Placement Test in Arabic

http://e-lang.org/elang-test.php

Learning Tools and Social Media

Learning Tools and Social Media
By: Mohamed Ansary

Speech Tools:
Google Voice

Why do I ask my students to use Google Voice?

Flagship students should get trained to speak over the phone using the target language.  (OPI)
For a warm-up, Google voice saves time.
All students have an equal opportunity to speak and leave a voice message.
I listen to each and every one and text him/her back in the target language commenting on his/her message.
I get notified by email when a student leaves a voice message. I can text him/her back using my Gmail account or my Google voice app on my phone.
Students are encouraged to speak on the sentence level/paragraph level as they are encouraged to use the whole 3 minutes of the voice message.

Observations:
Students first were intimidated.
Example: when my students were asked for the first time to use Google voice for a warm up, a student said: “ What? Am I going to speak in Arabic over the phone? No way. I cannot do that!”. The same student, later, was looking forward to knowing the daily topic of the warm up.
Some students began to leave me voice messages whenever they had questions.

Conclusion:
This method is very interactive and engaging.
Students become connected with their teachers.
Teachers can trace the development of their students as all voice messages are saved on their Google accounts. ( Formative Assessment)

My next workshop!

http://arabicflagship.arizona.edu/event/flagship-teacher-training-workshop-begins

Facing the Future: A Brief Introduction

صور وشخصيات - Class 408 - The University of Arizona - MENAS - Arabic

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5 Fantastic, Fast Formative Assessment Tools

5 Fantastic, Fast Formative Assessment Tools

JANUARY 15, 2015

I thought I could read my students' body language. I was wrong. As an experiment, I used Socrative when I taught binary numbers. What I learned forever changed my views on being a better teacher.

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Developing Materials: Using Pictures

Developing Materials

Using Pictures

http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/development/mod5a.html

Routes to Culture

Routes to Culture

http://www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/spanish/muirhead/index.html

Students explore some historical and cultural aspects of the African presence in Latin America. After a warm-up activity of charades, students participate in pairs discussions of stories about an African woman enslaved in Latin America. Next, the whole class creates a web (concept map) for the cultural elements of the stories. Students then work in groups to add these cultural elements to the original stories they created for homework. Finally, student groups narrate their stories while their classmates act them out. The lesson concludes with Mr. Muirhead and the students playing los cajones(the big boxes). This video also shows a field trip to the local Latino community. 

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.p21.org/index.php

21st Century Skills: The 4Cs

Flashcards: mes-english.com

A big source of flashcards

http://www.mes-english.com/flashcards/countries.php

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANGzhAg1vbw&feature=youtu.be

Creative Posters: Fable Vision Learning

LinguaFolio

 A tool for self-assessment

http://www.ncssfl.org/LinguaFolio/index.php?checklists

Fusing the Three Rs and Four Cs for 21st Century Readiness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2EQcUN1uU

Presentation Rubrics, K-8: 21st Century Skills and Common Core

http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2013/05/22/presentation-rubrics-k-8-21st-century-skills-and-common-core/

Above And Beyond

Created through collaboration by members of Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the talented folks at FableVision, Above & Beyond is a story about what is possible when communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity take center stage in schools and transform learning opportunities for all kids.Visit www.p21.org, www.p21.org/4Cs and www.fablevisionstudios.com for more info.

Collaborative Learning

http://en.community.epals.com/epals/support/p/collaboration-on-epals.aspx#benifitsOfCollaborativeLearning

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A Taste of Culture--A McGraw Hill Project

Subject: Language-learning, Culture, Writing
Project Type: Classroom Collaborative Project

Teacher: mansary

Title: A Taste of Culture--A McGraw Hill Project 

Food is an integral part of any culture. One of the most enjoyable parts of traveling is the opportunity to try the dishes authentic to the country you are visiting. What, where, and how people eat gives us clues to other important aspects of a culture. Through researching and discussing popular dishes and drinks of the target country, students will gain insight into the country’s geography, celebrations, daily routines, and beliefs. As a culminating project, small groups of students will choose a dish or drink to prepare and share with the class. They will also complete a recipe sheet that can be compiled into a class cookbook.

Objectives and Standards:

1.Students will use interpersonal communication to obtain information and exchange opinions.

