General+teaching+resources

__WL Teaching and learning strategies__

 * 1) Interpretive Reading strategies
 * 2) Interpretive Listening strategies
 * 3) "can-do" statements activities
 * 4) Top Ten Communication Skills with "can-do" statements
 * 5) Quizlet: vocabulary digital flashcards and games. Just type language and lists will appear or make your own
 * 6) Music and Lyrics Listening activity-click on Spanish on top menu

=Teaching Strategies article-Thank you, Edutopia=

=Mix It Up! Authentic Activities for the World Language Classroom= June 18, 2014 by [|Sarah Wike Loyola] Upper School Spanish Teacher, Spanish Team Leader, and Technology Mentor in Charlotte, NC

Do you ever feel stuck in a rut while planning your language classes? Perhaps you spend a lot of time lecturing at the white board, use the same activities with different vocabulary for every unit, or rely on teaching students grammar because that's how you were taught. No matter your "go to" activity, we are all much more engaging when we vary our activities and make them relatable. If the speaker is engaging, a good lecture every now and then is enjoyable. However, when faced with daily lectures, students dread class, and hence, learn less. So why not mix it up? When dreaming up new activities, our main focus should always be authenticity. If we make activities genuine, our students will be much more inclined to participate, acquiring new knowledge through the process. Many language teachers think that being //authentic// means decorating their classrooms with flags and other souvenirs collected through their travels. But true authenticity comes from the activities we use during class time, leaving an impact on the communicative skills of our students. In [|a previous Edutopia post], I outlined how to best shape a unit around communication. Since then, many of you have reached out to me about the sorts of activities that could fill these types of units. Below, I have outlined some of my ideas within the three modes of communication.

Interpretive Mode

 * Read children’s stories. (Spanish teachers should check out CuentosInfantiles.)
 * Watch videos made for children on YouTube and Vimeo. Pocoyo is a great example of a program that has been translated into nearly every language.
 * Have your friends who are native speakers make recordings around a theme. You can then write corresponding questions which students must answer while listening in class.
 * Read news articles, literature, poems, and blogs. Check out Veinte Mundos for articles written for students in French, Spanish, German, and English, or go to Paperboy to find newspapers from all over the world.
 * Watch the news online. The BBC has news articles and videos in a myriad of languages.
 * Use the language proficiency site developed by UTexas to gain access to native Spanish speakers talking about a variety of themes. These are conveniently divided into proficiency levels.
 * Listen to radio stations. Spanish teachers should check out Radio Ambulante and RTVE.es.
 * Make a fun interactive quiz using Kahoot!
 * Show videos on Yabla (available in Spanish, German, Italian, French, and Chinese) -- well worth the $100 a year.
 * Instagram a word of the day.
 * Have students interpret what their peers are saying as they present in class. You can even have them officially use it as an interpretive listening practice by providing a template for them to fill out.

Interpersonal Mode
Engage your students in these activities:
 * Sign a contract on the first day of school promising to use only the target language within your classroom walls.
 * [|Survey one another] based on the theme. //(**Note:** link downloads a 114 KB pdf.)//
 * [|Respond to emails] that require them to use the vocabulary in a real way. //(**Note:** link downloads a 131 KB pdf.)//
 * Have a conversation in groups of two about a theme you give them. After their discussion, have them present to the class about what their partner told them.
 * Respond to a class blog. As an example, mine is AP Spanish.
 * Use Twitter as a story-writing activity. You tweet the first line, and students tweet a certain number of lines over a determined period of time, then read the finished story in class. These never disappoint.
 * Speak with each other on a topic while you observe.
 * Work in pairs on an information gap activity. One student will have some information that they need to share with their partner. The two of them will share their information with one another.
 * Find and discuss the differences between two related photos.
 * Play "20 Questions." For a lower level course, you could even give them 20 questions to ask one another. This works great for nearly every possible unit theme.
 * Participate in simple conversation days. I find that my students really enjoy these, and they serve as a great way to wrap up a unit. These work best with the desks arranged in a large circle. As homework the night before, ask students to write down questions for the group that relate to the unit theme.

Presentational Mode
Have students do these:
 * Create a comic strip. Try out the Pow! Strip Design app.
 * [|Produce an iMovie]. //(**Note:** link downloads an 80 KB pdf.)//
 * Make a presentation on Google Drive, Prezi, Haiku Deck, Keynote, or PowerPoint.
 * [|Speak or write about] a specific scenario. //(**Note:** link downloads a 114 KB pdf.)//
 * Write a story using Storybird, or write a book using the Book Creator app.
 * [|Record short videos] based on a determined scenario. //(**Note:** link downloads a 144 KB pdf.)//
 * Generate speaking avatars at voki.
 * Create a story around an event by blending their own words with what was reported about it on social media, using Storify.
 * Make a poster to present their ideas using poster board or any number of apps with this capability.
 * Embrace student-led learning by giving a broad question that they will need to investigate in small groups. Each group will need to make a poster that reflects their answer to your question, and then present it to the class as a whole.

5 Rules for the 3 Modes
In order to help students better master the units we teach, remember these rules when selecting activities: Please share your own recommendations for classroom activities within the three modes!
 * 1) They must be **authentic**.
 * 2) They should always be **engaging**.
 * 3) Activities should be **varied**.
 * 4) They need to be **focused** around the unit theme.
 * 5) Perhaps most importantly, they should force students to use the **target language**.