Alternate title: “Data Nerd Stuff.” Brace yourselves.So shortly before the official decision to go hybrid, my district sent out a survey for all Spanish teachers to list their Top 10 content/skills/standards for the level(s) they teach in order to prepare learning plans for the district. This was my chance!
Last year I had an intricate schedule with at least two Spanish-speaking judges for every hour-long slot, including five different ninth graders’ moms. I tracked down the freshmen whose parents spoke Spanish, got names and numbers and called them all weeks in advance. Then I composed a full-page letter–in Spanish–about Read more…
So you’ve got an authentic audience: real live native speakers in the same room with your students. Maybe you’re lucky like me and have a thriving Sister Cities exchange program. Maybe they’re some or your fourth period heritage speakers’ moms. Maybe they’re local business owners or the ELL class from Read more…
Blogging is just the beginning. It gives students a starting point, a place to hash out what they can–and want to–say about their goals and progress. Their compañeros can check in on them too. But you may have noticed in your own learning experience: real collaboration doesn’t happen in the comment Read more…
The level of confidence I saw in the final round of assessments last semester–after the tearful season mid-semester–it completely convinced me that this is how I want to assess going forward: with small groups with prepared cues with student choice Preparation Students have 2 days to A) choose a relevant topic Read more…
I think I should have been starting online classes with pizza faces from the beginning. I mean, sneaking in a few Spanish essentials and practicing with a useful tool early on–those are noble pedagogical goals, right? And starting with such small, familiar language chunks can help hit the ground running Read more…
Ah, the affective filter, our old friend. It’s not that students can’t do what we ask most of the time, but that they have this little barrier that inches higher and higher the more they stress out. The higher the barrier inches, the less language can get through–coming or going. It Read more…
Whether you’re going to a Mexican restaurant (we are) or participating in a foreign language competition (that too) or taking your kids on a mile-long walk with water jugs (#squadgoals), students can always engage in a little interpersonal exchange, as well as a little presentational reflection. Last year I tried Read more…
I’m excited to have been asked to contribute a language teacher’s perspective on technology for the CUE Blog (thanks for the referral, Sra. Rhodes!) Here’s an excerpt: What a time to be alive! The whole world is inside our classrooms every day. I like to pretend it’s me bringing it to Read more…
What makes Adobe Voice so great is the one-press recording and the quick image search. Kids don’t have to spend hours designing the perfect visual representation for their video–they pick one image from the vast clipart and/or Creative Commons stash, record, and move on to the next image/recording. And all Read more…