2. Students will interpret written and oral messages and informational texts.

3. Students will present information and ideas orally and in writing.

4. Students will understand that human cultures exhibit both similarities and differences. 

5. Students will explain how products of a culture relate to beliefs and perspectives.

6. Students will explain how practices of a culture relate to beliefs and perspectives.

7. Students will gather and synthesize information in order to solve problems.

8. Students will utilize ePals Global Community social media tools.

9. Students will build a relationship with other students in another part of the world using 21st century tools.

STANDARDS

21^st Century Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Creativity and Innovation

Information Literacy

Technology Literacy

Flexibility and Adaptability

Initiative and Self-Direction

Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

Productivity and Accountability

ACTFL Standards

Communication 1.1, 1.2, 1.3

Cultures 2.1, 2.2

Connections 3.1, 3.2

Comparisons 4.2

Communities 5.1, 5.2

Common Core State Standards for ELA

 Reading: 1 (Novice, Intermediate); 7 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced); 10 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced)

Writing: 2 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced); 4 (Novice, Intermediate); 6 (Novice, Intermediate); 7–8 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced); 10 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced)

 Speaking and Listening: 1–2 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced); 5–6 (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced)

 Language: 3–6

Culminating Activity

A Taste of Culture

For the culminating activity, students will be preparing a popular dish or drink from the country where the partnering class is located. They will also complete a recipe page that can be compiled into a cookbook or as an online blog. If live communication is possible with the partnering class, then the taste-testing event can take place at the same time and be shared by using a technology such as Skype.

Lesson Plan

Once your class has been broken into pairs or small groups, have students follow these steps:

1. Reply to the post on the forum that asks the following questions: What are some of your favorite foods and drinks? Does your family have a traditional dish or drink they serve for a special occasion or holiday? How does your family prepare food together? Students from both countries respond to the questions as an introduction to the theme of the project. This will help students think about the deeper cultural questions related to food customs.

2. Research traditional dishes and drinks from the target country by reading replies on the forum and by using other sources. Choose one you would be able to prepare for the culminating activity. Keep in mind the following questions about your dish or drink while doing your research. You will need this information for the final recipe page and when you present to the class. What time of day is the dish or drink typically served? Is it associated with a holiday or celebration? How does it express cultural ideas or beliefs? Is it popular throughout the country or only in a specific area? What is the history behind the dish or drink? What can you infer about the geography or climate based on the ingredients in the dish or drink?

3. Reply to the second thread on the forum under the title, “Our dish/drink,” by posting the dish or drink your group has decided to prepare. Review the forum and see what others have shared about your dish or drink. Is there any information there that can help you answer the questions from Step 1? Post any questions you have for the partnering class about your dish or drink. Answer any questions you can about what others are preparing. (You can repeat this step throughout the project.)

4. Add your recipe ingredients to our ingredients wiki page. If an ingredient has already been listed by another student, just add an X after the ingredient. What can we learn about cooking in the partnering country by examining this collaborative list of ingredients?  What ingredients are most popular? Why? In the forum, ask the students from the partnering country if the conclusions you’ve drawn from the ingredient data are true.

5.  Look at your recipe and be sure to convert the measurements from the metric system to the U.S. standard of measurement.

6. Calculate the nutritional value of your dish or drink. Based on the results, decide if you can eliminate, reduce, add, or substitute an ingredient to make your dish or drink healthier. (For example, you can substitute brown rice for white rice.) Be sure to note what you have changed because you will need this for the final recipe page.

7. Review the ingredients and decide if there are any that might be difficult to find or too expensive to buy where you live. Brainstorm an alternative ingredient. (For example, you could use melon instead of papaya.) Be sure to note what you have changed because you will need this for the final recipe page.

8. Calculate the estimated cost of your dish or drink based on the cost of the ingredients in your area and add this to the final recipe page. Be sure you make it clear if the cost is per serving or in total.

9. Share your final recipe with the changes you’ve made on the forum under the thread, “Final recipe.” Comment on other recipes and read the comments and questions for your recipe. Decide if any further changes are necessary based on the feedback.

10. Complete the final recipe page and submit it to your teacher. If possible, include a photo or a drawing. Post the final recipe page and your image to the gallery to share with the other participants.

