Friendship

     Friendship is something most people have experience with or an interest in and that is why I liked the Spanish podcast  "Cancion por Ti"  which means "Song for You."   The song would be truly handy as part of  a Spanish lesson.  It is by the singing group  "Ella Baila Sola"  which means "She Dances Alone." It  is a song about love and friendship.  The translation is as follows:

     I want to give you words, be your support when you fall, hold your hand when walking and tell you things in your ear. I want to be your blanket when you are cold and I want to be your shoulder to cry on.  For you, I  pledge my life to seeing you smile for one moment. For you,  I sell my soul in exchange for time that you need to be happy.  I drop everything for one of your kisses. I want to be your sword and your shield, to tell you that I want you one more time. I want to be your wings and your sky. I want to be the ocean and your sailboat, the ground and your feet for walking.

    I could imagine a mother saying these lyrics to her child.  Students might select one or two lines of the song to create a friendship card and draw or find a picture to match the words. Students could create a story about who the words are addressed to, why the  words are said, where the people are, what a person's response would be,  if the characters are friends, relatives or pets as well as what happens before and after the song.  This song could be used to practice subjunctive by replacing subjunctive verbs such as "caigas"  with other subjunctive verbs.  This song could also be used to reinforce the difference between "por" and "para" by dramatizing or by  creating pictures pertaining to sentences with "por" and "para."  Nouns could be replaced by other nouns.  If  students feel comfortable enough with each other, this would be an ideal song for karaoke.  In an intermediate or advanced conversation class, this song could be used to spark a discussion about important qualities to look for in a friend.

     In conclusion, possibilities and learning opportunities are abundant. Depending on the learning objectives, this song could be used to enhance grammar, vocabulary, speaking, writing and listening skills as well as spark debate about what is important in a relationship with a friend, family member and/or  pet.  
  

     


    

Erudition via ePals

     In2books is such an amazing idea that I don't understand why other countries don't replicate it, with permission of course.  In2books requires adult pen pals of the students to be "carefully" screened.  Five books are read each year by both the adult and the student. Subsequently, six to ten emails are exchanged.  One is an introduction or "getting to know you" letter and then five to nine letters are about the previously read book, to share opinions and ideas about important parts.  I am so impressed with in2books because rather than simply focusing on passing a course, students would be motivated to communicate with their pen pals.  I would implement in2books by first researching students' interests and subsequently finding pertinent books to match the learning objectives.  Then we would begin the in2books pen pal project regarding the chosen books.. A detailed in2books rubric is provided on the website but I might add an activity of asking students to write  brief reviews of their books to be published in a classroom newspaper. Also important is that teachers have the option of making comments or suggestions to each other.   In2books is a feature of a learning tool entitled "ePals."
     As a free email service, ePals targets students in Kindergarten  through 12th grade.  According to the website,  educators can monitor e-mails, block attachments, limit correspondence and ePals is ad free.
Students can  learn about other cultures and become role models to peers in another country who are learning English. Teachers post to request pen pals, participants for projects or to seek advice.  One wonderful feature was the ePals global community forum in which people post general information about their classroom or their learners in order to find a match with another class or group.  Features such as games, poems, lesson plans, curriculum and art creation (via the ePals clubhouse) sounded wonderful but were inaccessible to me unless I were willing to sign up.  
      "Junior Folklorist Challenge"  is also a project presented  as a contest on the ePals website.  The idea is to find somebody in the community to interview and tell that person's story in seven minutes or less via podcast, video or slide show.   The story might be about work, a hobby, celebrations or anything of interest to the interviewer.  I like the idea but initially I would modify it by limiting it to my classroom rather than involving the community.  Students would write  a hobby, skill, interest, recipe or anything unique about themselves.  I would distribute the information so students interview one another and create a presentation such as a video which might be in the form of a news report.  Although the interviewer would not choose the topic, everyone would be interviewed and the interviewer perhaps might discover a new passion.  Such a project would inspire learners (from various countries) in an ESL class to enhance knowledge about different cultures.
     Another ePals project is "The Spark Lab Global Invent-It Challenge."   People ages five to 18 would select a real world problem and then find a solution individually or as a group.   This is a quintessential activity because it requires creativity and imagination. I would ask learners to brainstorm genuine problems and together contemplate solutions. Subsequently, ideas could be presented to the class and if appropriate to politicians or journalists.  This project might be modified to be about problems in the school or in the classroom.   
      In conclusion, communication is a critical motivator of all the projects featured on the ePals website and communication is the reason for reading and writing in the first place.  I very much look forward to implementing in2books, the Junior Folklorist Challenge and the Spark Lab Global Invent-It Challenge as a unique way to accomplish learning goals. 

