iPods for Foreign Language: What? Why? How?

I-POD TOUCHES: WHAT? WHY? HOW?Catherine Ritz

MaFLA Fall Conference, 10/2012

Agenda

• What are iPod Touches & why use them?• What can I do with them in my classroom?• How do I get them?

(And what do I do if I can’t get them?)• How do I manage them?

Ice-breakerTurn to your neighbor:• Your name?• Where you teach & what language you teach?• What does technology look like in your classroom?

• Do you have any

familiarity with iPods?

What are iPod Touches?• Arlington’s iPod pilot project• iPod Touch

• Wifi enabled mini computer• Identical to iPhone, but wifi only• Similar to iPad, though some apps are iPod/iPhone only and some

are iPad only

• Cost:• $199 from Apple (8g or 16g device)

• Why use them?• Brings easy technology into the classroom.• Make projects and class activities more engaging and interactive.

What can I do with them in my classroom?• Speaking activities• Listening activities• Mini projects• Videos• Student polling/quizzes• Internet research• Access authentic materials

online• Dictionaries• Language learning apps

Voice Thread

• VoiceThread• Students take pictures with the

iPods, then add their voice (or text) to make a narration.

• Free account, but limited to number of VoiceThreads students can create.

• Students “share” their final product with you.

• StoryKit• Similar app. Create stories with

audio narration.

Talking Photos• Babblizer

• Free account• Students take a photo and make a

“mouth” for it, then add an audio recording.

• Fotobabble• Free account• Students take a photo and add an

audio recording or text boxes to it.

Puppet Pals• Puppet Pals

• Free account for basic characters. (Pay for access to more varied characters.)

• Students use pre-created “puppets” to animate a scene and add audio narration.

SoundCloud

• SoundCloud• Free account• Can post sound to Twitter,

Facebook, email it or get “embed” code.

• Can leave comments at timed intervals on recording.

Dragon Dictation

• DragonDictation• Choose the language you want (many

choices)• Students speak and what they say is

transcribed… only if they pronounce it correctly!

Evernote

• Evernote• Free site. Can access as app or online.

Students create an account.• Can write, insert pictures, and record audio

directly into the “note.”

Doodle Buddy

• DoodleBuddy• No need to create an

account.• Students can write or

draw… like a mini white-board!

Video cameras• Videos

• Built-in camera and video camera• Use the “Splice” app (free) to link multiple scenes together.• Email video (if small enough) or upload to class YouTube Channel

(you can set the videos to private, so only you can see)

Clickers• Socrative Teacher & Socrative Student

• Free. Only teacher creates an account.• Students join “class number.”• Create “quizzes” or quick student questions.

Reference

• WordReference• GoogleTranslate

• NOT for translating, but as a dictionary!!• Voice capability

• Conjugeur (French verb conjugation)• ConjuVerb (Spanish verb conjugation)

• Also has flashcards

• EasyBib

French News/Audio

• TelePub• Radio-Canada• Nouvel Obs• JeuneAfrique• TV5Monde

Spanish News/Audio

• ElPais• Rtvv.es

• RadioTelevisión Valencia

• RNE Radio• Cadena SER

Latin Apps

Mandarin Apps

iPod Management• Set up one iPod to be your “master,” back up in iTunes,

then override the other iPods.• Set iPods to automatically download apps on all devices,

so if you download a new app on one, it will go to all of them.

• Get tech help or students to assist you!• Students do need to log out of whatever app they’re using

at the end of each class.

Funding / Alternatives

• Local Education Foundation Grants?• DonorsChoose.org

• How many students in your class have iPhones/Smart Phones? Use them!

On my iPods…

Questions?

My sites• www.ritzyfrancais.blogspot.com• www.ritzyespanol.blogspot.com• www.arlingtonworldlanguages.blogstpo.com• www.catherineritz.org • catherineritz@gmail.com

THANK YOU!!