Common Craft Videos - What a Great Find!

I know this isn't strictly languages-related, but I really love these videos! I think they will be useful in the Languages classroom because they will save time when explaining technology that you want to use as part of your lessons. When you only see a class once a week (in the primary school), time is at a premium, and having to teach the skills before you use the technology eats up valuable class time. These videos simplify everything - both the audio and visuals are clear and concise, suitable for middle to upper primary students as well as secondary students and adults.

Here is an example:

Web Search Strategies in Plain English

Google Docs in the Primary Classroom?

Okay, I must admit I'm not sure about this one. I can definitely see the benefits of Google Docs, and I can't wait to try it out. I am going to suggest that the JLTAWA (Japanese Language Teachers' Association of WA) consider using it when planning PD etc, instead of pinging e-mails back and forth. I can also imagine it being used in secondary language classrooms.

One article I read on the web explained how a teacher had used Google Docs for his students to share PowerPoint presentations they had made. Instead of one student standing at the front of the class, showing his/her presentation while the others listened (some maybe not paying attention at all), he asked them to present as a shared document. All the students watched the presentation on their own computers, and were able to contribute comments (in writing) as the presentation progressed. He said it was the most engaged he had ever seen a class during this type of activity.

I'm just not sure how useful it would be in my Primary classrooms. Once again, like Voki and some other sites, it requires students to log in with individual e-mail addresses, outside of the "protection" of the school server, and setting up these accounts would be time-consuming. (This problem would be somewhat alleviated if it was a school-wide decision, and student accounts were already set up ready for me to use.) I'm also not sure how much "sharing" we could do in once-a-week classes where there are only a couple of computers and the students' typing speed is so slow!

Finally, the Terms and Conditions of Google Docs say that it is to be used only by people 13 years and older, which would exclude all primary school students. (Not that this has always stopped us in the past!!)

So... I'm still debating this "Thing". For me, it's great. For my students? Let me think about it a bit more!