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Rosalie - Hola and Bienvenidos to the Spanish Chat. I am your host tonight.
Candy in Florida - I sent my 2nd year students on a wild goose chase around the school...They actually had FUN...got hopelessly lost but still had fun...
Candy in Florida - They came running back into the classroom laughing...Made me feel great...
Rosalie - Oh for direction vocabulary?
Candy in Florida - Also my 1st year students are learning how to tell time...REALLY LEARNING!!!
Rosalie - Thanks but I think shel gave you that idea, although I did that with my kids last year too. I give you the other direction activity.
La_teacher - Buenas noches a todos!
Candy in Florida - Yes direction vocabulary..
La_teacher - Spanish chatting tonight?
Candy in Florida - i gave them some maps and book activie=ties too where they had to tell me how to get somewhere in Spanish...
Rosalie - Hola
Candy in Florida - I made a classroom set of larrge clocks that the hands move. gave each student a clock and called out times then broke them into teams and played...whoevr got the fight time in the air first got the point for their team
La_teacher - Hola Rosalie!
Candy in Florida - Right time not fight time...they had a blast...
Rosalie - Hola LA Teacher. This is the Spanish Chat and I am the host. Welcome. Is there something in particular that anyone would like to talk about? I myself teach 4th grade Spanish in NJ.
Candy in Florida - Rosalie how do I test them on these concepts?
La_teacher - Well, I m from Puerto Rico and I teach 9th grade
Rosalie - That's great!!!!! Your students were the ones that were unmotivated, correct?
Rosalie - Well, you teach high school students, right?
Candy in Florida - Yes..kept telling me I wasn't qualified to teach because I'm teaching out of field...
La_teacher - thats actually the intermediate level
Rosalie - La, I visited PR for the first time this summer and loved it. My family is from there.
Candy in Florida - Yes, mostly 11th and 12th graders.
La_teacher - really!
Rosalie - Sorry, La, the high school question was meant for Candy.
La_teacher - oops ok
Rosalie - I'm Puerto Rican and Dominican.
La_teacher - Rosalie , where in Puerto Rico?
Rosalie - I didn't tell you that Candy.
Rosalie - I visited San Juan, Guaynabo, Rio Piedras, El Yunque, etc.
Candy in Florida - My students were trying to tell me that...
Rosalie - What is it like to teach in Pr, I loved the island so much, I thought about moving and teaching there.
La_teacher - oh ok.......I'm from Bayamon Rosalie.
Lin - Por fin- I couldn't get on- sorry!
La_teacher - hi Lin
Rosalie - Hola Lin. Are you a Spanish Teacher?
Lin - Que tal??
Rosalie - I was there too.
Candy in Florida - Hi Lin..
La_teacher - wow.....real close
Lin - Yes... I teach honors 10 and 12- and iI supervise the department
Rosalie - De donde eres Lin? Yo soy de Nueva Jersey.
Candy in Florida - Rosalie...my students were trying to tell me that...
La_teacher - Lin donde trabajas?
Lin - I'm on Long Island... a real shortage of Language teachers here!
Lin - Rosalie-no sabias que estabas tan cerca!
Lin - Yo uso el nombre Linda K. en el 'chatboard!
Rosalie - Welcome, we just chat about our experiences, share ideas, and ask questions. It's very informal, so please feel free to jump in with a question or comment anytime. I am your host Rosalie, a 4th grade Spanish Teacher in NJ. I teach all 14 4th grade classes for 15 mins. a day.
Rosalie - Lin, no sabias que eras Linda.
La_teacher - thanx Rosalie
Lin - Y no te vuelves loca???
Rosalie - How has their attitude changed Candy?
Rosalie - No, me encanta mi horario.
La_teacher - hello staff
Rosalie - Hola staff. Are you a Spanish Teacher.
Candy in Florida - They seem to be having fun now...but I have trouble keeping the small classes engaged...
staff - I am a student teacher, are there any other ST out there
Candy in Florida - My smallest class is 11 students my largest 29.
Rosalie - Are you obligated to give out a certain type of test? For example, most tests used to be writeen with studentsconjugating verbs. Do you have the authority to make up your own tests?
Candy in Florida - To some degree....
La_teacher - Lucky you.....all my groups are 35 and 36
Rosalie - Well staff, this is the Spanish Chat and I am the host. I was a student teacher 2 years ago. Did you have a question? I'm sure we can help you.
