IPAD: Proyecto de casa: Explain Everything App:
I had student use the app Explain everything to do the following activity:
PART ONE:
They were to describe their house in detail and talk about the types of furniture they have in their main rooms, living room, kitchen, room, bathroom etc.... Each room could be done in a different slide as it was difficult to get all the drawings in one slide. Therefore students needed to record in different slides as well.
PART TWO:
Then they were to trade their IPad with a classmate and their classmate had to listen to their recording and draw out what their classmate had mentioned.
PART THREE:
The last component of this project was to have the partner that drew the pictures comment on what they liked about their partner's house that perhaps was different to their house.
I had a student who had a hard time drawing using explain everything because her partner provided a lot of information on her recording so, this students found it easier to draw on a piece of paper and then screenshot the drawings, she made by hand. Most of the students had no problem using the drawing tool on explain everything.
Again what I liked about this project is that students are able to do oral, listening and writing.
TIME FRAME: 2 - 3 days
Monday 27 May 2013
IPAD - Spontaneous Conversations
IPAD : Spontaneous Conversations using Bookcreator
One of my goals for this year was to provide my students opportunities to have spontaneous conversations. So I came up with the idea of having my students use the app Bookcreator which they were now familiar with. I tell my students that when you have a conversation with someone you don't write down what you are going to say to them...you may just think about your ideas, but you don't plan out every little word you say therefore they need to learn to do the same in Spanish.
First I had my students search for 4 pictures and the criteria of the pictures was: 1 was to be funny, 1 interesting, 1 weird, 1 beautiful and it could be related to the unit or not. I didn't tell them what they were going to do with the pictures until they had found their pictures.
Once they had found their pictures, I asked them to choose one of the pictures they had found and then they were to find a partner and with their partner they were to talk about the picture for at least a 1 or more.
The criteria: They couldn't write anything down and they couldn't discuss about what each one was going to say, they were just to converse without planning. They couldn't delete the conversation if they didn't like it. However they could record themselves twice [although some recorder themselves more than twice] and then choose the best conversation. Their conversation needed to be about a 1 or more if possible.
Challenges: Many students had a hard time having to produce a conversation on the spot and I needed to monitor some of them as it was very new to them to not be able to write a script or anything.
I had them do this activity a number of times and most became to feel a bit more comfortable as we did more of these.
I also did an activity in which I choose a picture for them to talk about in partners and they were to record themselves. Again they could do two recordings and choose the best one.
This can be done with a commercial, a song etc....
I then had them use a rubric to assess their conversation and most were pretty good at assessing their level. I then marked them and gave them their mark.
It was great to see that those shy, quiet students were able to contribute a lot to their conversations compare to having to do something like this in front of the class or in front of the teacher.
Some talked about food, sports, movies, etc... Here are a few examples:
TIME FRAME: about 20 - 30 minutes
Students choose pictures:
I chose the picture for them: I projected the picture to them on the document reader
One of my goals for this year was to provide my students opportunities to have spontaneous conversations. So I came up with the idea of having my students use the app Bookcreator which they were now familiar with. I tell my students that when you have a conversation with someone you don't write down what you are going to say to them...you may just think about your ideas, but you don't plan out every little word you say therefore they need to learn to do the same in Spanish.
First I had my students search for 4 pictures and the criteria of the pictures was: 1 was to be funny, 1 interesting, 1 weird, 1 beautiful and it could be related to the unit or not. I didn't tell them what they were going to do with the pictures until they had found their pictures.
Once they had found their pictures, I asked them to choose one of the pictures they had found and then they were to find a partner and with their partner they were to talk about the picture for at least a 1 or more.
The criteria: They couldn't write anything down and they couldn't discuss about what each one was going to say, they were just to converse without planning. They couldn't delete the conversation if they didn't like it. However they could record themselves twice [although some recorder themselves more than twice] and then choose the best conversation. Their conversation needed to be about a 1 or more if possible.
Challenges: Many students had a hard time having to produce a conversation on the spot and I needed to monitor some of them as it was very new to them to not be able to write a script or anything.
I had them do this activity a number of times and most became to feel a bit more comfortable as we did more of these.
I also did an activity in which I choose a picture for them to talk about in partners and they were to record themselves. Again they could do two recordings and choose the best one.
This can be done with a commercial, a song etc....
I then had them use a rubric to assess their conversation and most were pretty good at assessing their level. I then marked them and gave them their mark.
It was great to see that those shy, quiet students were able to contribute a lot to their conversations compare to having to do something like this in front of the class or in front of the teacher.