Lost Husband

     "Lost Husband" is the name of my comic strip.  It is about a woman who is looking for her husband and the person giving her directions is her husband in disguise but she does not realize this until the end of the story. .A comic strip about a  bank robbery was my first idea and that idea would have been effective as well. I wrote this story to reinforce imperative verb forms, adjectives such as "tall,"  "dark" and "handsome" and the names of places.
     After everyone is familiar with the story, it could be transformed to a skit. Students could rewrite it by changing the words to other vocabulary of the same category.  For example, names of other locations could replace "supermarket" and "school."   "Husband"  could be replaced by other words such as "wife," 'brother," "friend" or "cousin."   Students might substitute a variety of adjectives for tall, dark and handsome."
     I would  research an appropriate mapping tool for learners when they are finding the "lost husband" because  "Scribble Maps" and "Community Walk" as amazing as they are, do not seem suitable for this particular comic strip story.
     Comic strips are an ideal strategy to meet a variety of  learning objectives because there are infinite ways to implement them  in the language classroom.  I also believe that all ages and learning levels would benefit from exposure to a well written lesson plan which features comic strips. 

Love

      I wanted this story entitled  "Love"  to have  a fairytale Disneyland aspect and so it is about a leopard and a lion who fall in love with each other. They live happily ever after.
      I would use this as a review after expressions such as "happily ever after"  have been taught.   The past tense, the present tense (via the music) and adjectives would be reviewed as well.   To reinforce adjectives such as "strong," "nice," "clever" and "beautiful" this video would be ideal. The adjectives could be replaced by their opposites, as in a cloze exercise.
     The story could become a skit with some added elements such as a day in the life of the lion.    
     Another possibility would be to change this story by substituting other verbs. For example  other  verbs could replace "loved."  How would that alter the story? 
    This video could be used to spark debate about what is important in a relationship.  A story could be created about the lion's and the leopard's life before they met each other, using adjectives such as "sad" "lonely"  or "incomplete." The lion and the leopard could become people, other animals or any being.
     The lyrics "I just want to make you happy" could be discussed as well.  For example, an advanced ESL discussion topic after watching this digital story might be whether happiness comes from within or if others make us happy. What are some examples? 

Getting Personal with Digital Storytelling

     Digital storytelling is about using multimedia to tell a story.  "Images, maps, sound, video and a strong emotional component" should be implemented according to an article entitled  "7 Things  You Should Know about Digital Storytelling."   So tasks would be to explore the topic, write a script and procure images as well as audio and video. Subsequently, the objective would be to put everything together.
     The idea of using digital storytelling as an e-portfolio to showcase progress as described in the aforementioned article  was intriguing to me. I would first seek advice from people who have used digital stories as e-portfolios and any tips would be greatly appreciated.
      "Most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view" according to an article entitled "The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling."  As part of  a project to reinforce the past tense, I would  ask students to create a digital story about friendship and how they met their best friend or how their parents met each other. Improved speaking, listening, writing and reading  skills as well as vocabulary reinforcement would be  added benefits.
     An "evaluation framework" submitted by educators Barrett (2006), Ohler (2008) and Teehan (2007-08),  would be particularly handy regarding digital storytelling because it includes a checklist for graphics, audio and grammar to be assessed by the student, his/her peers and the teacher.   

Hunger and Hardship

     The Third World Farmer game would be an effective way to practice language autonomously outside the classroom because target vocabulary could be used in context to problem solve. In this game, one pretends to be a farmer who does not have sufficient money or resources to survive.    I chose "Third World Farmer" because it reminded me of effective discussion stimulating activities I used to implement in my classroom before technology was available. This game could be played by beginners to practice numbers, months and food vocabulary as well as  to practice math as native speakers might by adhering to a budget. Solving math problems to stay within a budget is (in my opinion) a preferable way to learn math vocabulary than by  studying from a textbook.   The subjunctive and conditional might also be practiced by discussing possible choices and consequences of decisions made playing the game. How would it feel to be the farmer?
     Although I played this game twice,  after the first time, I felt such empathy for third world farmers and all people who do not have quite enough to survive, despite immense effort.  One drawback of this game is that  it does not seem realistic or possible to ever have enough of anything for survival.  To me, that is very discouraging.
     Language learning objectives in a lesson which features this game would be  to reinforce vocabulary,  to practice answering "why" questions and reinforce the past tense as well as the subjunctive. Students would write (as they play the game) what they bought, why they bought it,what the consequences were and how they felt about problems a poor farmer might face.  After summarizing and sharing  with a peer what they wrote,  students would then write a journal reflection about what they learned from the game. Students' summaries and journal reflections would be my assessment that learning objectives were met.

