Podcast for Classroom

http://learnrealspanish.libsyn.com/rss


This is the link for the podcast that I would like to use for my students. Once there, the title of the podcast, since there are quite a few on this site, is "Happy Christmas! A special show full of Christmas vocab, and detailed Christmas in Spain"

This podcast is about 20 minutes long, but it went pretty quickly. The hosts, Ben & Marina, begin by going over the topic from the previous lesson. They then continue to talk about Christmas practices in Spain and in England, since Ben is English. They speak in both English and Spanish, and they also allow you to answer a question or make a translation, leave you a few seconds, and then give you the answer. They also give you vocabulary and pronunciation and even homework (to talk about your Christmas celebrations).

The podcasts also come with worksheets, but you have to buy those. I looked at the sample one, and it includes the transcript of the lesson and its translation, vocabulary and meaning, and 'cool' Spanish phrases. If you buy the packet of worksheets for about 47 euros, it comes with a 1-year money back guarantee. So if you were going to get into this hardcore, it seems like it would be a good investment.

The podcast I listened to was for beginners, but there is also an intermediate and advanced level, with corresponding worksheets.

My students are literally hooked to their IPODs. They are allowed to listen to them in class if they have reached a certain behavior level. I'd love to have them listen to this as well. I would post it on my teacher website, but I'm not sure how many students would take the initiative and download it. I'm not sure if they have even been on my website at all, other than when we use it in class. I was thinking about assigning it as an extra credit project (individual) to listen and then answer questions about the podcast. Also, when my students are sent to the suspension room, they could listen to one of these and then write a paragraph or two about what they have learned. My only fear is that the computers may not have the capabilities of downloading and listening to these podcasts. I'd have to check that out before I assigned it to the suspended students. In class, though, I feel as if this would be a good substitute teacher assignment: have them listen to the podcast and follow it up with a worksheet that they could answer as they went along. I could even do that myself, but it seems like a really solid backup plan as well. Our classes usually last about 35 minutes, after settling down and all, and it seems like the perfect compromise between IPOD use and Spanish class.

Using Survey Monkey Globally

This would be a GREAT tool for my students to use and get involved in. They could create their own surveys and questions about practically anything. Then, they could each ask their pen pals using epals to get the survey filled out. The pen pals could answer and even get their friends to respond as well. The class could then do a project as a whole, comparing and contrasting answers from different students and different parts of the world. I think that this would help support global awareness and lessen the ignorance of some of my students by showing them how similiar they really are to students around the world.

I'd use epals because....

In my case, I work with alternative kids. Epals would be easier for me to monitor. I also think that if I gave them the website for Kidlink, they would do more fooling around on it than actual learning. With a pen pals website, I can easily monitor their letters, language and ideas, and I can also ensure that my students are working by having a letter to show for it. With my kids, I need to see that they are making progress and doing work. Also, I can have a bunch of letter to show their parents their progress/problems. So, for me, Epals would be a better fit.

Global Cooperation Comparison

One of the sites I looked at and liked was www.epals.com. This site allows you to sign up to become a member for free, which is always good. Also, it's managed by other teachers and administrators to ensure the safety of students. It's easy to find people from anywhere around the world to connect with and set up communication between students. As a user, I can monitor, delete, or even edit messages my students send or receive. I can also block some messages if needed.

Another site I looked at was Kidlink.com. This seemed a little bit harder to navigate. The website was set up differently than I'm used to. The idea of this site was different from epals. Here, students can post their artwork, pictures and more. They can also connect with other kids based on their common interests, like what they want to be when they grow up. Students can pick and choose what they want to look at and what they want to learn about. There is a great variety to pick from as well.

Wiki

Here's our wiki link. I HOPE it works, this was a little confusing for me. I hope I used the right wiki site (googledocs).

Have Fun & Go Bills!

