"Evaluate 3.1.2 Self-Reflection on Teaching Abilities" Quest

"Evaluate 3.1.2 Self-Reflection on Teaching Abilities" Quest

Teaching at GAVS, I maintain a monthly focus on reflection through our ePortfolio requirements. I love this practice because it makes me examine what I am doing right and it challenges me to do even better. By gathering artifacts each month for Best Practices, Differentiation, Professional Development, and Data Analysis, I am able to look back over the year as it ends to see my growth and to plan for more success the coming year. Although I know it takes some time because I always like to try to make my collections interesting, it is worth the effort. Below is a link to my ePortfolio.

My GAVS ePortfolio 2015-2016


I also look forward to receiving evaluations from my QAS. These evaluations help me learn where to better spend my time as an online instructor. For example, from my most recent evaluation, I realized that I'd let my homepage lag a bit in terms of making it as interactive as possible. My goal for this year is to find more ways to bring students to the homepage for exciting activities or videos. Below are screenshots of my most recent evaluation.

The experience of completing the TOOL course has been wonderful. I have enjoyed reflecting on what I know and expanding that knowledge to include new tools that will undoubtedly increase my effectiveness as a teacher. I am without a doubt a better teacher overall for having taught online. Teaching online forces one to take time to reflect because the flow of the day actually allows for reflection, unlike many face to face environments. This has been a bittersweet activity for me, as I approach the coming year of returning to the face to face classroom. When I left the traditional classroom to stay home with my newborn who is now 5 years old and thus began my career as an online instructor, I initially always found myself trying to explain my job and its importance. I felt apologetic at first for not being "in" the classroom. But what I have realized is that I have found a new home outside the walls of education: a home where colleagues are the most supportive I've ever worked with, a space where teachers and students can be equals and respect each other for our talents while helping each other shore up our weakness, and a place where I can explore and experiment and learn and grow and expand my horizons in a way that is not possible in the brick and mortar world. I am sad to be returning to the face to face classroom but thrilled that I can continue my career at GAVS at the same time. My goal is to learn how to combine my two worlds with grace and energy. 

"Evaluate 3.1.1 Differentiation" Quest

"Evaluate 3.1.1 Differentiation" Quest

Below is an excerpt from my ePortfolio where I used the data of analysis to pair students for an activity based on rubric achievements.

Identifying the individual needs of students can lead to greater overall success in a particular course. Needs can be determined by looking at data provided by any assessment, keeping in mind what is being assessed and how it is being assessed. I love that in our LMS, the teacher can conditionally release a News item to correspond with specific performance. If a student does exceptionally well on an assessment, a News item congratulating them by name would be appropriate. If a student does not seem to have mastered the content, a News item sending them extra help in the form of links, video, or extra exercises presented in a different way could manifest itself on their course home page. If a student continuously performs poorly on a certain type of assessment, a News item for differentiation on that assignment could pop up in his/her feed. If a student seems to falter on quizzes yet soars when asked to do a project based assessment, perhaps the teacher could switch the order of assignments due so that the student does the project based assessment first to solidify knowledge before being asked to pass a quiz or test. All of these variables make on line learning a better environment for individualization and differentiation because it is easier for the teacher to manage and because students are typically not aware of the special attention they can receive. 

"Evaluate 2.1.2 Rubrics and Competencies" Quest

"Evaluate 2.1.2 Rubrics and Competencies" Quest


 I chose to implement the creation competencies and association of them with a learning objective and an assignment in our GAVS LMS, BrightSpace. None of the courses I teach at GAVS ever have learning objectives associated with the assignments and there are no competencies either. A a teacher, we've never been taught how to do this. I learned it would take an inordinate amount of time to do this activity for each assignment every semester, so I hope that, should this information be required in the future, the GAVS master course would include this type of documentation.

I decided to use an old course from Fall 2015 to explore this new skill. I selected the following standard and its strands from the Georgia Standards:

Interpretive Mode of Communication (INT) 

MLIV.INT1 The students comprehend spoken and written language on new and familiar topics presented through a variety of media in the target language, including authentic materials. The students: 

A. Identify main ideas, supporting details and various elements, such as plot, theme, setting, and characters, from a variety of texts. 

B. Understand some subtleties of meaning, such as intent, humor, and tone, in a variety of level-appropriate works in the target language that are culturally authentic, such as radio and television segments or literary passages. 

C. Comprehend and react to current events and issues presented through print and electronic media. 

D. Understand simple connected discourse. 

E. Demonstrate Intermediate-Low to Intermediate-Mid proficiency in listening and reading comprehension.

I chose a listening comprehension quiz based on an authentic source as the focus of the assignment to which I would add the competencies. Here are my screenshots of the process:

Once I selected the standard, I created the competencies:

Here is a completed list of the competencies:

Next I created the learning objective:

Finally, I added these elements to an existing quiz that assessed the standards I selected.

