More Spanish: Project based learning with grammar I am concerned that I am spoon-feeding my students, boring the heck out of the really bright ones in the process, and not giving any of my students an opportunity to develop initiative for their own learning. So I wanted to see if I could apply project based learning to a grammar lesson. Most of the time, when I teach grammar, I explain the concept in a mini-lesson, and then select a variety of activities for my students to practice. Today I tried something different. I asked my students to explain the grammar to each other, and then in groups of three, students had to create a three minute activity for their classmates to practice. The lesson plan: My students already have learned how to form affirmative and negative tú commands. After teaching themselves the grammar, they created a short activity to practice it with the rest of the class. Some observations: I can sincerely say I have never seen so many of my students engaged at the same time trying to understand grammar.
Alternatives to Interactive Whiteboards SmartBoards, Promethean Boards and many other kinds of Interactive Whiteboards are a good tool, but not every room has them and, personally, I don’t think they are worth the money. Today I’m going to share some cost effective alternatives to the IWB, but keep in mind that all of these alternatives will require a digital video projector. One of the biggest challenges of integrating technology into learning is teaching students how to use said technology. An IWB shines here because it allows you to demo the computer program or Internet navigation using your fingers and a giant touchscreen. Of course you could do this from your computer, but then you can’t really see your students and the learning becomes very impersonal. Of course, an Interactive Whiteboard is far more just a giant touchscreen, it also allows you to write on your computer screen and save it. The app that allows you to write and record a lesson is called ShowMe.
100 Inspiring Ways to Use Social Media In the Classroom Social media may have started out as a fun way to connect with friends, but it has evolved to become a powerful tool for education and business. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter and tools such as Skype are connecting students to learning opportunities in new and exciting ways. Whether you teach an elementary class, a traditional college class, or at an online university, you will find inspirational ways to incorporate social media in your classroom with this list. Ideas for K-12 Classrooms Implement these great ideas in your K-12 classroom to have students learning in a dynamic new way. Make literature real. Ideas for College Classrooms Integrate these suggestions into college classrooms for engaging learning opportunities. Window to daily life at school. Ways Students Can Use Social Media From practicing a foreign language to finding scientific research, these tips will have students using social media to enhance their education. Find scientific research papers. Offer a class. TweetDeck.