Enseña con éxito. Spanish Activities for the Modern Classroom.

Historieta de Lazarillo de Tormes

2015-09-15T17:23:00.003-05:00

Lectura "ayudada" para "Volverán las oscuras golondrinas"

2013-12-23T21:16:00.000-06:00

Aquí les dejo una lectura "ayudada" para el poema "Volverán las oscuras golondrinas" de Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Asegúrense de bajar el archivo, pues para las palabras en "amarillo" se puede ver la definición cuando se mira el documento en el formato PDF.

Lecturas en el imperfecto - Las hormigas culonas

2013-03-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Una lectura en el imperfecto en conjunto con un tema cultural.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Un video sobre las hormigas culonas:

Lecturas en el imperfecto - el trompo

2013-03-23T11:36:00.003-05:00

Una lectura en el imperfecto en conjunto con un tema cultura:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

La revista sobre las tradiciones paraguayas con un trompo com protagonista:

Video promocional "El trompo arasa"

Video del programa "Colombia tiene talento" Show de trompo

Para conversar

2013-03-19T15:58:00.001-05:00

Hoy estuve en la clase de español 2 y mis estudiantes empezaron a conversar conmigo en español sin que yo les impulse. Claro que me puse muy contento, pues quiero que todos mis alumnos platiquen en español de una manera natural y curiosa. Con esto en mente, junté una lista de preguntas que me parecen apropiadas para comenzar una conversación en español en un nivel de principiante. Pienso tomar unos cinco minutos de cada clase (por unas nueve semanas) para que los alumnos conversen juntos en español sobre varios temas. Claro que hay un poco de trabajo que hacer para que los alumnos puedan contestar algunas de las preguntas, pero pienso que con un poquito de práctica ellos van a estar charlando muy bien sobre estos temas. Espero que alguien también pueda utilizar este recurso porque sabemos que el uso y la repetición del idioma es un elemento tremendamente importante en la clase de español como segundo idioma.

“Los colores de la montaña” - Introducing the imperfect

2013-03-18T15:46:00.002-05:00

I added an addendum to the previous “Los colores de la montaña” worksheet. I am going to use the movie to introduce the imperfect tense in my SP2 class.

Here it is:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Reflection on my flipped classroom experience

2013-03-12T16:17:00.000-05:00

A redbrickED article by Joshua Sollie

Reflection on using a flipped classroom to introduce grammar topics in a World Languages Classroom.

I recently created a video explaining a grammar topic and an online worksheet for students to complete to test their comprehension. I used it as an introduction to talking about how long we have been doing something. The video (based off of the textbook explanation) to watch at home was about five minutes in length and although it had my voice, I did not appear on the video. The worksheet consisted of four comprehension questions and then three questions (test questions) for students to answer to test their ability to apply their knowledge of the topic.

Opposite the video, I gave students the option of reading an explanation in class which mirrored the video presentation of the grammar topic and filling in a worksheet (paper) with the same comprehension questions and the same questions to test their ability to apply the topic. During this time I did not tell the students they could not use me as resource, but few decided to ask me any questions.

I evaluated their responses and divided them into two categories. The first category is where comprehension is achieved and proven through correct responses on the set of test questions. The second category is where students do not comprehend and is proven through incorrect responses on the set of test questions. Here are the results:

	Students obtaining comprehension and application	Students not able to comprehend and then apply.
Online video (20 students)	15	5
Written explanation (23 students)	7	16

As you can see the results are almost flipped with the students watching the video and filling in the online worksheet comprehending and applying near a 75% rate; with the opposite results for the students reading the explanation with near 75% of the students not comprehending. Also, the errors that the students who watched the video made were mostly errors stemming from their understanding of verb conjugations and not necessarily from their understanding of the grammar construction. Meanwhile the range of errors for students who read the explanation was greater with no apparent patterns noticed.

I was rather astonished by the results. I must admit I was apprehensive about trying this method, not being sure whether watching a video for understanding would be a worthwhile activity and if it would help the students learn. I tend, I think as we all do, to exaggerate the importance of the teacher’s physical presence for student comprehension. What I am beginning to understand through this exercise is that as teachers we need to start building a digital presence which helps our students learn in order to supplement our physical presence. The role of the teacher is not in any way diminished, because we are still monitoring and instructing our students. The difference in this digital age is that students have increased opportunities to learn and we have increased opportunities to guide and give feedback.

Another epiphany I bumped into (again) is that students are digital learners. I learned with pencil, paper, textbooks and overheads. Today’s students learn through online tutorials, videos, web chats, mobile devices and exploration. I did not track the number of students who supplemented their watching of the video with their own research and practice, although it would be interesting to measure this as well. This is, and should be, the most effective way for them to learn. It is the way they interact with the world and is the means through which they will perform their jobs.

