Vírgenes de América - La Patrona de Costa Rica "La Negrita"

Vírgenes de América

En América Latina el culto a la virgen María está presente en cada uno de los 21 países de la región, tanto así que inclusive cada país tiene su propia versión de la virgen. El marianismo es todo un culto de adoración a María madre de Dios y se le atribuyen poderes superiores que tienen la capacidad de ayudar e interceder, además de dar fortaleza a todo aquel que se lo pida. La virgen María está representada como una mujer pura, humilde, bondadosa, capaz de hacer grandes sacrificios y de una fortaleza infinita. Todavía hoy se educa a las mujeres latinoamericanas bajo la idea que es bueno parecerse a la virgen María.

Tres destinos y tres versiones de LA VIRGEN
1. Virgen de los Ángeles, la "Negrita"- Patrona de Costa Rica
2. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - Patrona de las Américas
3. Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre - Patrona de Cuba

Virgen de los Ángeles, la "Negrita"- Patrona de Costa Rica

Declarada patrona de los católicos de Costa Rica y protectora de los católicos de las Américas por el papa Juan Pablo II. La Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles se celebra en Costa Rica cada 2 de Agosto en conmemoración del hallazgo en 1635 de una pequeña estatua de la Virgen María con su hijo.

Leen la leyenda y aprenden más

Este es una foto que yo saqué cuando estaba en Costa Rica. Esta niña estaba lavando su bebe mientras que yo llené mi botella con el agua bendecida. El arroyo de agua apareció con la virgen muchos años pasados.

¡Pienso que esta niña era muy linda!

¡Pura vida!

Mini Lesson on The Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Spain

Teaching about culture!

I'm currently teaching my Spanish II students about their travel vocabulary and we're talking about Barcelona, Spain. One of the topics we've talked about is the famous architect Antonio Gaudi - this video is about "La Sagrada Familia" Gaudi's masterpiece which has been under construction for three centries.

This is a video about "the collapse of the Sagrada Familia" but its a video that was created to help gain support for people to complain about the government approving the construction of an under-ground train system, which would run right under the Sagrada Familia.

I could show my students this video and use it to spark a class discussion and even possibly have them write a e-mails supporting this organization.

They could find more information about this cause and the Sagrada Familia at: sossagradafamilia.org

ePals Global Collaboration

ePals is a collaborative global community and learning network. It is a protected, project-based learning network that connects with classrooms in over 200 countries and territories. "ePals makes it easy o connect learners locally, nationally or internationally." There are four major features that ePals offers: ePals Learning Space, ePals Global Community, ePals School Mail, and In2Books. 1) ePals Learning Space: A safe virtual workspace for K-12 communication, collaboration and learning, and to store school work and documents online. There is an educator workspace that includes web 2.0 tools like: blogs, wikis, forums, digital lockers and much more! 2) ePals Global Community: This is the world's largest network of K-12 classrooms from over 200 countries and territories. Its free access to collaborative projects, join discussions in community forums and to search thousands of classroom profiles to engage with others in authentic exchanges. 3) ePals School Mail: An e-mail community designed with SchoolSafe technology and that is embedded student learning support. A cloud-based solution so districts will save a substantial amount of resources annually. 4) In2Books: An e-mentoring program for students that matches students with adult pen-pals, who read the same books. It is a place that is teacher-monitored, for students to exchange e-mails with their pen-pals and ask questions that will help further develop their understanding and opinions about a text they are reading in or out of the classroom. ePals has a lot of valuable resources which are a safe and effective ways teachers can teach their students valuable educational lessons as well as appropriate social media skills. I would have my students use their Spanish to communicate with classrooms from the Hispanic-Speaking world. They will be able to develop valuable cultural knowledge. They could ask foreigners various questions to reinforce their knowledge of topics we discuss in class: daily routines, traveling, lifestyle, sports and wellness, shopping, etc. Then my students could share the results from their research and collaborative communication with their peers and community.

Casa Batallo - Barcelona, Spain

Casa Batllo by vgm8383 Attribution-NonCommercial License

This is a great image I could use with my Spanish II students.

