October 5, 2017

Badges Aren't Just for Adults




Badges Aren't Just for Adults



 One day I was scrolling through Twitter and Lisa Scumpieru (@LScupieru) posted a badge that she had created for her students.  I was intrigued and asked her how she made it. She told me that she had used Google Draw and a couple of hours later I had 5 badges made.  I shared them with Lisa and she instantly told me that I should post them to Twitter.  That is what I love about my Professional Learning Network.  The community of educators is so supportive and so willing to share ideas.  That positive energy is contagious and spreads to my daily teaching.  I find myself being so much more positive with both students and colleagues.  
My first exposure to badges was in the Microsoft Educator Community.  The presenter asked us to sign up and I was fascinated by the fact that I received a badge just for signing up.  I think I was hooked right there and then.  Soon after, I took courses on Microsoft Windows, Sway, OneNote, Skype and many other programs.  Each time I completed a course I received badges and points.  Quickly the badges added up.  I have complete learning pathways, participate in hack the classroom, and done numerous activities associated with Skype. Sixty six badges later and I'm still going strong.  Soon I felt comfortable enough to apply to the MIEExpert program and I'm proud to say that I was accepted.


I truly feel that the simple act of receiving badges motivated me to try new courses and therefore learn new technologies that I am now using in my classes.  I am finding that the same thing is true for my students. The students who weren't so excited about doing their first Flipgrid videos this year quickly changed their minds once they saw their classmates getting their first badge. Now they often ask me how many videos they have completed and when will they get the next badge.   

I compare the badges to the stickers that my teachers would hand out on our tests and papers.  We high school students would act like we didn't care about the stickers and made comments like "Stickers are for little kids" but we secretly wanted to get one and we were disappointed when we didn't.  Badges are the digital version of stickers and will motivate our students and adults. Give them a try.  



August 2, 2017

Flipgrid in the Language Classroom



This is a collaborative post written with Flipgrid Ambassador Kristen Lyon.  Kristen is a Spanish teacher at Middletown High School in Middletown, RI.  She has also worked as a guidance counselor at MHS and was named the Middletown District Teacher of the Year for 2017.  She currently teaches AP Spanish Language and Culture and Spanish III. 



"Our motto at Flipgrid has always been ‘Bring the back row to the front,’ where all students have a respected voice and learn with and from one another." 
Dr. Charlie Miller, Fligrid Co-Founder


One of the problems that language teachers face on a daily basis is finding time for ALL students to practice oral communication.  Given the time constraints of most schedules and the lack of language labs in some schools, individual students speak for a limited amount of time each day. Additionally, a small percentage of students tend to dominate discussions. Flipgrid allows the silent majority an opportunity to be heard in a non-threatening environment.  Learn about this wonderful platform by visiting Flipgrid's Official Website and/or by viewing their extensive following on Twitter with the hashtag #FlipgridFever.  The video below also provides information on student voice.



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Flipgrid is a video response system that allows students to respond to prompts that the teacher sets up. But it is so much more than that. Creative teachers are finding new ways to use this very popular tool daily.  We will concentrate on the use of Fligrid in the language classroom.  We have used it with English Language Learners and with students learning Spanish in a high school setting.  Below are some of the ways that we have used it.  Please feel free to share ideas that you may have. We are always looking to learn from our colleagues. 

Flipgrid in Language Classes


 1.   Introductions-  Have your students introduce themselves at the beginning of the school year.  This helps the teacher to learn about the students and to get some background information.

 2.  Connecting with other classes-  Flipgrid is a great way to connect with classes from around the world through Global Connections.  Global Connections is a component of Flipgrid that allows teachers to setup grids/topics to connect with classes from around the world. Flipgrid's asynchronous platform allows us to connect with classes in countries that are in different time zones.  Students in one class leave a response in the grid and the students in the other class are able to respond at their convenience.  This is a wonderful way for the students to practice the languages they are learning. 

 3.  Thanking presenters-  Our students have used Flipgrid to send thank you videos to a biologist from the Tucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica after a Skype in the Classroom Virtual Field Trip.  The students were able to let Sr. Montero know how much they appreciated his time.  

 4.  End of year reflections-  Have the students leave reflections about your class at the end of the year.  Students are able to let you know what they enjoyed about the class and offer suggestions on areas of improvement. 

 5.  International festival feedback-  We had the entire school community respond to a Flipgrid topic after our annual International Festival. Students and faculty members had the opportunity to let us know what they enjoyed about the festival and ways that we can make it better. We will consider these suggestions when planning the next festival. 

 6.  Connecting with former students-  Former English Language Learners who have returned to their countries are able to share with current students how they are using English while attending a university or in their current careers.  The current students see the real-world value of learning English and the former students are able to stay connected and give back.  It is a win-win situation.

 7.  Giving advice to new students-  Students graduate, move, or finish your course.  Having them leave advice for the next group of students is a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection as well as a way to contribute to the education of a new group of students.  Students tend to listen to their peers.  Using that information at the beginning of the year helps to set the stage for learning.


 8.  Minimizing effects of absences-  Unfortunately, absences are a challenge to every school year. For a teacher who is absent, Flipgrid assignments can be created and assessed at any time, from anywhere. Students can respond to topics and stay current with their work despite being absent from class.

 9. Formative/summative oral assessments-  Videos can be used as a formative tool to analyze students' level of oral proficiency or as a summative assessment at the end of a chapter, theme, or unit.  

