Review-Preview Stations: First days in Spanish 2

Are they still First Day Fun Stations if it’s their second time doing them? It’s not their first day of Spanish, so the element of surprise is out the window. Plus they’ve already built up their own ideas of what “fun” means in Spanish class.

But there’s still too much to get done to just sit on their First Day!

Stations will not actually be the VERY first thing my students do this semester–got to warm up the drowd a little bit. We’re going to lead with a group reconstruction of one of their favorite coros (each kid has a number with a word or phrase on it, and they’ll say them in order).

Those numbers will also correspond to their computers, which they’ll need to sign up for Seesaw and Nearpod. We’ll break the ice a little more with their funniest memories of Spanish I (keepin’ it positive) and then lay out what I’m going to need from them these first few days.

And then we’ll dive right in, looking back and looking forward at the same time.

REVIEW

GreenScreen Karaoke

Music equals memory for my students. And coros were by far the biggest motivator for this particular group. So this one from my original Spanish II First Day Fun Station stays–although in a slightly simpler form.

1. Select a song you remember from the Spanish I coro playlist: bit.ly/coros2014.
2. Use the GreenScreen app on an iPad to record yourself singing or reciting your chosen coro in front of the green paper.
3. Find an image that goes along with the song to upload as the background.
4. Add the video to the Karaoke folder through the Seesaw iPad app.

Badges

1. Log in to ForAllRubrics and save all badge images for Novice Mid Reading, Listening, or Writing and Novice Low Speaking.
2. Create a portfolio using the template at bit.ly/spanishskillsportfolio; your URL will be in the following format:
   sites.google.com/a/gaston.k12.nc.us/GECFirstnameLastinitial
3. Insert the badges you’ve earned on the first page of your new portfolio.
4. Submit the link to the Portfolio folder on Seesaw.

Word(less) Wall

Interactive notebooks are textbooks students get to keep. Plus we only used 30 pages last year. So students will use their Spanish I notebooks and keep going for Spanish II–after they’ve reviewed some essentials they’ll need moving forward, essentials like vocabulary.

1. Review the vocabulary on pages 5, 6, 14, 19, and 21 of your Spanish I notebook (or a partner’s).
2. Select 5 words from each page that you think will be most useful for you to communicate in Spanish.
3. Post the 5 words for each category (Intereses, Pasión, Contactos, Preguntas, Actividades) to the designated Nearpod questions.
4. Draw an image in each section of the whiteboard that represents the word you think is most important for each category (No words!)

Adobe Voice Stories

Interactive notebooks also contain context for language learned last year with my first two TPRS stories ever. Those kids still tease the protagonists’ namesakes from “Mucha basura” (fortunately they’re very good sports), so this should be a good way to tap into their memory as well.

1. Read either “Mucha basura” or “El mejor invento” aloud to a partner, and listen while they read the other to you.
2. Choose one story to summarize and retell
3. Create a video using the Adobe Voice App on the iPads with 4 images to represent:
   1) a description of the protagonist,
   2) the problem he/she has in the story,
   3) what he/she does about the problem,
   and 4) how the story ends.
4. Record your summary for each picture in your own words in Spanish.
5. Submit the video to the Stories folder via the Seesaw iPad app.

PREVIEW

Letter Home

1. Read the information provided on the class webpage, including the circle links on the infograph syllabus and side bar.
2. On the back of your syllabus, write a letter to your parents explaining additional useful information (that is not available on the paper copy) on each the following topics:

• IPAs
• Portfolios
• Practice
• Unit projects

You must return the signed syllabus–with the letter on the back–by Monday.

BONUS PRACTICE GRADE: Have your parents email me at least 1 question and 1 additional comment about what they learned about the course from your letter. If they do not use email, they may leave a voicemail at my Google Voice number.

Portfolio Title Pages 

This should save a step or two on Portfolio Days and also provide a visual illustration of where we are headed as far as the four main skills.

1. Create a set of 12 images with the app of your choosing that includes your information:

• Your name
• Your Class (Spanish II or III)
• Spring 2016

2. Create four images with the label Novice Mid level (only Spanish II), four with Novice High, four with Intermediate Low, four with Intermediate Mid (only Spanish III). For each level, label one image reading, one listening, one speaking, and one writing.

3. Submit the images to the Portfolio folder on Seesaw.

WeSpeke setup

I want students interacting with the language outside of class at least once a week, but I’m zeroing in on some problem areas. Thinking of what to talk or write about was one of the most common problems on IPAs last semester, so I’m going to have students find their own audience a la Sra. Cottrell. WeSpeke is a way they might be able to find such an audience if they don’t know anyone (just not until I have permission forms signed).

1. Create a profile on WeSpeke.com using your school Google account
2. Decide if you would rate your ability level as 2 or 3.
3. Select “I’m learning a language at middle/high school” as your reason.
4. Select Community, About Me and You, Language Basics, and pick 2 other topics.
5. Select “Learner” as your role and find Gaston Early College High School
6. Select “I’ll fill out my profile later.”
7. Change your status from Available to Busy ASAP.
8. Click on the School icon at the top and choose “Join a Class.”
9. Find your class period, and click “Join this class.”
10. Click on the People tab and add at least 5 of your classmates–do NOT add or respond to anyone not from our school at this point.
11. Edit your profile and add a description of yourself in Spanish.

Telenovela trailers

Listening has been one of the hardest areas to develop in my experience, so my goal is to get each kid hooked on a telenovela for homework. I’m giving them a few options to choose from, and they’ll watch at least 15 minutes every other week and respond to their viewing on the Tarea Telenovela blog.

1. Watch at least one minute of each of the ads in the playlist on the telenovelas blog https://youtu.be/2DAKulV7tRg.
2. Pick the show you think you would like best, and watch the entire ad.
3. Describe in one paragraph in English what you think the show you selected is about, including information about protagonist and the central conflict and what clues (words, images, sound effects) led you to you that understanding. Explain also your reasons for why you think you would like the show.
4. Post your paragraph as a comment on this blog post.

Reflection

After it’s said and done, we’ll gradually filter the review into assembled portfolios and interactive notebook pages for vocabulary and story summaries (with target structures) and parlay the preview into out-of-class experiences with the target culture.

And hopefully the hindsight will help clarify our vision for the semester!