Using Podcasts in the Foreign Language Classroom

I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate native Spanish-speaking input in my lessons. While Youtube is a great way to look for and find Spanish videos, it's sometimes difficult to find exactly what I need. For example, if I'm doing an introductory lesson on greetings, I might find some videos related to the topic, but to search through all of that information is very time consuming. I do prefer that my students hear other Spanish speakers other than me, so I looked over a few different Podcasts that could be very useful in my classroom, and they're a lot easier to find.


A great website that has different categories for each Podcast is SpanishPodcast/Español Podcast. Here you will find a ton of free Spanish Podcasts and each one has a situational dialogue with a wide variety of different topics. In each "episode" there is a conversation, a specific grammar focus, a small explanation of the dialogue, as well as a transcript. The one I chose to listen to is titled "Saludos Informales" or Informal Greetings. There is a brief introduction given in both English and Spanish:
"In our 138th episode (Informal Greetings), our friends are meeting today in their apartment where Coral, Luisa, Alejandra and Pilar are still living...."
The introduction goes on to talk about the situation included with the dialogue.


This is a Podcast I would definitely use as a teaching tool. Since each Podcast has an option to see a transcript of the dialogue, I could use that to make some sort of cloze activity, leaving out bits and pieces of information to have the students fill out as they listen along. In this particular episode, it focuses mainly on informal greetings that can only be understood contextually. Most of these informal greetings aren't normally taught through textbooks or any other supplementary aids that may come with the text (videos worksheets, etc.) so it's also a great way to introduce colloquial terms and other cultural aspects of the Spanish language that might go unnoticed in a foreign language classroom.


I really like the idea of Podcasts as a teaching tool. There are a lot of free Podcasts that could be very useful, especially if you're trying to incorporate native language speakers in  your teaching.

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!

Foreign Language learning through Online Gaming

Previously I posted about using games in the classroom to foster learning. The "escape the room" game" I chose was definitely more of a casual game, where I sort of just made up some rules to promote vocabulary reinforcement. I have found a great website that is specifically for language learning other than just for reinforcing vocab. Digital Dialects is a website dedicated to serious foreign language games. The home page gives you the option to choose a language (they have 70!) Being a Spanish teacher, that was obviously my choice. Once you pick your language, the site brings you to a page where you can chose basic/introductory vocabulary, but there are also tabs at the top that lets you work with more grammar-oriented topics. There is a section on games, verbs, spelling, and even advanced vocabulary. Lets say I chose "greetings" under the "games" section. It gives you a list of about 20 words that are commonly used, as well as their English translation. There is also a button to click on to listen to the pronunciation of the word. Underneath the list, there are two game options that are audio or text only. It's basically a matching game, but definitely good for vocabulary reinforcement. What I really like is the verb conjugation part. They give you four different subject pronouns (you, I, he, we, etc.) and a verb that is conjugated. The object is to match the conjugated verb to the right subject pronoun, and it tells you if you're right or wrong.

I've played a number of these games under the Spanish language section, and I would definitely use it in the classroom, especially for verb conjugations. There are also a number of learning objectives I could come up with in any of the games: Students will be able to tell time in Spanish; SWBAT talk about foods in Spanish, etc. I think the primary use for me would be more vocabulary reinforcement. Assessing these games are not as easy, however. Lets say I'm learning about months of the year. If I choose the wrong one, the game will take me back to the list of months to show me what the correct answer is, then takes you back to the game to re-do it until you've completed all 12 months. I suppose this would be more of a self-assessment for the students, so they know what words they have to study harder, or maybe I could give them a mini-quiz on the vocabulary they have reinforced through these games.

With the availability of technology in schools now, I feel it is important to keep up with these trends. Luckily there are so many options we can find to use technology and games in the classroom to promote authentic learning, while keeping students engaged and having fun.

Learning with Games

 

Gaming (weather online or not) is something that everyone has done at least once in their lifetime. With the current trend of using technology in the classroom, I ask myself, "can we make gaming a part of learning?" It would definitely keep the students' attention. I recently read an article that discusses "gamification" in the classroom. In 7 Things You Should Know About Gamification, it is described as "the application of game elements in non-gaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior." The example given in the article is a game used for an introductory forestry class. The students are sent out to explore different plants and identify them, while taking pictures of the plants with their cell phones as they go along. The teacher gave them a rubric to follow as well, and two weeks to complete the task. While something like this wouldn't work for all subject areas, we are able to use computers in the classroom that would accommodate any subject. Clearly there has to be some guidelines to use games in the classroom, to ensure the students are staying on task. I asked the same question you're thinking: How much real learning is going to happen with a game? In the same article, they discuss ways that games are effective for learners:

• Competition gets students more engaged
• Stimulation from the game can help students sharpen an ability
• Gaming forms learning communities to foster teamwork
• Encourages more complex, interactive scenarios that extend beyond the classroom
• Higher-level thinking

Of course there are some downsides (as with almost everything,) like trying to effectively implement gaming in the classroom, ensuring that the program works properly, etc. The game I tested out that could have its use in a foreign language classroom is called The Great Kitchen Escape. It is an "escape the room" game where the player has to find certain clues to, well, escape the room. While this could be difficult as a one-person game, there is a "walkthrough" option that shows the gamer exactly which clues to click on and "collect" and how to beat the level. This particular game has to do with kitchen vocabulary. If I were to implement it to reinforce vocabulary (which would be my main learning objective for this game) I would have the students work in pairs. One student will be the person searching for the clues, and the other student will watch the walkthrough video to tell the student what to do (in the target language of course!) For example, if the walkthrough video shows that you need to click and open the drawer to grab a knife for something, the person watching the video can give instructions to the other student using the vocabulary for "knife."