Escaping!!

     I played Polleke's Blue Room four times because I was attempting to escape from the room just a bit faster each time.  I was intrinsically motivated and engaged which is one of the arguments for teachers to implement such games according to Stephan Franciosi.  In his article   "A Comparison of  Computer Game and Language-Learning Task Design Using Flow Theory"  Franciosi  stressed that games can  facilitate language learning because of immediate feedback and clear, concrete goals.  He wrote "computer games and language learning tasks are fundamentally identical  in that both can be considered goal-oriented and rule-driven activities."  I  never considered such  benefits online games offer to foreign language students until I learned about gamification, which entails using game style logic  in a non-game situation  so  the lesson is more enjoyable and participatory.  Hence, learning objectives can be met by problem solving which includes solving puzzles and working collaboratively.  Completion of a puzzle and a search for hidden objects are  required to escape from "Polleke's Blue Room."  
     "Polleke's Blue Room" would enhance a language learning lesson because as  students converse, they  would  practice using  prepositions, vocabulary words and  imperative verb forms as well as reinforce listening and reading comprehension skills.  So, reinforcement of prepositions, key vocabulary and imperative verb forms would be the language learning objectives. Prior to this game, students will have studied necessary vocabulary.  Each person would also be given pictures of the room (as shown online) as one way to anticipate what will happen in this lesson.  I subsequently describe how to play the game showing images of the room and a walk through.  This way, students  sharpen listening comprehension skills. Reading comprehension skills are addressed when I distribute a script of the instructions to escape from the room. I would add about four or five questions at the end of the walk through script to ensure understanding. Students  help each other answer questions after first attempting to answer the questions themselves.    By labeling items in  pictures, and making notes about where things are, students practice vocabulary and review prepositions.  Working in groups of three, so one person would  write what their group does to problem solve, one person would explain what to do using imperative verb forms and prepositions and the third person would be actually playing the game.  Roles are switched partway through the game.
     To assess learning, students would write their own reflections about this lesson in a journal.  Journal entries would be in response to teacher questions such as where the particular items were found (to assess preposition knowledge) or how they would tell another person to escape from the room (to assess knowledge of the imperative verb forms and vocabulary).


 

Twitter: The Ultimate Engagement

     It happened this week; I am now a convert to twitter because it is quite an effective way to teach writing skills.  Posts must be brief, so it is inherent that they be meaningful and inspirational as well.  Hence, superior writing and more engaging posts are inevitable.
     Twitter  is ideal for timid students who would not otherwise ask questions or express opinions about class discussions, projects, assignments and debates. One student in a video entitled "Academic Excellence in 140 Characters" described how with twitter she expresses herself  "without feeling judged."   A impressive guide entitled  "Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: A resource of educational web tools and mobile apps for teachers and educators"  contained innovative classroom twitter ideas and was my favorite resource because it was so  incredibly thorough.  Ideas were organized into categories as follows: communication, organization, resources, writing skills and twitter exercises.  Students already are accustomed to sharing messages via cell phones.  Twitter can be an extension of that as a learning tool when used for example to write poetry, to write a bit of a story. to debate, to discuss, to summarize or to play games.  A plethora of  additional options are included in the aforementioned guide. The creativity of  several teachers using twitter to spark debates, implement pen pal writing activities and share photos was emphasized in an associated press news article entitled "Twitter Gaining Acceptance as a Classroom Tool."   Parental concerns about twitter  regarding privacy were effectively addressed according to the article.
     A picture, such as the one below, might be a twitter story starter as students imagine being in the picture writing about a destination, snacks  animals, friends, family, feelings, jokes and anything else pertinent to the learning objective.       

