1. Ditch your textbooks with Matt’s session
2. Practice vocabulary with Quizlet
3. Create a class website with Weebly
4. Create documents/files with Google Apps
5. Communicate/share quickly with TodaysMeet
6. Assess quickly with Socrative
7. Write digitally with KidBlog
8. Engage in rich media with MSU’s CLEAR RIA
9. Broadcast with podcasts
10. Animate using white boards
11. Record audio with Google Voice
12. Go global with Skype
13. Find a million new ideas on Twitter
PowerPoint presentation file: Click here (PDF)
Handout file: Click here (PDF)
YouTube video from presentation: Social Media in Education – Teaching Digital Natives (by user hollyclarksd)
Rotation stations — An example photo (click thumbnail below) of how the activity looks. Create 20+ questions, one on top of a single sheet of paper each. Students can write their answers on the paper (see photo) or write answers on their own paper (so they can’t copy each other’s work!).
Rotating pictures — An example photo (click thumbnail below) of how the activity looks. Students print a photo, cut one out of a magazine or draw a picture. Then, with as little or as much direction as you’d like to give them, they create a story or describe or tell something about the subject of the image. After a sentence or two, they pass their image on to the next student. Students often enjoy seeing what their classmates create with the image they choose at the beginning.
Google Voice — A Google account will get you voice mail, texting, voice mail transcription, message download to file and more.
Ditch That Textbook — Go to my blog and search “Google Voice” to find a blog post I wrote about using Google Voice in the classroom.
Classtools.net — Home of Fakebook and Twister
Google Sites — Create free websites for classroom activities at Google. Weebly — Create free websites for classroom activities at Weebly. NOTE — Check to make sure that these sites are allowed by your school’s Internet security. Also, be sure to keep students’ information secure as these sites aren’t designed to do that.
Quizlet — This online Teacher overview — How teachers can use Quizlet in the classroom. Foreign languages — How teachers can use Quizlet in foreign language class.
Class Dojo — This free program/app is a behavior-tracking system that can be used to track classroom participation. About Class Dojo — This page on the site gives more information about Class Dojo and how to use it.
Cybraryman’s Foreign Languages Page — Created by Jerry Blumengarten, who seeks to catalog as many education-related resources on the web as possible on the pages of his website. He also has pages for Spanish, French, Chinese, EFL/ESL/ELL, and multicultural celebrations (among others) at this “Foreign Language Links” page (click here).
Thinking About Syncing? Technology resources for the World Language Classroom — This is a VERY thorough listing of tech resources by Catherine Ousselin, French teacher and education consultant.
Duolingo — This website is very similar to Rosetta Stone, but it’s free! It takes students through various levels of learning a language, providing listening, reading and writing questions. It’s a great “extra time after a quiz/test/activity” site.
Conjuguemos — Online grammar activities in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin and Portuguese.
bubbl.us — Free online brainstorming site. Recession-Proof Tools — Tutorial for and ideas for using bubbl.us
classtools.net — Create interactive online games with your own vocabulary list. About — More information about the site and how it can be used.
Storybird — Online storytelling with art to inspire. Tour — Go here for a video tour of how Storybird works. In the WL classroom — Use Storybird in the world language classroom. This blog post talks about using it with writing controlled assessments.
Makebeliefscomix.com — Create comic strips online with pre-loaded art. Teacher resources for Makebeliefscomix — 21 ways to use the site Lesson plans — Plans utilizing Makebeliefscomix
Free Rice — A vocabulary-quizzing website with a foreign language component. Correct answers feed the hungry! About — Explains how the site works and how it donates rice to underdeveloped countries. In the classroom — A blog post on how teachers use Free Rice in the classroom.
Voki — Create an animated person, add your voice to and post it. Or, type text and have the Voki read it with an animated face. Lesson plans — Sorted by subject and grade. Teachweb2 — Wiki with a summary of how Voki works and how it can be used in the classroom. Voki in class — Uses for Voki in the foreign language classroom.
The Teacher’s Guide to Using YouTube in the Classroom — Some useful features available on YouTube for classroom use and some good ideas for crafting activities/assignments.
How to use Keepvid to save YouTube videos to a file — A video tutorial on YouTube on how to save YouTube videos to a file, avoiding the need for an active Internet connection and avoiding the Internet security service at your school Keepvid — Direct link to the site. *** NOTE: DO NOT use the large “Download Now” or “Play Now” links. They are an advertisement and won’t download your file! Use the little gray “DOWNLOAD” button next to the bar where you paste in your URL. After clicking “Download”, right-click one of the links provided and choose “Save target as …”.
