Applications of the Technology in the Spanish Classroom

1. Applications of the Technology in the Spanish Classroom AS 586 Amália López

2. Goals • Integrating technology into the Spanish classroom • Provide resources for the Spanish teacher • Surf the net in the target language • Improve language accuracy • Visit culturally authentic documents that provide a better appreciation of the Spanish culture • Enjoy the class in a different environment

3. Level • All levels: • Beginning • Intermediate • Advanced • Bilingual

4. Standards • Communication • Culture • Connections • Communities  • Comparison

5. About Technology Use • Start simple • Clearly state objectives • Structure the assignment • Borrow from the others (with care) • Assess outcomes

6. Different Technology Uses in the Spanish Classroom • Scavenger hunt • IPOD download of Alphabet • On-line quizes • On-line textbooks

7. Self learning and self check • Grammar becomes more inter-active • Practice and Review • Provides Feedback for the teacher

8. Web Quest Definition • A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the web. The model was developed in early 1995 at San Diego State University by Bernie Dodge with Tom March, and was outlined then in some thoughts about WebQuests.

9. Web Quest Characteristics • Role play activities. • Access and analysis of specific information from various sources. • Application of the new knowledge in various ways through individualized research as well as team interaction. • Learner autonomy.

10. Sample Web Quest Sites: * Treasure Hunt in Costa Rica * Puerto Rico as the 51st state or • Spanish history and culture • ¡Bienvenidos a una Aventura Española! • http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/webquests/shinovich/index.html

11. How To Write Activities For The Web/Smart Board 1- Select a topic from the textbook. 2- Choose tasks that integrate language and culture in a natural way. 3- Search the Internet for a web site to match your tasks. 4- Do a search by country and keyword(s) associated with the topic selected. 5- Browse around different sites to find a good match for the tasks. If you are not satisfied, keep searching or adapt your tasks to the information provided at the site. • WARNING: web sites can disappear without notice. Choose a site that is connected to a government agency, a university, a large corporation. This type of sites tends to be more reliable. 6- When you write the activity, give clear and specific instructions.

12. 7- Write the activity in the target language. Use the language learners know, yet go a bit beyond their proficiency level. If the language employed is too challenging, they will be inclined to give up on the task. 8- When writing the activity, take advantage of the multimedia dimensions of the medium. Use pictures, graphics, movies, music, etc. Think about what can be accomplished by using a computer as opposed to using a textbook. If possible, write the activity to integrate all language skills. 9- Consider the length of the activity. One hour is a good amount of time. 10- If your activity is curriculum-based and integrates language with culture, your students will experience linguistic growth, enriched cultural knowledge, and increased motivation. “Language Learning & Technology”. Vol. 1, No. 2, January 1998, pp. 71-92. “Using The World Wide Webto Integrate Spanish Language And Culture: A Pilot Study Maritza M. Osuna University at AlbanyCarla Meskill State University of New York”.

13. I find using the internet very useful. It ads to the class and it’s helpful when we do Spanish exercises on it (like vocabulary, and present and past tense and stuff). It was helpful and fun. We should go more often. Technology in the classroom is great! Fue divertido y mejor que estar en la clase sentado. ¡Fue estupendo! I feel that it helped me to see the different conjugations better. I think we should use those exercises more. The internet was helpful when it actually would connect to sight.

14. Spanish Teacher Online Resources • La página del idioma español. • http://www.el-castellano.com/ • Spanish Embassy • http://www.spainembedu.org/materiales/home.html • Centro Virtual Cervantes (CVC). • http://cvc.cervantes.es/portada.htm • Proyecto Sherezade. Universidad de Manitoba. • http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~fernand4/index.html • About Homework Help. Spanish Language. • http://spanish.about.com/

15. More Interesting sites • Teaching with the web & links: • http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/lss/lang/teach.html • Listen to music in Spanish in: • http://www.musicalspanish.com/Links.htm • Lingua Web: • http://www.linguaweb.ndirect.co.uk/ • Information on Spain: • http://www.donquijote.org/spain/ • Museo del Prado: • http://museoprado.mcu.es/

16. Benefits of Using the Technology in the Classroom • Real world examples of integrated knowledge • Rich source of authentic language & cultural material • Collaborative learning • Retrieval of timely and abundant information • Appeals to learners with visual/tactile learning styles • Opportunity to write with purpose for an authentic audience • Builds critical thinking skills

17. Summary • Supplemental Use: exploration of specific sites as part of an assignment (self learning & self-check) • Informational Use: • Get information found on a specific site (scavenger hunt); • Course information available over the web (Web quests, sample test questions) • Dependant Use: research paper using web-based sources, presentations using web sources.

18. How to Contact Me • Señorita Amália López AS 586 DePaul University Chicago, IL 60614 • E-mail: alopez13@cps.k12.il.us • Website: www.students.depaul.edu/~alopez