Some talked about food, sports, movies, etc... Here are a few examples:
TIME FRAME: about 20 - 30 minutes
Students choose pictures:
I chose the picture for them: I projected the picture to them on the document reader
Friday 24 May 2013
Deportes...bailes y más...
Ipad: Commentators: Using Bookcreator
I love showing my students videos/commercials in the target language and since we were learning about sports, I decided to show them a video of a soccer game, because it is completely different to watching a soccer game in English.
Then I gave them the challenge of creating a video of a sport or an event they liked and comment on them as if they were actual commentators. They had a lot of fun with this!
Criteria: They needed to include the video screenshot/ video address [I haven't figured out yet how to they can include the video] and it needed to be about 1 min or less. This was the one activity in which I allowed my students time to plan for what they wanted to say. So they could use a script but they needed to add emotion and passion to their comments.
Here are some examples two on dancing shows and one on sports
y Fútbol:
I love showing my students videos/commercials in the target language and since we were learning about sports, I decided to show them a video of a soccer game, because it is completely different to watching a soccer game in English.
Then I gave them the challenge of creating a video of a sport or an event they liked and comment on them as if they were actual commentators. They had a lot of fun with this!
Criteria: They needed to include the video screenshot/ video address [I haven't figured out yet how to they can include the video] and it needed to be about 1 min or less. This was the one activity in which I allowed my students time to plan for what they wanted to say. So they could use a script but they needed to add emotion and passion to their comments.
Here are some examples two on dancing shows and one on sports
y Fútbol:
Monday 20 May 2013
IPAD idea using Explain Everything App
Monstruos en mi clase!:O)
In Spanish 10 we usually have a unit on health and body and normally when I introduce the unit we play a number of games...but since I had iPads I thought I would try something different.
I had my students get into groups of 2 - 3 and I gave each group an iPad. I had them use the app: Explain Everything [which is great!]
So students were to draw while I described a monster to them. They could help each other out with vocabulary and things. For example I would say: "Tiene cinco ojos morados. Tiene nueve brazos rojos" etc... after describing a monster, I had a few groups describe their monster to the class and the rest of the class needed to draw the monster their classmates described. You could also do this in which small groups get together and they describe their monster to smaller groups instead of the entire class.
Criteria: they needed to include colors and numbers between 1 - 10.
Helpful tip: Don't make groups bigger than 3 otherwise there will be students who aren't participating.
At the end I had them decide on what monster they liked the most and why, they needed to write a few sentences, you could have them record instead of write.
My students really enjoyed doing this and they were practicing comprehension, oral and writing.
Time frame: One class
Time frame: One class
Here are some examples:
Saturday 18 May 2013
IPAD - Clothing project bookcreator
IPAD - Proyecto de Ropa using Bookcreator
Using the app: book creator: I have done a few activities with my students. Here are two project I had my students do around the theme of clothing
Activity 1: students were to find five pictures/photos on the web of clothing that they found interesting and write a description about what they saw.
TIME FRAME: about a week
Example:
I also did a three part activity, again using the app: bookcreator
Activity 2:
Part 1: Using the recording: I had students pretend they couldn't go to the mall because they had a huge test to study for or they were grounded, so they had to leave a voicemail for their friend who was going to go shopping because it was boxing day. They needed to let their friend know which items they wanted/prefer and the color, and price [they needed to use the vocab and grammar we had learned] The hardest part for them was not being able to write down what they were going to say I only allowed them to write down the items/prices/colors but nothing else. They spent at least 5 minutes thinking about how they were going to start and what they were going to say. I think that if I do more activities like this it will help them develop their oral skills which in turn can help them be able to have a spontaneous conversation.
Part 2 : Students needed to bring pictures of the items they had mentioned and they posted them around the classroom in the corresponding colours. So their item needed to be in the colour and the price they mentioned in their recording. Then they needed to exchange their ipads with another classmate, their classmate was to listen to their recording and go around the classroom and take pictures of the items their classmate had mentioned in their recording.
Part 3: their classmates had to make an ibook, in which they used the pictures they had taken and write sentences about what their classmate wanted but what they preferred instead [Tomas quiere la camisa amarilla pero yo prefiero la camisa blanca]
What I saw was amazing....my students were learning a lot, they were practicing listening, oral, written and visual. I thought this was a fabulous activity, I never imagined that I could incorporate so much in one activity.
To finish it off, I had students do a peer evaluation, they were to evaluate the partner they had worked with: on both written and oral, for the most part this was done well. Some even provided examples of what their partner had done well or what their partner could improve on.
TIME FRAME: about a week
Saturday 11 May 2013
Scrabble anyone?
