Google Voice

How many times have you tried to do some really cool speaking activity using a Web 2.0 tool, only to have a student say…”But I can’t do that, I don’t have…a microphone, a computer, internet access, etc.”? That is why I LOVE google voice. At the beginning of the school year I sent away for a google voice invite not really knowing what I would do with it. I got the “muy guay” phone number of 407-60-bueno! Now my students have no excuse to not doing an online speaking project because we all know that they ALL have a cell phone!! J I use google voice in several ways.

First, as a quick formative assessment to see where they are at during or at the end of a lesson. I can have several students step outside and answer a prompt.  I can have them call and list all of the vocabulary that they can think of regarding the topic being studied. Another way I use google voice is as an alternative to a summative assessment that was assigned. For example, if they had an assignment to record their voice in a voicethread and did not do it – I will give them a visual and have them call google voice to replace the assignment. It isn’t ideal but it eliminates excuses and once they realize they can’t get out of an assignment they usually choose the more creative one that they had been originally assigned. Lastly, my students are used to being assigned a google voice assignment as homework to practice speaking and pronunciation.

As far as grading their speaking activities, I can play and save their recordings so I can compare their progress over time. I can also listen to their messages on my smart phone whenever I have some spare time!

A few hints and tips:

*Depending on your school’s cell phone policy you may need to make make a nice big sign for students to hold when they are calling that says “I am using my phone to take a test. Please do not disturb! 🙂
*Make sure you enable the “Do not disturb” option if you don’t want 100 phone calls going to your phone! This will send all messages directly to voicemail.
*You do not have to grade EVERY message. Just like you don’t grade everything they say in class, you do not have to record every message that is recorded. Sometimes the experience and the practice is enough.

Google Voice is simple, low tech, engaging way to increase students opportunites for speaking practice and assessment.

Do you have a google voice account? How do you use it with your students?

Motivation, Standards, and Web 2.0

In the beginning of the year I always ask my students “Why do you want to learn Spanish?” and am always surprised when they have a blank expression on their face as if they had never even considered the question before. The standard answer is “I need 2 years of a foreign language to get into college.” It saddens me that students consider learning a new language as just a means to an end with no real desire to learn or use the language in a real way.  And it is not just students who feel this way.  Parents, administration, and other teachers all seem to see learning a second language as something that should be attempted (if scheduling allows) but that is not expected to lead to any level of proficiency. So, often this is the circumstance that we find ourselves in as World Language teachers. How do we motivate and inspire students to WANT to learn a second language? And how do we convince teachers, administrators and politicians the vital importance of our goals?

I think that the first thing we can do as world language educators is to continue to advocate the teaching the ACTFL standards. This seems obvious but, in reality, I see many world language teachers (including myself at times) still teaching Spanish (or German or French or ?) the way I learned Spanish 25 years ago – translate, conjugate, workbook, worksheet, test.  How can teaching to the standards motivate students? Standards based instruction in World Languages means teaching the 5 “C’s” – Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Standards based instruction should CONNECT students to the language in multiple ways WHILE learning the words and structures to communicate.

This brings me to my main point (finally) about using technology in World Language classrooms to really teach to the standards and make connections to students.  In my experience, technology has made teaching the World Language standards not only easier but more enjoyable for me and for my students.  Using web technology, I can use Google Earth and Flickr to show my students the world from our room.  Students can use tools like Etherpad to collaborate and communicate in real time with other language learners or heritage speakers. Students can record their voices using a variety of web based tools such as Voicethread, Voki’s, and Google Voice and then present their ideas to an audience of listeners. Students can go to a movie theater in Colombia, a real estate office in Mexico, or the Prado museum in Spain.  Students can record a podcast in the target language or tell a digital story about the countries and cultures they are learning about. As world language teachers we need to make the connections to our students so that they can connect to the languages we teach. New technologies allow us to connect in ways that were not possible before.  What  are you using to motivate your students to learn and love the language you teach? How are you showcasing the great work your students are doing? I’d love to hear what great things are happening in your classroom!