Twitter V. Pownce

So, I'm a Facebook kind of gal. I use that to keep in contact with my friends and see what everyone is up to. I honestly check that a few times a day but had to keep reminding myself to check Twitter & Pownce. I think that if more of my friends were on either of these, I would check them more. When I realized this, I think that it is because of this fact that these could be useful classroom tools. Most of my students now are on MySpace or Facebook. Before this class, I'd never even heard of the idea of "microblogging" or any of these sites. Since they do seem to be relatively unknown, it would be useful to me as a teacher. I could post a question and have the students respond to me. Since Pownce allows you to only send messages to people who are your "friends," I can kind of filter out the nonsense and so could my students. Pownce also allows you to post links and audio, which would be essential to using this with my students. I could have them listen to something or watch a video, which they would not be able to do with Twitter. However, I do like that Twitter limits posts to 140 words. This leaves room for students to only have to write so much on a topic. You don't have to say "5 sentences at least," and they wouldn't feel intimidated by students who wrote 10 paragraphs when they only wrote one. They also would probably focus a little better because I wouldn't be able to post complicated questions, since I'm limited as well. They'd also have to learn how to get what they want to say down to only a few words. As a teacher, Pownce would be useful because I could group up my students and send them all a messge at once. Twitter doesn't let you to that. I would have to play with it a lot, and I'm sure encounter a lot of trial and error, before it would have my full confidence and I would believe in it enough to introduce it to my students. There are so many regulations with internet use, and blocked sites, and just plain weird people out there, that I could not take the chance until I knew the site backwards, forwards, and upside down. I know that Twitter has a privacy setting and Pownce probably does too. Although, I'm sure that my students could figure it out easier than I could! What's more, they might be able to change that setting without my knowledge. I think that these would be useful, as soon as I tweak everything!

Teachers Using Microblogging

I looked at this article:

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/how-microblogging-can-help-you/

I think that I'd use Microblogging as a get-to-know you tool at the beginning of the year. I'd have students create profiles and post things about themselves: interests, likes, dislikes etc. Then I'd have the students go on during class and check out each others' sites. I'd also try and create some games or activities that would ensure that the students were reading each others' blogs, like 3 lies, 1 truth, and the students have to guess which one is the truth about their classmate. I do worry about things like cyber-bullying or the blog being infiltrated by people that aren't part of the class, but I'm sure as I became more familiar with the site I'd be able to figure that out.

RSS Feed

I read on TeachersCorner.net about keeping records for every student no matter what: their absences, their tests, their grades, problems you've had with them, conferences, calls home etc. With 5 week reports coming up, I know that there will be at least 1 parent that I will need to call. It's so crucial to have the information to back up your points when talking to parents. That way, you have specific examples of instances you think are worth mentioning. Parents will find it harder to argue with something you say when there is concrete evidence of that fact, right in front of them, that they can actually see and read for themselves.

Helpful Networking Group

http://www.theteacherscorner.net/forums/

I've actually been using this forum since I started college as an education major. They have great ideas for lessons as well as forums where you can ask for advice or give it. I'm currently helping someone out who is writing about certain experiences for teachers. It 's a great tool. It also has a few categories in the forums that are just for fun, such as the "warm fuzzies" category. Only nice or funny things can be placed here, and it helps sometimes for those days when the kids drive you crazy! A lot of these people have been in my shoes as a young teacher and their advice is invaluable.

Social Newtorking-Analogy

A learner is like a a computer. There is a base model to start with. It has your tools that are necessary: a power cord, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor. It also has certain programs that all computers start out with: an internet program, a Word program, a few games. Soon however, there are updates that must be installed on that computer to keep it running as best as possible. Alterations may be made, depending on the needs of the person using the computer. Perhaps more memory is added in order to make room for graphics for design. Perhaps gradebook programs are added on for the teacher to keep track of her grades. Maybe a new game is added for the gamer- a newer and better one than what he had. The latest and greatest invention in computers is essential. If you bought a computer this year, chances are that it is, or soon will be, in need of updating. It is already outdated. Today's learners are evolving so fast that they are constantly being "updated" by the world around them: people, experiences, school, their own thoughts, feelings and actions. "Constructivism assumes that learners are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge," but all students come with something to start with, something to build on, something to contribute, like the base model computer. As educators, we intertwine the knowledge we are trying to pass on to our students with what they already posess in order to create meaning.

Parental Involvement

I can't wait for my first Open House this year. My goal is to get a blog ready for my students, and their parents, to use by then. In any teaching situation, but in an alternative education one especially, parental involvement is crucial. I've had some parents in the past who have been incredibly uncooperative, and that makes my job so much harder. I think that by getting them involved as soon as possible and as much as possible, I will have their support and their help later on.

Due 9/7/08

Three ways I can use a blog in my classroom:

1.) Daily journal entries; 5 points each; response to a quote or idea I may post. For extra credit, students may respond to their classmates' posts.

2.) Ideas for celebrating Spanish holidays: I can post a holiday that we will celebrate in class and students can respond to how they want to celebrate and sign up to bring in food, drinks, music, etc.

3.) Post an article that students should read, and respond to, to be ready for class the next day.