Correlating standards with assessments is something that (hopefully) all teachers do for everything that they teach. I know that when I design a unit, I start with the essential question, then I make a list of standards that are being taught. Finally, I design assessments to determine what has been mastered. 

"Evaluate 2.1.1 Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting Tools" Quest

"Evaluate 2.1.1 Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting Tools" Quest

An Overview of the Sample Course Provided

Enrollments and Attendance

Detailed description:There are 3 courses named: AP Microeconomics with 1 section and 23 students, Economics with 3 sections and 49 students, and American Government with 2 sections and 43 students. Students are categorized by type of education and information is provided on if the student has completed the orientation course, has dropped the course and if the course has an EOC. The communication log affords teachers the ease of recording notes about calls and emails by type and the submission is recorded by date and time.

Teacher adjustments: Using the information above, teachers can be on the lookout from Special Education Teachers based on if the student is listed as Special Needs. Teachers can remove students from the class email list when a dropped notice is listed. Teachers can contact stakeholders if students have not taken the orientation course in a timely manner. Teachers can peruse the communication log to refresh their memories of incidents that may still need their attention.


Monitoring Course Progress 

Detailed description: Student activity in the course can be viewed via a course tool. Teachers can see when the course is accessed and for how long as well as which assignments and assessments have been submitted.

Teacher adjustments: Using the information above, teachers can send out communication to stakeholders if a student has not logged on consistently or for a long enough duration, has not submitted work consistently, or has not performed consistently.



Students Monitoring Their Own Learning

Detailed description: Students can see all of their grades and feedback, often in synchronous time.

Teacher adjustments: Using feedback, teachers can encourage students and set forth expectations every day, can provide reminders and resources, and can provide remediation as well as differentiation.

"Evaluate 1.1.3 The Summative Assessment" Quest

"Evaluate 1.1.3 The Summative Assessment" Quest

To demonstrate mastery of the ability to read authentic texts, to comprehend authentic audio files, and to write a persuasive essay, students are asked to select a topic within one of the 6 AP French themes. The student researches the topic, collecting one article, one graph and one audio or video file. The student completes a graphic organizer. The student writes a persuasive essay on the topic, integrating references to his/her collected sources. Finally, the student creates a Prezi presentation to showcase the sources and the graphic organizer. The Prezi also includes an embedded narration of the topic with a summary of the sources used. The student submits the Prezi and the persuasive essay to the discussion forum, where they are also required to critique and comment on others' posts.  Below you will see a link to the actual Flipsnack with the directions for the project, a screenshot of the Flipsnack for visual interest :-), and a student Prezi sample.

Link to Flipsnack with Project Directions

Student Sample Prezi

"Evaluate 1.1.2 Quality Feedback" Quest

"Evaluate 1.1.2 Quality Feedback" Quest

Best practices for providing quality feedback should focus on using personalized comments that pinpoint where the student is succeeding as well as where there is room for growth. I generally color code my comments in green to indicate something well done, while items that need attention remain in black and are accompanied by links to video or written explanation or practice exercises relating to the weakness. I keep account of common errors and make an effort to comment when those errors are continuously repeated. Sometimes it can feel like you spend so much time giving pithy feedback and wonder whether it is being used can be disheartening. Most of my students tell me at the end of the semester that they have never received such thorough feedback and that they learn so much from my comments. I am glad to know when they read the comments and visit the links for help. It is often apparent in the subsequent submissions.  

"Evaluate 1.1.1 Formative Assessment" Quest

"Evaluate 1.1.1 Formative Assessment" Quest

Formative Assessment is on-going in the virtual classroom, just as it is in the face to face classroom. The students in the newly revised AP French course at GAVS are provided with in-line learning objects, such as matching games and categorizing activities, that actually encourage them to assess their own learning status. In addition, self-assessments, which are basically ungraded quizzes, are integrated throughout, based on comprehension of reading and listening items.

In my live synchronous sessions, I like to use Quia activities as formative assessments. Here is a screenshot of a Quia activtiy that I use to determine their readiness for the vocabulary section of the final exam:

This is a game that students can play on their own once provided with the link but during the live session, I share my screen and students answer in the chat box. The first student to answer correctly wins a point. I also take note of which students are not answering. This indicates to me who needs extra support and I follow up with individual emails with helpful tips and links to encourage them to study more. 

"Create 4.1.3 Aggregating Lesson Material" Quest

"Create 4.1.3 Aggregating Lesson Material" Quest


I could not make this table work within the blog so I took a screenshot of it and inserted as a photo. The links in the image do not work but are listed below.

https://www.edmodo.com/         
https://support.edmodo.com/hc/en-us/articles/205007764-Webinars-and-Video-Tutorials

https://www.tes.com/lessons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICw-MlgPAlI

https://www.schoology.com/
https://support.schoology.com/hc/en-us/articles/201002663-Video-How-to-use-Schoology-as-a-teacher

"Create 4.1.2 Principles of Building Portable Learning Objects" Quest

"Create 4.1.2 Principles of Building Portable Learning Objects" Quest

My Learning Objects

I used Quia to make the games below.