La_teacher - hi Hector
Candy in Florida - I have test bank tests but I prefer to make up my own...I tested 2nd year on foods by having them do a skit in a restaurant...
Rosalie - My smallest (Special Ed.) are about 10, my other 12 classes are about 23.
La_teacher - hello....greetings from Puerto Rico!!!!
Rosalie - Hola Hector. Are you a Spanish Teacher.
Candy in Florida - LaI am very blessed to be the only zForeign Language teacher in my district
Rosalie - I must say, I am very pleased to see this Chat so busy. Thank you all for coming.
Lin - Candy- where are you?
Candy in Florida - I teach all the Spanish classes at my school
La_teacher - well, I teach English as a Second Language here in Puerto Rico, Candy
Rosalie - Everyone, please read my earlier post about how the chat is run, very informal, so feel free to jump in anytime with questions, sharing of experiences, or ideas.
Candy in Florida - Florida... North central Rural Florida
Lin - and no other language teachers?
Rosalie - bye staff
La_teacher - ok Rosalie.....thanks again
La_teacher - Gainesville Candy?
Lin - I supervise 14 FL anf ESL teachers...in one building
Candy in Florida - Not enough students to have more language teachers...I fall under the language Arts dept..
Candy in Florida - North of Gainesville.
Lin - We have mostly Spanish- it's a 9-12 school
Rosalie - Ok, well I assess my students on an on-going basis constantly. When we play games, do an activity, or even when my students ask and answer questions, I can assess what they know, what they are confused about, and what they don't know. It's all about observation for me, since I give no tests or homework.
La_teacher - I visited Gainesville twice Candy
Lin - I can imagine why the chatroom anfd board is so important... bouncing off each other is so impt!
La_teacher - thats pretty interesting Rosalie
La_teacher - hi Marie
Lin - bienvenida
Marie - is everyone here a Spnish teacher?
Lin - Yo soy!
Marie - I teach Spanish and ESL
Candy in Florida - The biggest issue is they make no effort to understand or use the language...really hurts my feelings because I want tthem to be able to use the language not lose it..
La_teacher - well nice people....gotta go now.....take care
Lin - Candy I give out bocas grandes every time they speak in Spanish
Rosalie - Well Candy, have your students make a map and give their friends directions to a specific location on the map. Have the students act out a skit in which they are the owner of a business and need to give oral directions to someone who is lost and trying to get to their busineess. Also, have students make an invitation for a party and write out directions, maybe even with a small map to their house or party location. Whatever you do to assess, make sure you have a listening activity, a written activity, and an oral activity
Candy in Florida - Buenas Noches La teacher....
La_teacher - its been a pleasure chatting with you people
Marie - Does anyone have any good activities for an AP class?
Candy in Florida - What are they Lin?
Lin - I use them as incentive and draw from them back at the end of the week for credito extra
La_teacher - cuidense....y suerte en todo lo que se propongan!!!!!
Candy in Florida - The skits work well for some but I have kids that get so nervous they'll pass out if they feel like they must perform..
Rosalie - where students speak in the language. And wherever possible try to use the multiple intelligence method so that all students can perform and show what they have learned, regardless of their learning style. Your activities and lessons should be as diverse as far as learning styles and incorporating all of the language skills that I listed before and your assessment should reflect that. If your students just speak in Spanish class and most of their activites are oral, like performing a skit, etc. Would it be fair and an accurate assessment to give a written test? the answer would be no.
Lin - fotocopias of funny mouths from clip art. When the kids get them ( I fit about 9 on a page and cut them up)they put their names on them and I collect them back at the end of the day. At the end of the week I draw as many as I want for extra credit!
Candy in Florida - So you draw them out of a hat and give EC only to the names you draw?
Lin - We also use 'bonos' or vouchers in my department and I do games where they earn pesetas ( with my foto) each worth 1/2 a point!
Lin - This keeps them speaking! That's my goal! Communication! It even gets the quiet ones talking!
Lin - One of the teachers I work with uses them as a grade. She actually counts how many each student has. I go for the extra credit route. The more they talk the more chance they have to earn extra credit. Then I toss them at the end of the week.
Candy in Florida - I have lots of talkers too but they refuse to speak in Spanish..
Lin - I use a bell!!! Everytime they speak English I hit the bell. I also keep a rubric and note down the enlish speakers!
liagl - hi
Lin - Hola liagl
liagl - hi everybody i have a question
Candy in Florida - I have a few translators too....thhhheey understand me but translate for the rest of the class...