Google Classroom — Google’s interface for creating assignments, turning in assignments and grading assignments is quick and easy. If you’re a Google Apps school, this is a must-use tool!
Edmodo — Free online social learning platform. 15 Things Teachers Can Do With Edmodo — Article from Free Technology for Teachers YouTube tutorial on how to use Edmodo How Do I Set Up Edmodo — Downloadable or viewable PDF file on how to set up Edmodo.
Rose-Hulman’s PRISM — Want to host an online course or online activities but don’t have any resources provided by your school? If Edmodo isn’t your style, Rose-Hulman’s PRISM may be. It’s home to a massive free public Moodle server. Moodle is a software package that allows teachers to offer activities, polls, chats, discussion boards, information pages, links and much, much more. Create an account and start creating.
***FREE PGPs!!*** PRISM hosts regular online Moodle tutorial classes. Register for the site and go to “Event Registration”. There is a “Basic Moodle for Teachers” course being held this summer. It begins July 9, 2013 and runs until August 6. Completion of the class results in 10 free PGPs (certificate mailed). There is also an “Intermediate Moodle for Teachers” course that’s also worth 10 free PGPs available during the summer (one starting in early June and one starting in early July). Register for the site and go to “Event Registration” for more info or e-mail Ryan Smith (smithrn@rose-hulman.edu).
My Big Campus — This social learning platform is available to schools that use Lightspeed for Internet security. Features include class groups, discussion boards, creating webpages, chats, online assignments/quizzes, etc.
Go to: Quizlet.com
Quizlet is an online flashcard site. You can create your own vocabulary lists. Students can study your lists using flashcards, quizzes and games. You can embed your flashcards in your own website. Check out Matt’s class website to see how he uses Quizlet: trspanish.com.
Check out Matt’s class website: turkeyrunspanish.weebly.com
Blog post: 20 ideas to jump start your class website
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Google Apps is a powerful suite of programs that empower students to create impressive files. It includes Documents (word processing), Sheets (spreadsheets), Presentations (presentations), Drawing (image creation) and Forms (surveys), among others. Store all of these files you create plus anything else you want in your Google Drive (free online storage).
Introduction to Google Apps for Education video
Check out the resources for Matt’s presentation “20 Powerful Google Apps Uses.”
You’ll get:
In this video: How to share a document. Why you’ll need this for your website:
Other resources on Google Apps for Education:
Sharing is Caring: 50 Collaborative Google Apps Activities — Activities galore! If you’re looking for things to do in class that utilize the power of Google Apps, check out this page from a session Matt has presented!
Flubaroo and gClassFolders: 2 Google Scripts That Will Change Your Life — With Google’s new add-ons feature, these tools have changed some, but the ideas are still the same. Flubaroo is a way to automate grading of quizzes through Google Forms. gClassFolders creates shared folders that make accessing student work easy and streamlined. Find out how to use them and what they can do!
Google Voice in the Classroom — Google Voice gives users access to free voicemail and texting. It’s a powerful tool, and there are lots of ways it can be incorporated in class.
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TodaysMeet is like a private chat room that you can create for you and a group of people (i.e. a classroom, a presentation, a group of teachers, etc.)
Tutorial of how to use TodaysMeet:
Blog post: 20 useful ways to use TodaysMeet in schools — In this post, learn how you can use TodaysMeet to …
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Socrative is a site that allows teachers to ask students quick questions (multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.) and gather the results in an email, a spreadsheet or on screen.
Tutorial of how to use Socrative:
Socrative is part of Matt’s “20 features of a great paperless classroom” blog post!
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KidBlog is a free blogging site for students. (Blog = “web log” … kind of like an online journal where you can write articles and people can comment on them)
Rubric for Blog Challenge Week: https://ditchthattextbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/blog-challenge-week-rubric.pdf
Tutorial of how to set up KidBlog for your class:
Check out the resources for the session Matt has presented on blogging:
— From “Blah” to Blog: Online Writing for Students and Teachers
You’ll get:
Also, check out Matt’s blog post: 20 ideas for solid student blogging
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Introduction video to Michigan State’s CLEAR Rich Internet Apps (RIA)
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PowerPoint presentation file: Click here
Handout file: Click here
How to create a Google Voice account and how it incorporates student voice in class
15 classroom applications of Google Voice (similar to page 3 in handout)
Google Voice’s texting capabilities and how to harness its power
Ideas for Podcasting in the Classroom: The greatest value in this site is the selection of podcasting projects available in the links on the left. Check them out.
