#LangChat is dedicated to the discussion of topics associated with issues and trends in world language instruction and learning. Educators, administrators, learners, and aficionados of world languages are encouraged to participate and share their experiences and input on various topics such as new ways to teach vocabulary, using music in the language classroom, and making standards-based grading valid. This chat is also unique in that it brings together language educators worldwide and from different contexts (elementary, secondary, higher education, etc.) and languages.
Hey #langchat! I'm Sara-Elizabeth. Let's see how we can talk finishing strong while I wash dishes... because I'm going to the beach in May and my mind is checking out already...
So this will probably spoil my biggest goal about ending strong, but you should use @gimkit even though I know how you feel about multiple choice! #langchathttps://t.co/UIfe0QaEmb
No worries - it's free social media professional development, it's awesome and you're awesome and we roll w/it. But if we go back to the old #langchat style no one look at me. #ancienthistory#dontaskthomas
A1: I always end up finding a new tech tool! This year it is @gimkit- last year it was @GooseChaseEDU which is still always great for a warm sunny day! #langchat
A1: Anything that helps ensure Ss are excited to continue language learning next year. That teachers' enrollment is this year's responsibility! #langchat
A1 I do semester-long units so the end is a build-up to the final product. This semester, trip itineraries for Costa Rica & Colombia, can't wait to see them #langchat
A1: Our 1:1 devices get turned in soon, so I have to use lots of manipulative activities and things that get them moving because they can't sit still they're so tired! Oh, and creating competition works great, too. #langchat
A1 Gamified is good, ss are so stressed out by testing right now. Also try to design activities that pull in material/themes from early in the year to spiral #langchat
At the end of class today, student asks me, “Why are Spanish teachers so nice? I’ve had three and they were all nice.” #teacher#LangChat#KindnessMatters
Urgh. Schools send a strong "Quittin' Time" message when collecting learning devices before the end of the year. Seems like systems designed for 1 or 2 adults, not 100s of kids. #langchat
A1 #langchat Engaging sts w/ Residential customized Google Maps & school lunch maps from Francophone countries. Sts learn how to create a pratical resource for friends & explore food practices around the world. Eye-opening!
In Ohio, there is testing required by state for literally weeks in April and May, so sometimes the technology is required for testing. It's awful. #langchat
YES!!! If folks haven't ever gone to https://t.co/oEKmZJRx8F and played with dropping pins and adding custom info, they are living unfulfilled geek lives #langchat
A1 #langchat Engaging sts w/ Residential customized Google Maps & school lunch maps from Francophone countries. Sts learn how to create a pratical resource for friends & explore food practices around the world. Eye-opening!
A1: I’m not sure if it’s because the is my last week but my students hit a wall two weeks ago, I did some simple tasks once or twice but I tried to double down on interactive activities and they have seemed to respond positively! #langchat
Instead of playing into the sluggishness of this time, I tried to get them up, moving and speaking! Tried to get them to see the value of investing in my class #langchat
A1 In the past I have done crèpe parties, but this year we are mixing it up with Perrier & Pastry Parties outside on our new courtyard beside my room. Discussion topics: fashion (Fr 2) & the weather (Fr 1) #langchat
I had one kid watch 139 episodes before Cuidado con el Ángel fell off Netflix that June! #langchat I know because she was just asking me--2 years later--where she could find more!!
A1: with my #earlylang Ss, I have to keep them busy with lots of hands on activites - so I go to my closet of tricks and whip out the manipulatives! We now have a room just for simulations. #langchat
A2 I have been giving ongoing feedback about level in Fr 3, need to be intentional about this with 1s and 2s. Maybe need an exit interview with each...🤔#langchat
A2: I like to do centers to engage my Ss with self directed work to free me up to have 1:1 convos with students to evaluate their speaking and to just check in with them. #langchat
I give all students a written activity and pull them aside one on one to chat and vow to do it more next year and only do it at the end of the year again #highlightreal#langchat
A2 #langchat While sts are out taking pictures of our cafeteroa/lunch, I schedule a quick “meet up” so we can go over progress, questions, next year’s class choice. It’s personal & supportive.