10.  Sharing opinions on multiple topics-  Topics may include favorite foods, childhood memories, life in the future etc.  We use these topics as opportunities to practice the different tenses while concentrating on thematic vocabulary (clothing, food, occupations, etc.)

11.  Native speaker exchange-  Having native speakers record Flipgrid videos on a variety of topics is a wonderful way to provide language students with examples of authentic language.  

12.  Book/literature reviews-  Students can reflect on articles, poems, or books that they have read.  You may try having students speak directly to the author and let him/her know what they liked about the book and what they might do differently if they were the author. 

13.  Current events-  The study of current events at home and abroad provides extensive cultural learning opportunities.  In responding to current event topics using Flipgrid, students formulate and share opinions, summarize, and critically analyze.   Great sources of news are Newsela, Veinte Mundos, CNN en Español, and various other international on-line news sites.  

*This is by no means a complete list. We will be adding ideas as we come up with other uses.  Please let us know ways that you are using Flipgrid to enhance student voice in your classes.  We would love to hear your ideas.







Follow us on Twitter:  Kristen Lyon and Luis Oliveira



"Él que sabe dos idiomas y se comunica en ambos vale por dos." 

"He who knows two languages and is able to communicate in both is worth two."

July 7, 2017

My Favorite Tools from 2016-17 School Year


My Favorite Tech Tools from 2016-17

     I have been using technology for many years so I have seen fads come and go.  What I know for sure is that certain tools excite students but they don't learn anything from using them, while others excite the students and they learn without even realizing that they are learning.  Those are the tools that are keepers and that I go back to week in week out, day in day out.  Those are my go to tools.  These include:




 1. Flipgrid       

Flipgrid is a video recording tool that allows students to record videos up to 3 minutes long.  I have been using this tool extensively since November of this year and I have Flipgrid Fever.  My ELs were relunctant at first but soon grew to love using the program.  This is definitely a keeper because it provides a voice to each and every student in my class.  It's amazing to see students with limited English giving their opinions on books they've read, asking questions of their classmates, providing feedback to their peers, and offering their opinions and voices like never before. Click here for information and use the promo code LUISOLIVEIRA for free access to Flipgrid Classroom through September 30. After that period the account reverts back to Flipgrid One which is free for teachers forever.  Give it a try!

Flipgrid Website


2.  Microsoft OneNote    

I used OneNote in place of Google Classroom this year.  As a Microsoft school I thought it appropriate that I model the Microsoft tools for other teachers.  OneNote was a valuable discovery.  I was able to create assignments and easily distribute them to all my students.  I was also able to send the students resources such as rubrics, room management plans, news articles, etc. and archive them for the students to use them as needed in the content library.  In addition, the collaborative space allows the students to work on one assignment as a group and each student is able to contribute to the overall success of the project.  My students kept weekly dialogue journals that I was able to respond to with comments and suggestions.  I used OneNote as my class management system for assignments, resources, and collaboration.  The Learning Tools include Immersive Reader and Dictate. These supports increase the students' readability of the content that I put in OneNote. 

Microsoft OneNote Website


3.  Microsoft Sway   

Microsoft Sway provided my students with a tool to create presentations that were interactive and visually appealing using text, images, video, audio, links, and much more.  The students were able to use their own style and creativity to produce presentations that enhanced their oral presentations.  I look forward to the students using Sway to do their country presentations next year.  I used Sway as a presentation tool this school year.  I love that you can import an existing document and turn it into a Sway presentation with very little effort.  I found myself doing this more and more as the year went on. 

Microsoft Sway Website



4.  Skype in the Classroom 


Skype in the Classroom provides the students with opportunities to connect with classes from around the world.  My students were able to have a Skype Virtual Field Trip with The Tucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica where they learned about the wonderful work that is being done to rescue sloths, tucans, parrots and many more injured animals.  The students also learned about the Costa Rican geography and got to practice Spanish with a biologist.  Other activities in Skype in the Classroom include Mystery Skype, Skype Lessons, Skype Collaborations, and guest speakers.  Skype in the Classroom makes our big world seem much smaller.  I look forward to more opportunities to show the world to my students next year through Skype in the Classroom. 

Skype in the Classroom Website



5.  Quizlet and Quizlet Live

In Quizlet my students were able to practice vocabulary sets such as classroom objects, action verbs, vocabulary associated with the Constitution of the United States, and many other topics.  The students were also able to create their own sets.  The program uses flash cards and games to help the students to deepen their knowledge of content vocabulary.  In Quizlet Live the students are able to compete as individuals or as teams.  This is a fun way for students to learn important vocabulary and content. 




6.  Kahoot!

Kahoot was our main tool for material review. I used it with my students to review for assessments.  Kahoot is a fun way for students to practice and internalize material.  The students' natural, competitive nature lends itself to this platform.  The students want to learn and don't realize that they are learning while competing.  Kahoot fosters communication which is a key goal in any language classroom.  My students who typically are shy became outgoing while participating in Kahoot activities.  This was music to my ears since my number one goal for the students is to increase their oral proficiency. 

Kahoot! Website


Note:  Towards the end of the school year I began experimenting with Microsoft Teams.  It is available in Office 365 and is an enhancement of Outlook Groups.  Teams includes chat and videoconferencing capabilities within your network. The world on the street is that in the near future we will be able to also invite people into the chat groups for outside of our network.  I'm also looking forward to the arrival of Story Remix. This is an overhaul of Photostory and Moviemaker.