Learn how to use GarageBand: Are you a Mac user? If so, GarageBand is the way to go for digital audio editing. This site has hours of video to get you on the right track.
50 Podcasting Ideas for the Classroom: This 24-page PDF file includes some basics of podcasting and 50 ideas with explanations. Good resource.
Listening to Themselves: Podcasting Takes Lessons Beyond the Classroom: What podcasting is and how it’s been used by teachers
Podcasting in education: Are students as ready and eager as we think they are? : A journal article that, among other things, outlines some of the benefits and drawbacks of educational podcasting.
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The video (at http://youtu.be/tDdJJluOqLU)
My set-up for recording the video: whiteboard (the bigger, the better) and easel for holding iPad for recording (can use video camera or practically anything that records video).
How I planned the video (there was one more slide on the back).
The blog post that inspired me to start it all about making RSA Animate-style videos.
Free Music Archive: Where I got the music in the background (Creative Commons-licensed music that can be used without copyright violation)
Song: “Scenes from the Zoo” by Jahzzar
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Google Voice is a powerful communication tool with plenty of potential. Students can leave voice messages can be saved, transcribed or played back. Text messages can be sent and received for free. Plus, Google Voice lets you choose a free phone number to be associated with the account. The possibilities for classroom implementation are endless! Leave this session with a clear understanding of how Google Voice works plus activities that can be implemented into lessons immediately.
Google Voice handout: Click here (PDF)
Google Voice: www.google.com/voice — Head over there and set up your Voice account!
Google Voice session backchannel: www.todaysmeet.com/voice — Ask questions, give examples and share how you could apply this material!
Broadcast with Podcasts: www.ditchthattextbook.com/broadcast — Matt’s presentation about creating shareable audio (can be created using Google Voice)
How to create a Google Voice account and how it incorporates student voice in class
15 classroom applications of Google Voice
Google Voice’s texting capabilities and how to harness its power
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Link to video in the session: Connect Classrooms Globally with Skype
MYSTERY SKYPE:
FINDING SKYPE PARTNERS:
10 Ways to Start Using Skype in the Classroom: http://www.edudemic.com/10-ways-to-start-using-skype-in-the-classroom/
Mystery Location Call Roles (jobs that students can do while the call is going on): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UkFXBUyseKZN6yfVpW9Mye6hbSc8JNHl_yu3ExLanMA/edit?hl=en&forcehl=1
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Find Matt’s session resources on using Twitter in the classroom here: https://ditchthattextbook.com/twitter
Must-see hashtags on Twitter for world language educators:
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Ditch That Textbook 1.o conference session — The old Ditch That Textbook session Matt did last summer. It includes a thorough digital handout with activities and digital tools.
Digital classroom management ideas for minds-on learning — Managing students in a paperless classroom can be daunting. Here are some ideas.
The “no textbooks” survival guide: 8 steps to freedom — Follow these steps that Matt took to move from traditional from-the-textbook teaching to a more digital environment.
20 features of a great paperless classroom — Including communication, collaboration, creation, demonstration, assessment, student work showcase and more.
5 changes for a more digital classroom — This post includes five new features of my classroom, including Remind 101, Google Apps and digital portfolios.
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Matt Miller (@jmattmiller) is a high school Spanish teacher at Turkey Run High School in Marshall, IN. His students engage in Spanish through educational technology regularly, including tools like blogs, digital videos and photos, QR codes, Google Voice and more. He blogs regularly at Ditch That Textbook, which is dedicated to teaching with less reliance on the textbook with an emphasis on technology and creative teaching. He can be contacted at matt@ditchthattextbook.com.
Matt is a member of the Indiana Department of Education’s eLearning Speakers Bureau and is available to present at your school or event. His sessions are known for being conversational and engaging. Participants leave with new ideas and incredibly thorough digital handouts with numerous links, videos and articles.
Possible session topics (among others) include:
For more information about Matt, visit the About page. For more information about Matt’s presentations, visit the Conferences page.
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