A2: I have my kids answer questions in written format in an end-of-year reflection. I ask ?'s about what their plans are, what they'll remember good/bad about my class, etc. #langchat
A2: Stations activities are one way to enable indiv or small group conferencing. Esp helpful if one of the stations includes format/protocol for ss to prepare reflections so that the time w teacher is a bit structured and doesn't start w "I dunno..." #langchat
Oh! And because I have to wait after make-up assessments, I normally have some written assessment from the beginning of the year that I forgot to officially give back for them to keep and I pass that out and we marvel at their growth! #langchat
#langchat A2: I'll actually be having an open discussion tomorrow about how the semester has gone and get some feedback from the students since it's my last day of teaching!! 😭😭
A2 in our final IPA review stations, I get to talk to groups of 4-6 at a time. We also have an hour lunch so any kid who needs to talk to me one-on-one can always come by during my office time at lunch #langchat
I have them done in written format. That way I can carefully read what each student writes. Our campus greatly emphasizes writing across the curriculum, so it adheres to that, too. #langchat
A2 tomorrow, we are going to play a review game with questions from throughout the semester and then we will have an open floor discussion on how much they have learned, which lessons were favorites and least favorites #langchat
A2: i would like to create a google form survey that the students cpuld complete after a test or exam. Also, after cultural activites i plan in at least 10min of discussion time. #langchat
#langchat A2 We do April student led conferences which require a lot of prep and a lot of conversation. See this week's blog post! Also do a reflection activity looking at first speaking and writing sample of year to the last. Mindblowing!
A3: Prior to common assessments w rest of dept, used to have ss create the "final review packet" and then turn that into the final exam. It was always harder than anything I would've assigned and they all crushed it #langchat
A3: Some of our students can exempt the final, but they're normally the ones who go onto the next level, so I require them to do all the review activities for reinforcement. #langchat
Q3: My district eliminated final exams a few years ago. There is a benchmark I have to give. Kids already asking about it and freaking out. Ugh. #langchat
A3 May the #langchat G-ds strike me down, but I enjoy the final exam! We do it IPA style with a TALK conversation for interpersonal. Gives my MS Ss a real sense of purpose in late June (end of year NOT in sight here!).
A3 I can't handle doing full-out PBLL every semester unit but our last 2 meetings have evolved to usually be 1) conversation circles with my adaptation on the TALK rubric: https://t.co/H5z7z9lRhw#langchat
A3 #langchat Not obligatory for us, But: We have our school lunch presentation + reading/speaking/listening IPA choice boards in Fr2. Sts choose 2-3 skills they are best at and a level they want to demonstrate. Choose your own adventure.
A3 and 2, presentation of whatever project they've been working on throughout the semester, this time trip itineraries. Example: https://t.co/WI02s93vR6#langchat
off-topic: in case anyone can find it helpful, here's a post on the value of "building up" to a finale instead of "counting down" https://t.co/kIBwfr2AuK#langchat
A3 since I'm an intern and tomorrow is my last day, I do not have to worry about the final exam. However, in the years to come I plan on having the test before finals to reduce total stress for the students and me #langchat
A3 #langchat NO FINAL just a final spontaneous writing and speaking piece compared to the first ones of the year in a reflective and growth mindset activity highlighting strengths. Literally. And a letter of intro to the HS teacher.
A3 I do a final IPA with the interpersonal & presentational parts before the official final exam period. During that time, they do an interpretive reading with more multiple choice & t/f sections to let me handle the quick grading turnaround. #langchat
I always give my IPA early, too, and leave the official exam time for either speaking or makeup exams and feedback. we don't fit in a traditional 2 hour exam period! #langchat
Selfishly, absolutely. And while I might not be in love with the *meaning* of a final, it can be the most cherished of meaningful feedback for Students and parents so I'll respect and value that #langchat
I won’t name, but the trainers today at Dual Language Workshop said that WL programs are grammar-based, vocab list classes. Our answers tonight indicate major shift in assessment. #langchat
#langchat I love playing Choque (the spanish version of never have i ever) I play it with just about anything. Physical characteristics, personality, what they like to do in their free time.
A3. My idea this year is to get Ss input on the kind of real life tasks that address the modes of communication they should do instead of traditional test. #langchat
A3: Our midterm and finals are made by the county (which is a crazy different style than what I do.) I use https://t.co/ByRLFEmmu7 to make tests in a similar format, and then we can review the questions that gave them trouble #langchat
#langchat Yes! They also make a short video presentation. She sends one down for them to read and one to watch prior to them doing it. She also has access to their E-Portfolios and collection of spontaneous writes/speaking pieces too.
