My Top Technology Tool Picks
Technology should enhance, not dominate, our daily lessons. I am all for pen-and-paper tasks. However, in our current remote learning/virtual instruction period, technology can allow for meaningful, creative tasks in the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. Read about some of my favorite tech tools below, and check out my "Top Tech Tools for World Language Classes" article on the "Articles" tab of the website. I'll be updating this list frequently!
#1: Quizlet for vocabulary review
Quizlet is a true lifesaver - it allows you to essentially create digital words banks in one place. I love embedding images into my Quizlet sets, and students really enjoy playing games to practice. For a friendly competition in your class, try Quizlet Live in the classroom for some easy fun. Intermediate level students can also create their own Quizlet study sets. It's a must-have review and practice tool.
#2: Pear Deck for interactive presentations
Pear Deck is hands-down one of the best tech tools out there. It's a Google Slides extension that allows you to make interactive presentations. As the teacher, you can present your Pear Deck live, or students can work on it at their own pace. Within Pear Deck, you can ask a variety of questions - true/false, multiple choice, open ended, or students can even draw digitally to respond. You can also play Flashcard Factory, a vocabulary-based game powered by Pear Deck. One of my favorite things to do with my students is to read a description aloud in Spanish and have them draw digitally on Pear Deck - then, once I'm done reading, they retell what they drew. This involves listening and speaking, and students absolutely love drawing.
#3: Flipgrid for creating videos
Flipgrid is a platform that allows students to respond to a prompt in a video. Once students post their video, teachers can easily leave feedback. Likewise, students can view each other's videos. Students can add fun emojis to their videos (which they even enjoy in high school!) In my experience, this allows for easy presentational speaking tasks online. Students are able to create their videos with a few clicks and no complications.
#4: Padlet for an online discussion board
Padlet is a website that serves as a digital discussion board. Post a prompt or a few questions, and students post their responses directly onto Padlet. The end result is a digital discussion board filled with posts. Besides with text, students can respond with voice recordings, videos, links, and images. Padlet allows for ideal warm-up or exit-ticket style activities.
#5: Actively Learn for reading articles
Especially in my intermediate level classes, we read countless authentic news articles online. Actively Learn is a website that allows you to feature an article with embedded questions along the way, so students read and respond all in one page. Actively Learn offers some really useful data for teachers - you can see how long your students spent reading. You can also easily grade/review student responses. Students are able to read and respond all in one place.
#6: EdPuzzle for viewing and responding to videos
Using a video from YouTube, embed some questions via EdPuzzle. EdPuzzle allows students to view videos and pauses each time they must answer a question. It's easy to grade and keep track of students' progress, and there is a "prevent skipping" setting that teachers can easily turn on. EdPuzzle is a must-have for interpretive listening activities.
#7: Google Forms for feedback surveys or quizzes
Google Forms can be used in so many ways - you can survey your students via Google Forms, or you can use it to create a quick quiz or exit ticket. Google Forms offers several question types (multiple choice, short answer, paragraph responses, scales, and more). Likewise, you can easily embed photos and videos into a Google Form. Better yet, you can easily review students' responses, which you can choose to view via a Spreadsheet. The possibilities are endless.
#8: QuizIzz for friendly competition
QuizIzz is one of my favorite sites to use for a friendly, competitive review/quiz game. Students respond to questions at their own pace. You can control the game as students complete it live, or you can "Assign as HW" so that students complete the game on their own time.
#9: Screencast-o-matic for screencasts
Especially during this remote learning period, having students present their work virtually is a great way to implement some presentational speaking. With Screencast-o-matic, students are able to easily give a 15-minute presentation for free while capturing their computer screens. This is equally useful for teachers to use in a flipped lesson, as you can easily narrate your slideshow with this tool.
#10: Canva for digital posters or advertisements
If you're looking for a tool that enables your students to create a digital poster or advertisement, Canva might be the right one for you. Canva is a user-friendly site with tons of free options and capabilities. Your students can create professional-looking advertisements or posters on the current concept.
#11: Extempore for voice recordings or videos
Another go-to option for fully online speaking assessments is Extempore. Students can record themselves speaking, and teachers can easily leave feedback. Especially during this remote learning period, Extempore is another tool to foster speaking skills in your online world language classroom.
#12: Lyrics Training and Spotify for music
Integrating music into your world language class is an easy, upbeat way to introduce your students to the target culture. First, create a class playlist using Spotify. I play these songs in my class on a regular basis as students enter the room or work independently. Several of my students also follow my playlist and listen to it on their own time! Then, have your students engage in a song competition via Lyrics Training. This website allows them to listen to songs in the target language, and they type in the missing lyrics. Not only are they building their listening skills, but they're also getting excited about the culture!