Final Post - 3 Unit Ideas!

The unit I have decided to present is "Musique Mania".  This is an FSL unit that would be typically delivered to a Grade 9 or 10 class.  The unit focuses on a set vocabulary list that involves musical instruments, styles and artists.  The unit also teaches several grammar concepts including 'les superlatifs', 'le passé composé' and 'l'accord des adjectifs'. The final project for this unit that we would be working towards would be a storytelling presentation of a scenario that could take place in a clothing store.

Strategy #1 - Prezi Introduction 

I created a Prezi presentation using slides originally from Powerpoint.  This is a presentation that I could show any class at the beginning of the year and at the start of the first unit.  It introduces me to the students and shows them, visually, a bit about myself.  I envision using this Prezi at the start of each school year, always updating the original.

Vancouver! on Prezi

Strategy #2 - Audioboo Podcast

I really liked the Podcast approach to introducing vocabulary.  A large problem in FSL is pronunciation.  When the FSL students are surrounded by other non-Francophones, often pronunciation errors catch on like a virus!  When the closest-to-perfect pronunciation is available through only the teacher, it would be very helpful to have a model constantly available online for students to refer to.  

In this sample, I play instrument audio clips where students hear the instrument, they must determine what the instrument is and say the name aloud. There is enough time on the recording that the teacher will then reappear and give the answer.  Afterwards, space is left again on the recording for students to practice their pronunciation again.  

After practicing a few times with Garageband it seems like posting Podcasts online becomes easier and easier.  I envision using this within my FSL classes mainly for pronunciation practice but also getting students to record themselves speaking.

listen to ‘Nous pratiquons: Les instruments musicales’ on Audioboo

Strategy #3 - Xtranormal Project

This storytelling program allows users to insert any text (in many languages) and have the text come alive through avatars.  The basic program is free and allows you to change the setting, characters, actions, camera angles and facial expressions.  You are able to choose from over 30 different languages or accents and then put everything together, like a storyboard, to produce your final movie result.  

I would like to use this program in the future as a 'final project' option in lieu of the traditional 'perform a skit in front of the class'.  Within this unit I would ask students to come up with a dialogue between 2 or more people that includes unit-specific vocabular and grammar concepts.  

Honey Boo Boo Child - Musique Mania
by: mmeworkun

Reading #9 - BYOD Teachers...(Bearden, 2012)

One of the examples that Bearden mentioned in her text was a teacher who was surprised when a student asked to take a picture of something on the board instead of taking notes.  I encountered a very similar situation during my practicum when I asked my students to take out their agendas to write down the homework for the evening.  A couple students approached the board and pulled out their phones to take pictures of the 'homework list'.  I was confused at first and then understood!  What a change in the way students learn and keep organized!

I agree, as well, that when devices are permitted in the classroom students are less likely to use them inappropriately.  When students feel as though they are 'trusted' by the teacher I think, in order to maintain the trust and benefits, the majority will abide by the rules.

My first Prezi!

Vancouver! on Prezi

Reading #8 - Powerpointlessness (Brown, 2011)

I consistently used Powerpoints during my practicum.  They formed the basis upon which I taught new grammar concepts and delivered outlines of minor and major projects.  What I really like about Powerpoint is the fact that you can create it beforehand and it provides a chronological path that you can follow to make sure that you hit on all your key points that you wish to address.  I also like Powerpoints because you can use written and visual supports to assist in student comprehension of your lectures.

Some ways that I hoped would improve the effectiveness of my Powerpoints included...

• minimizing the text on my slides
• using similar fonts and presentation patterns for all grammar concepts 
• 'theming' my Powerpoints (i.e. presenting 'les adjectifs possessifs' through pictures and sentence examples related to Harry Potter).  I found that this engaged my students.

I also realize how Powerpoint can be incredibly time consuming and I do not think it would be possible to continue the quantity/quality of powerpoint examples I used in practicum during my future full-time teaching career.  I will have to be more selective of what I choose to present using Powerpoint.

I have been a student in classes, however, where Powerpoint was not used effectively.  As the author of the blog pointed out, these Powerpoints included too much text and were poorly organized.  I also had the chance to be a student in a course where an instructor repeated verbatim what was listed on her slides.  This created a terribly boring atmosphere where the 'boring' content was not being improved AT ALL by seeing the content twice (both verbally and in written format).

Google Powerpoint - Les superlatifs

Below I have uploaded a Google Powerpoint presentation on the subject of 'les superlatifs'.  This is a Powerpoint I would use in a FSL 9 or 10 class.

Google Form

Below is a Google Form I created that could be used at the beginning of the school year with a new FSL class.

Google Document

I have uploaded a sample Google Document. This Google Doc is a assignment outline that would be handed out before students begin their work on a final project for a 'clothing unit'.