I love the creativity and personalization my students bring to the final project. All writing is done in class, by hand. #TanteGoogleIsNotWelcome#langchat
A4: I have ss keep an envelope with their assessments for the unit/cycle in the back of their class notebooks, then take them out when filing out their self evaluation. This is an area I'd like to improve. #langchat
I’m not looking for less work or feedback, just more flexibility in time and outcome. Review then project, publication, presentation, podcast. Increasingly I’m interested in ways I can share feedback and the final product. Can’t do that with an exam. #langchat
A4: Free writes, conversation w/me and I just got Assessing Spanish Proficiency with Stories and am itching to try it out. https://t.co/NMEFwBH8f1#langchat
I agree. With most of my classes I am ahead of my curriculum so I am looking at can-do statements and other level appropriate language skills. #langchat
A4 At the beginning of the semester, I gave my students a check-point test, the students took that same assessment a few weeks ago and were able compare their results! #langchat
A4 part 1 #langchat Thanks to what I learned @profeashley 's e-portfolio and feedback workshops, I have students do 3 spontaneous, unannounced no note writes and speaking pieces. Stds compare them using an awesome form which allows them to highlight (literally) growth.
What a great way to allow students to compare side by side their growth throughout the semester! I'm sure they were happy to see some evident results #langchat
A4 part 2 #langchat THEN, students use a form I adapted from @MmeBlouwolff that has them relflecting on progress and proficiency, setting goals and even writing their own report card comment. BIG BLOG POST coming soon, promise! Oh and I highlight where glow and need to grow too.
A4 the beginning of every class, we have an open conversation where they greet me and then I ask them questions about their lives. as we've progressed, we have been able to lengthen this portion of class because the students are more comfortable and know more vocab #langchat
A4 I wish I had gotten into @Flipgrid at the beginning of the yr instead of last week because that would be so great to use as a proficiency measure for them. They do keep all work in their own folders, so they will reflect upon written work & interpretive tasks #langchat
A3: IMHO a final exam should assess minimal proficiency, not high stakes overview of the semester's material. I'm the teacher - I'm the best one to know what proficiency/progress Ss have been showing thru the semester. Why force Ss to prove it again on one assessment? #langchat
A3: IMHO a final exam should assess minimal proficiency, not high stakes overview of the semester's material. I'm the teacher - I'm the best one to know what proficiency/progress Ss have been showing thru the semester. Why force Ss to prove it again on one assessment? #langchat
A4: Prior to the Linguafolio Can Do, I used Ohio State's CAAP checklists for EOY portfolio or checklist. Love the idea, just need to plan. 4 preps + single mom = 😬#langchat
A5 it's a late change! suggestions from #earlylang on how to calm down my 5-year-olds between recess & Spanish, with books & quiet music. My quality of life is improved, ha! #langchat
#langchat A4 They told me that they actually learned something and they loved my teaching method. Also just the relationships I built in general with my students are the sweetest and I will forever cherish them.
#langchat A5 proudest moments were when students were coming to more and more conclusions on their own about the language! I love seeing their excitement and pride because they deserve it
A5: A little embarrassing but year 7 and I am FINALLY "getting" classroom management. Plus did a great job building the classroom culture and community. I was carefully purposeful about this. #langchat
A5: I am proudest at how well this year has gone textbookless and the fact that one teacher who taught one textbookless class with me is going completely textbookless next year! #langchat
A5 Oh I forgot - we sorta went hybrid deskless!! For novel discussion we're deskless but we're moving all around the room, to tables, then chairs, back to tables, it's been great! @profeashley#langchat
A5: I am proudest of the ss I have for lvl 2 who had distance learning last year, and have had a huge adjustment to make. they all have grown so much! #langchat
A5 realizing that I never am going to have my class area set up by A.M. start time and coming up with a go-to set of activities they do while I catch up. Inspired #csctfl19 proposal "Teaching from bell to bell when your plans go... awry" #langchat
A5: my students and I spent three days discovering identity and how that relates to your roots and past. We looked at three music videos and a movie as launching points. #langchat
A5 I'm proud of my students for both learning Spanish from me AND teaching me the realities of being a teacher. I'm proud of my students continuing to embrace a new language and culture and finding themselves within the course content. #langchat
A5: I love that moment when they realize that after all of our work together, the French has become a PIECE of them. They don't have to think - they just communicate! #langchat 😊
A5 #langchat When French 3 writes their “1st essay” with sentence frames/chunks on a childhood food memory à la Proust. It’s heavily scaffolded, but they are emerging Intermediate Mid writers. Creating identity.
A5 Proudest moment was when my students have me flowers and a thank you card and in side one of my students write tbst theu learned to love the french language more because of my class.#langchat