French II: Works of Art
I created games to help students learn various important works of art found in museums in France that we typically study. I focused student study on identifying the works with their titles using images of the artwork and the titles of the pieces. The first image below shows the choice of games students can play upon arriving at the page. I encourage them to start with flashcards to give them a foundation of knowledge, then to move to matching (which is the second image below) where they can see both the image and the title, then to finish with concentration. This activity boosts student learning because it is interactive and slightly challenging.

AP French A: Exam Review
I created "Who wants to be a millionaire?" style game for students to review for the final exam. I actually used this for my online class during a live synchronous session. Students had to type in their answers to the chat box as each question was presented. The student to first type in the answer received points on our scoreboard pod while I clicked through the questions. I give them the link so that they can go back to the activity later for more review. The questions are based on the assessment items most missed by students throughout the course of the semester.

"Create 4.1.1 Define and Explain Learning Object Authoring Tools" Quest

"Create 4.1.1 Define and Explain Learning Object Authoring Tools" Quest

Five Tools for Authoring Learning Objects

*3 tools that are free to use 
ClassTools
Use these learning objects that you create embedded into your own webpage. These are awesome for use in the classroom with the SmartBoard during a station rotation activity or with the whole class as a review. Activities include: Living Graph, Timeline Tool, Keyword Checker, PostIt, BrainyBox, Connect Four quiz generator, and DustBin game generator, to name a few.

Quandry
This tool can be used to create web-based action mazes where the student is presented with choices that will lead him/her on a journey of problem-solving. I've seen these types of exercises on other peoples websites before and have had students use them and I am so glad now to know how to make them! Even better, one of the sample Quandry exercises is for students to make their own! I can't wait to do this! Below is a sample made by an ESL student that is published on the Quandry website.

Hot Potatoes
This is another software that I have seen on other peoples webpages and had students use! It is an excellent tool for creating MC, Short answer, jumbled sentences, crosswords, matching/ordering, and cloze exercises. Here is one of my favorite exercises to use with students where they watch a music video, then are asked to watch again while completing a cloze activity. Afterwards, students are then asked to listen and put the song lyrics in order. It is great for listening comprehension.

*2 tools that are fee/subscription based
Quia 
This site allows teachers to create activities, quizzes, calendars, and surveys. You can organize separate pages for your various classes where the Quia activities your create (or poach!) are at the top of the class page and any other links you care to provide outside of the page are located at the bottom. Teachers can require students to log in so that progress can be charted or grades assigned. The fee is $49 per year.

CourseLab

CourseLab can be used to create learning objects that include animation, drop and drage, popups and video, to name a few. While there is a free version available (2.4), there is also a commercial product (2.7), both of which are supported on mobile devices. No specification were listed solely for the 2.4 version, but here are the "extras" available in 2.7:

• CourseLab v2.7 creates e-learning courses that are compatible with the latest versions of all popular web browsers - Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, including Safari on iPad/iOS (the free v2.4 creates output that is best viewed in Internet Explorer; creating cross-browser courses with v2.4 is possible but there are some limitations and special rules to follow).
• Many new VML/SVG vector objects allow data visualization (charts) and rapid development (e.g., tab blocks, image galleries).
• New question types: true-false, one-to-many, many-to-many. Detailed results on questions become available through the new Detailed results object.
• New animated characters and talking heads - different ages, different psychotypes.
• Global variables can be restored also from LMS. Physical size of suspend_data is decreased (therefore, SCORM 1.2 limitation on the number of questions per module is alleviated).
• About 10 new navigation objects, including Search objects, Alternative Module Path and Timer.
• General object events (such as mouseover and click, correct-incorrect answer for questions) can use sound effects.
• The object library is now open. Objects become editable by user. User can customize objects, create customized copies of objects or add new objects (XML/XSL/JavaScript skills required for that).
• Slides can be exported as images.
• The template library contains about 80 templates. The templates that were previously sold within Templates Pack 1 are now included into the distribution of CourseLab v2.7.
• The PowerPoint Import and Screen Capture Extra Packs that were previously sold as CourseLab add-ons are now included into the distribution of CourseLab v2.7.
• CourseLab v2.7 is available in several languages - English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese and Turkmen. Free CourseLab v2.4 is available in English only.

"Create 3.1.3 Locating Resources" Quest

"Create 3.1.3 Locating Resources" Quest

CC Resource Samples for Imparfait

Image: This image is located at the following link:
https://fantadys.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/img705.jpg

The above link is from the following website, which is a class page at école Paul Bert:
http://lewebpedagogique.com/ce2paulbertthouars/sites/francais/

Applicable Text:

creator Miranda Lomidzé

Contributrice

 
Géorgie 
PhD, Assistant Professeur à l'Université d'Etat Akaki Tsérétéli. 

http://www.bonjourdefrance.com/exercices/contenu/limparfait-de-lindicatif-2.html

Multimedia Object posted to Teacher Tube by pascal11:
http://www.teachertube.com/video/imparfait-imperfect-tense-in-french-88278

"Create 3.1.2 Fair Use and the TEACH Act" Quest

"Create 3.1.2 Fair Use and the TEACH Act" Quest

• How does an understanding of Fair Use affect one’s role as an online instructor?
• How do Fair Use and the TEACH Act correlate to the delivery of reliable content?

