Student Competition--real world meaning

Students in Spanish 2 were challenged with 2 other schools in the state of Iowa to create a video to teach the rules of ser and estar; 2 verbs that are often confused as they both mean "to be", but have different meanings. This competition geared the students up to create what they felt was the "best" video. Students narrowed the selection choice to the top 3 to represent our school and put them to vote with the other schools. Using survey monkey the watched voted on the top videos to discover the "top" video from each school. Those top videos then will be voted on through Twitter...a world vote. Students used an evaluation form to decide the rules, the forms of the verb, correct examples, spanish examples spoken and the creative element to keep us watching. This analysis really showed the students what the true meaning of the verb is and drove home better understanding. Who will win? We shall see!

CLICK to see an example

Spanish 2 news cast

Students in Spanish 2 were instructed to give news casts as an alternative assessment for Semester tests! This group included a commercial for their love of the NEW VAN METER! Go Group!

Alternative for Semester Tests: Spanish 3 students had a choice of creating a music video to re-teach a grammatical concept in Spanish 3 from 2nd semester or re-teach through a "skit". The following example is one of the many very creative example my students produced. Although a little off-key in singing, their video shows they had fun creating a way to teach their classmates how to form commands! Bravo chicas!




After creating this lesson as a semester test project, keep in mind I had students doing videos on Preterite/Imperfect, Subjunctive, Future/Conditional and probability, my students demonstrated an "understanding" far beyond giving them a paper/pencil or online formative assessment. Spanish 2 students had to create a news show, and Spanish 1 students had to introduce their paper people and make a movie of their paper people---similar to a Flat Stanley Adventure! As I get these uploaded I will add these to my blog!

Spanish 3 Semester test example. More to follow.

This example is a rap taught by students teaching reflexives:

La Persona yo era, soy...seré

The Person I was, am, will be....
One of my favorite projects to do with Spanish IV, to have the students share about themselves using past, present and future and demonstrate their ability to switch tenses. In the past 8 years I have done this project students have had to create a poster or brochure about themeselves. Use a writing template to fill out information on themeselves, switching tenses from the current person they are now to what they used to be like as a child, what their school and friends were like, what they used to watch on tv etc. to what they think their life will be like in the future.  Students would share this information with classmates and I would display them on my board.  Now that we are equipped with 1:1 lap tops, the students have so much technology at their fingertips...why not have them share it digitally.  The information they provided was so rich---students uploaded pictures of their childhood, recorded their voice, uploaded video and music that represented that time in their life.  They recorded live their current lives, friends, teachers etc. and then talked about their future with pictures etc. WE LOVED WATCHING THEM AS A CLASS---ALL IN SPANISH!  The only thing that I miss is showcasing their work on the bulletin board! 

Example of student work: EXAMPLE 1

WEB QUESTS

Students in Spanish 1 at Van Meter, paired again with NF and SH schools in order to research and produce information of what they would offer in their “fictional” store.  They researched books, music, food and handicrafts from Spanish speaking countries.  They had digital worksheets to fill out as they worked to help organize their information, teach them how to “site” their work and for them to communicate with their partners.  They communicated on the NING to get everything set up, but then had the opportunity that other students in the school are not allowed yet, to SKYPE with their partners live.  Adding this feature allowed students to communicate and feel that they had control to complete the task at hand.  Students used slide share, voice thread, prezi, or show beyond to present their information for their partners.  The thing the students found most interesting were the music videos from Spanish speaking countries and the food items.  A success full of learning on multiple platforms, Spanish, culture, leadership, communication, collaboration and higher level thinking.  A big thing students had to overcome was just reading the steps with the web quest and not just relying on the teacher to walk them through the steps.  Big learning happening in VM, NF and SH.

Student work:
STUDENT EXAMPLE 1
Student example 2
Student example 3
Student Example 4

Collaborative Bell Ringers to increase writing performance

Monday February 15th, Van Meter students joined conversation groups with students from Newell Fonda and South Hamilton schools to allow students an outlet to practice spanish writing and reading skills and enhance their individual performance.  Students are using a NING to communicate and are paired into groups that students joined via a google doc sent to each student as one working document.  Students have weekly topics with expectations to respond to each group member throughout the week.  Spanish levels 1-3 are participating and conversing of course only in Spanish.  Stay tuned for more tales of the collaboration between 3 escuelas mejores!:)