Community Input - Creating a Professional Google Site

All of my Spanish III classes are creating a Google Site in Spanish with resources and recommendations (to practice the Present Subjunctive w/ verbs of influence) on specific occupations/professions.  Each small group is in charge of a web page within the site that contains information about their chosen profession.  In order to create the pages, students are researching and finding community members that hold those occupations to ask them for recommendations or advice they would give to someone that wants to go into that field.  I am impressed with their ideas/work so far and can't wait to see the finished products.  Stay tuned for another post with the final products!

Music for learning!

I like to make songs up to common tunes for my students to help them learn key concepts in class.  Today instead of just writing my lyrics on a slide and having them read/sing the words.  I created a music video fairly easily using Youtube.  Just a way to make it a little more fun and engaging!

Tools used:  Youtube, Webcam, Youtube Editor  

Take a look at my new Subjunctive song!

A new way to read!

Instead of having students take out their books and read their culture info. in Spanish.  I made a video of myself reading the information to students and highlighting key words.  They  could see the text, hear it being spoken and pinpoint key information to understand it better.  Students loved it and it created a much richer way for them to read in the target language.

Chome Timer Web App

I used the Timer app, available in the Chrome Web Store, in my classes today for a timed writing activity.

Things I love about it:

1. You can customize the background to any image.
2.  You can link a YouTube video to play when the timer goes off.
3.  I was able to add a picture from Barcelona, Spain during "La Navidad" and a Spanish carol available from YouTube to play when the timer went off.   It was a simple way to integrate a bit of culture into the lesson!

One tip - I pinned this Chrome app in my browser to have ready whenever I need to use it!

TodaysMeet - Backchanneling in the Target Language

TodaysMeet was used in my classes today to create a backchannel discussion during a video in the target language.   I posed various questions throughout the video for students to answer and even gave out some prizes for most creative/detailed answers.  It was very effective for creating further engagement in the activity and took very little time to create/prepare!  Take a look at how it went...

Google Voice Speaking Assessment

We did speaking assessments in my Spanish 4 classes today utilizing Google Voice.

The bonuses..

• Can complete 30 voice assessments during class in 10 minutes (+ approx. 1 hour to grade them)
• Can access the voice messages from anywhere using my Google Account
• Voice messages can be shared/embedded
• Can send text back to students with feedback immediately!
• Provides more opportunities to assess speaking w/in a World Language Classroom
• Super efficient!

Take a look at the process I use to do this...

*Video created by Recess Duty.

Google Forms for teaching about your "Digital Footprint"!

Instead of a traditional "talk" with students about what is appropriate when using Social Media in the classroom, I created a Google Form with information/reminders about what is appropriate.  Underneath the information, I added a couple of questions that ask students to verify that they understand the expectations of using Twitter/other social media in my classroom.  Students will read the info on the form, answer the questions and submit it to me before we begin our first Twitter discussion tomorrow.  Take a look at the form below.