     Twitter is not only an attractive way to maintain engagement in a lesson, but it is a very practical professional development tool as well.  For example, ideas and advice are immediately available any time from experts via the chats or by "tweeting."  So twitter becomes an ideal "personal learning network."  Moreover, twitter is a quintessential way to be mindful about up-to-the-minute ideas, developments and any other matters related to education

Twitter Chatter

     Last night I had an amazing and unique experience because  I participated in the #ELLchat.   The discussion  was about what the future might hold for English language learners after graduation or the completion of a program.  Various tests were mentioned and one person commented that high standards were essential because otherwise it would be difficult for students to succeed outside the classroom.  My opinion is that a person's success on a test does not necessarily signify  success in life outside the classroom.  One teacher posted that there is not enough time in the classroom and  I replied that families should be involved to support students and teachers.  One remark was about a lack of communication at school when a regular education teacher is not aware that a student is an ESL student   and that ESL students should have the same support as special education students.  I know from experience that special education students  very often do not receive any support whatsoever from the regular education staff, but I did not want to post that. Nevertheless, I did post that  in my opinion it is often very difficult to include in an IEP  (Individualized Education Plan) everything that should be in it.  Additionally, not all  items  in all IEPs are always followed by everyone, unfortunately.
     Twitter is  an absolutely wonderful concept because it is refreshing and informative  to spend time exchanging opinions and ideas with people who share similar interests.  I will continue to use it as part of my professional development because I would not otherwise have the opportunity to interact with such a wide variety of professionals.  Sometimes one person's idea or remark sparks another idea.    

A Jackpot

     Exciting!!!!   That is how I would describe The Educator's Personal Learning Network .    I felt like I hit my jackpot today.  The tutorials, webinars, podcasts, edchats (twitter conversations), interviews, videos, online workshops and links to various sites make The Educator's Personal Learning Network exceptional.
     It is hugely advantageous that the target audience for this group is educators in general and not specifically foreign language teachers, because of the wealth of information, most of which can be relevant to any foreign language classroom. For example, on a video from the site, Vanessa Hurst who created Girl Develop It  said, "Software is really about humanity.  It is about helping people by using technology."   Her organization  focuses  on educating  women about software development. Hurst's perspective reinforces the importance of technology in the classroom.  Lynda Way, who is a teacher in California, asserts that music  improves verbal recall, hand/eye coordination and memory.  Thus, my conclusion is that music enhances language learning.
    The miscellaneous  educational resources were amazing.  Edutopia was one of my favorite sections because of topics such as "Five Apps for Making Movies," "Game-Based Learning for Middle School History," "Five Tips to Help Teachers who Struggle with Technology" and "Tips and Resources for Developing Lifelong Readers."      Moreover, the English as a Second Language Teachers' link will be beneficial to me.
    The diversity of  The Educator's Personal Learning Network  resources included information from  psychologists writing about teenagers, USA Today articles, and opinions of non-educators  such as computer programmers  speaking about technology in education. When the information sources are diverse there is greater opportunity to learn more about what might be useful in a foreign language classroom.

A Learner

     A learner is like a beautiful sunrise or a new dawn  because acquisition of knowledge signifies a pristine beginning.   Learning enhances  life.  Learning is about thinking and although nobody knows exactly what others are thinking, according to  the George Siemens video The Impact of Social Software on Learning,  "words give life to thought" and "most people enjoy dialogue."   I concur that ultimately,  dialogue as a convivial experience can facilitate learning  and help teachers assess learners' understanding of the material.  
    Moreover, perpetual acquisition of knowledge ameliorates performance.  Siemens in the video
The Changing Nature of Knowledge, said, "If I'm not continually learning, I'm becoming obsolete in my particular field."  He included an example of this in his article entitled Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age  when he quoted Karen Stephenson.  Stephenson said, "Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people's experiences and hence other people become the surrogate for knowledge."  So, one of the terrific ideas from the aforementioned article by Siemens was  about dialogues between children and surrogate grandparents implemented as a  potent learning tool.  Students "listen to these grandparents better than they do their own parents" and teachers' efforts are thereby supported, according to the article
     To conclude, sharing information is paramount in order to enrich life.  Such was my reaction after reviewing the previously mentioned videos and article.   "Scoop it" and "Diigo" also are prime examples of the value of sharing, especially when options to follow others and/or post comments are considered. 
 
