Technology is everywhere these days. Over the past few years teachers have found themselves teaching their students how to use new technologies that they themselves are just learning. I know we all have different comfort levels with using technology ourselves in addition to using it with our students. I’m here to help!
I never saw myself as a “techy” person. I am, however, a curious person. I like to understand how things work and when I encounter a problem I need help with, I like to find out how to fix it on my own next time. Let’s be real–I encounter tech problems all day long so it’s really nice to be able to troubleshoot on my own.
Over the years, this has led me to build up a decent knowledge of the technology I use each day. I’m lucky to work in a district that equips us with great tech tools and professional development for technology. We use MacBooks, iPads, and SmartBoards. Not even a month before we went virtual last spring, we went 1:1 with iPads. What crazy timing, huh? In the past, we had larger ratios of iPads to elementary students.
I’ve never been one to use technology just because it’s new and exciting. I think we might be mostly past that these days. However, I’ve always felt it important to have a specific reason or problem to solve when using technology.
Señora's Thoughts on Using Tech with Littles
Little learners can use technology! I promise they can, it just takes some time and a whole lot of patience. My experience with students as young as kindergarten tells me that as long as we break down the skills into their simplest form, young students can learn how to manage tech on their own.
Now, in a normal year, I typically wait until several months into the school year to use technology in my kindergarten Spanish classes. However with the impending doom of potentially (probably, most certainly, definitely) moving to virtual school this past fall, I started right away. I spent time teaching students to use the Seesaw app. We broke down the skills and tackled one per lesson. One day our technology learning goal was “I can use the drawing tool in Seesaw.” Another day it was “I can use the microphone to record my voice.” Additionally, “I can take and upload a picture to Seesaw.” Practicing and revisiting these skills over time helps even young learners become quite confident in their abilities.
I do like to have students practice or revisit a new tech skill fairly soon after learning it. I recently taught 1st graders how to login and use the game Kahoot. That first time using it took pretty much the entire lesson. I planned another lesson for the next week that also had us practicing those login skills. It went more smoothly and students were ready to play the game faster than the first time!
Don’t be afraid to try something new. Seriously, I get it. Sometimes when we try something new it doesn’t work the way it should or the lesson completely flops. But you’re still learning something valuable! As frustrating as it can be sometimes, don’t forget that each time you venture out and try something new with technology, you are learning. The more I’ve tried things (one way the first year, a slightly different way the next year), the better I am at designing lessons that use technology to help us reach our learning goals.
When things don’t work the right way, I try to demonstrate to students my approach to problem solving. I like to model this for students in the moment, even if I’m frustrated. Kids can learn so much from seeing adults encounter a problem and then talking through their thought process to try and solve it.
One thing I’ve struggled with over the years is the use or decreased use of the target language when introducing new technologies. It can be challenging to teach young learners how to use new tech entirely in the target language. I don’t claim to have the correct answer here as I believe each teacher needs to find the balance that works best for them.
That said, I’ve come to focus my energies on creating projects that help students use as much target language as possible. If I can quickly explain the tech tools in English and send students on their way to create in Spanish, I feel good about that. I encourage you to find a balance that works for you, taking into consideration how long your lessons are and how much experience your students have with their second language.
My favorite ways to use technology in a world language class
Bring the world to the classroom
Even though I teach in a small town, there are still tons of opportunities to bring the world inside our classroom. This is one of my favorite reasons to use technology.
I use videos in all sorts of different situations. One obvious use for videos in a language class is to introduce students to the many countries that speak their new language. Seeing the places makes them so much more real for students. I like to show short clips at the start of a country unit. It’s also nice to show some more in depth videos that teach about the location. Some favorite YouTube channels of mine are: Nat Geo Kids Are We There Yet? and Travel with Kids.
I like to introduce new topics with a video. It can be so powerful to bring that visual experience to students. Teaching about volcanoes? Show a quick clip of one erupting. Teaching about rainforest animals? Show a video and see which animals you can spot! I’m currently teaching my 2nd graders about the different regions of Peru. How can you really grasp what the Nazca lines are if you haven’t seen them? This video is a great one. I’ve learned there are videos out there for just about any topic. It can take some time to find good ones but I consider that time well spent. I see my students connecting with the topic right away!
Another way to bring the world to your classroom with technology is Google Earth. These always end up being my favorite lessons. I just walk around listening to my students’ exclamations at all the cool places and things they find. I love that they are in control of their exploration experience. I will go more in depth in another post about specifically how I teach students to use this app. That said, I do like to model it first for the class. I typically airserve my ipad to the board and take the students on a little excursion, modeling how to use the street view.
*If your district does not have student ipads, you can still get great value with google earth–you can show it from a computer or teacher ipad.
I love to use Google Earth when we’re learning about other countries. I even use this app when we’re learning about the continents and oceans in 1st grade. What better way to learn about the world than to see the real thing!
Encourage students to show what they know
This one is HUGE for language classes! There are so many different student friendly apps out there that allow kids to genuinely show teachers what they can do with their new language. I love to keep the technology simple so that language is the focus of the time spent.
