VermontFLteachers - Recently Updated Pages

Twitter

dunnru — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:30:49 CDT

Twitter Info and How-tos
(source: Sharon Scinicariello, University of Richmond [s_scinicariello@earthlink.net], published in the AATF National Bulletin Vol 33 No 3 January 2008.)

Getting Started
Twitter: [http://twitter.com]
Newbie’s Guide to Twitter by Rafe Needleman: [http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9697867-2.html]

Twitter Clients
Twitbin:[http://twitbin.com/] (for FireFox)
Twitterfox: [http://www.naan.net/trac/wiki/TwitterFox] (for FireFox)
Twitterrific: [http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific/] (Mac only)
Twitteroo: [http://rareedge.com/twitteroo/] (PC only)
Snitter: [http://snook.ca/snitter/] (cross-platform)
PocketTweets: [http://www.pockettweets.com/] (iPhone)
Twitterbox: [http://ordinalmalaprop.com/twitter/] (for SecondLife)
How to Twitter from Skype: [http://www.pacificit.ca/article/319]

Twitter Clones in French
Frazr: [http://www.frazr.com/fr/]
Noumba: [http://noumba.net/]

Twitter Tools
TwitterCamp: [http://www.danieldura.com/code/twittercamp/]
TwitterGram: [http://www.twittergram.com/]
TwitterSearch: [http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=004053080137224009376%3Aicdh3tsqkzy]
TwitDir: [http://www.twitdir.com]

TwitterResources
Twitter Fan Wiki: [http://twitter.pbwiki.com/]
Twitter Facts: [http://twitterfacts.blogspot.com/]
Twitter Fan Club (FR): [http://www.wikiservice.at/fractal/wikidev.cgi?FR/TwitterFanClub]
Toute la vérité sur Twitter 1: [http://www.webdeux.info/toute-la-verite-sur-twitter-1]
Toute la vérité sur Twitter 2: [http://www.webdeux.info/toute-la-verite-twitter-deuxieme-partie]

Similar Tools
Pownce: [http://www.pownce.com/]
Jaiku: [http://jaiku.com/channel]
Tumblr: [http://www.tumblr.com]

References:
“Why everyone’s talking about Twitter.” Anita Hamilton Time, March 27, 2007
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1603637,00.html

The Hyperconnected.” Lev Grossman. Time, April 5, 2007. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1607260,00.html

Twitter: Is Brevity the Next Big Thing?” Steven Levy. Newsweek, April 9, 2007.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/35289

“Seven Things You Should Know About Twitter.” Educause Learning Initiative Document ID: EL17027.
http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/7ThingsYouShouldKnow/44762

Technology

dunnru — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:28:53 CDT

This page is for technology how-tos, what to do with it, etc.

Technology 101 Workshop by Colleen Birner and John Canning (Oct 19, 2007 VFLA Workshop) - http://www.nanidesuka.org/vfla/
-discusses wikis, wikipedia, social networking, google, podcasts, blogs, FL newspapers, Linux, and Internet safety.

Technology Tools (compiled by southern Vermont FL teachers at a regional inservice at Brattleboro Union High School, Sept 17, 2008)

Crosswords:

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/

Dictionary:

http://wordreference.com/

Language learning:

http://www.wordchamp.com/lingua2/Home.do

http://conjuguemos.com/home/index.html

Video:

http://videos.tf1.fr/video/news (French news)

http://fr.news.yahoo.com/ (French news)

http://www.univision.com/portal.jhtml (Spanish news)

http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/ (Spanish news)

WiKIS:

http://www.wetpaint.com/

http://www.wikispaces.com/

http://whsfrench.wetpaint.com/

http://buhsfrench.blogspot.com/

Wikis

dunnru — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:48:26 CDT

This page is to add and discuss other wikis that may help you use technology in the classroom.

http://accescinemaafricain.wikispaces.com is a wiki for those interested in African film and culture. It was started to facilitate review and discussion of African films shown at the annual Montreal film festival, Vues d'Afrique. A concurrent workshop organized by the Penobscot School in Rockland, ME, brings participants from all over the world. This site is also for them to add their thoughts and resources. Anyone can read the postings.