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Comparing "Diigo" and "Scoop It"

     I very much  prefer "Scoop it."
     Although "Diigo" and "Scoop It" are both wonderful ways to organize and archive information, I wish I could get rid of the continuous pop-up adds on Diigo.   I like the Diigo sticky notes, highlighting options and the multiple tags, but "Scoop it"   features multiple tag options which are most important to me. On both "Diigo" and"Scoop it"  I  follow others and others can follow me, as well as post comments.  Copying and pasting information from the original article to my remarks about a site  is possible on both social bookmarking sites.  I preferred  writing my insights and ideas on "Scoop it" bookmarks  rather than describing each particular site I bookmarked as was the situation with "Diigo."   There is a heavier emphasis on "Scoop It" to focus on a topic which is another reason I preferred it.  I noticed that the more specific my title and tags were, the more information I found.   There were numerous suggestions  related to my topics  on "Scoop it" whereas there were not on the "Diigo" site.
     I would from now on, absolutely be more apt to use "Scoop it" and not "Diigo."  I preferred the appearance of  "Scoop it" because of the images.  "Diigo" was simply a list and therefore did not look as interesting.  The "Diigo" pop-up ads, especially the ones about making changes to the hard drive of my computer, were annoying and downright  nerve-racking.  Perhaps I might change my mind when I become more computer savvy.   

Impressions

     My impression after watching  "Classroom of Tomorrow," which is a video  about the gargantuan impact of technology on education, is that  students lack opportunities to interact face to face. I wonder whether one day people will  forget how to relate to each other.   I didn't notice any examples in the video of people talking or otherwise relating to one another.  The video reminded me of individuals who use technology  even while supposedly engaged in discourse, which in my opinion is bad manners.
     Another thought I had while watching the video was that one's tone of voice might change the meaning or intention of a message. A tone  might be sarcastic, joking or serious and facial expressions matter as well.  Often the intent of a message cannot be discerned in an e-mail for example.   So, although I agree  that  "the future belongs to those who prepare for it today" that preparation should also include both person-to-person communication and technology.  Too much of anything, including technology,  is not OK.

    I wish I could broadcast a very  salient message from  the "Educational Change Challenge" video  
that it is  acutely wrong to "clump kids together" as one group to learn at the same pace, in the same way.  Everyone learns differently.  Nevertheless,  appropriate and relevant technology used in moderation can facilitate one's understanding of a lesson.  For example, an application on the ipad  might reinforce an idea already taught in a way that is more appealing to the learner. It is often challenging for teachers to cater to unique student needs particularly when the class is large.  Fortunately, technology can help everyone learn at his or her own pace.   My autistic 9-year-old son would not be doing as well as he is without a computer and an ipad. He is inspired and motivated to learn partly because he uses the computer.  Sometimes his speech therapist gives him an ipad at lunch time and then he is popular because all the kids want to use the ipad with him.  Thus, technology has benefited him socially as well as educationally.  So to encapsulate, as long as technology is used appropriately and in combination with other teaching strategies such as face-to-face communication,  students are truly fortunate.

Two Blogging Ideas

     After watching a video about relishing unusual foods students might imagine they are one of the guests present  at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel eating one of the "delicious" foods being served and blog about their experience.  By blogging, students might also imagine they are writing food stories about one or two  foods at the hotel.  Maybe some  of the foods served at the hotel are already common in a student's home culture. Blogging might also be about other delicacies which could have been served at the Waldorf Astoria.   As closure, we could have classroom food party. 
     Another blogging idea would be to debate whether it should be considered free speech to warn other drivers of a speed trap.  Should it be considered free speech to warn anybody of anything?   Why would law enforcement officers  have not wanted drivers to be warned?  An additional  blogging opportunity would be  for students to compare this scenario to an experience in their own lives..  Another idea would be to blog  about dangerous situations and/or survival scenarios  in one's own life when a warning would have been appropriate.  Closure might be to perform a play about a potentially dangerous situation such as driving, drinking or smoking.  The characters in the play have a dilemma about whether it is right or wrong to keep a fellow citizen out of trouble by warning him.  The subsequent assignment would be to  blog about the thoughts/insights of one's character in the play.
     The aforementioned blogging ideas are in accordance with ISTE Standards    Teaching Standard 2: Communication and Collaboration. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively including at a distance to support individual learning.   Students would develop a cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures when students read  blogs by  peers and comment.