My next step is to create another video for students to watch and answers for them to complete to test their ability to comprehend and apply. Opposite this I will give an in class explanation of the topic to a different set of students and have them complete the same form to test their comprehension and ability to apply. Then I will compare the results and see what I have.

So, here’s to building a digital presence and letting go of our schema which convinces us that students our incapable of learning without us watching over their shoulders.

A redbrickED study in collaboration with ENSENACONEXITO.BLOGSPOT.COM

Guía de estudio para la película “LOS COLORES DE LA MONTAÑA”

2013-03-09T23:11:00.000-06:00

Guía de estudio para la película “LOS COLORES DE LA MONTAÑA”

You can view it below and access it here

I added an addendum to the previous worksheet. I am going to use the movie to introduce the imperfect tense in my SP2 class.

Here it is:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Reflecting on classroom activities

2013-03-09T16:35:00.000-06:00

A redbrickED article by Joshua Sollie

ANALYZING THE VALUE OF CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

The effect of daily repetition of vocabulary with picture associations.

During a recent institute at our school Jim Burke was the featured speaker. One concept which he repeated several times and stuck with me was that we should be analyzing our classroom procedures and activities to determine which ones are effective and a good use of our time and resources. In other words, which activities are actually valid and help the students?

With that in mind, I decided to analyze a daily practice in my classroom which takes between 3-5 minutes a day. To practice vocabulary, I have created PowerPoints with the vocabulary words in the form of flashcards with the slides including the word and also a picture. We go over the words at least once every class period. It is a simple repetition exercise that probably takes between 3-5 minutes each class period during which the students repeat the words while viewing the PowerPoint. In practice I knew the repetition and picture association should help the students produce the words (the students are given the words in English and have to write the Spanish equivalent for their quiz), but had never analyzed this practice. To test whether this was a valid exercise, I did not do the repetition exercise for the last lesson of this quarter; although I did create flashcards that the students could view online to study on their own. I was unsure what the results would be, but was not surprised by the following:

PERIOD	QUIZ 1 W/ PPT PRACTICE	QUIZ 2 W/ PPT PRACTICE	QUIZ 3 W/ PPT PRACTICE	QUIZ 4 NO PPT PRACTICE
1^ST	Mean:9.7 Median:10.0	Mean:9.8 Median:10.0	Mean:9.0 Median:10.0	Mean:8.4 Median:9.0
5TH	Mean:8.8 Median:9.0	Mean:9.3 Median:10.0	Mean:9.1 Median:10.0	Mean:8.4 Median:9.0
6TH	Mean:8.9 Median:10.0	Mean:8.4 Median:9.0	Mean: 9.5 Median:10.0	Mean:7.9 Median:9.0

While I am sure there are several variables at play, it is significant that the lowest mean score for each
class is the quiz where the students were not presented with the words and phrases in a repetitive manner through the PowerPoint exercise. I am going to continue monitoring this practice throughout the fourth quarter and continue to analyze the value of this practice. It also made me think about the other activities I do in class. If an exercise that I do for three to five minutes a day has this type of an effect on student learning, what about the rest of the procedures and activities that I do in class. Are they as effective and do they provide the same types of results? If not, why? Even more importantly, why do I continue to do those activities?

A redbrickED study in collaboration with ENSENACONEXITO.BLOGSPOT.COM

33 Digital Skills for 21st Century Teachers

2013-03-06T18:56:00.002-06:00

Experimenting with flipped classroom

2013-03-04T20:29:00.001-06:00

I am continuing to experiment with the flipped classroom concept. Recently I created a video for students to watch on their own and also a form for them to fill as they watch.

Here it is

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Fidel Nadal - “Te robaste mi corazón” y el pasado

2013-02-17T14:55:00.000-06:00

Un ejercicio para trabajar la canción “Te robaste mi corazón” y el pasado pretérito y el uso del verbo doler.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Y como siempre, el video:

Easily Create Online Worksheets

2013-02-17T14:10:00.005-06:00

This is the second post in the series on how to easily create online activities using the RICH internet applications from CLEAR at Michigan State University.

This post is concerning the program called "Worksheets".

To access "Worksheets" go to the RICH internet applications page and choose "Worksheets" from the pull down menu.

In this application you will have the ability to create multiple different worksheets including fill in the blank, short answer, matching and more. It is extremely useful for practice and for easily checking the work that students do during formative practice.

In the following worksheet the students do two things.

The first is a pronunciation activity for past tense verbs in the preterite. Students will hear a verb then be asked to record themselves saying it.

The second activity asks students to complete a sentence based upon a prompt. They will hear (and read) a prompt about the result of a competition or event. They will then have to finish a sentence basing their answer on the prompt given.

I love that these worksheets allow the students to speak.