Fair Use regulates use of copy right materials and is in place for the general population, not just educators. An understanding of Fair Use allows teachers to discern what and how materials created by others can be used for educational purposes. Fair Use allows teachers to use portions of works for instruction and assessment as long as it doesn't interfere with the ability of the work to earn money for its creator. This can save teachers enormous amounts of time in preparation, allowing them to focus more on student needs.

The TEACH Act applies directly to teachers at nonprofit educational institutions and it allows some use of copy right materials for instructional purposes with guidelines specifically for the on-line classroom. The material can be used during a specified amount of time with a specified group of students during live or asynchronous sessions.

Both Fair use and the TEACH Act work to provide teachers with the opportunity to use materials created by experts for non-educational purposes in an educational setting. This brings the world into our classroom and affords students the opportunity to learn from real documents or media created for real situations, allowing teachers to put textbooks to the side. Students benefit from this because they learn how to interpret these materials for themselves as they will have to do outside of the classroom in their daily lives. 

Here is a website from Foothill College that contains many wonderful links to enhance our understanding of Copyright, Fair Use, and TEACH Act. 

http://www.foothill.edu/fga/copyright.php

"Create 3.1.1. – Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons" Quest

"Create 3.1.1. – Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons" Quest


Create an entry in your blog in which you develop a definition of open educational resources and explain the various Creative Commons licenses one may encounter when searching for these resources.

Open educational resources (OER) are awesome! These digital materials available on the internet, such as documents and media, have no limitations on their use in the classroom and in research. They are most often free and can be found at repositories and curriculum-sharing websites. Users can renegotiate the original formats to best suit their needs in order to save time, to improve instruction, and to aid in differentiation.

When searching for OER, one will find a variety of restrictions placed on materials via lisences, ranging from absolutely none to varying limitations. These are called Created Commons Licences (CC) and they work in conjunction with copyright law. Below are the available terms that one can place on their original creations:

Attribution: Give the creator credit unless you contact him/her.

NonCommercial: Free use unless you plan to profit from it, then you have to contact the creator.

ShareAlike: Able to distribute under same terms as creator but if you want to change terms then you have to contact the creator.

NoDerivatives: No modification allowed unless you contact the creator.

These licenses come in three different types: human- readable, lawyer-readable, and machine-readable.

Adhering to these requirements is essential as an educator. We want to model best practices for our students so that they will value and hold in high esteem others' intellectual property. Following the rules when it seems like no one is looking shows true character and is a testament that you care about others and their creations.

The above image comes from this website, which has a great collection of OER information!
http://iberry.com/cms/OER.htm

"Create 2.1.3 – Using Web 2.0 Tools to Differentiate Student Assessment" Quest

 "Create 2.1.3 – Using Web 2.0 Tools to Differentiate Student Assessment" Quest




I think that my favorite Web 2.0 Tool for differentiation for students which can also be used for assessment purposes is Prezi. It is not so cutting edge these days, as I've been using it now for a few years but it is reliable and it is a great "gateway" cloud product for students to use for these purposes because of its somewhat familiar format. I love that students can upload their own narratives as well as video and audio clips, images, and text from sources on the internet or they can create their own. In my AP French course, I prefer to use this as a means for students to show their research and preparation for the persuasive essay, where students must gather an audio/video file, a graph, and an article to study, then write a 5 paragraph persuasive essay. In the Prezi, they are required to provide all of these sources plus a narrative overview of their process and essay as well as a graphic organizer of the essay itself. The above Prezi is a publicly shared submission from one of my AP French students. 

"Create 2.1.2 – Using Web 2.0 Tools to Differentiate Teacher Instruction" Quest

"Create 2.1.2 – Using Web 2.0 Tools to Differentiate Teacher Instruction" Quest

Relying on Web 2.0 Tools in the classroom can be at once exciting and frustrating. One source of frustration is when your school requires you to maintain a webpage via the school's server or product software: the teacher spends a lifetime creating, linking, contributing valuable resources to her page only to return at the start of the following school year to be told that the school system is switching products and all of her hard work has been deleted. This happened to me one time years ago and from that day forward, I vowed that I would take my webpage into my own hands so that when the school changed again in the future, I would still have "my" webpage to rely upon. That was one of the best decisions I ever made because I simply did the bare minimum on my school page, then linked out to my "real" webpage.

