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One lab, every language

What if “Language Lab” was a place where students learned any language they wanted? They could go to this Language Lab take online language classes, but could get practical advice–applicable in a variety of languages–from an experienced language instructor. Said language instructor might not even speak all of the languages Read more…

The world is not enough

Time in class is not enough.Extra classes are not enough.Edmodo updates straight to their phones are not enough. Exciting topics are not enough.Contextual activities are not enough.Steady input is not enough. These kids just won’t do their work.Or they won’t turn it in.Hard to tell which sometimes. So what do Read more…

Teacher Meme Revisited

I am a good teacher because I always experiment and have learned to adapt to my students’ needs and caprices. If I weren’t a teacher I would be a translator, or perhaps an editor. I suspect it would be easier to find translator work, though. My teaching style is different, Read more…

Assessment assessment

Spanish I: Clothing Notes on clipart of different outfits Magazine collage of at least 20 words from list Voicethread commenting on famous músicos latinos’ outfits Random outfit interviews with flip cameras Scavenger hunt on Zara’s website Journal on outfits by weather Event invitations with clothing suggestions Interview/voicethread reflection Quiz (left) Read more…

Entry vs Entry

I have recorded and scrapped at least 5 lessons since finding out in November that I failed National Boards. I had gotten halfway through writing up at least 2 of them before deciding they sucked. And now? I’m halfway through two more, and it occurs to me that I’d probably Read more…

Sweetening the Deal: Debate in Spanish

Chocolate increases target language usage. As do edgy topics and plenty of preparation beforehand. Before the debate, students completed a survey, ranking different situations that could be considered racist either “aceptable,” “cuestionable,” “maleducado,” “cruel,” or “peligroso.” Then they created their own definitions of racism, and shared them (in one class Read more…

2 do for Spanish 2

1. Increase target language interaction during Spanish 2 discussionsI need this to happen, in part because National Board certification demands it. According to my new National Board bible: A wisely-selected video segment will show your interaction with the students in the target language. It should not focus entirely on you but should Read more…