In 1815 there was a concern for Principals regarding technology in the classroom. It was paper.
It is kind of funny how things have changed from possibly running out of paper to nowadays running out of bandwidth. Not too long ago I can easily remember learning how to use a technology phenomenon known as the graphing calculator. Now...it's learning multiple technologies for the classroom!
Whether you want to believe it or not, we have a duty as teachers to give our students multiple chances of using technology to help them in their academic endeavors. Check out this video of a 7th grader!
Can you say WHOA!?!? It is understood that this student had to learn the use of these technologies from somewhere. I can't imagine it was from her friends. Can you imagine how resourceful this young girl will be when she goes to interview for a job in the future? Now, is it expected that you know ALL of these technologies and share them with your students...NO. But you can start some place, right? Where is that "some place" then? I know it will be different for each of us. But the real question is, if you don't know where to start, will you even start at all???
FEATURE TECHIE OF THE WEEK: Mr. Michael Tetrault
"I particularly love using technology in class because it brings French to life for students. A common complaint I hear is that "you just can't use French in Indiana/White County/Monticello/etc." But with social media, Skype, YouTube, extensive online dictionaries, and language forums, students very easily connect with authentic French speakers and create links with people around the globe.
I have a French friend who teaches English in southern France, and we have had several Skype sessions between our classes. The TL students speak face-to-face, in real time, with the students in France. Both sides speak both languages as needed to help each other understand, and students can get answers to their cultural questions if they want to hear straight from another teenager.
We also have a cart loaded with some iPods, and there is an app we use to create video slideshows with accompanying audio. Students record their voices while they arrange pictures from their summers, and they tell the story of how they spent their summer break.
Recently I created a Twitter account (@TLHSTetrault) to post interesting videos or news from the French-speaking world in order to reach students who use Twitter extensively. I have also created a Facebook page for use with my travel groups. The bottom line is that students are using French and being exposed to the language outside of the 88-minute window every other weekday.
For several years, I have also had students complete a recipe project, where they make a food, create a recipe in French, then bring in the food and present their recipes. I started to get bored of seeing the parade of poster boards, so I encouraged students to think outside the box. The results were a lot of fun; for example, students created videos on their phones and added music and text overlays to add a lot of interest to the project.
I have students in 3rd year search the internet for French news articles on a regular basis, and it is a ton of fun for me because A) they're exploring at their own pace as they find what interests them, B) when they present their findings, we get to have in-depth conversation about topics and cultural perspectives that our textbook would never discuss, and C) students take ownership of the things they find, and they enjoy presenting their materials and leading the conversation.
Of course, YouTube is a great resource as well, because I can show all kinds of videos that pique students' interest: French commercials, news reports, comedians, French pranksters doing funny things (speaking French the whole time, and kids still want to see it!), and music videos.
Frankly, I am jealous of students today that can use technology and the internet to see and learn anything they wish. Even though Google existed when I was in high school, my learning was mostly confined to whatever was found within the binding of my textbook. Now that the social aspect of the internet is much more vast, students can take their learning as far as their imagination reaches."
WOW! Thanks for sharing, Michael. Exciting things happening in French!
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