We are currently talking about their travel unit and concentrating on Barcelona, Spain. I've already introduced them to Antonio Gaudi and he was the mastermind behind Casa Batallo. I could show them this image and have them write down any words they'd use to describe the picture and then if they liked the design or not. I could then show them other pictures of the house (inside, outside, roof, etc.) and have them make additional observations.

Next, I could show them a famous house from U.S. history and culture like the white house or traditional home and have them compare and contrast the two using a Venn Diagram.

Finally, I could have them have a class discussion where they will have to express their opinions and observations.

Flickr Photo for a mini Spanish culture lesson

Happy New Year Lesson Idea:

I could use this photo I found on Flickr to start a lesson on Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain. I could have students come in and describe or write about what is going on in this picture and where in the world they think it is. We could use this as a conversation piece and it would be a great lead into a mini cultural lesson about different plazas in Spain and Plaza Mayor in Madrid.

Photo By: Urugallu

The photo was taken by Jose Rodriguez who also has other similar photos and his website that I could incorporate into the same lesson.

Creative Common Licenses

Creative Common Licenses

"The Creative Commons copyright licenses and tools forge a balance inside the traditional 'all rights reserved' setting that copyright law creates." - It's a simple... - It's a quick... - It's an easy... way to grant copyright permissions to your own creative work. You can change your settings on Flickr or other photo sharing sites to public or private, so the photos you want to share and mark as your own work will be exposed to the public. Through Creative Common Licenses content can be copied, distributed, edited, remixed, and build upon. "All Creative Common Licenses have many important features in common. Every license helps creators- we call them licensors if they use our tools - retain copyright while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make some uses of their work -at least non-commercially." The important thing to remember is that licensors always get the credit they deserve for their work! So share your pictures with the world! There are 3 "Layers of Licenses" for the Public Copyright Licenses 1. Machine Readable: Which is mainly in a format that is readable by different kinds of software or search engines. The Internet plays a huge role in the creation, copying, discovery, and distribution of different content. 2. Human Readable: A quick and handy reference for licensors and licensees which summarizes and expresses some of the most important terms and conditions is a more user-friendly way. 3. Legal Code: A traditional legal tool that uses more legal terms then the other formats. This can be hard for someone to interpret if they don't have a legal background. The diagram below is from the Flickr: Creative Commons website and it summarizes the different copyright settings that you can pick from when showing your work to the public.

For example, this photo was created by: Paige_Elizabeth Photography

Texting and Tweeting and learning reading and writing?

Excellent and very insightful video regarding the common myths about texting and tweeting!

Ideas for a place for Twitter in a Modern Classroom

Ideas for a place for Twitter in a Modern Classroom

I recently joined twitter and i'm excited about incorporting it into my classroom!

Here are a few of the articles and websites I checked out for suggestions on how teachers can incorporate Twitter into their classrooms.

Integrating ICT into the MFL Classroom

Langwitches Blog: The Magic of Learning

The Ultimate Twitter Guidebook for Teachers

21C Tools "Twitter"

Learn It In 5 - How-to videos for the Technology Classroom: "Twitter"


Ideas for using Twitter in a classroom:

1) A devise for communicating with students or parents
2) A tool to search for content & organize and filter the information
3) A way to search for current and recent events or news
4) A way for students to engage in conversation
5) Daily lesson summaries
6) Collaborative planning (Teachers - students and students - students)
7) Teacher collaboartion (lesson plans, teaching techniques & tips, etc.)
8) Practice learning a Foreign Language by using "twitterlearn" or just practicing conversation skills with other Twitterers around the world
9) Connect with other classrooms around the world (modern-day pen pal)
10) Use as a poll (student opinions or getting feedback)

Link to my shared Google Reader Folder

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/11730782718147258943

iPads & iPhone and Student Presenations

A Haunting Experience: 2 cents Worth














I give these students a lot of credit! When I was in High School I remember I was terrified when I had to speak in public! This is certainly remarkable to see what students are able to do with technology today. They were able to master the instruments and vocals using iPads and an iPhone and they were confident and successful when they performed in front of their peers. It’s amazing how far we’ve come with incorporating technology into a classroom and how it helps build student confidence. This may be terrifying to us but to the Y generation this task might not be so scary!