I’ll do more in depth posts later but my favorite apps for showing what you know are: Seesaw & Adobe Spark Video. PicCollage is another fun one as well. I have used all three of these apps with young learners.
Especially for young learners, I encourage teachers to use technology that allows students to record their voice. I learn so much about how well students can manage their new language by listening to these recordings. After in class practice, a students’ true ability shines through when they are working independently.
Use tech to create resources
This is probably no surprise but I love creating my own resources and technology helps me do that! It may seem intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. I use google slides to create most of my resources.
I honestly started to make my own classroom materials because I had trouble finding exactly what I needed. When you make your own–you are in control! You get to choose the vocabulary and the exact skill level it is created for. Don’t feel like you have to completely re-make everything you use–just start with one activity or resource.
One of my favorite things to create for my students is stories that include the people at our school. When they see their principal or gym teacher as a main character in a story, engagement goes through the roof.
Whole group activities
Do you remember the days when Kahoot was basically the only option out there for whole group tech games? While I still love and use Kahoot, there are now several other great options that work for elementary aged students. Check out Blooket and Baamboozle for review day or game day technology resources.
Heads up–I have only used Blooket in 2nd grade and up so far. I taught my 1st graders how to use Kahoot this year and we’ll be sticking with that for the time being. Baamboozle worked well with students as young as kindergarten, however.
As teachers we know that adding in the word “game” makes almost anything more fun. I love to use these whole group tech resources to up the excitement and thus engagement in our lesson.
Individual activities
This section is more likely to apply if your students have access to technology within your classroom. With all the restrictions of our current times, I am finding myself digging into this area more than ever. Although I miss our small group games, individual tech games have done a nice job filling in.
I am pleased with several different games I’ve tried for individual student practice.
- Boom Cards–these are new-ish to me but OMG so great! My students love them and I love to see how engaged they are while working on them.
- Flippity Matching Games
- Quizlet–Matching and Flashcards
Whew–who knew I had that much to say about technology! Please reach out if you have tech questions. I’m happy to help.
The common 2020 phrase “We’ve got this” got old for me real fast. It didn’t bother me at first; but as the struggle increased and my goals shifted towards survival, I started to bristle each time I came across that phrase.
When we’re dealing with something hard, let’s name that. This is hard. This is SO hard. Learning to accept that we’re living and working under difficult circumstances is way more helpful than a flippant positive phrase, “We’ve got this!”
After we acknowledge the struggle, we can work on managing the day to day. We don’t have to “have this” in order to make it through this crazy time. We simply need to handle the present moment to the best of our ability. I think dealing with the ever changing reality helped me to truly start focusing on one day at a time. Completely re-doing plans on a minutes notice forces us not to look too far ahead anyway. Who wants to make plans that might get thrown out the window tomorrow? I’m a big fan of “tentative planning” this year. As in, I have an idea of where we’ll be next week but I’m not planning much further out.
One Day at a Time
When no one has the answers and everyone is figuring things out as they go, the best bet is to take things one day at a time. If that’s too much, break it down even further. Just make it through the morning, or your first class. If you’re struggling, please know I have been too. There are better days and days that seem hard for no reason at all. Just do your best and that’s all you can do.
Push Back
This brings me to my biggest takeaway from recent months. In our profession as educators, it seems we are always prepared and willing to “figure it out” and “make it work.”
Why must we accept this pressure time and time again? Requesting more resources or more time should not feel like we didn’t do our job or accomplish our goals. This year especially, we are asked to do too much. What if we pushed back a little and started working to balance our jobs with our lives? What would it feel like to do as much as you can in one day and then go home and start again the next day?
I know what you’re probably thinking. The job of a teacher is never done. There is no way to accomplish all the tasks on our list in 40 hours each week. BUT! I realized I cannot go on without at least attempting to find a better balance. I used to push myself to go above and beyond in everything. I take pride in my work and I want to do my best for my students. That said, a burnt out Señora isn’t what’s best for them.
Taking time and space for myself and my family makes me a better teacher. Slowing down makes me a better teacher. I know it’s always a work in progress–but I encourage you to find some way to slow down or find balance. It might not happen every day, but a start is a start! Easing up on yourself at least some of the time will help you make it through the other long days.
Teachers across the country all have similar versions of the same crazy story that is: Teaching during the 2020 pandemic. My version had us starting the 2020-2021 school year in person. We called it the “face to face” instruction model. I was completely surprised we made it an entire month before moving to virtual teaching and learning.
Virtual...Again
After switching to virtual teaching again (as we had in the spring), it took several weeks to find our footing. This time around our district kept reminding us we were not in “crisis mode” anymore. We talked about maintaining rigor and expectations so that we could close the learning gaps from spring. Wow–talk about pressure!
As the weeks went by, we settled into a good routine and my team and I were excited to see our students really learning in this new set up. We teach shorter lessons LIVE (10-15 minutes) and then students leave our google meet to do individual practice on Seesaw (our online learning platform).
