Fodey.com is fabulous...

Tool: Fodey.com is a free online tool that one can use to generate newspaper clippings, talking tomatoes, wizard text and more. The cool thing about this site is that you do not need to create an account to start. You simply type in your text and it generates the product.

I used the newspaper clip tool with my Spanish III students to practice the Spanish Subjunctive with adjective clauses. The task that I gave them was to write a newspaper ad for an item that they were looking for. It could be a car, house, ipod, etc. The students simply typed their ad into the newspaper clip generator and clicked the generate button. Just like that they had created their very own realistic looking want ad! I then had students save their ad for me to grade at a later time. So easy!

Results/Reflection: I was really impressed by this tool and overjoyed at how easy and userfriendy it was. It was nice not to have to create an account to use the features. The only drawback was that students couldn't save their work while they were working on it. I definitely recommend this tool to other educators! It would be a great starting tool for someone just starting to use web 2.0 tools in the classroom.

Google Sites Grrrrrrreat!

Tool:  Google Sites is a tool that I implemented as an assessment tool in my Spanish 3 classes.  Each class of students developed a class website with information on various professions, but in Spanish of course!  Each group of students collaboratively worked on a page for the site and was in charge of specific profession.   They had to include on their page what we were studying...characteristics of a person, professions, and the present subjunctive with verbs of influence along with some other fun features like links to resources, gadgets and images. 

 

Results/Reflection: The project itself went very well and the students were very engaged in what they were doing.  It was amazing to see what they put together and also know that the students had practiced a skill (web page creation) that would be beneficial in their future!  In addition, they successfully integrated what we were learning in a contextual and real life way.

Tips:

• Set up a blank web site template for each class prior to introducing the project to students.    That way they can go and start working on their pages immediately. 
• For giving students access to the group site, the easiest way is to create one class account and give all the students the same username and password.  The nice thing about Google Sites is you can always revert back to an earlier edited version. 
• If you want to have each student login with their own username/password, they will each need to set up a google account.  This can take some time...So, I would suggest having them do this prior to going into the lab (maybe as a homework assignment?).  They will also all need to have an e-mail address.    You cannot send out invites to the Google Site Template you set up until the students have created and activated their Google Accounts.  
• Have students manually save regularly.  Many students are used to using programs that automatically save and forgot to save some of their stuff.  I brought a little bell into the lab and would ring it every 10-15 minutes to remind them to do this. :)

Texting 4 Class?

Tool: MASS TEXTING- I started mass texting my students this year to communicate important class information such as reminders for tests, project deadlines, study tips and other announcements. To do this I....

• sent out a parental permission form which gave both students and parents the option of signing up for the texts.
• added each student and parent as a contact in my cell phone.
• set up groups within my cell phone based on the class period that the student was in.
• started sending out mass texts to the groups I had set up.

** I know this process/way may not work for everyone based on your phone type, phone carrier or comfortability using your personal phone. However, there are some other ways to implement this tool such as using Google Voice or Microsoft Outlook (Thanks to Kevin Bals and his blog post on Using Microsoft Outlook for Texting Reminders to Students.. for showing me this method!).

Results/Reflections: I know the first thing everyone is probably thinking is that I must have received some inappropriate texts from students. That is not the case! Actually, I have not received any. I am amazed at the positive student and parent feedback I have received so far. Students really like receiving the reminders via text, since they almost always have their phones with them or nearby. It is an effective way of communicating important info, especially outside of the school day. Additionally, parents have told me that the mass texts are great for keeping up with what is going on in class and helps them to check in with their son/daughter to ensure they are turning in assignments, meeting deadlines, etc. I definitely plan to continue the practice of mass texting students and their parents in the future.

Classroom Project Runway!

 

Tool:  My Virtual Model is a tool that I used to have my Spanish II students recreate their own version of the popular TV show Project Runway.  For this project my students each created a "look" by dressing a virutal model with an original outfit.  They then wrote a detailed description of it in Spanish, which could be typed right on the site and saved for me to grade.  For the actual fashion show (class presentations) students put up their virtual model, wearing their "look", on the LCD projector and described it to their classmates in the target language. 

Results/Reflections:  I was amazed at the interest level of the students during the presentations of their classmates.  They were really motivated and the end results showed it! They really liked the chance to be creative and I liked the fact that they practiced such a rich variety of their new vocab. in the target language and wrote really quality descriptions of their orginal outfit designs!  Another cool feature to this tool is that the clothing choices on the site can actually be purchased online!

Gotta love Google Docs!

 

Tool:  Google Docs!!  I recently created an Internet scavenger hunt for my Spanish III classes to learn about different holiday traditions in Spanish speaking countries around the world.  To do this I utilized the forms feature of Google Docs.   All I had to do was... 1. Write a few directions 2. Include the link to the website(s) for the scavenger hunt.  3.Input the questions for students to answer.  Afterwards, I embedded the form and questions onto my class webpage.  Students could submit their answers directly from my site, which made it even more efficient.

Reflections/Results:  I will definitely be using Google Docs more in the future!  The forms feature specifically was so efficient and I can envision using it in a variety of ways in education.  Teachers could create mini quizzes, solicit student feedback, use it for polling, webquests, and more!  It is definitely a must for any teacher toolbox!

The beginnings of a blog....

Tool:  Blogger! I have been debating with myself about starting a blog for the last six months, but have finally now decided to take a leap and begin! My name is Katie Titler and I am a High School Spanish Teacher in Wisconsin.  I truly love what I do and am consistently seeking new and more effective ways to help my students learn the Spanish language.  Over the past year and a half I have implemented quite a few new strategies within my classroom and experimented with some new technology tools which have taken my teaching to a whole new level.  The goal of this blog is to share my reflections on technology tools that I find to be valuable with others.  I hope it is helpful!