Spanish

Spanish

//"iHola! Meet Me" //

__Meets Ohio Foreign Language Content Standards: __ // Communication: Communicate in languages other than English // -Present original work and cultural material -Produce and share informal and formal communication -Apply age-appropriate writing process strategies // Communities : Participat e i n multilingua l communitie s an d culture s a t hom e and around the world. // -Engage in communication with people locally and around the world -Communicate with e-pals or pen pals about topics of personal and/or community interest.

__Technology Needs: __ Digital Camera Word Processing Microsoft PowerPoint Sound Recorder/Microphone

__Activity Description with Technology Integration: __ The students will be creating an autobiographical PowerPoint slide. This autobiography will be used as an introduction to their e-pal relationship with the sophomore Spanish class at our district’s high school. Each student’s slide will be collected and formatted into a slide show by the teacher. This slide show will then be sent to the sophomore class for viewing.

To begin: Students will begin by writing a short (one paragraph) autobiography in Spanish. The teacher will check and proofread before students begin typing in final copy format. Once the students have completed their paragraph, they will then use the computer’s sound recorder to record themselves reading their work. They will then save it as an audiofile to the school’s network.

Next: Students will design a PowerPoint slide that best represents their personality. On this slide, they must include their narrative and a picture. This picture may be a self-portrait, or a picture of an object (such as a football helmet) that they feel symbolizes their life. Along with all of this, they will embed the sound file of themselves reading their narrative.

Finally: The slides are saved on the school’s shared network, where the teacher will put them together for a slide show. The sophomore class will be doing the same. This activity will be the “kick-off” of a semester long pen-pal project. To commemorate Tech Day, student will take a screenshot of their PowerPoint slide. This picture will be made smaller and fit into the particular students' Glog template.


 * If the teacher is able, this pen-pal project can go even further. Instead of a sophomore classroom within the district, there may be opportunities for students to link with a Spanish speaking classroom half-way around the world.

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Supporting Research : __ Our president is quoted as saying “The world is becoming more interdependent, and part of the process of America’s continued leadership in the world is…our capacity to communicate across boundaries, across borders.” The ability to master a second language is more important than ever. The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century have set standards revolving around “the five Cs”: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. No longer do students need to find funds to travel abroad to immerse in foreign cultures. Now, it is as easy as turning on a computer. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills notes that students must be able to collaborate with individuals from diverse cultures. To do this, teachers must grasp the endless possibilities through technology. There is a great movement across the country to promote the use of technology in the foreign language classroom. There are many advocates including The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and Discover Languages.

Cutshall, S. (2009). Clicking Across Cultures. //Educational Leadership//, //67//(1), 40. Retrieved from Middle Search Plus database, EBSCO//host// (accessed July 1, 2010).

__"Tried and True" or "New and Innovative?" __ The use of PowerPoint presentations has been occurring for years. This is not a new technology and most students have been exposed to this before. Also, the use of digital cameras is quite prevalent in the lives of middle schoolers. I would say the technology required in this lesson plan is tried and true. However, the idea that they are using it to reach out to another classroom is innovative. Realizing that they are making an outside connection, will help motivate students to get up and learn. Going beyond the four walls of the classroom and actually applying what they’ve learned from lectures and textbooks will reinforce their learning and make them better speakers.