Engaging Students
I know I’m not alone when I say my most important goal when planning for virtual lessons is capturing student attention and keeping them engaged. My elementary students join our google meet from home / daycare / grandma’s house / the babysitter’s house and are trying to focus on our learning goals for the day with a variety of other distractions coming at them. Who can blame them for having trouble focusing? (Side note: I am so impressed with how our students have managed the difficulties of this season in their lives.)
This brings me to…
My favorite ways to engage students while teaching LIVE online
1. Show up to class a few minutes early
This might not work with everyone’s schedule…however, I’ve found I have several students who like to get on our google meet a few minutes early. Even on the days when I’m rushing to get plans done or give feedback (who am I kidding–that’s every day), I try to hop on our google meet 3-4 minutes early.
Students like to chat and tell me stories or show me things. These connections are the ones that tell me my students know I care about them. They know I see them and I’m there for them. This translates to their behavior and attitude in class. Building on those relationships creates more engagement with the learning.
2. Start class with a conversation question or easy game
I’m all about easing into class. I love teaching language because we can take our time before jumping into the learning goals while still using valuable language!
I definitely start with a conversation question (usually ¿Cómo estás?) when I can tell several students have things they want to share. This helps us get the focus on Spanish while also working through some chatti-ness.
Another reason I love starting with conversation questions is it’s using language students are already confident with. Reminding students they can find success using Spanish gives them a great boost at the start of class.
Similarly, starting class with a simple game boosts confidence (and engagement) as well. I often start class with a bonus round of a game played during the previous class. Another option is to play a quick round of a game with content from the previous unit. It’s so fun to see student faces light up when they realize they know the words they need for the activity. This helps me gain their trust and thus, engagement, later on in our lesson.
3. Plan lessons with different ways to participate (even if they aren’t strong in your subject)
I’m sure we can agree that people are more likely to participate when they feel comfortable. Simply put, some students are more likely to answer a yes/no or either/or question instead of an open ended question. Asking questions about their opinions is another great way to include everyone.
I like to intentionally plan ways students who are less confident can still be a contributing member of our class community. For example, my modified-for-virtual learning memory game only asks students to choose which number card we look under next. I accept answers in English or Spanish and sometimes kids don’t even unmute–they just show me on their fingers. This is a low risk scenario and students really enjoy playing this game. We work as a group to remember where the different cards are.
4. Add in animation or “moving parts” to your slides/presentation/visual
I find adding animation to the google slides I use when teaching helps students to focus on what I need them to see. I make correct answers pop up or spin around. Adding an oval to show which picture you’re talking about is another option.
My favorite “moving part” is to physically move items around the board based on what students tell me. This works better with some content vs others but I find students eagerly raising their hands during this type of activity. I do have to stop presentation mode in order to move the items, but it’s well worth it.
One example is a simple Tic Tac Toe board. We play “Class vs. Sra” and I move the shape to the spot I want to claim it. Then it’s the students’ turn. You can use any vocab set for Tic Tac Toe; I love to add in a verb structure so that students are practicing putting together a sentence each time. I find it’s a great way to differentiate and then model for kids who need it.
Other examples I’ve used recently:
*Talk about where you’re going and move a boy or girl around a map
*Talk about what you have in your backpack and move items to the backpack
*Give opinions about basically anything (weather, food, exercises, sports) and move photos to different emojis (thumbs up/down)
5. Guessing Games
This one is quickly becoming a favorite (both of mine and my students!). I love that it can work for my virtual classes as well as when we’re face to face. Plus, it can work with basically any content.
To play, the teacher (or student) picks a word and students try to guess which word they’re thinking of. You can put a limit on it and have them guess in 3 tries or leave it unlimited.
Here are some examples:
–We played “guess what shape I’m hiding behind my back” with kindergarten
–2nd graders guessed where I was going on the school map
–We’re learning foods and food groups in 3rd grade so I picked a “secret food” and had students ask me “¿Qué comes?” to practice the question/answer process as well.
By playing up the secrecy and excitement, I get all the hands in the air! I also give the winners a ticket which works well for our PBIS system.
Participation = expected behavior!
6. If at all possible, stay available to your students throughout the day
This is just one more way for students to know and actually believe you’re there for them. At first I worried I would never get anything done when I decided to leave my google meet open all day. However, I noticed students really only come on when they genuinely have a question. I chuckle because most often I’m helping my younger students figure out their schedule–what do I have next?
One tip that really makes this work for me is I turn off my camera and mute myself when class is not in session and I’m working. Then, when a student pops on, I unmute and chat with them. It helps to leave that boundary there so I can focus on work and then switch to helping students when they need it.
Long story short, this is nothing new but definitely worth repeating. People respond and engage when we talk to them; when someone else engages with them first. Creating that community environment, even over the internet, leads to greater buy-in and engagement from students.
Are there days when I feel like no one wants to talk to me or answer my questions? Of course. Are there times when I’m practically doing a song and dance with barely a response? Yep.
I hope you’ll work hard to not let it get you down, though. I try to remind myself that our students have off days just like we teachers do. Remember, what matters most, especially right now, is your students know you’re there for them and you care about them. So, even at the end of a class that was on the struggle bus the entire time, I tell my students I’m so glad to see them and I thank them for coming to class.
