iPads en la Clase de Español

A couple of months ago, when we started thinking how we could use iPads in the Spanish room, we spent many hours looking for “the best Spanish app ever”. Soon we realized, that most of the Spanish apps for young students, were designed for very specific tasks, instead of inspiring creativity. Our Technology Coordinator, Jenni Voorhees, suggested using Book Creator and Drawing Box. Students were learning about “Animales del Oceano”, and we asked them to draw their favorite sea animals using Drawing Box, and use their pictures to create a book. After just four classes through the school year, MAGIC happened! The students started writing their own ideas in a second language! Foreign language teachers have often struggled to get their students to use the target language, especially in beginning stages; however, students were so engaged with the iPads, that they forgot they were writing in a second language! They wanted to express their ideas to make their own books! Not only did the iPads help them make “the  jump” from learning words to expressing themselves in Spanish, but they also promoted “teamwork” as students taught, collaborated and helped each other.

Weeks later, while learning about "Animales de la Granja" or farm animals, students worked with partners and described similarities and differences between two animals. This time, they used Sock Puppets, an app that allows you to choose two or three puppets, add a background, some extra-elements to set the stage, and record a conversation. Students take turns and switch the puppets while recording. Once the recording is finished, students can watch a video and listen to their recording with puppets’ voices. Sock Puppets is a great app to motivate your students to speak a second language while having a great time.

Another project that students enjoyed was La Ropa (clothing). Third graders had been learning clothing vocabulary for some time, but they were not using the vocabulary in conversations. During the EdTechTeacher iPad Summit, I had the pleasure to meet Beth Holland and asked her what her favorite open-ended app for a foreign language class was. She mentioned Fotobabble, which allows you to take pictures, embellish them (which students love!), and record audio. Students worked with a partner, decided what they were going to wear, added stickers and frames to their pictures, and recorded conversations describing what they were wearing. Again, magic happened, and we had very engaged third graders speaking Spanish without even thinking!

What I’ve learned: Foster creativity and collaboration, give clear guidelines, encourage using different tools (including the iPads), and get ready to see MAGIC in your Foreign Language classroom. Your students will teach you amazing things in a second language!

It's time to introduce the iPads to a new class of Kindergarteners...

The Plan:    To give students a shared vocabulary and manner of handling for the classroom iPads.

What we do:    Our first session involves 1 teacher and a small group (6 or so) of students for 20 minutes.

 

 - 5 minutes of teacher-led introduction
Bearing in mind that children will only retain so much in one session so we pick just a few of the most important details for one lesson.  We begin with how to carry an iPad:  "Fingers on the bottom, thumbs on top, that way my iPad will not drop."  Next I show the everything button and explain that if you get lost somewhere on the iPad, you can press the everything button to get yourself back to the start screen.  I show the students what we call the start screen.  From the start screen, I show a folder and ask them to open one.  Now we can find an app and open an app.  Then I ask them to get themselves back to the start screen (they need to remember to use the everything button).

 - 10 minutes of guided exploration (the good kind of chaos)
I ask the students to find the Art folder.  I might share on the white board how "Art" is spelled to help them out.  The I show them an icon card with the Drawing Box app and, once they've opened that app, I show them how to get a blank page by tapping the little house.  That's it for my instruction.  They get to just explore, try things, talk about what they're drawing with whoever's sitting next to them.  It can get chaotic, but that's ok - it's all about their discovery and independence.

As they do make discoveries or get stuck, I ask them to turn to the classmate sitting next to them and share or ask.  In our classroom, we value peer collaboration and support, so our students are already forming the habit of asking a friend for a tip before they give up or come asking the teacher to bail them out.  This tends to foster peer teaching which deepens understanding and generates wonderful thinking conversations!

- 5 minutes of reflection
We have the students put the iPads in our "off" position (press the sleep button on the side and turn the iPad face down on the table) and students quickly share something that surprised them or a discovery.

Some apps to use:
Art apps are a great choice for guided discovery with K-4 grades.  We like Drawing Box, Brushes, Draw Free.  (we don't like apps that either have ads or in-app purchases)