However, what do you do when your "real" webpage, which was free, suddenly starts charging? As was discussed in “Using Web 2.0 Tools in School” , teachers must recognize that nothing in life is free and that if the tool is something worth using, then it is worth spending the money to continue its use. Teachers also have to do more than maintain a useful webpage for students in order to avoid the "flat" classroom, as discussed in “A Web 2.0 Class: Student Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, and Digital Citizenship”. Collaborating weekly with other schools, students blog about what they are learning as digital citizens, participate in Skype meeting with each other and guest speakers, and learn to be effective communicators. On a related but different note, the article “Social Networking in the Classroom” encourages teachers to use social media in the classroom but doesn't really provide any suggestions as fodder for how to do just that. Conversely, the videos for Free Web 2.0 Tools provide numerous engaging and interactive resources, such as Scratch (design a game or other interactive activity which people can download and they themselves alter to form a new creation), Secondlife (a virtual reality website through which you can learn and travel through portals), Wikispaces (build a website), and Voicethread (a collaborative cloud-based environment). While these are not social media tools, the resources do all contain that element of socializing that engenders an atmosphere of fun.

I've created Voicethreads for my students to use. I post a topic and students are required to comment orally on the topic. They are required to leave commentaries about other's posts as well. For example, I created a thread where AP French students were asked to watch a video where people in France react to the idea of homosexual marriage. The students were asked to react to the video and to compare it to the current situation in the United States. Students enjoyed this assignment, as was evident by their voices in the posts as well as what they had to say about the topic.

"Create 2.1.1 – Web Tools" Quest

"Create 2.1.1 – Web Tools" Quest


Organize
Google Drive
LiveBinders
Symbaloo

I use the above Web Tools in an effort to keep feedback and resources organized. I like to keep an organized list of websites to offer to students when they need help. I've created a list of links organized by grammar capsules on Googe Drive. On LiveBinders, I've created a Shelf with very detailed binders for the AP French students which provides what they need to be successful on the AP exam. Using Symbaloo, I have started pages for specific skills, such as listening and reading, for students to use and to which they can add their own resources. These tools are essential in organizing myself as well as my students. Providing links to these tools for my students also helps them learn how to organize their digital lives.
Click here to see one of my LiveBinders for AP French


Communicate
Smore
Flipsnack
Prezi

The tools that I use for communicating with students vary in the ways I use them. I use Smore as a newsletter but I have also used it to teach content. I treat it like a "live note page" by inserting images, photos, and links in addition to the text that I write. I use Flipsnack to instruct students about projects or in depth assignments. I have also used it as a means to provide notes. Prezi is handy in presenting most anything! I typically use it in the place of power point because its movement makes it a bit more interesting- especially when the students are required to navigate it on their own.
Click here to see one of my Smore newsletters

Evaluate
Learnerator (now called Albert)
Shmoop
Quia

In recent semesters, I have used Learnerator and Shmoop to predict how well my students are preparing for the AP exam. The students complete the work on the website and then send me information This enables me to focus instruction on student weaknesses. In the past I have relied on Quia to provide self-assessment for the students and have required participation on the site as homework to reinforce what is being practiced in class.
Click here to see one of my Quia pages

All of the tools above, plus multitudes more, are part of my personal toolbox and they all help me maintain order in planning, teaching and evaluating. I remember a time without these tools and without the use of the internet in education. Those times were not nearly as exciting as today!

"Create 1.1.3 – Appearance" Quest

"Create 1.1.3 – Appearance" Quest

I think that an online learning site has to be easy to navigate while including interactive elements as well as consistent and easy to read fonts. I also think that it is important for sites to use consistent nomenclature so that as students move from one module to the next, activities and assignments are named in the same ways. All of these things work together to make the learning experience pleasantly navigable and easily understandable in the absence of a physical teacher to guide the students through. Here are the resources that I perused:

1. GAVL- Aside from the fact that I am partial to my home team, we do offer great courses that adhere to my standards as listed above. With consistent colors and course layouts, it is easy for students to switch between content areas and to know immediately what to do.

2. KhanAcademy- This very successful online educational site is very organized. I like the linear layout of the pages in outline form, which include images, video, and text.

3. Shmoop- This website is super user friendly and engaging. I require that my students use it as extra practice for the AP exam. It offers content organized by introduction, skills, and practice exams from a dashboard view. There is also an element of gamification in that students can accumulate points for completing activities.

4. Mountain Heights Academy- Another linear design, this site offers OER courses laid out as weekly pods that include links to videos, PDFs, worksheets, quizzes, and fill in the box forms. It seems easy to follow and navigate but many of the links I tried for the practice activities did not work and were last modified in 2012. I am not sure how useful this site is since it is not being maintained. (I visited the Language Arts courses.)

5. Français Facile- This site is exclusively in French and offers free courses, tests for determining proficiency levels, and practice for students of all levels. The major drawback of this site is that you really need a working knowledge of French in order to know what topics to even select. I like to use it with my students but I assign specific pages to them rather than encouraging them to hunt around, mainly because it is so difficult to navigate.

