Back Again

Here are a few more technology tips and tricks that I have been using and trying out this year in my classroom.

Digital Storytelling:

Last year my Spanish III class created an iMovie based on a Spanish language learning sitcom that I download from Discovery Education. They wrote and produced the movie using their laptops and then edited their footage to produce the following product. We then had a red-carpet premiere for the entire school.

Google Earth

I know I've talked about Google Earth before, but I just think it's awesome. Plus, it is always getting better and new features are being added. One feature that I just recently found out about is a "virtual tour" of sorts of el Museo del Prado in Madrid. You can travel to Madrid and take a look, in high resolution, of some incredible works of art.

Apple Learning Interchange

It's not just for Apple users. This a community for educators to connect with other educators and create and share lesson plans and ideas for the classroom.

Delicious.com

Delicious is a cite to store all of your bookmarks. You can also share the links you bookmark with others and they can share theirs with you.

Twitter

This is something new (for me), that I have just started to explore. It has some of the social networking aspects of facebook or myspace, but also has the potential to be used for learning. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate this into my classroom. Any ideas?

Web-Based Resources for FLL

There are soooooo many resources out there on the web for teachers. We just have to know where to look. Here are some links to web-based resources that I use in my classroom. And the best thing about all of them is that they are all FREE!


1. Wordchamp.com
I learned about wordchamp last fall, and have been using it ever since. Wordchamp allows you to set up classes and assign homework. There is a web-reader. You can make and/or upload vocabulary lists. Then you can download vocab lists as mp3 files and snyc them with your ipod. There are a lot of options. The most time consuming thing is getting everyone signed up and joined in the right class. I mostly use wordchamp.com to have student built their own chapter vocabulary lists and to practice vocab flashcards and verb conjugations. Plus, it's all FREE!



2. United Streaming Video
Discovery Education provides this web site full of great educational videos. This is a free resource for schools. It is a "digital video-on-demand and online teaching service".
There are tons of educational videos available for the Spanish classroom. Simply do a search for Spanish, and you'll get over 100 videos! I use United Streaming mostly with my Spanish III class and we watch a sitcom-like video called "Extra". It is done all in Spanish and is about a rich American learning to live in Spain and speak in Spanish and all of the craziness that ensues. My students really like it and are encouraged by the fact that they understand what is being said and what is going on.


3. Google Earth
I had heard of Google Earth before, but I'd never experienced it until one random day I decided to download the free application. It's amazing! Google Earth allows you to take trips all over the world, especially the Spanish-speaking world, for my uses. There is even a site with Google Earth lesson plans devoted to Spanish. I had my Spanish III class use Google Earth to plan a virtual vacation to Spain. By setting place marks they were able to save locations and descriptions of their "visit" to some of the most famous historical and cultural centers of Spain.


4. Quia.com
Quia.com is a web site for use by teachers and students alike. Quia allows teachers to create quizzes, games, and web sites for use in the classroom and then share them with the world. If you want to use a quiz or game already created it is free and you just have to search for your subject area. If you want to create your own stuff, it costs $50 for a year subscription. I use this in class for reviewing and reinforcing concepts. They kids enjoy the interaction and competition.

Computer Applications & Lesson Ideas

When it comes to integrating technology into the curriculum, the possibilities are endless. If you can dream it, you can do it. Start by taking a lesson you have already done and change it in some small way to integrate technology. The trick is making sure that the technology is used as a supplement to the content, not the other way around. It doesn't have to be complicated or tricky. Here are some ideas using applications that are already on the computers that you probably already know how to use.

1. Microsoft Word
This basic, everyday application is usually thought of as simply a word processing application. But by using some of the features that are normally overlooked, Word becomes a resource for learning. I use the templates found in the Project Gallery to have my students create menus during our food chapter. I find that by using the templates, they spend a lot less time messing around with the layout and design, and are able to get down to the business of the task at hand. It forces them to use new vocabulary and categorize it. They get excited about being able to have choice and make decisions and often go above and beyond the requirements of the assignment. After they are done, I have them use each other's menus to practice ordering food and asking for things at a restaurant.

2. Power Point
Everyone knows that Power Point is great for preparing and giving presentations, but I use some of the other features of Power Point in my class to have my students create digital flashcards. By using transitions, timing, voice and image features the kids make their own interactive flashcards. Then after they are finished I put their flashcards online so they are accessible to everyone.

3. CPS: Classroom Performance System AKA "the clickers"
Of all the technology that I use in my classes "the clickers" are my students' favorite. CPS is a computer based system that allows teachers to assess and students to receive immediate feedback using individual remote controls or "clickers" and a portable receiver. The kids love the interaction and the competition and I love that my students actually get excited about an assessment.

Some of My Favorite Technology Links

Here are direct links to some of my favorite technology/education
related sites on the web that I use most for my classes.


1. Quia.com
Quizzes, games, reviews

2. Zamzar.com
File conversions

3. Rubistar.com
Great for making rubrics.

4. VoiceThread.com
Uses video, images and voice to watch and create digital lessons

5. Slideshare.net
Good site to find and share Power Points/slide shows to use in class.

6. Clipart4schools.com
Great place for you and your students to find images and animations to be used in digital projects.

7. PBS.org
This is an array of lesson plans dealing with immigration and cultural awareness.

8. WebQuest.org
Find and create webquests to use in class.

9. Verb Conjugation Trainer
Allows students to practice new verb endings.

10. StudySpanish.com
Great site with grammar, vocabulary and quizzes.