So this is my final required posting for this course in my blog. My normal tone would be peppy and exciting but right now I can't seem to find the pep. As many have been saying online, "Can we unplug 2020, wait 10 seconds, replug it in and start again?"
https://www.scarce.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/unplug-300x207.jpg
Friday afternoon, I stood in my classroom with my kindergarten bunch, and laughed to myself. All that we have learned in this class (remote learning, online applications for language learning, blended models, etc.) could potentially become my current situation within a few hours...A few hours later, Governor Wolf announced that for the next two weeks schools would be closed. However, what that looked like or looks like is TBD in most situations.
Article after article has appeared on Facebook, Twitter, Google Alerts, etc. talking about the overnight transition from traditional brick and mortar schooling to the online environment. Discussions have arisen about the equality of the move; schools are left wondering how to meet the needs of all; and parents are left wondering how to provide for their students during this transition. The digital divide has become evermore evident (Check this article out: https://www.breitbart.com/health/2020/03/09/coronavirus-closings-leave-many-school-districts-unprepared-for-online-learning/)
Many suggest being lenient or for the time being not holding high expectations or even not expecting completed work (for now). But what does this look like for the coming weeks? The closure is expected to last 2 weeks; however, will it only last 2 weeks? How do we address the needs of our students?
Personally, it has been hard for me to now find a balance between gradwork and managing time at home. For the last 8 weeks, I was able to work during lunch to complete assignments (kid free!) but now I have transitioned home to full time childcare for my two (adorable) kiddos! Hence, why I am trying to complete this post today because I have lots of other work to complete the rest of the week...at a TBD time.
Amidst the chaos, I found an alert that seemed appealing. A few weeks ago, reading that companies were providing apps for free to those affected by the quarantined conditions seemed far fetched; something that would never happen here. Flash forward to today 3/16/20...I found an app that is offering its services for free to families affected by closures...US.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cbf0621b914490e248ba3a7/t/5d01352cc560f40001e8f73d/1584241080563/?format=1500w
FabuLingua is an app geared for teaching Spanish to children. Given the current situation and circumstances of this closure, I chose this article and app to highlight because it is relevant for me here and now as a "mobile" language teacher.
According to FabLingua.com the app is designed to develop learners' (2-10 years old) listening and reading comprehension abilities at a young age in an engaging story like environment. As stories are read, words are highlighted, encouraging students to recognize and see how words are spoken/ read. Users can control whether stories are read in Spanish only or both Spanish and English.
FabuLingua in a nutshell:
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5cbf0621b914490e248ba3a7/1574246788128-CK6TH4Y3ISDRXXGUYLSY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kBJz-0EWidQuHYU1_-gm6DRZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyq0DngY58dhIg3D14pL5idh4mCHuYUot-hJiNfxdPVYji4Msb-_6NEt_qQAR5FV0M/1.png?format=300w
Pros: Children are naturally drawn to stories; illustrations are captivating; can be used to support L1 Spanish speakers (stories are read in both languages); Users control the rate of reading- the rate of reading is slow and easily understood.
Cons: Only available for SPANISH instruction (sorry ESL world, I needed this app for my own personal use and current classroom environment, though as mentioned before, the stories can be read in both language); I haven't had a chance to check it out yet 😅
Cost: Currently free until further notice; however, normally,
https://www.scarce.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/unplug-300x207.jpg
Friday afternoon, I stood in my classroom with my kindergarten bunch, and laughed to myself. All that we have learned in this class (remote learning, online applications for language learning, blended models, etc.) could potentially become my current situation within a few hours...A few hours later, Governor Wolf announced that for the next two weeks schools would be closed. However, what that looked like or looks like is TBD in most situations.
Article after article has appeared on Facebook, Twitter, Google Alerts, etc. talking about the overnight transition from traditional brick and mortar schooling to the online environment. Discussions have arisen about the equality of the move; schools are left wondering how to meet the needs of all; and parents are left wondering how to provide for their students during this transition. The digital divide has become evermore evident (Check this article out: https://www.breitbart.com/health/2020/03/09/coronavirus-closings-leave-many-school-districts-unprepared-for-online-learning/)
Many suggest being lenient or for the time being not holding high expectations or even not expecting completed work (for now). But what does this look like for the coming weeks? The closure is expected to last 2 weeks; however, will it only last 2 weeks? How do we address the needs of our students?