Project Participation Options:  Classes can participate in this project in these ways:

·       Solo class: Class will complete Steps 1–10. The class can still create a forum to share, ask questions, and give opinions amongst their classmates. Students can have a taste test as a class or during a cultural fair at their school. They can also compile the final recipes in a print or digital cookbook.

·       Classroom pairs: Two classrooms can join together to participate in Steps 1–10 and the forum. Teachers will need to coordinate a timeline for the completion of the research and final recipes. They can also coordinate to have the live taste test together if possible via a technology such as Skype. Students can publish their final recipes and photos of the taste test to an online format to share.

·       Classroom pods: Three to five classrooms can join together to participate in Steps 1–10 and the forum. Teachers will need to coordinate a timeline for the completion of the research and final recipes. Students can publish their final recipes and photos of the taste test to an online format to share. 

Collaborative Learning Design Components

 Blog: This can be used to introduce project guidelines to students. The hosting teacher will post the introduction and Steps 1–8 for the project. This is also a good way to share the completed recipes. If students are able to prepare their dish, then they could showcase what they created by taking photos and posting them to the blog with the recipe.

·       Forum: The hosting teacher can post a welcome thread that students can reply to for introduction purposes. Later there will be threads started by the students on the dish or drink that they have chosen. The threads can include questions that students might have for their counterparts in the partnering country regarding ingredients, significance, or popularity of their dish or drink.

·       Gallery: Use to share photos of the prepared dishes and drinks. If the taste-testing event cannot be shared live, then the classes can share photos of the event in the gallery.

NOTE: Leveling and Scoring guides are provided to help assess students’ work.

Speaking Scoring Guide

Writing Scoring Guide

Holistic Scoring Guide 

Leveling Guide

Preparation

Teacher Resources/Links
Libro de cocina

Final Recipe Page

Leveling Guide

Speaking Scoring Guide

Writing Scoring Guide

Holistic Scoring Guide

Fine Art Connection
Tamalada by Carmen Lomas Garza (Mexican American)
Dos niños comiendo melón y uvas by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish)
El velorio by Francisco Oller (Puerto Rican)
Preparando tortillas and La piñata by Diego Rivera (Mexican)

Literature Connection
La alcachofa by Pablo Neruda (Chilean)
Como agua para chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexican)
Los huevos verdes con jamón by Dr. Suess (American)

Timeline:
Week 1: First forum conversation and recipe research (Steps 1 and 2)

Week 2: Second forum conversation, ingredients wiki page, measurement conversion, and nutritional value calculation (Steps 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Week 3: Ingredient reflection, cost analysis and recipe sharing/revision on forum (Steps 7, 8, and 9)

Week 4: Culminating project with final recipe presentation, posting recipe and photos to the gallery, and taste-testing event (optional)

http://www.epals.com/host-detail.php?id=2e211544-f172-4058-93ca-57b04f34cf84&new_login=ga1

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https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

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The 4 Cs

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/01/17/four-cs-common-core/

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Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.p21.org/

21st Century Skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lRp0h1JHI4

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The power of collaboration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_m9nReouVY

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Collaboration, Information Literacy and communication
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATOwl8WGtl0
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Collaboration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO2bGqZEeuQ
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Dana Elementary School: A P21 21st Century Learning Exemplar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayyJ6vJDIAE&list=PLU3EBtQgO5ZcE3qc0_S0Ow6VZRd3Te4Nd
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Bate Middle School: A P21 21st Century Learning Exemplar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeiTyUq5CPY
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Spirit Lake High School: A P21 21st Century Learning Exemplar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCotISSgV2Y
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Wheeling High School: A P21 21st Century Learning Exemplar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZbTr4ZXwKQ
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Characteristics of a collaborative classroom
http://www.arp.sprnet.org/Admin/supt/collab2.htm
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Oxford University Press
21st Century Skills
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxE1zzJKa1eE-BjTdJLaIFQvY2921EEDG
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How to use critical thinking in the classroom
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/downloads/articles/Critical_Thinking-Schneider.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/1561751/Promoting_critical_thinking_in_the_classroom

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Utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy in the classroom
http://www.calstatela.edu/sites/default/files/centers/spedintern/hints11bloomtaxonomy.pdf
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How to use creativity in the classroom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgobhH35iX4
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Facilitating Teacher Effectiveness
http://www.tellproject.org/tools/self-assessments/
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