Rosalie - Hola liagl. What's your question?
liagl - i'm trying to figure out a title of a book that i read years ago
Lin - Candy- try giving out pesos to anyone who doesn't speak English for the period ( for what you want them to be saying in Spanish
liagl - i don't remember what it was about
Rosalie - What happened to Marie? I didn't even get to say hello since I was writing my elaborate response for Candy and I seem to have missed so much, things move so fast in here.
liagl - but i remember the beginning sentence....IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
Lin - For example- a student who asks 'can I go to the bathroom' in english- would not earn a peseta.
Candy in Florida - That sounds like it might work....They want extra credit...nothing else..
Rosalie - Are you a Spanish Teacher? This is the Spanish Chat, but if we can help, terrific. Well, I thin a lot of books start with "It was a dark and stormy night". I have no clue what book it could be, sorry.
Candy in Florida - That would work Lin..Thanks...
Lin - Let me knw... I have a slew of ideas... ask away... and I'll try to brainstorm!
liagl - no, i want to be a spandh teacher but right now i am concentrating on figuring out the title of this book
liagl - spanish*
Lin - Iyt doesn't sound like a Spanish book to me...
Rosalie - Candy, did you read my response to your assessment question?
liagl - thanks anyway
Rosalie - So, Lin did you have any questions or need any ideas?
Lin - What's doing with the TPR workshop?
Rosalie - No problem liagl, sorry we couldn't help much. Good luck on becoming a Spanish Teacher.
Candy in Florida - Well I have to get up early tomorroow for the long drive so I guess I'd better go.. Yes Rosalie I got the response...Good point... My methods professor tells me to be more variant in my testing methods...I agree...
Lin - It's not something we've been using.
Rosalie - I have only had you and one other person respond or inquire about it. I need more people that are interested before I approach T-Net with the idea.
Rosalie - Ok, well goodnight Candy. Buenas Noches y Buena Suerte.
Rosalie - We use
Candy in Florida - I'm going to try to go to that...we get it in our area the first week in Dec..
Lin - How can we get more Spanish teachers interested in the chatboard/ I find it helpful!
Lin - Buenas noches Candy
Rosalie - TPR and I myself have attended workshops about how to implement it. Also, I wanted to have a workshop on games for the foreign language classroom.
Lin - A game share would be fun... but perhaps difficult to explain...
Lin - even in my department it takes a lot to see the game... visualization... and we're explaining to each other.
Rosalie - Well, I'm glad you find it helpful. There was a Spanish Chat before but then it was cancelled and when I inquired about it, I was told that the y had no host. So, I inquired about hosting the Spanish Chat, sothat Spanish Teachers around the country could log on to chat about teaching Spanish. People could ask questions, share ideas, or just share their experiences. Some do that now on the board, but I think the chat is better for an on-going conversation, instead of a quick and short response.
Lin - I love when people send links... the ideas are also great. Sometimes it just brings ideas to the forefront!
Rosalie - Now is when the Chat is picking up. Last year, there was a lot of interest but no one would show up. I don't know why that is. People asked for it, people want it, but not many people use it and it's a shame.
Lin - I actually gave all the teachers in my department the website... but have not seen anyone posting.
I teach 1st in CA - hello
Lin - Hola -I teach 1st
Rosalie - ctually, I have found that it's not that difficult to explain games. Maybe it's the practice I've had explaining my games to other people.
I teach 1st in CA - what are we discussing tonight?
Lin - I'm at the opposire end. I teach 10 and 12 Honors
Rosalie - Hola I teach. Are you a Spanish Teacher? This is the Spanish chat, but you are more than welcome to stay and chat with us. I teach 4th grade Spanish in NJ.
I teach 1st in CA - ohhhh, sorry
Lin - Explaining games... would be a lot of typing I think... altho I'd give it a try!
I teach 1st in CA - I teach first grade in southern california
I teach 1st in CA - not spanish...
Rosalie - That's ok, you can stay if you'd like. Do you have an Elementary World Language Program in CA?
Lin - Well Rosalie- thanks for the chat- gotta run... I still have some papers to mark...
Rosalie - What are your topics right now Lin?
Rosalie - Ok, well good night!!! Buenas Noches!!!!
Rosalie - Well I teach, I guess I better go too. Goodnight!!!
Rosalie - Goodnight everyone and thank you for coming to the Spanish Chat. If you missed tonight's meeting, meet us next Sunday at 8 p.m. EST. Thanks again.
Rosalie - Happy Thanksgiving!!! Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!!!!!
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