I love for my students to have fun with the language and what better way for them to use and practice their vocabulary than by playing scrabble. At my school we have been lucky enough to get a few scrabble games. At first some students have a hard time playing the game or some have never played scrabble. But usually there are a few students that know how to play the game or once you show them they get the hang of it quick. Students enjoy playing scrabble and look forward to days in which we just sing songs and play games. :O)
WATCH OUT: sometimes students will make up words that are not Spanish so you can either have them check up the words in the dictionary or you can let them know. I usually have no problem with this but occasionally I will point a word out to them that's on their game that is not Spanish but I think it's great that they are inventing words that seem Spanish to them.
Grade 10 students:
IPAD and EDMODO
IPAD AND EDMODO
I didn't expect that I would love using the iPads as much as I do and so do my students. Using the iPads has allowed me to be able to have my students practice various aspects of the language, which I often found a challenge when using a laptop.
I have used the ipads for a number of activities: The first activity has been using EDMODO
Edmodo: I start by showing students a picture, a commercial or a video and they have to write about: lo que ven, lo que escuchan y lo que piensan [what they see, what they hear and what they think]
students brainstorm their words to a picture[video] and I give them feedback as well as participation marks for this. I had students start by writing five words about the picture. It was amazing how the following day I had a student ask if he could write more than five words, which I thought was fabulous!!! They were engaged and eager to learn...they even started to ask more vocabulary words such as how to say stripe...etc...I had a student ask what stripe was in Spanish and the student has used the word stripe a number of times both written and verbally.
I had other students write sentences instead of words and some even started to add questions....this is showing me students who are taking it to the next level, students are taking control of their learning. I never imagined this would happen and they did this on their own.
I also occasionally would post a survey or a question or sometimes a comic strip and would ask students their opinion.
Normally I would have students do something on Edmodo when they had a project on the iPads, so that would be our starting activity.
I love all the incredible work my students have done! Here are a few examples:
Wednesday 27 March 2013
IPADs - Getting started
IPADs: What a scary matter!
When I was approached to take part in a pilot project using IPADS, to be honest, I was scared and hesitated to take part. I could not imagine using IPADS any differently than laptops. I honestly thought IPADS were no different and I saw it as yet another thing I was expected to add to my plate of things I needed to teach my students. I wasn't crazy about the idea but I figured what better way to challenge myself, so I decided to take this project on and I'm glad I did! I have discovered wonderful things with the IPADS.
In this first blog on IPADS, there are a few must do's before starting any project with students:
FIRST: Create a dropbox account before class[maybe a day or two, remember you will be providing your students with the e-mail address and password] and make sure the IPADS have the DROPBOX app. Then have students link their ipad to it - this should be the very first thing you do with your students on the ipads. [this will be the way students' send you their projects]
* if IPADS have a DROPBOX APP, have students click on the app and then enter the e-mail address and password [you will need to give this to them, it needs to be the e-mail address and password you used to create the dropbox account]
* make sure that if IPADS are shared in your school that at the end of class students unlink the dropbox from the IPAD, this is done in the same matter as above.
** CAUTION: students will have access to their classmates projects as well, this is one of the disadvantages of using dropbox but I found it the most easiest for getting their projects. Students are pretty good about not check their classmates projects. I found that students were so busy working on their projects anyway that when it finally was time to send me their project there were no problems.
SECOND:Make sure that the screensaver on the iPads have the iPad number on it, this makes it easier for the students to know their iPad number. It also helps to have the iPad number on the outside of the iPad. Then provide students iPad numbers [this will help you keep track of the ipads] I decided to keep track by giving students the iPad in terms of what number they fall under in the roll call. So Johnny was number 1 on the roll call, so he got iPad 1.
THIRD: Provide enough time to hand out and get iPads back, even though iPads aren't as slow as laptops in shutting down, the first two times I kept forgetting how long it takes to hand them out and to get them back.
An idea have students start on a quick little activity while they are waiting to receive their iPad e.g put a picture on the overhead and have students write a number of words that come to mind when they see the picture. Or have them write a few sentences about the picture they see. Or better yet have them have a one minute conversation with the person next to them about the picture [in the target language]
Or have them get started on their homework or a short quick exercise when they have handed their iPads back to you.
Also get a student to help you hand them out and put them back in place.
FOURTH: if you have a chance before having students use an app, check it out yourself and see how it works, you don't need to be an expert but at least know some of its functions and whether it can be sent via dropbox, can you download pictures onto it...can you record voice?? etc...
Remember that you don't need to be an expert, I often found that students would ask me things like how do I delete a picture on bookcreator...I didn't know so I was honest and told them I wasn't sure....but then I asked outloud and sure enough someone in class knew how!
