Sites for students and teachers

I teach two Spanish classes, Level I and a combo class of Levels II, III, IV, and native speakers. In my Spanish Combo class, I have used the news from the BBC and Democracy Now en espanol. My Level I and II students have enjoyed practicing Spanish with games and more games as they play concentration, battleship, jeopardy, etc. with different vocabulary and review verbs. I look forward to sharing the st0ry place with my classes because it puts verbs into the context of a story. Students can play a role in creating a story, practice reading it out loud, and listen to the dialogues. I also liked some of the Teachnology activities, like the Lemonade stand. There are some really creative educational games for children out there. I just worry about the fact that even at such a young age, children are bombarded with images that train them to be materialistic consumers.

I was also able to find different lesson plan ideas from the California Language Teacher Association and the Education Resources Information Center.

If you are interested in connecting students with other students from around the world, there is a site for keypals where I posted a request for Spanish-speaking keypals for my students.

Quality Control: Getting Info from the Net

In the reading when Zack told his neighbor that he had learned that the Holocaust never happened from an on-line source, the neighbor went to the school demanding that the Internet connection be terminated.

What really stands out to me about reading the Internet is that it is similar to reading anything. From the Enquirer to Mother Jones, from junk mail to a letter from a friend, we must always consider the source. I definitely want to make that connection when I present this information to my students.

How interesting that the world wide web gives everyone a chance to publish one's thoughts and images. Myspace is a prime example of the exhibitionism of the Internet. A white supremacist "professor" has the same access to the Internet that I do. Freedom of speech.

Even though our school has blocked many sites because they are inappropriate, they are not able to block everything. One of my students found a pornographic image off of an unblocked site. However, the important issue here is that my colleague and I have been challenging ourselves on how we can bring up the issue of the objectification of women in our class. I think that just as in the case of Zack, we as teachers must strive to find those teachable moments.

I appreciate the guide on how to establish a reputable source from a not-so-reputable source. I feel that these are things that I tend to look for but it was helpful to have it written out in a guide.

Teachers' & students' tech standards

The key points that stood out to me when reading about technology standards for teachers and students related to the issues that I am currently dealing with in the classroom. I strive to effectively address the needs of a diverse groups of learners. There are so many on-line resources that I definitely appreciate the help in identifying resources. I believe in equitable access. I do not want to see technology become another way to dichotomize low-income students of color (my school's student body) and privileged white children. I am glad to be learning about ethical practices with regard to the internet. I had no idea about the copyright laws on the internet until this class.

Technology has a definite impact on my teaching. I have a photojournalism class and a Spanish class. In my photojournalism class, I co-teach with a colleague from Youth Radio who has a more profound knowledge of Photoshop. I am learning from her. We use the computers on a regular basis. In my Spanish Combo class, technology helps me to differentiate learning. I have students of all levels, from Spanish II to native speakers. The internet brings a world of helpful resources in Spanish that can engage all of my students.

Recently, my students did their own projects in the forms of children's stories, poems, power point presentations, and cooking demonstrations. Computers were an integral part of almost every students work. Unfortunately the dependence on technology can sometimes hurt deeply. Last Thursday, our school's ten portable laptops were stolen. A few of my students had not sent their projects to me yet and their work is now lost forever. I was ecstatic to learn about Gmail this weekend. I have asked that everyone, the entire school, sign up for a gmail account. As we try to piece back together their beautiful presentations, at least one student is still a little hesitant to use technology and has decided to make a book instead of a powerpoint presentation.

Por que soy especial

Yo soy mama. Me gusta cortar mis camisetas para crear nuevas modas. Me gustan colores brillantes. A mi me encanta bailar salsa con mi novio. No me gusta el frio. Yo prefiero estar en el sol. Yo amo a mi familia. Yo soy vegetariana pero de vez en cuando yo como el pescado y el pollo. Yo vivo en Oeste Oakland. Demasiadas personas estan matado cada dia en mi barrio. Quisiera que toda la violencia termine. Me gustan mucho ensenar y aprender de mis estudiantes.