ACTFL Convention 2014
Note: This software costs $80 for a year licence. It's very cool but unless someone pays for it, I don't know if I'll be using it. Seems to be useful for affluent districts or private schools.
Using Voice Threads
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Presentation is loaded to the ACTFL page
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Voice Thread tutorials on YouTube
Use .pdf or .jpg files when uploading. You can also use
YouTube links. You cannot use a .doc
file.
When describing your VT, you can put a prompt for the
students in the description. Ex – Name the different states of Germany (there
are 16 and they are looking at the map).
Check the Playback Settings (icon in upper right).
Use Copy feature to modify for future activities or copy
into a presentation PP.
Teacher makes video comments on the VT to get it
started. It is helpful to show your
face, so that students can see how you say the words. This is used as a
modeling tool. When you are recording yourself, be mindful of your background.
It’s useful to give prompts in the target language and text in the language of
instruction.
You can underline something on the slide while you are
talking.
You give students a link.
You can publish it on the browser page.
Students can email documents or photos to you and you can
upload to the VT, in order to control content on your page.
+ Uncle Potato – upload a picture of a potato, add body
parts and talk about it. Select fade or no fade options based on whether or not
you want the lines to disappear. On this activity, use different colored
pencils.
Students need a VT account to comment (email and pwd).
On the left side is a photo of the people commenting. You
can move comment order, if you want to make a comment later, you can move it to
the top to keep all of the teacher comments together.
To hide a comment, close the eye, it will hide it from the
public, teacher can still hear and student can still hear, but not others. You can delete a comment.
Teacher can make an audio file. Ex: Draw a monster with 3
heads, 2 eyes, 5 legs; each student would draw this monster and repeat the
instructions.
Ideas:
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Map Games
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Open-ended questions – ex: here is a fridge,
what’s inside?
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Riddles – describe an object and let the
students guess what it is.
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Video Clip – what is happening, comments?
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Brainstorming
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Describe a picture
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Geography – where is this? What is it? Would you
like to go there?
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Informational presentation
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Creating an ad
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Collecting statistics – what do you eat for
breakfast? What is your favorite type of music?
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I Spy – upload a busy picture and play the I spy
game, let the students guess what you are talking about.
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Comparison – upload two similar pictures and ask
students to compare them and pick their favorite. Fruits and vegetables – what
do you like or not like. What about your
friends, family.
You can upload activity sheets and give the students the
choice of using the VT or traditional activity sheets.