6. Bonjour de France- Another site entirely in French, this one is a bit more user friendly for students to navigate on their own. The main page has a menu for choosing the skill you'd like to fine tune. Many of the modules have interactive activities and self-tests. The biggest problem with this site is that, for a non-native or lower level student, there are copious advertisements that look like activities, so it is easy to be distracted and taken to a different website.

7. ALISON- This site offers free courses in multiple languages on many topics. I could not view the courses themselves without signing up for an account but the sheer breadth of courses was impressive. It was easy to see what was courses are available and the welcome page for teachers mentions that students can learn 24/7 via self paced courses, study groups, secure "flash" testing, an option of an ad-free environment, and certification at the end of a course based on global standards. They also reach a wide group of students: workforce re-entry, employers, students, teachers, publishers, and professionals.

8. FUN- Free and open courses for higher education include official start dates and services by various institutions, such as Université Paris-Saclay, Univeristé Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, etc.

9. Académie en ligne- Sponsored by the National Ministry of Education of France, this site offers free online courses ranging from elementary school through high school. It is directed at native speakers of French. After a brief exploration, it is very user friendly but really consists of a textbook in PDF form with several audio files. Not very interesting at a glance but easy to navigate.

10. Les Bons Profs- This site is very interesting! The free courses are for the last 5 years of school for students in France. They are organized by subjects and of course I looked over the French courses. They are very easy to navigate and offer video of instructors teaching, activities to do and writing assignments. I loved the colors they used that indicated the types of exercises.

"Create 1.1.2. – Creating a Content Map" Quest

"Create 1.1.2. – Creating a Content Map" Quest

How ironic that I just used Bubbl.us on my last post!!

Here is my Content Map for how to conjugate verbs in the imparfait in French. Please click on the image to enlarge.

Content maps are important for a variety of reasons. First, a visual representation can help the creator view the steps involved in the process at hand in a linear but graphic way. Second, such a representation affords the creator a chance to move elements around easily (when using a site like Bubbl.us) which allows for multiple views of how said content could be presented or used. Third, a content map allows for the addition of and connection to various other elements that enhance the learning of the initial content. Personally, I like for students to create these because they have to demonstrate their understanding of the steps involved in a process or of the connections between ideas. 

"Create 1.1.1 – Time Management" Quest

"Create 1.1.1 – Time Management" Quest

I created this mindmap on Bulbb.us. Click to enlarge.
https://bubbl.us/mindmap

"Communicate 4.3.1 The Synchronous Session" Quest

"Communicate 4.3.1 The Synchronous Session" Quest

Click on the image below to enlarge

Synchronous Sessions are invaluable to connecting with students and letting them know that they are not alone, that they have friendly support, and that they are expected to maintain a virtual presence in my class. GAVS no longer requires students to attend weekly sessions, but in my AP French class, I actually do require that they either attend or that they watch a recording of the session and that they submit the work assigned during the session via dropbox. This time together creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie, as well as affords the students the opportunity to practice in "real time" what they will do on the day of the AP exam while also getting immediate feedback. This is the only time in the course that students get immediate feedback and I find that they really enjoy and appreciate my efforts.

My Adobe Connect classroom is a reflection of me as a person and as a teacher. Above is capture of my classroom Welcome Chat layout. I use the same layout every semester for the Welcome Chat. I don't care for using the live video camera for several reasons (slow, causes interruptions in presentation, do not like to see my self talking) but I do post a photograph of myself so that students can "see me" during the meeting. In general for all meetings, I always include a welcome note, helpful links, files that students will need, a sign in sheet link, an announcement pod, and either a video or music for students to watch as they wait for stragglers to arrive to class. Usually, the music or video relates to the topic that will be discussed. The lesson is almost always student centered after the first few classes of the semester. The time is used to do the AP Exam free response items in a timed atmosphere.

I have never really had a problem with attendance at my sessions. I've always managed to have high attendance, even when I taught levels 1, 2 and 3. In general, students who have attended sessions tend to perform better in the course overall. I do not necessarily think that is because they attended, however. I think that students who are motivated and who excel in general are the more conscientious ones and that is the group who attends consistently and who performs well. I think students like the interactive nature of the sessions and the immediate feedback. They like being able to ask questions in real time. They like "being" with their peers. I like being with them!

"Communicate 4.2.3 – Discussions" Quest

"Communicate 4.2.3 – Discussions" Quest

What role or purpose do discussion forums serve in the online classroom and are they effective?

The role of discussion forums in online learning is multi-beneficial. Students are afforded the opportunity to present their ideas to their peers and to their teachers after having the opportunity to explore the content and topic at hand and after reflection. It allows for demonstration of deeper understanding in terms of original posts and response posts. In addition, it creates an environment where students can collaborate in a space where they often feel isolated. Discussion forums are effective when instructions monitor and guide students daily. Setting participation expectations at the beginning is extremely important in terms of soliciting the type of participation desired.


How do discussion forums function as a teaching tool? How could they be used effectively and ineffectively? Futhermore, what are some best practices for facilitating forums online?