Culture

dunnru — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:22:41 CDT

Please, add any cultural events in Vermont that students can attend.

Comment: Remember that the focus of this wiki is technology. Access to culture via technology is a great thing to share here. If readers have suggestions for other cultural opportunities, please submit them to the webmaster of the main VFLA web site and to the VFLA list serve (vfla@sover.net). (Ruth Ann)

French Literature

dunnru — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:14:28 CDT

Is anyone using Pauvre Anne? and if so, do you have any tips, strategies, etc. that have been useful, fun? Merci! Helen :-)

Oh my word, oui! I have used Pauvre Anne for each of the last five years in 8th grade and then in first year high school French classes. Each year I start it earlier in the curriculum than the year before because it gives students such a jump start on basic vocabulary and structure. It's a totally hokey story and I try to play that up with the students.

Strategies:
(1) Start by going to the moretprs list serve and explore their resource file of worksheets and tests for Pauvre Anne. I have since created/re-created my own, and I keep adding on each year.
(2) Offer a brief list of key vocabulary for each chapter. I may have them create a different story using those key vocab. Those are the vocab that are testable.
(3) Offer different ways to approach the chapter. Some days it may be whole class: (a) I read in French so they hear the language and they translate aloud, (b) I read in English while they read silently on the page in French, (c) Round robin translating by sentence or paragraph by the students, (d) I read in French and have students act out the action as it goes along (very popular!). Some days I give them the choice to break into small groups and read (translate) aloud at their own pace.
(4) Reinforcement at home: (a) Have them translate one page of the chapter to an adult and get a signature. Provides practice for the student, builds confidence, impresses the parent, and shows the great work the student is doing. (b) Have them draw a story-strip of a chapter to show comprehension. (c) Have them anticipate what will happen in the next chapter: write or draw ideas.
(5) Other in-class activities: (a) Put the actions in the story or chapter in orderusing sentence strips and/or pictures; PowerPoint presentation on Belgium's geography, history, & culture; (b) tasting some Belgian delicacies.
(6) Impressive final exam H.O.T.S.: Add a couple of short answer questions, e.g., "How does Anne change from the beginning to the end of the story?", "Why is the story entitled, "Pauvre Anne?" Even 8th graders can come up with some good answers using written French!!

If you'd like copies of any of the resources that live on my computer, don't hesitate to e-mail me. (Ruth Ann)

French

helbish — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:34:16 CST

French teachers are welcome to use the links on my page from Folsom school: http://www.gisu.org/Folsom/French.htm
email me with any questions! Helen in S. Hero...helbish@gisu.org
Merci Ruth Ann! Here is another huge site for vocab!!
http://www.ielanguages.com/french.html

This is a great site, Helen. I encourage teachers to bookmark it. She has some really cool links that I haven't seen before. I especially like the Literacy Center site - you can type or point and click and the site talks back! Designed for young children, I could see my high schoolers getting into it. (Ruth Ann)

Blogs

dunnru — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:55:15 CST

Echanges entre profs de françaishttp://www.profechanges.blogspot.com/
"Un espace où les profs du Massachusetts ou d'ailleurs pourront échanger leurs idées, matériels, questions... en toute liberté"

French online newsletters and journals

dunnru — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:59:19 CST

This page is for sharing info on online newsletters and journals in French.

Centre pour l'enseignment du français (Yale Univ)
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/ctf/newsletters.htm
Monthly - lists upcoming events at Yale and the greater New England region.

French Consulate in Boston Education Newsletter
http://www.frenchculture.org/the_education.cfm
Monthly - lists upcoming events & educational opportunities for teachers in the greater New England region.
To subscribe, send an email to education@consulfrance-boston.org.