After seeing this video i'm trying to brainstorm more ways for my students to incorporate technology like this in my classroom. They've created and posted videos on youtube, but i'd like to learn more about iPads and see what apps are available for Foreign Language instruction.

We may not have enough money in our budget for me to take them on a field trip, but maybe through these technology tools I can take them on a virtual field trip and have them experience a little bit more of culture in a fun modern way!

Here's the link to the students performace in Hong Kong

Srta. Musso's Diigo account

I've posted a link to my Diigo account which has a lot of really good websites and resources about incorporating technology into the classroom. Ideas like:
1) Templates for student projects
2) A N.Y. Times article about Hacking
3) "The Whole Child Blog" about incorporating blogs into the Elementary grades
4) Technology Tips with Elementary students
5) Using an iPad in a classroom
6) Prezi
7) 10 Ways for teachers and students to build websites
8) Wvoices - a really cool world voices resource that incorporates a kind of voice thread into teaching culture and other topics in a foreign language classroom.
9) Everloop and i-Safe launched a school-safe social networking site for students to use in school
10) Student Blogging directions and ideas for the first classroom introduction to blogging

I hope they help!

Social Networking

Alan Levine, Vice President for Community and the C.F.O. for New Media Consortium, made some interesting statements about how to view technology on his video he posted on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzYuFqC9VpA).



Overall he said to "establish networks of colleagues, experiment, play and try new things."

Alan commented on how establishing networks of colleagues in and beyond your field is a great way to have a network of people through which you could ask questions and stay connected about current practices. "We can't know everything," so why not surround ourselves with resources and tools to help us be more efficient and effective?



Alan also commented on how people should keep an open mind when approaching technology. We should put aside things we're comfortable with and try something new. Experiment and play with new things and to constantly try to get something out of what we're trying. It's impossible to become an expert on everything and to constantly be up-to-date with technological advances, but if we're open to dabbling in and trying new things we will continue to grow with technology.



To go along with Alan's encouragement for trying new things I was browsing through the social networking service called "Ning" (http://www.ning.com/ ) and I found a lot of interesting communities of networks I could collaborate with.



1) Teach with Internet: A site used by teachers to share ideas with other teachers, post videos, upload lesson plans, recommend materials, resources and learn from each other.

http://teach-with-internet.ning.com/?xp_search=Spanish+Educators&xp_search_page=3&xp_search_pos=1



2) iPod Teachers: A place for teachers who implement iPod's in the classroom to collaborate.

http://ipodteachers.ning.com/?xp_search=Spanish+Educators&xp_search_page=3&xp_search_pos=3



3) The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution: A place where teachers with whiteboards can collaborate about effective teaching practices.

http://iwbrevolution.ning.com/?xp_search=Spanish+Educators&xp_search_page=1&xp_search_pos=1



4) Hispanic Professional Network: A place where Hispanic Professionals can network about upcoming events, conferences or current events in Hispanic culture or society.

http://network.hispanicpro.com/?xp_search=Spanish+Educators&xp_search_page=1&xp_search_pos=5



5) Dance-tech.net, Interdisciplinary explorations on the performance of motion: A network where the art of dance is discussed, events are posted, and where students can research about different kinds of dances.

http://www.dance-tech.net/?xp_search=Spanish+Educators&xp_search_page=1&xp_search_pos=7



These are just some of the social networks that I found while exploring Ning. There can be tremendous value from establishing a core social community of professionals. The first step to becoming more technology savvy is taking a risk and not being afraid to try something new!

A learner today s like a Scrolling Social News [Media] Ticker

A learner today is like a... Scrolling Social News [Media] Ticker.

"George Siemens’ learning theory of Connectivism is often cited by educators who are using the Internet for purposes of teaching and learning. He and Stephen Downes share a new perspective on learning in today’s world" (Maryanne Burgos, Ph.D., 2011).

"Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age" by George Siemens

http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

I recently read an interesting article by George Siemens regarding Connectivism and how it effects modern learners. Within his article George Siemens defines learning, the half-life of knowledge, behaviorism and cognitivism, among other things to express the effects of technology on theories of learning.


"The 'half-life of knowledge' is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete. Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD). To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction."


As mentioned in previous posts, I believe educators need to implement technology into the curriculum and educate students on how it can be a valuable tool to gain and share knowledge and a rapid pace. I agree with Mr. Siemens, "formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a varety of ways - through communies of practice, personal neworks, and through completion of work-related tasks."

Mr. Siemens includes various quotes throughout his article from Driscoll, including Driscoll's concise definition of learning: "a persisting change in human performance potential...[which] must come about as a result of the learner's experience and interaction with the world." I agree with Siemens that Driscoll's definition includes aspects of various theories on learning - behaviorism, cogitivism, and constructivism. Learning is a constantly changing state developed and impacted by the experiences and interactions that a learner is presented. Learners are more likely to retain knowledge if they are able to create a personal connection or if it is something that is meaningful to them. Technology presents educators with a valuable tool inwhich we are able to create more meaningful lessons and through which students are able to express their personal opinions and reflections on global affairs.

George Siemens Video "The Impact of Social Media on Learning" (3:18 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3

I believe a learner today is like a Scrolling Social News [Media] Ticker because learning is and always should be a continual process, lasting for a lifetime. As seen on news channels around the world important updates are connstantly made to the news tickers on the bottom of the television screen. What was new news a few minutes, hours, days, ..etc. ago can be old news in a momment. Also as mentioned through George Siemens' video on "The Impact of Social Media on Learning" "Our learning today is one of forming networks with each other so our tools enable that effortlessly in a way thats is very human to us...most of us enjoy dialogue, conversations, we are social beings." Social media and modern technology gives us as well as our students a way in which we can develop our knowledge and thoughts regarding something we've never encountered with just a click of a mouse.

George Siemans also quoted Vygotski in his video: "Words really give life to our thoughts." Without language you can't have thought. Thoughts a internalzed conversations and you can't have conversations wthout words.

References

Driscoll, M. (2000). Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Needham Heights, MA, Allyn & Bacon.


Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Retrieved November 20, 2005



Siemens, G. The Impact of Social Media on Learning (3:18 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grI_h88vs3g&feature=PlayList&p=3E43054A8703F57A&index=3
Retrieved January10, 2009. The Network is the Learning (3:14 minutes)

Interesting article from The New York Times

From The New York Times: "Twitter Can’t Save You"

A technology skeptic argues there is nothing inherently liberating about social networking. Indeed, the opposite may be true.

http://nyti.ms/eDymtL

Just another interesting viewpoint on the future of the Internet and Social Media networks.

It's here and right now! Social Media Revolution

At first glance the "Social Media Revolution 2" video is very bright, fast paced, and has funky and energizing music in the background. Who was this advertisement targeted for? Me, you, teenagers, or anyone?

There are very powerful statements made throughout the video regarding social media and its popularity and place in our modern culture.

Here is some food for thought from the statements made throughout the video:

• "Is Social Media a Fad? Or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?"
• "Social Media has overtaken pornography as the #1 activity on the web."
• "Facebook added over 200 million users in less than a year."
• "U.S. Department of Education study revealed that online students out performed those receiving face to face instruction..."
• "80% of companies use social media for recruitment."

"We don't have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we Do it."

- Erik Qualman

This video (advertisement) effectively shows how our culture is being impacted by social media and how this isn't just a new fad...it will be around for a while! It's a very powerful resource for students, teachers, and anyone out there. Students now have access to a profound amount of knowledge at their fingertips.

But, my question is are they (students) using this technology to access knowledge? Or is this just a way for them to build their social network and talk about their lives?

