In which I get some relevant tips on encouraging critical thinking in the target language. [View the story “#FLANC50 Sessions: Round 6” on Storify] In which I am moved to engage hearts and minds from the beginning and to scaffold experiences to build confidence instead of stress. [View the story Read more…
My goal with the second IPA of a unit is to help students reflect on their final product and how they want it to turn out. Drawing inspiration from Sra. Toth and Sra. Placido’s Kiva videos, I’ve already planted the seed for students to try to convince others to carry Read more…
To earn a slot on the Governor’s Teacher Network, I need to propose units I want to develop. This could be my big chance to promote projects that not only make language truly relevant but that make students lives better. So I took another look at the North Carolina Essential Standards (novice, Read more…
Most projects worth doing cannot be done alone. Most projects worth doing require coordination of time, materials, money, and information. Coordinating all of these elements is one reason collaboration is an essential 21st century skill. The old adage tells us what we must do with anything we want done right, Read more…
La Laja is a school in Icononzo, Tolima in Colombia. They have one classroom and around 50 students. Some students walk 2 hours to get there. Ayudando Ando is a charity group out of Bogotá that seeks to support the growth of this tiny school buried in the mountains of Read more…
I would not do the project with 9th graders, much less a class of 25 9th graders (well, 2 juniors and a sophomore are among them). They need a stronger foundation in the language and more maturity. Perhaps Spanish I could assist a more advanced class. I would spring for fewer Read more…
The cameras are all here! The supplies are almost all sorted! If we can get a couple of bigger boxes, double-check inventory, and just get our hands on the memory cards, everything will be just about ready to ship to La Laja in Colombia! That means it is time to Read more…
I woke up an hour before my alarm, anxiety over the bake sale to send school supplies to La Laja in Colombia stalking up and down my brain. I calculated that if every pair from class brings one batch of their goodies, and if every batch includes an average of a Read more…
I cannot handle a class of 25 freshmen after 1:00. OK, 22 freshmen and a couple of sophomores and juniors. I haven’t had a class over 22 in over 3 years so, yes, I’m spoiled. And to pile all of those kids I’ve never met into one class at the Read more…
Escuela de la Laja de Icononzo de Tolima I was going to have students pack backpacks full of school supplies to have a tangible demonstration of “classroom and school environment” (core curriculum essential standard for Novice Mid, Connection to Other Disciplines, 1.1– Use memorized words and phrases to exchange information about the Read more…