I've personally played the game once, but have played others a few times (The Great Living Room Escape, The Great Bedroom Escape, etc.) It would definitely be used with a walkthrough because most of the vocabulary would be hard to verbalize for a level I language class. The student watching the walkthrough could say, "Go to the drawer, open it and click on the cuchillo (knife)." As long as it reinforces some vocabulary words, I think it would be put to good use. As a teacher, I would have to walk around and watch the students to simply monitor what they're doing, to make sure the task is being completed. The images in the game (or the clues) would be where they would have the chance to use the vocabulary words related to whatever topic they're learning.

Assessing whether or not the learning objectives were met would be hard. Obviously the teacher would have to play the game first, but if it were me facilitating the gaming, I would make a check list for both students to fill out, and maybe have them make a list of what vocabulary words they used for the game.

If used properly, I think gaming could be a very effective tool in the classroom. It's just a matter of finding the right game that serves you and your students, and being creative!

Twitter for Professional Development

Social media can be a great way not only for personal use, but for developing a professional learning network (PLN) for educators. While it is always best to do what is right for yourself, we could always use help or suggestions to make social media more effective for educational purposes. Two articles I read about using Twitter for professional development (The Teacher's Guide to Twitter and 10 Twitter Mistakes You Should Avoid) have really good insight on how to make Twitter right for you.




The Teacher's Guide to Twitter

This article is very concise and has many suggestions to use Twitter effectively for education. One of the issues that is brought up is how to weed through microbloggers to find the ones right for you. Hashtags are very important. One suggestion given is to find educational hashtags and keywords relating to your topic to develop a PLN. The article also advises to create and share your own resources, not just consume others. As for following others, make sure you find experts on your topic to follow. There is also a lengthy list of 100 ways to use Twitter for more effective usage: Talk to people about their interests, use hashtags, don't try to read everything, share your information and credentials, as well as many others.




10 Twitter Mistakes You Should Avoid

This is a very short article giving anyone advice on what not to do:

• Don't over-tweet
• Don't re-tweet compliments
• Don't tweet about food

The list goes on. I think it's good advice to have a better following. I think about it this way: I don't want to see certain things people tweet about (food, specifically) so I wouldn't tweet about those things either.




Overall I think Twitter is a very good way for developing a Professional Learning Network to help find resources, share information, and ultimately connect with other like-minded individuals to help teachers be more effective in the classroom.

Educational Tweeting

             

I recently attended a general educational chat (#edchat) on Twitter as a means to communicate and collaborate with other teachers and colleagues. I found that Twitter in general can be put to good use in the classroom. As long as you follow the right people, you can find a ton of resources. One of the educators I'm following (+WeAreTeachers for example), posted a really cool article on how to use icebreakers in the classroom using technology. As far as using Twitter as a means of professional development, I feel like it could be very useful. For me however, I found that the times for specific Twitterchats are inconvenient. There are some that go on from 8-9 p.m. on weeknights, which are almost impossible for me to check out. Users are able to search hashtags to find relevant topics geared toward the same topic of the chat, but sometimes they talk about specific topics only, and users can't participate if they're not on Twitter at the right time.

The topic that was chosen for the Education Chat in which I participated (12-1 p.m.) was "What purpose do blogs have in the life of educators?" I found a lot of pros and cons from other tweets.

Some of the pros:

• It helps with learning and reflection
• Students are able to connect with other students and improve their writing
• Blogs can help keep a timeline of students' learning progress
• Teachers can build professional learning networks
• Gets students motivated and keeps them engaged
• Enhances 21st century learning skills

Here are some of the cons:

• The quality of blogs need to be monitored (if students are using them)
• It's hard to tell the focus of the blog without quality
• PRIVACY (There must be guidelines established)
• How do you decide what to put on a blog?
• Is a blog the most appropriate form of reflection?
• How do we stay motivated when no one reads our blog?

Overall, I thought it was interesting to see other people's insight on this topic. If it were more convenient for me to attend Twitterchats, I would really like to see what other topics are brought up, and check out other chats. I do believe this is a great way for networking, and to get new ideas and perspectives on certain issues regarding education. You are able to freely share any information you choose, as well as download any information. The hashtag feature really makes finding the right topics accessible and easy to find appropriate microbloggers for educational purposes.

Social Bookmarking vs Curating: A look at Diigo vs Scoop.it

I have never heard anything about social bookmarking or curating until I explored both Diigo and Scoop.it. Both websites allow users to collect, save and share information found on the internet. I found both pros and cons with each website. They are both equally useful, but very different.