Sometimes I wasn't sure about something and there was always one or two students who knew what to do, so I had them be my technology assistants.
FIFTH: When possible make sure you show your students how the app works, don't assume they know, because most of the time there maybe one or two students who know. I always put my iPad under the document reader and showed my students how they could record...add photos etc.. This really doesn't take all that much time to do.
** most of all remember that you don't need to feel like an expert enjoy learning with your students.
** Don't overwhelm yourself with having to use so many different apps, I focused on using two apps and my students did numerous activities using the two different apps. There is so much you can do with two apps!
*** Try to have a focus for using the iPads: My focus was being able to have my students develop their oral skills and trying to incorporate as many skills in a project as possible.
When I was approached to take part in a pilot project using IPADS, to be honest, I was scared and hesitated to take part. I could not imagine using IPADS any differently than laptops. I honestly thought IPADS were no different and I saw it as yet another thing I was expected to add to my plate of things I needed to teach my students. I wasn't crazy about the idea but I figured what better way to challenge myself, so I decided to take this project on and I'm glad I did! I have discovered wonderful things with the IPADS.
In this first blog on IPADS, there are a few must do's before starting any project with students:
FIRST: Create a dropbox account before class[maybe a day or two, remember you will be providing your students with the e-mail address and password] and make sure the IPADS have the DROPBOX app. Then have students link their ipad to it - this should be the very first thing you do with your students on the ipads. [this will be the way students' send you their projects]
* if IPADS have a DROPBOX APP, have students click on the app and then enter the e-mail address and password [you will need to give this to them, it needs to be the e-mail address and password you used to create the dropbox account]
* make sure that if IPADS are shared in your school that at the end of class students unlink the dropbox from the IPAD, this is done in the same matter as above.
** CAUTION: students will have access to their classmates projects as well, this is one of the disadvantages of using dropbox but I found it the most easiest for getting their projects. Students are pretty good about not check their classmates projects. I found that students were so busy working on their projects anyway that when it finally was time to send me their project there were no problems.
SECOND:Make sure that the screensaver on the iPads have the iPad number on it, this makes it easier for the students to know their iPad number. It also helps to have the iPad number on the outside of the iPad. Then provide students iPad numbers [this will help you keep track of the ipads] I decided to keep track by giving students the iPad in terms of what number they fall under in the roll call. So Johnny was number 1 on the roll call, so he got iPad 1.
THIRD: Provide enough time to hand out and get iPads back, even though iPads aren't as slow as laptops in shutting down, the first two times I kept forgetting how long it takes to hand them out and to get them back.
An idea have students start on a quick little activity while they are waiting to receive their iPad e.g put a picture on the overhead and have students write a number of words that come to mind when they see the picture. Or have them write a few sentences about the picture they see. Or better yet have them have a one minute conversation with the person next to them about the picture [in the target language]
Or have them get started on their homework or a short quick exercise when they have handed their iPads back to you.
Also get a student to help you hand them out and put them back in place.
FOURTH: if you have a chance before having students use an app, check it out yourself and see how it works, you don't need to be an expert but at least know some of its functions and whether it can be sent via dropbox, can you download pictures onto it...can you record voice?? etc...
Remember that you don't need to be an expert, I often found that students would ask me things like how do I delete a picture on bookcreator...I didn't know so I was honest and told them I wasn't sure....but then I asked outloud and sure enough someone in class knew how!
Sometimes I wasn't sure about something and there was always one or two students who knew what to do, so I had them be my technology assistants.
FIFTH: When possible make sure you show your students how the app works, don't assume they know, because most of the time there maybe one or two students who know. I always put my iPad under the document reader and showed my students how they could record...add photos etc.. This really doesn't take all that much time to do.
** most of all remember that you don't need to feel like an expert enjoy learning with your students.
** Don't overwhelm yourself with having to use so many different apps, I focused on using two apps and my students did numerous activities using the two different apps. There is so much you can do with two apps!
*** Try to have a focus for using the iPads: My focus was being able to have my students develop their oral skills and trying to incorporate as many skills in a project as possible.
Tuesday 26 February 2013
GOANIMATE
Voice recording and animation:
Each time I teach Grade 11 I normally like to do a project on mixbook, where students write about their childhood, but having two grade 11 classes this year I decided I would do the mix book scrapbooking with one class and I would try GOANIMATE with another class.Since last year I have been meaning to use the site: GOANIMATE. I have had the opportunity to have my students use the site twice.
I had my Spanish 11 class work in pairs to create a story using the grammatical components we had learned in class. I had them do this as an end project. I found that they really enjoyed working on this and I love that it was a change for them, as they could use audio recording and incorporate some writing if they wanted to.
espanol by harman on GoAnimate
Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. matt & ann by IN on GoAnimate
Animation Software - Powered by GoAnimate.