Afrikara.com - a francophone Africa site covering all aspects of life and culture: announcements, politics, fashion, music, etc. You can subscribe to the e-newsletter service by clicking on the newsletter icon on the left hand side of the main page.
http://www.afrikara.com/index.php?page=contenu&art=1314

General Foreign Language Resources

dunnru — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:25:52 CST

initially compiled by Jennifer McKenzie*
jmckenzie@ejhs.k12.vt.us (posted by Lisa, 10-24-07 at Ruth Ann's request)
additions by other wiki members will not be asterisked

As wiki members visit these resources, we would appreciate your annotations under each web address to tell us how valuable they are to you, features that you especially liked, etc. (from Ruth Ann)

Technology Glossaries
Glossary of technology terms
http://www.ict4lt.org/en/en_glossary.htm*

Glosario de términos de tecnología en español
http://www.ati.es/novatica/glosario/glosario_internet.html#alfa*

http://www.ati.es/novatica/glosario/glointv4.pdf*

http://www.ati.es/novatica/glosario/buscador/buscador_gloint.html*

Glosario en español
http://www.learnthenet.com/spanish/glossary/glossary.htm*

Language dictionaries of computing terms (Fr., Ger., Span.)
http://www.css.qmul.ac.uk/foreign/*

Glossaire en français
http://www.learnthenet.com/french/glossary/glossary.htm*

Glossary in German
http://www.commando.de/glossar/index.htm*

Glossary in English
http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html*

http://www.learnthenet.com/english/glossary/glossary.htm*

Computer related dictionaries
http://admaso.com/co mputer.htm*

Language Blogs
Ewan McIntosh http://mod.blogs.com/art_mobs/*

Modern Foreign language Blogs & Podcasts:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/mfle/mflblogsandpodcast/index.asp*

Bilingual Class blog (Chinese/English)
http://www.galileoweb.org/chiang/*

BBC languages (choose from 8 languages)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/*

Podcasts
Start by listening to two Future Tense podcasts about new language learning technologies: Mango and podcasts. Go to http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/podcasts/ and scroll down to Future Tense. The two podcasts on language learning I heard were broadcast on November 8 (Mango) and November 9, 2007 (Chinese learning via podcasts). You can subscribe to Future Tense via iTunes to get each new episode. I'll be adding direct links to these featured techologies soon (Ruth Ann).

Directories
http://www.cal.org/projects/fldirectory.html
This is CAL's online directory to foreign language assessment tools.

"The FLAD is a free, searchable directory of information on nearly 200 tests in over 90 languages. Two of CAL’s existing test directories have been combined and updated into one comprehensive, easily accessible resource. See the spotlight for more information. The FLAD serves as a starting point for teachers and educators to search for foreign language assessments. Available information about assessments includes grade and proficiency levels, languages for which each test is available, skills targeted by a test, information about the test’s development and the publisher’s or developer’s contact information for further inquiries."

Online newsletters

dunnru — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:06:01 CST

This page is to point you to valuable online newsletter or journal sites.

http://www.cal.org/about/calnews/110807.html (CAL - Center for Applied Linguistics)
This link is for the November 2007 issue, but should lead you to previous and subsequent issues, also.

Wiki How To's

lisabrux2 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:39:26 CDT

It's simple to create a page, move a page, and/or edit a page. Your Page Toolbox is on the right and navigation for the site is on the left. Begin by creating a profile for yourself (which means you register with wetpaint.com). Upload a small photo-about 150x150 pixels and some text about yourself. This helps the other folks on the wiki get a sense of who you are, what level(s) you teach, where you are located in the state, and possibly what your experiences are (have you lived in another country? share your stories "-)

On any page that is already created just click "easy edit" and you can add your thoughts. It is proper "netiquette" to sign your post with your name and the date as this helps others follow the input. (Lisa 10-12-07) (moved to new page 10-24-07)

To see a compilation of resources by your peers, visit http://vermontflteachers.googlepages.com/home

Home

lisabrux2 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:29:32 CDT

Welcome Vermont Foreign Language educators to your wiki (collaboration space). You may have found this site because you attended Lisa Brooks and Ruth Ann Dunn's presentation in October '07 at Essex HS. Click on "How To" for a few tricks on using this site.

The Workshop Website is: http://vermontflteachers.googlepages.com/home