First, let's take a look at diigo. It is a great website to save information and websites for the future. You are able to create an account for a specific topic, or even for personal use. I created my account with the intention to save websites for foreign language teaching. It's a lot like bookmarking websites, or putting them under your favorites, but with diigo you're able to save websites easier. With each url (lets say I use wordreference.com a lot) you are able to create different tags. Under this website, I would tag "foreign language", "reference", "Spanish," etc. Diigo saves these tags and organizes each website that you've "bookmarked" on your account under these tags. That way, you can just click on the side bar under "Spanish" and it will show you every website you've saved with the "Spanish" tag to find them easier. I think its very simple to use and you can copy and past the url right into your library. I like the fact you can also share the information and follow other people who have like-minded websites.

Scoop.it is a website where the user is able to pick a topic of their choosing and "curate" that topic. One of the topics I chose was "Foreign Language Classroom Teaching Ideas." You are able to enter different tags (in this case I would type in "Spanish language", "teaching ideas..." etc) and there are different links automatically generated that would fit this topic. You can then create "scoops" under this topic in which you choose a website, article, video relating to the topic and it will save all this information for you. I found this a little harder to use than diigo.

In my opinion, I prefer diigo. You are able to chose exactly which links to put in your library. With scoop.it, I found it difficult to find information relating to my topic. It doesn't give you the option to put in your own links, it works based off of the tags you used for your topic then finds links that it thinks would fit under your topic. Both websites make suggestions for you to add to your library or your topics, which I find helpful, and you are able to follow others on both websites. If I were to continue using one of these, it would definitely be diigo. I find that it could be helpful in the classroom by having students or even colleagues follow your account to get ideas, or help with certain things.

Shift Happens

 

When I sit down and really think of the technological advances I have witnessed in my 29 years, it is really quite astounding. When I sit down and look at specific statistics that have shown the growth of technology and even the population of the world, (and how rapid it's growing,) it's almost overwhelming. A quick look at these statistics are shown in the following videos: Social Media Revolution 2011, and Did You Know?/Shift Happens. Although they are short videos (less than 5 minutes each,) they are filled with a wealth of statistics shown through info-graphics.

The Social Media Revolution

This video (although only 2 1/2 minutes long) really took me by surprise. I know technology has advanced quickly over the past 10 years, and even quicker in the past 5, but I didn't know how fast. Here are some things that I found interesting:

• E-readers have surpassed traditional book sales
• 1 in 5 couples meet online
• Kindergarteners learn on iPads in the classroom (not chalkboards)
• Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the US
• 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on Facebook 
• If Wikipedia were a book, it would be 2.25 million pages long

I remember when I was in school, Facebook, Wikipedia, iPads etc. didn't even exist. (Wow, I feel old saying that!) The rapid growth of social media has an impact on everyone, whether we like it or not, but it's all about how we use it. I can't even imagine growing up now, already having access to the technology we do now. I look at some of my students carrying around their iPhones, iPods, hearing them talk about Snapchat, Instagram... and they're only 12! I didn't have my first cell phone until I was 18. It is very interesting to see this generation growing up with everything they have now, and I'm excited to see what else is going develop in the next 10 years. One of my favorite quotes about social media is this: "The best thing about social media, is that you're connected to the world. The worst thing about social media, is that you're connected to the world." I'm always telling my students to be careful how they use social media, because it could be a blessing, or a curse.

Did you know/Shift Happens

 This video had a lot to do with the rapid growth of technology in relation to the growth of world population, but also about general changes that have occurred worldwide (just within the past 5-10 years.) Just like the previous video, it was full of info-graphics showing mind-blowing statistics. Here are a few of them:

• China will become the #1 English speaking country in the world
• 25% of India's population with the highest IQ is greater than the population of the entire US
• The top 10 jobs in demand for 2010 did not exist in 2004 (We are also preparing students for jobs that don't exist)
• Half of what students are currently studying will be outdated by their junior year of college
• There are 12 billion searches done in one month on Google
• There are 800 million Facebook users. If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3rd largest in the world

I really enjoy the title of this video: Shift Happens. I think that is a perfect way to describe the statistics shown in this video. The world is not static; it is always changing. I was just shocked at how fast these changes occurred. To think that what students learn now in the classroom will be outdated in the matter of 5 years is crazy to me. Even now, I hear students talking about certain popular things, (Snapchat, for example) and in my head I think "What are they talking about?" (I often ask them what it is, just out of curiosity.)

To see all of these ongoing changes, and really taking a look at the statistics was surprising, and like I previously said, it's overwhelming. I'm wondering if there will be a point in my life where I'll get so overwhelmed with the growth of technology, I'll become scared of it, or have no idea how to even begin to use it. Even looking at my own parents trying to navigate an e-reader (and struggling,) it's hard for me to figure out why they can't do certain things. It's like second nature to me to use it, and figure it out (and very frustrating to help them!) because I grew up with all of this technology. I wonder what my kids will grow up with in the future.