Group items tagged

Short explanation of difference btw project and project baed learning.

This project is listed on the ePals website and is my choice for the Global Networks activity. The languages listed in the project description are French and English, however, I think this kind of project could work in just about any language setting.

Explain Everything is a screencasting app for the iPad. It costs $2.99 in the App Store and no account is needed to use it. This iPad app is designed for educational professionals and students alike, to create projects and record them as screencasts. It is a powerful tool and flexible app that is easy to use. Students use Explain Everything to make collaborative projects using multiple mediums. The recording feature allows foreign language students to create speaking samples with their projects, which can be used to measure progress with language proficiency in a digital portfolio. Teachers can use the recording feature to create a lecture capture. Projects can be designed directly in Explain Everything or files such as presentations, photos, notes, and videos can be imported into the app to create a project that can be annotated with pencil or text, narrated, recorded, and shared in a variety of ways, uploading to Photo Roll, You Tube, Email, Drop Box, and Evernote. Explain Everything can be used by both teachers and students as an interactive whiteboard tool for presentational purposes, when connected to an Apple TV or projector.

Uclass is an online portal for classroom connections around the globe. Similar to ePals, this site allows teachers to create a virtual classroom and then request to connect with other classrooms for pen-pal exchanges or project collaboration. This site promotes cultural awareness and opportunities to easily connect with other classes around the world to arrange projects and virtual exchanges. Once teachers create a site (register) they can add students to the class to create student accounts. From there, one can search for other classes seeking pen-pals. Teachers can post messages for all users to view, suggesting topics of interest to language study or project proposals. Students can send direct messages to other students in other classes and within their own class, provided that the teacher has permitted this function within the class. Easy tool for getting started with global project collaboration and communication exchanges in the target language.

Whether you are creating a PBL activity or an IPA, this checklist is a good way of pre-evaluating your efforts.  I also explored other areas of this blog and found some interesting resources that can be used in the WL classroom.  

Food Lunchbox Project is a collaborative page used by schools and teachers to exchange photos of and comments about typical school lunches. Useful for units on food, health, culture.

Interesting posts with quick descriptions of several projects

This website allows students to share projects and comment on others' projects.

VoiceThread allows you to upload different media to create a project and then share it with others. Those that you share it with can collaborate with you on it by communicating through a type of discussion board.

Transforming media into collaborative spaces with video, voice, and text commenting.

nice collection of foldables and organizers

Students are encouraged to write their own lyrics to songs of their choice, translate them into the target language, record them (audio or video), and share with the world.  This is an excellent way of incorporating 21st century skills, ISTEs, ACTFL standards, and more.  This could require collabortion, too.    This project is 'owned' by the students - teachers just guide the process.  Many examples and support available.

The Free Music Archive offers free downloads under Creative Commons and other licenses.   Can be used in your class, on class websites, or student projects.

This is an awesome YouTube channel by Sylvia Duckworth. I would use her Chansons au Powerpoint to pre-teach vocabulary and then reinforce the learning with the music/PowerPoint combination.  Other videos offer a plethora of topics that can be used in your classroom.  Her use of GoAnimate inspires me to have my students create similar projects to tell stories.   Although in French, the ideas are easily used in Spanish and other WL classrooms. 

Samples of specific project rubrics in FL classes

Good resource for a project you will have to do in 605

A foreign language assessment directory funded by the U.S.Department of Education which provides a searchable directory of over 200 assessments.  Information provided includes grade and proficiency levels, languages available, skills targeted, and publisher and developer contact information.

"images in Ookaboo are public domain or creative commons and can be used freely for blogs, web sites, schoolwork, publications, and other creative projects."

Account is free; find collaborative projects with students around the world. Has a limited number of free student epals account too.

ePals is a free web 2.0 resource that provides language classes the opportunity to connect with target language speakers around the globe. Communication can range from simple email messages to wiki and blog collaboration to multimedia presentations and even Skype video chat. Teachers can monitor all activity, for the sake of student security. A potential project would be for both groups - advanced level students in the local L2 group - to read the same story or poem and then use the ePals blog tool to share opinions (targeting writing skills) and later the Skype video chat to discuss (or perhaps debate) the text (targeting oral skills).

I am interested in using this in exchange with a Spanish-speaking country

The FLTmag is a practice-oriented online publication dedicated to the field of foreign language technology. Its goal is to provide useful and practical information about technology integration in the classroom such as emerging technologies, interesting books, classroom projects, institutional initiatives, conferences and symposiums and language centers worldwide. Its hoping to become a public forum promoting engaged and productive discussions around burning issues in the field of language technology in the U.S. and beyond Currently there is very few things posted, but I see this as eventually becoming the 'go-to' site