Curating Content with Scoop.it

Check out my Scoop.it profile by clicking on the widget on my sidebar --->

If/when I have a blog or website for my class I will use this as a widget.  I would post supplemental information, for both of my subject areas, that my students might find interesting.  I like how Scoop.it allows users to have multiple 'topic' boards, a bit like Pinterest.  This means that if I specialize in 2 subject areas (and undoubtedly more as I start my teaching career) for each area I will be able to have a board all still under the same account. This is crucial because as keeping up with sites can be so daunting, this website compacts everything into one!  Great!

Reading #7 - Collaborative Projects (Skillen, 2011)

Group work has always been a major stressor in my life.  As a type-A individual, I often have a hard time 'letting go' of areas of projects because I feel like I need to be involved in everything that happens! I believe that group work throughout my academic career has taught me more about trust than about anything else.  If anything, group work has taught me to 'trust no one' and to be careful about engaging with certain kinds of people.  Isn't that awful?  I thought group work was all about meeting new people and sharing ideas.

As a new teacher I will undoubtedly assign my projects with this in mind.  During my practicum I was careful to design group projects how I, as a student, would have appreciated them being designed.  I allowed students some choice of who they were grouped with, I provided them the opportunity to self-evaluate and to evaluate their peers and had these evaluations play into their final assigned mark.  Regardless of these efforts, my students still ran into obstacles and group work wasn't a 'highlight' of their experience in my classroom.  

A large part of the reason why group work exists is to encourage leadership, we want our students to be 'extroverted' and engaged with everyone around them.  This article made me go back through my bookmarked 'Ted' talks to find an interesting presentation given by Susan Cain on why introverts are so important.  Her talk also highlights the way the current school system is neglecting the 'introvert'.  Click here to watch!

I am especially interested in the author's idea for groups to create blogs to promote higher-level thinking.  Groups can start up a webpage or a blog where they each share, individually and as a group, their experiences as they move forward in a project.  I think this is a fantastic idea for a classroom.  If I assigned a month-long project I could require that each week, one different member of each group would post a 'reflection' on a major question involving the project's subject.  Afterwards, each other member of the group would have to post a comment.  If universities are trending towards this style of discussion, I think it is something that high school teachers would be wise to introduce earlier on.

Reading #6 - Understanding Content Curation (White, 2012)

This article was one of the more difficult articles to understand so far in this course.  I think I have understood the concept between collecting and curating.  Collecting being more random and superficial and curating being selective and linked and intertwined to promote higher-level thinking.  As a new teacher, this year I have collected, collected and collected tons of resources everywhere I have gone.  I have catalogued my course work, filed binders donated to me by my sponsor teachers and even alphabetized PE drills.  After reading this article, I am aware now that I have collected but not curated these items.  Are all of these items and articles useful moving forward as a teacher?  Will they be relevant to my students or to the curriculum itself?

Now that I am moving back in with my parents, temporarily, I will be forced to minimize my belongings.  I will need to go through each box carefully and thoughtfully.  Having read this article I will be careful to look at each document and binder and question its relevancy when decided its eventual fate.

My First Podcast...

Here you can find my very first Podcast!  I chose to adjust my voice to a 'helium voice' because it is a bit more fun to listen to and I think kids would find it amusing!

Enjoy!

listen to ‘Vocabulaire - Mon style, ma mode!’ on Audioboo

Reading #6 - Podcasts (Smart, 2008)

What Mr. Coley has accomplished in his class is very incredible!  What an interesting way to engage students in class content and to bring their opinions and knowledge to life.

I am not very familiar, at all, with the Podcasting world.  I think I have downloaded a couple here and there but have never really become 'hooked' on them like some of my friends have.  I do not think that incorporating the Podcast summary idea as heavily as Mr. Coley has done would be possible for me, at least during my first few years of teaching.  I do believe, however, that the Podcast idea would lend itself well to final projects where typically a video, play or poster presentation have been my go-to project formats.  If students are able to write a script for a visual or physical display, why not let them create a purely audio project in the form of a podcast?  Enhancing their script with sound effects and music (using a program such as Garageband) would help students to create real masterpieces.

Another aspect of the article that I found very interesting was the point that creating Podcasts allows students to be content producers and content consumers.  At an early age Mr. Coley has helped show his students the power of knowledge networking.  He has empowered his students by sharing their opinions and work with the world.  What they have to say 'matters'.

Using Wordle...

This Wordle was fast and easy to make.  I have created a Wordle using vocabulary from a Grade 9 FSL unit on clothing and style.  Some of the ways in which I could use Worlde in the future might include...

• reviewing unit vocabulary by compiling all relevant words 
• creating title pages for new units
• have students present themselves to the class (in target language) by creating a Wordle and preparing 1-2 sentences to describe how each word is relevant to them