As a teaching tool, the discussion forum is a place to explore various types of assignments that are interactive in nature, as opposed to the dropbox or assessment tools. A key element in discussion forums is student interaction. Without student interaction, the maximum benefits are not reached. Effective use of discussion forums includes, but is not limited to, Socratic method, polling, roll play, peer reviews, video and audio activities. The idea is to create an environment where students are critically thinking, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating. The teacher's role is to facilitate that interaction by commenting on every student's initial post in a way that encourages deeper thinking about the topic. Providing external links to current events or helpful websites is also a technique that adds to the value of the discussion forum.

In my AP class, students are expected to compare and contrast a topic in both the target culture and their own community. They have to research the topic, spend 4 minutes preparing an outline of what to present, then create a 2 minute response recorded in an audio file. They then listen to their audio file and write a transcript of what they've said. Producing the transcript affords the students the opportunity to notice their strengths and weaknesses. Then the students post their audio file and transcripts to the discussion forum. Finally, they are required to listen to others' posts and respond with questions that encourage more participation by others. Simple questions that illicit "yes and no" responses do not earn credit. This activity helps students prepare for the AP free response Cultural Comparison items by allowing them to practice the format, to examine their own work as well as the work of peers. It forces them to reflect on their performance and the performance of others, which enriches their understanding of the communication goals. My role is to ask each students thought provoking questions to make sure they've explored their topic deeply and to encourage more interaction within the class.

"Communicate 4.2.2 – Digital Feedback" Quest

"Communicate 4.2.2 – Digital Feedback" Quest

While I love writing pithy feedback for students, it is not always necessary. Using a visual image to tell students about their performance is a valuable tool for several reasons. Students often don't read their feedback. (I know, shocking!) However, when they scroll through their grades, they can quickly see how they are doing when a digital image such as you see below is posted in lieu of lots of text.

I also like to include video for extra help, even when the students are performing well. Some students appreciate having more information even when their grades are satisfactory. Below is an example where a student made a fine grade but, in addition to the rubric and text feedback, I provided a link to a video for the student to learn how to include even more advanced writing structures into their submissions. 

Another way I like to leave feedback is by audio file. I always do this in the discussion forum. Using an audio file to encourage more discussion in an environment where I expect students to also use audio files is a best practice because I model my expectations for the students and give them a solid example of what they, too, should be doing. It also takes a step toward building relationships with the students due to the more personal nature of this type of feedback.

 I like to vary my means of feedback, as you can see from these three samples. Varying feedback input addresses all student learning styles, makes feedback more interesting, and adds a personalized touch to what could be a very sterile environment.

"Communicate 4.2.1 – Feedback" Quest

"Communicate 4.2.1 – Feedback" Quest

This email response assignment is one that I use in my GAVS AP French course to practice for the free response item that the students will encounter on the AP College Board Exam. I assign this using Flipsnack, where there are directions, email prompts, and tips for preparing the assignment as well as for preparing to do the task on the day of the AP exam.

I wanted to embed the item here, but I have a free Flipsnack account and do not have that ability. Instead, here is a link to the Flipsnack:
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1905139&backurl=/shelf/my


Here is the rubric that I use to give feedback for this assignment. It is copied from the AP Scoring Guidelines.

2016 Interpersonal Writing: Email Reply AP® FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Graded ByTara Ingle

Criteria	Level 5 Strong 5 points	Level 4 Good 4 points	Level 3 Fair 3 points	Level 2 Weak 2 points	Level 1 Poor 1 point	Level 0 Unacceptable 0 points	Score and Feedback
Criterion 1	Maintains the exchange with a response that is clearly appropriate within the context of the task	Maintains the exchange with a response that is generally appropriate within the context of the task	Maintains the exchange with a response that is somewhat appropriate but basic within the context of the task	Partially maintains the exchange with a response that is minimally appropriate within the context of the task	Unsuccessfully attempts to maintain the exchange by providing a response that is inappropriate within the context of the task	Mere restatement of language from the stimulus	2 points
Criterion 2	Provides required information (e.g., responses to questions, request for details) with frequent elaboration	Provides required information (e.g., responses to questions, request for details) with some elaboration	Provides required information (e.g., responses to questions, request for details)	Provides some required information (e.g., responses to questions, request for details)	Provides little required information (e.g., responses to questions, request for details)	Mere restatement of language from the stimulus	2 points
Criterion 3	Fully understandable, with ease and clarity of expression; occasional errors do not impede comprehensibility	Fully understandable, with some errors which do not impede comprehensibility	Generally understandable, with errors that may impede comprehensibility	Partially understandable, with errors that force interpretation and cause confusion for the reader •     Limited vocabulary and idiomatic language	Barely understandable, with frequent or significant errors that impede comprehensibility	Completely irrelevant to the stimulus	3 points
Criterion 4	Varied and appropriate vocabulary and idiomatic language	Varied and generally appropriate vocabulary and idiomatic language	Appropriate but basic vocabulary and idiomatic language	Limited control of grammar, syntax, and usage	Very few vocabulary resources	Completely irrelevant to the stimulus	2 points
Criterion 5	Accuracy and variety in grammar, syntax, and usage, with few errors	General control of grammar, syntax, and usage	Some control of grammar, syntax, and usage	Limited control of grammar, syntax, and usage	Little or no control of grammar, syntax, and usage	“I don’t know,” “I don’t understand,” or equivalent in any language	2 points
Criterion 6	Mostly consistent use of register appropriate for the situation; control of cultural conventions appropriate for formal correspondence (e.g., greeting, closing), despite occasional errors	Generally consistent use of register appropriate for the situation, except for occasional shifts; basic control of cultural conventions appropriate for formal correspondence (e.g., greeting, closing)	Use of register may be inappropriate for the situation with several shifts; partial control of conventions for formal correspondence (e.g., greeting, closing) although these may lack cultural appropriateness	Use of register is generally inappropriate for the situation; includes some conventions for formal correspondence (e.g., greeting, closing) with inaccuracies	Minimal or no attention to register; includes significantly inaccurate or no conventions for formal correspondence (e.g., greeting, closing)	Not in the language of the exam	4 points
Criterion 7	Variety of simple and compound sentences, and some complex sentences	Simple, compound, and a few complex sentences	Simple and a few compound sentences	Simple sentences and phrases	Very simple sentences or fragments	Blank	3 points
Overall Score	Level 6 47 or more	Level 5 39 or more	Level 4 31 or more	Level 3 23 or more	Level 2 15 or more	Level 1 0 or more	Score and Feedback
							18 points