Personally, it has been hard for me to now find a balance between gradwork and managing time at home. For the last 8 weeks, I was able to work during lunch to complete assignments (kid free!) but now I have transitioned home to full time childcare for my two (adorable) kiddos! Hence, why I am trying to complete this post today because I have lots of other work to complete the rest of the week...at a TBD time.
Amidst the chaos, I found an alert that seemed appealing. A few weeks ago, reading that companies were providing apps for free to those affected by the quarantined conditions seemed far fetched; something that would never happen here. Flash forward to today 3/16/20...I found an app that is offering its services for free to families affected by closures...US.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cbf0621b914490e248ba3a7/t/5d01352cc560f40001e8f73d/1584241080563/?format=1500w
FabuLingua is an app geared for teaching Spanish to children. Given the current situation and circumstances of this closure, I chose this article and app to highlight because it is relevant for me here and now as a "mobile" language teacher.
FabuLingua, in the article states,
"These are troubling times that our world is facing, and they are a challenge for all of us, physically, psychologically and emotionally. Families are finding themselves at home much more than before, and some children are having their education slowed or put on hold. While we cannot do much to address the physical or psychological impact of this pandemic, we feel we're in a position to be able to help out families facing more home time. We know (firsthand) how hard it is to work from home when your kids are there too! Starting immediately, FabuLingua is making our Spanish for kids Apple App Store and Google Play Store apps completely free, for all families. All of our stories, games and the Magic Sticker Book will be included."
According to FabLingua.com the app is designed to develop learners' (2-10 years old) listening and reading comprehension abilities at a young age in an engaging story like environment. As stories are read, words are highlighted, encouraging students to recognize and see how words are spoken/ read. Users can control whether stories are read in Spanish only or both Spanish and English.
FabuLingua in a nutshell:
Pros: Children are naturally drawn to stories; illustrations are captivating; can be used to support L1 Spanish speakers (stories are read in both languages); Users control the rate of reading- the rate of reading is slow and easily understood.
Cons: Only available for SPANISH instruction (sorry ESL world, I needed this app for my own personal use and current classroom environment, though as mentioned before, the stories can be read in both language); I haven't had a chance to check it out yet 😅
Cost: Currently free until further notice; however, normally,
- $3.99/ month
- $31.99/ year
Tomorrow, I will make my 3.5 year old a guinea pig and have her try out the app and possibly share this and some of the other apps I have encountered during this blogging journey with my current students.
Stay well.
The overnight transition to online learning can be very challenging. I think the big question to ask is are schools ready? I know in our district we have not practiced any online learning days. In the elementary, some students do not have access to technology from home. FabuLingua sounds like an interesting app. I like that students can get access to resources from home. Parents need to have activities planned so that learning can continue to occur. Reading comprehension is a very important tool that needs to be stressed to young readers. The illustrations, captions, and stories in both languages can help specifically in our dual language program. I feel this app can be great for those dual immersion students.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post this week. Like you, and I'm sure most everyone else, I wrote my blog post this week about what we are all experiencing in our world right now. The fact that we are taking this course right now and studying about MALL this week is a coincidence to say the least. When I learned of the school closure, I immediately thought about our course. I thought about how I can best support my students, where our district is not yet prepared for mandatory online learning, with everything we have learned thus far. I think it's important for students and families to find a balance between academics and relaxing at home. This is a perfect opportunities for parents to teach their children about every day life skills such as cooking, laundry, etc. In terms of academics, the app that you shared is perfect. It gives children the academics they should be getting, but it is something different for them that they may not have the time to explore during the regular school days. I have been trying to think of and find different academic tasks and resources that we don't teach in school on a regular basis that students can have fun completing and learning. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great resource you found! Sadly, it will be no help to me as a German teacher, but I am going to pass it along to my Spanish colleagues. While it says it is geared towards ages 2-10, I'm sure students of all ages will love "playing" with it. My high school students love the primary grade type activities that I facilitate in my classroom. I tell them they are still "babies" in the language, so they might as well have fun with it. I wanted to tell you about an adaptive learning program I came across while doing an assignment for the ED 5081 course called IXL at https://www.ixl.com/. It has a Spanish curriculum and also offers free trials during these school closures. I had my daughter start doing the Kindergarten math curriculum this week and she loves it!
ReplyDelete