As an educator, I see the true value behind incorporating technology into curriculum; it can be an amazing tool to link students to the rest of the world and experience other cultures. They can learn ways to communicate with other cultures, to do research, etc. It can also form a way for them to analyze and interpret news articles, translations, cultural topics etc. prior to entering the classroom. They can work on an assignment and form personal opinions while also reading their classmates opinions, which hopefully would lead to powerful classroom discussions. It would be a great tool to help the soft spoken students excel and develop a voice. Students who aren't as outspoken as their peers would take more time to express their opinions prior to posting a blog about an assignment.

On the other hand are students using this new technology as a means to leap onto the band wagon and create a heightened sense of self importance and social networking?

I-pad, I-pod, MySpace, ...etc. it's all about ME! Yes this technology has stimulated a craze in communication and expression of opinions, but opinions aren't facts! Do they know that? Some Internet savvy speakers post about all different kinds of topics, but is there substance and fact behind their statements? Not always. As an educator, when I incorporate technology into my curriculum, I have to educate my students on the positives and negatives behind the information they encounter on the Internet. I would use the Internet as a tool for them to learn how to decipher the creditability of what they are reading or looking at. I would want my students to choose their words wisely and make statements that count, statements that are thoughtful and supported by facts.

"Social Media isn't a fad, it's a fundamental shift in the way we communicate."

It's "our" culture but I feel like it's being run by something bigger, it's being created by modern day technology. Ready or not, here it is!

It's up to us to find a way to use it as an effective professional tool and to find a way to still stimulate thoughtful personal interactions.

Internet Safety Tips for Students

Internet Safety Tips for Students:

1) Remind students never to publish their entire names - encourage them to use a Spanish name they choose in class.

2) Warn students about Internet predators.

3) Talk about avoiding inappropriate sites/posts, and how to respond if they encounter something inappropriate.

4) Make sure teachers get parental consent prior to starting or implementing any programs online. Send a letter home clearly explaining your plans and ask permission for students to participate.
Include:

• A description of the technology students will be using and how it will be used for instruction.
• Talk about security measures that the teacher will put in place to assure the safety of the students.
• Mention the curricular goals for implementing technology.

5) Make sure individual students have their own log ins without individual e-mail accounts.

6) Have individual student contributors to the blog without their own blog site.

7) All posts must be approved by the blog administrator before posting to the public.

8) Remind students to have respect for self and others online just like other social places.

9) Address cyber bulling in class and mention how to respond to it. Who they they contact in case they come across cyber bullies.

10) Make sure their passwords are protected and that they don't share them with any of their classmates. Talk about what would be a good or poor choice for a password.

Great sites to visit for ideas on Internet Safety:

Connect Safely Kids' Virtual World Safety Tips
http://www.connectsafely.org/safety-tips-and-advice.html

Tips on Blogging With Students: The EduBlogger
http://theedublogger.com/2008/02/13/tips-on-blogging-with-students/

Teaching Ideas Using Blogs

3 Ideas on how to incorporate Blogs in a Foreign Language Classroom:

1) Teachers can post a speaking scenario and students can have a conversation with a partner or with the instructor. This can help alleviate some of the stress that comes from speaking in front of their peers in a classroom.

N.Y. State Standards Met:

Standard 1: Communication-
Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.

2) Teachers can post a link to a cultural topic, picture, video, work of art, song/music, etc. and students can list their observations, interpretations, and opinions about the piece. Students must also try to make a connection or comparison between the cultural topic addressed and their own culture in the U.S. They can also comment about their classmate's reflections.

N.Y. State Standards Met:

Standard 1: Communication-
Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Standard 2: Culture –
Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.
Standard 2.2 Students demonstrate understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied.

3) Teachers can post a copy of an article or a link to an article from or regarding a Spanish-Speaking country and students will have to read and interpret the article. They will have to comment about the piece and give their own opinions and reflections as well as post any vocabulary terms or grammar constructions that they had a hard time understanding.
To help stimulate reflective thoughts teachers can pose three questions or ideas for students to reflect on. Students can comment on their classmate's reflections.

N.Y. State Standards Met:

Standard 1: Communication-
Standard 1.1 Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
Standard 2: Culture –
Standard 2.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.