like to contact native English speakers all over the world to exchange emails and know about one another." I also found on the first page teachers from Spain, Puerto Rico, and Colombia looking for the same thing. The teacher then leaves their contact information if you're interested to connect with them. The user has to sign up for the website, but it's free.

Not only can you exchange information with other classrooms worldwide to email other students and practice a language, they have a lot of other activities. Just out of curiosity, I clicked on their projects page and found a "Teacher Spotlight." The teacher who they highlighted is from India who created this collaborative detective story that was shared from their classroom in India, to classrooms in Russia and Texas. Here is a brief description of the game:

"Students learned the concept of writing a short narrative detective story with twists and turns in collaboration with their foreign friends. The project motivated and engaged students in reading stories in the crime fiction genre."



 For this project, the students had to use logical thinking and reasoning skills to brainstorm the composition of the story, and they learned about one another's cultures. There are also a lot of teacher resources, in addition to projects. I explored the learning centers tab, and clicked on World Geography. What I found was a type of treasure hunting game and they used the term geochache which is an activity in which people use a GPS device to go on “treasure hunts” to discover objects that have been hidden by others. The directions tell you to hide a small object in a waterproof plastic bag with a piece of paper and writing utensil. Then you hide the object in a public location with the coordinates of where the object is hidden. On the second day, each team starts with one coordinate on the list and whoever finds all of them wins. This would be a lot more time consuming, but if it is well planned out, could be a very fun way to learn culture.

If I were to use this website, I would chose a certain classroom and exchange emails so the students can write back and forth (in the target language of course!) I really think this is a great way to collaborate, develop a professional learning network, as well as a cool way to use technology in the classroom. It is very engaging for the students too! I would definitely consider doing something like this in the future.

Even More Digital Storytelling! -GoAnimate

Much like Animoto, GoAnimate is another great way to be used as a teaching and learning tool. They are both good ways to use digital storytelling, although unlike Animoto, the user is able to manipulate characters to create an original video, not just using pictures and text to create a slide show. With GoAnimate, the free version only allows 30 second movies to be created like Animoto, but there is a lot more involved. The user can choose a setting for their movie, which characters they want to use, and they can even make the characters move and preform a variety of different gestures and emotions. What I like about this, is that you can type what you want the characters to say (there are default voices for each character) and you can even change the language they speak. This short video I created using GoAnimate is a small interaction where two characters are meeting each other for the first time. They are introducing themselves in Spanish, and talking about where they are from (typical introductory vocabulary.) This would be very useful in the classroom as a teaching tool for reinforcement, and even listening comprehension. It will definitely engage the students, especially if you have the characters make silly gestures. If the default voices are not very comprehensible, you can even record voices of your own. I also like how it can be customized to the curriculum (using chapter vocabulary, grammar concepts, etc.) I think this would be a great project for the students to use in the classroom, however it is very time-consuming. To apply each movement to each character in the scene, to type the dialogue, create new scenes, it seems like a lot of work for such a short video. It would definitely be something that would take a few days to do in the classroom. 

More Digital Storytelling: Animoto

Digital storytelling is a great way to incorporate meaningful learning in the classroom. It would also be a great tool for teaching, and there are a lot of free options online. For my digital story, I used a website called Animoto. Here, the user is able to upload video with text, and the website will create a cool slideshow for you with audio. Here is a video I made that would be appropriate for classroom use. It is geared toward using vocabulary relating to clothing items, as well as reinforcing the verb llevar (to wear) in Spanish. It's basically made from photos I had on my computer of random family events in which I describe their clothing. I made sure to use different subject pronouns in the captions to draw the students' attention to the different verb forms.


I think this would be a great tool to reinforce as well as introduce new concepts. It was very simple to use, and I could see myself giving the students a project to make their own digital story. They would incorporate chapter vocabulary and any grammar concepts used as well. One idea in which they could use digital storytelling is for household chores (cleaning, vacuuming, etc.) The students can take pictures on their phones of themselves doing household chores and then upload the pictures to their computer. From the Animoto website, they then can create a short video by uploading these photos with captions for each one (in the target language of course.) The only downside with Animoto is that the free version only lets you create a 30 second video, otherwise you can upgrade to the pay option to create a longer video. The user has to register with their email and create a password, but it would definitely be worth a free 30 second video. Especially if it's a mini-project that is being graded, it's a lot easier to assess (and less time-consuming) than a 5 minute video!

Digitl Storytelling in the Classroom

Technology in the classroom is trending everywhere. As an educator, I am always looking for new ways to present material in the classroom (or even new ways to assess my students,) I recently read two articles about digital storytelling; what it is, its use in the classroom, as well as some pros and cons.



 7 Things You Should Know About: Digital Storytelling

In this article, digital storytelling is defined as "The practice of combining narrative with digital content including images, sound and video to create a short movie," or "the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories." Basically anyone can create a digital narrative while incorporating animation, sound and pictures. There are many pros to using this format in the classroom. It facilitates different learning styles as well as connects to the students' interest in technology. Since there is a variety of multimedia available for use in digital storytelling, teachers can reach students of different learning capabilities, and students can design it to fit their needs if they were to use it as a project. Another advantage of using digital storytelling is that there are a lot of free applications online, and anyone can create their own digital story. It also helps the user draw deeper connections to the subject matter, which can help students become more engaged.

According to the article, there are some drawbacks to using this in the classroom. There is a possibility that it could be somewhat difficult to figure out how to use digital storytelling. For example, if a student or user is uncomfortable with technology, they might become overwhelmed having to upload pictures, add sound or animation, and some of the multimedia needed can be quite expensive. From an educators standpoint, it could be hard to assess a students' digital story. The directions and rubrics would have to be very clear.  

Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling


I found this article to be more informative on its uses in the classroom. Here, Daniel Meadows who is a British photographer and educator describes digital storytelling as "Short, personal multimedia tales told from the heart." I enjoyed this definition because it relates back to who is using a digital story, and for what purpose; if something is truly meaningful to the student, it is more likely that they will have a greater benefit from the assignment. For example, if I gave one of my students a topic that they had to research and choose a side, they could create a digital narrative of it, explaining their choice and why. As a learning tool for students, digital storytelling can help students to analyze and synthesize concepts in a more efficient manner. It would help them to organize ideas, express their opinions in their narratives, and they have the ability to share their stories online. The more meaningful the assignment is, the more the student will be engaged.


The article also talks about how digital storytelling can be used as an instructional tool. Teachers could show stories to present new material or introduce new concepts. If it is in a narrative format, the students may retain new information better. A narrative could be used as an anticipatory set, and it could also be used to make abstract concepts more understandable. In a foreign language classroom especially, the teacher can create digital stories using chapter vocabulary, or even to emphasize a new grammar concept.


I think that digital storytelling can be an effective tool in the classroom. Not only is it interactive, it will promote technology in the classroom and has a variety of benefits to reach all different types of learners. It will engage the students and make the task at hand more meaningful.