I liked the progression in the use of technology. Here is another way I thought the lesson could be ramped up and use technology to it's maximum potential... Have students discover landmarks or fun facts about a certain capital and then take virtual tour of that city via Google Earth. Students could take screen shots of the landmarks and write one or two sentences about each one.
We are right to question the value of technology--especially depending on how it is used. Is it being used because we are told to use it, or is it adding value to instruction? More importantly, are students thinking and feeling more deeply? Some technology is not used to enrich the educational experience.
I compared the two sheets. Existing lesson has the students contacting specific people like state leaders and global peers, or other students. The 2nd page which "ramps it up" suggests actively seeking out the opinions and knowledge of others and publishing work on the web. But maybe it's OK to limit the contacts the students are making. Or does safety/security matter anymore?
I think that the idea of global learning through technology can be directly applied to the world language classroom. Language learning is really about communication (and the ability to communicate with others around the world), and the integration of technology into the classroom can allow students to form connections with other students throughout the world. I would love to start a twitter interaction with 3rd and 4th grade students and a class in Spain!
Wouldn't it be fun to have our students make a few of these videos and post them on this page? It looks like they have videos from a variety of places. Check out the math addition videos for ideas.
Connect with & learn from educators & students around the world in this free conference that runs around the clock from November 17 thru 22. You can jump in any session at any time. You will need Blackboard collaborate to connect with sessions. Let me know if you have any questions.