I also used it with my grade 10 class, as a way for them to review on what they had learned in Spanish 9, they were to introduce themselves and get to know a friend. I turned out well!
Grade 10
spanish by nicole1 on GoAnimate
Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.
Each time I teach Grade 11 I normally like to do a project on mixbook, where students write about their childhood, but having two grade 11 classes this year I decided I would do the mix book scrapbooking with one class and I would try GOANIMATE with another class.Since last year I have been meaning to use the site: GOANIMATE. I have had the opportunity to have my students use the site twice.
I had my Spanish 11 class work in pairs to create a story using the grammatical components we had learned in class. I had them do this as an end project. I found that they really enjoyed working on this and I love that it was a change for them, as they could use audio recording and incorporate some writing if they wanted to.
espanol by harman on GoAnimate
Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. matt & ann by IN on GoAnimate
Animation Software - Powered by GoAnimate.
I also used it with my grade 10 class, as a way for them to review on what they had learned in Spanish 9, they were to introduce themselves and get to know a friend. I turned out well!
Grade 10
spanish by nicole1 on GoAnimate
Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.
Saturday 9 February 2013
My childhood project
MIXBOOK
I found this fabulous site to do a scrapbook online, which was perfect for a spanish 11 project I had in mind. In Spanish 11 students need to use preterite vs. imperfect and what better way to have them do this than to have them write about their childhood.
www.mixbook.com was easy to use and the students really enjoyed doing a project about their childhood. It's also good for those students who may not be so artistic. Overall the students loved working on this project and reminiscing about their childhood en español.
Advantages:
It's easy to use, students e-mail to you
students can share and have other students collaborate on their project [peer editing etc...]
it's easy to upload their photos
it has pre - made scrapbooks so students choose a theme but can still personalize it.
it works well for students who feel aren't too artistic so that they can focus on their grammar
Disadvantages:
students have to create their own accounts
the site was very slow when students were all logged in at the same time [very very slow on laptops]
you can't have students record their voice which would be a cool feature to have.
I found this fabulous site to do a scrapbook online, which was perfect for a spanish 11 project I had in mind. In Spanish 11 students need to use preterite vs. imperfect and what better way to have them do this than to have them write about their childhood.
www.mixbook.com was easy to use and the students really enjoyed doing a project about their childhood. It's also good for those students who may not be so artistic. Overall the students loved working on this project and reminiscing about their childhood en español.
Advantages:
It's easy to use, students e-mail to you
students can share and have other students collaborate on their project [peer editing etc...]
it's easy to upload their photos
it has pre - made scrapbooks so students choose a theme but can still personalize it.
it works well for students who feel aren't too artistic so that they can focus on their grammar
Disadvantages:
students have to create their own accounts
the site was very slow when students were all logged in at the same time [very very slow on laptops]
you can't have students record their voice which would be a cool feature to have.
Providing students control over their learning
This year I decided that I would be more flexible in how I would have my students hand in their projects. I decided that I would allow my students to hand in projects in the format in which they felt comfortable using. After teaching them a few web 2.0 tools, such as toondoo and prezi. I gave my students a mini project in which they were to write about their family, I gave them the criteria and then I I told them that they could choose the format they wanted to: such as glogster, prezi, toondoo or any other web 2.0 tool they were familiar with.
It was incredible to see the various ways students chose to do the project. I had about 30 students and I had about 10 or more use a web 2.0 tool and the rest still chose to do it by hand. It was interesting for me to mark and it was great to see that they included all the required criteria even though it was done in a different format.
I believe that giving them choices is important because it allows them to have some control in terms of how they want to show their learning. I think this is definitely something I will continue doing in my class as it helps students feel more engaged in their learning because they have a say in how they can demonstrate their learning. I also love that the format they choose to do their project also makes their project a little more personal. I believe that students would be more likely to hand in projects if they have a say in the format of their project.
Here is an example of one using toondoo.
It was incredible to see the various ways students chose to do the project. I had about 30 students and I had about 10 or more use a web 2.0 tool and the rest still chose to do it by hand. It was interesting for me to mark and it was great to see that they included all the required criteria even though it was done in a different format.
I believe that giving them choices is important because it allows them to have some control in terms of how they want to show their learning. I think this is definitely something I will continue doing in my class as it helps students feel more engaged in their learning because they have a say in how they can demonstrate their learning. I also love that the format they choose to do their project also makes their project a little more personal. I believe that students would be more likely to hand in projects if they have a say in the format of their project.
Here is an example of one using toondoo.
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