I also really liked this photo.

And another. Both are odd paintings, but give you a different mood. I thought it was interesting.

Technology for the Classroom

So there are so many different options to use in the classroom. My biggest concern is how am I giong to have the time to impliment technology in my classroom? I have written so many lesson plans in the last few weeks and there are so many things you need to add to your lessons that it seems so hard to include technology on a regular basis. I am not talking about PowerPoint or SMARTboard technology. I mean how do you use virtual worlds to interact with a classroom over seas. You would first need to find a time that you are both in school, since you are on such a differnet time schedule. Then it would take up an entire period just to work with the technology. My problem is, I cannot wait till 2:30 to have all my classes come in to interact on a virtual world with someone that comes from France. It would be much easier in an elementary classroom where I am able to work more with time. I just dont see how it would be possible for every class. I also am weiry about how much technolgy students are using. Our schools are run by such a 19th century thinking, that it is almsot hard to use technology and to help prepare students for the examinations. I dont mean teach to the test, but it will be difficult! Thats it for this week!!

New post

I was just playing with images on a blog sorry.

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Comparing Education Around the World
I adopted this lesson from the VITAL website for English for Comparing Education Around the World. I would use this and adopt it for a French Lesson.
Grade Level- 7th
Time Required- 4- 40 minute classes
Part I: Learning Activity
1. Tell students that they will be learning about two classrooms from around the world. Before viewing the first segment, distribute copies of the Education Around the World handout (changed for use in a French classroom)
2. Tell students that they're going to watch a video segment about the culture in American classrooms.
3. After watching the segment, ask students what they remember about the classroom. Use a story map online to go over first segment. Replay the video, asking students to listen for specific information in order to complete the first column of the chart. Afterwards, students copy what you have written.
4. Tell students that they're going to watch another video about schools in other countries. This part of the video would be from a French classroom in France.
5. After watching the second segment, ask students what they remember about the classroom. As before, use a story map online. Have students write what I have written. Replay the video as needed in order to complete the chart.
Part II: Assessment
1. Students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the differences between a French speaking classroom in France, and how we do things differently or similar in America.
2. Discuss completed Venn diagrams as a class. How are they alike? How are they different?
3. Completed Venn diagrams can be placed in student portfolios to demonstrate their understanding of this concept.
For students with additional help
1. Go over chart with students, marking similarities in one color and differences in another color.
2. Then, help students to organize the similarities and differences on the Venn diagram.
Resources:
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/vtl07.la.rv.text.lpcomped/

Additional Resource: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/neworleans/tguide/index.html#culture
After the two classes about comparing and contrasting the cultures, I would go over this pbs resouce about New Orleans. This would show how the French ended up in America and after they have compared and contrasted, they will watch this video and then would use their knowledge of education in differnet cultures and compare how these people must of felt after coming to America. This would introduce two cultures and then bring the knowledge they know and come up with a hypothesis about how these people adapted to the new world.

Smart Board

I wont lie, my blog is a little late, but last week was a little extreme. Anyway, I really enjoyed using the SMARTboard in class. I learned a lot more than I would have by just using tutorials. There are so many different ways to use the SMART board for lessons and it is extremely useful in my classroom. By being able to be interactive, teaching french is a lot easier. I am able to use clips, and have students arrange things by interacting with the board at a much quicker level than they could with paper. I really learned a lot from last class.

Adaptive Technologies Reflection

I have not been exposed to that many adaptive technologies in my lifetime. I was exposed to a portable tablet PC that students with difficulties writing were given to assist them in the classroom. Students with poor handwriting were given these to help them take notes, send things to teachers and were used on a regular daily basis. I was also introduced to a projected microphone. Students that were hard of hearing would use this so that teachers would talk at a normal tone and students could have a portable ear piece that they could hear the teacher with.

I would use the microphone in my classroom to project discussion and allow students that are hard of hearing to hear me pronounce different words. Being a second language teacher many students are going to have a hard time with pronunciation and with hearing impairment students with difficulties may loose the importance of a word or phrase. With being able to hear me, students with hearing disabilities would have an easier time understanding me, and could advance their language. I would also use this adaptive technology to allow that student to hear me pronounce things more clearly. I could slow down speech, or speed it up so they could mimic back the language they hear, much like every other child does around them. Having a microphone for students with a hearing impairment would help that student be mainstreamed more easily. It would allow class to flow without having to stop or having that child not hear what I am talking about, because of where I am located in the classroom or having my back turned to that certain child. There are so many advantages to having a microphone for students with a hearing disability, because without this adaptive technology, they may go on for many years not knowing that they could actually have an easier time in classrooms. It is defiantly something I would use in my classroom.

I have not seen many technologies in my classroom, but it is important because mainstreaming children has become so important. It is going to be difficult for me because as a second language teacher I want students with disabilities to feel welcome in my classroom. So any assistive technology they may be able to use is going to be worth my time. I want to be able to go to meetings and be able to suggest a certain technology that may help certain children. I really need to look more into them and become better aware of what is offered.

Technology

Last week I really enjoyed using the cognitive maps. I could see how you could use it in almost every class that you could teach. As a french major, students are going to have trouble writing even basic concepts. Using this web could be useful in helping students organize their ideas. I look forward to using it in my classroom. As far as the bar graphs, I thought it would very helpful with younger students. I am excited to go to student support services. I keep hearing about all these new assistive technologies, but I have never seen them. Assistive technologies are so important when knowing how to follow students IEPs and knowing what you can recommend for your individual students.