WORKSHEET FOR THE PRETERITE

PowToon for Education

2013-02-15T14:54:00.004-06:00

The concept of a flipped classroom seems to be gaining popularity. While I am not an avid proponent, I do see the benefit in having lessons that are engaging and can be accessed anytime and anywhere. The days of sitting in front of the webcam and lecturing are disappearing (Gracias a Dios) and there are many tools to make presentations more engaging. One that I recently stumbled upon is called PowToon and they even have a special subscription for educators. I just recently started experimenting with this program and like the features. Below I am including a presentation I am working on, it is not a completed presentation, but it will give you a good base idea of the capabilities of the program. Hope it might be helpful.

Easily Create Online Language Activities for Free

2012-12-22T09:44:00.002-06:00

There is a great site that allows you to create online language activities for students to complete at school or at home. I will be describing several of these and giving examples of how they can be used in the World Languages classroom.

The site I am referring to is the Rich Internet Applications site from Michigan State University. Click here to access the site.

One of my favorite applications to use is the Audio Dropbox.

First let's go over how you create an Audio Dropbox

1.Once you have signed up for the free account there will be a pull down menu. Choose "Audio Dropbox."

2. You will then be redirected to the page. There is a green link "Create a new Dropbox". When you click on the link it will automatically create a new Dropbox for you. You can then click on the pencil icon to change the title.

3. Now that you have a new Dropbox you can click on the embed icon, copy the code and paste it to your blog or webpage. Add a question above the Dropbox and you have a ready made speaking activity. When students access the Dropbox they will be prompted to input their name.

4. The recordings will be stored alphabetically in your account on the CLEAR website. You can easily see the recordings by clicking on the "eye" icon.

Here is an example of a Dropbox.

What is your favorite World Languages website? Record your answer below.

Information and presentations for promoting WL Studies

2012-12-20T10:51:00.002-06:00

Click here for information and presentation on advocacy for World Languages.

I need a second language!

Un tema cultural interesante

2012-10-23T13:03:00.001-05:00

La inmigracion y Chambao - Papeles Mojados

2012-08-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

Un trabaja para hablar, discutir y aprender sobre la inmigracion. Incorpora la cancion "Papeles Mojados" de Chambao y un ejercicio compara la cancion con "Esperanza muere en Los Angeles" por Jorge Argueta

y el video:

y un link para el poema:

http://www.hiszpanski.ang.pl/forum/solo-en-espanol/128597

Juanes y el presente

2012-08-31T11:35:00.001-05:00

Les doy una actividad para trabajar el presente. Se puede usar en conjunto con el trabajo sobre el presente y la ciudad de Mexico.

y el video:

Actividad para repasar verbos - ar y la ciudad de Mexico

2012-08-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

GUIA DIDACTICA "ABEL"

2012-08-18T16:33:00.001-05:00

Aquí les presento una guía didáctica para la película Abel de Diego Luna. La guía didáctica fue creada para la clase de A.P. Español Literatura y Cultura, pero podría servir para una clase de español avanzada. Se enfoca en el tema de las relaciones interpersonales

Siete - Tengo tu love

2012-04-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

Aquí una nueva canción de Siete para trabajar con las comparaciones y disfrutar de una musica reggae al pop-latino.

Siete - Tengo Tu Amor - Comparaciones

Y el video:

Lectura para preparar para el A.P. Spanish Literature Test

2012-03-30T10:13:00.002-05:00

Teatro fin de siglo - Gabriel Celaya

Ese cajón de luz que es un viejo teatro,

esa trampa sin trampa,

el escenario

con actores-insectos revoloteando:

las larvas con pelusa y dedos largos,

las mariposas locas, que ya no eran mujeres,

con tanta falda y pluma, con tan poquita cara

menuda y adorable.

El mundo iluminado de oro y de luz de gas,

tafetán resbalado, resplandor de mentira,

la prestidigitación,

los grandes palacios y las perspectivas

con rocas, con cascadas, con sinfónicas tormentas,

y el triste melodrama, y el resplandor perfecto,

y en el fondo, tremendo,

lo real de este juego de la mistificación.

Todo se mentía, y hasta sin querer,

se volvía verdad verdadera al revés.

Identifique los siguientes recursos técnicos en el poema:

la prosopopeya

metáforas

lenguaje figurado

asíndeton

polisíndeton

¿Qué representan los insectos, las larvas y las mariposas?

Anote unas imágenes del poema.

¿Cuál es el tema central del poema?

Escoge un verso que representa el tema del poema.

Links to online literature from Native Speakers ppt.

2012-02-23T10:30:00.001-06:00

Plan nacional de lectura

Espanol Free Books

Biblioteca digital de la UNAM

Cuentos Interactivos

Ciberoteca – Biblioteca Virtual

Biblioteca Digital ILCE

Nueva Biblioteca del Nino Mexicano

Julio Cortazar

Biblioteca Digital Internacional para los Ninos

Engaging Native Spanish Speakers in Literature PowerPoint

2012-02-23T10:04:00.002-06:00

Engaging Native Speakers in Literature