Transfer rubric feedback to general feedback for the assignment.


Here is a sample of written feedback that I also give on this type of assignment. The comments include links for help in areas where students are weak. First I provide a link to a document that the student can download which contains the same feedback that you see below the link:

2/12

Priya Ecriture 1.2 feedback.docx

**Be sure to go to the bottom of this feedback and click on “Assessment Details” to see the actual rubric.

Regarde mes notes qui t’expliquent des choses notables et des choses qui te limitent à ce niveau:

Chére[TI1] Mademoisselle,

Je serai heureux que ma candidature ait su vous convaincre et me permette de vous rencontrer lors d'un entretien à votre convenance. Dans cette perspective, je vous saurai gré, Madame, d'accepter mes respectueuses salutations[TI2]  Je serai hereux de faire partie du programme d’échange. Je[TI3] aimerais vivre en Ethiopie , parce que il est un très bel endroit . Il a une belle culture et beaucoup de gens et il fait chaud toute l'année. [TI4] J’aimerais X[TI5]  avec quelqu’un qu’ils sont[TI6]  gentils et sympathiques. Je ne pas[TI7] avoir[TI8]  des préférences ! Ce serait[TI9]  un honneur de travailler avec vous et votre programme !

En espérant vous avoir convaincu de ma motivation, veuillez m'informer le plus vite possible. Si tu[TI10]  avez des questions pour moi, n’hesitez pas à demander[TI11]  ! Merci pour votre temps !

  Amicalement[TI12] , Priya 

 [TI1]Do not use Cher/ Chère in formal communication.

 [TI2]Remove this from the beginning of the message.

This is a correct “formule de politesse” but it is used at the END of a correspondance, just before signing “Sincèrement”. It is also quite hard to memorize. You are welcome to select something easier, such as, “ Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes sincères salutations. » for the end.

 [TI3]Elision

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elision_(French)

 [TI4]While all this is probably true, it is too generalized. You must show specific knowledge of the culture. Maybe on the day of the exam, you will get a prompt about which you know nothing and then something this vague will have to do. However, for this course, use the opportunity to research and learn more about cultures so that you can respond with pithy answers and so that you can put the information into your brain for a rainy day (i.e. exam day). J

 [TI5]Il faut un verbe à l’infinitif.

 [TI6]Qui est gentil et symphatique

 [TI7]Negation

http://www.lepointdufle.net/ressources_fle/negation_regle.htm

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/neg1.html

 [TI8]il faut conjuguer le verbe au présent.

 [TI9]Bonne utilisation du Conditionnel!

 [TI10]Il faut la langue soutenu.

 [TI11]Veuillez me les poser et je répondrai assez tôt que possible.

 [TI12]This is too informal. Please visit the links included for the “formule de politesse” for examples of appropriate closings.

Here is a sample of a submission from a previous class. It has some problems too but is more in line with the format that we are seeking. Be sure to read my comments to the student to see what was good and what needed improvement: example Ecriture 1.2 feedback.docx

2/1 Priya, there are two issues: This is not the correct assignment and the labeling of your file name is not acceptable. 

It seems to me that you still have not yet watched the Welcome Chat where assignment modification directions were explained and distributed via our Live Binder link. Here are the directions for this assignment:

AP Ecriture Flipsnack (Courriel)

http://apinglefrench.flipsnackedu.com/browse/fxcfbl5k

Please resubmit before the deadline for full credit. Merci!