Amy+Torres

Website Resources:  
 * __ Website __** : Tell Me More
 * __ URL __** : [|http://tmm.pueblocityschools.us]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Interactive
 * __ Site Description __** : On Tell Me More, students are guided through a “learning path” that takes them on journeys to learn vocabulary, grammar, and culture. The program has speech recognition, so students actually learn to speak as well. Games, videos, and other interactive features make this a really engaging and fun program. It is highly valued by Pueblo City Schools.


 * __ Website __** : Quia
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.quia.com]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Interactive
 * __ Site Description __** : Quia.com is a really neat website because it allows the teacher to create games and activities that meet their students’ needs. For example, if I am teaching my French II about animals, I can go onto quia.com and create vocabulary games for my students. It is very easy. All I have to do is enter the terms and the website turns them into all kids of different games. I know that my students are learning the words they need to and that they are having fun while doing it!
 * __ Website __** : Tex’s French Grammar
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French III-IV, Grades 11-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Informational
 * __ Site Description __** : This awesome website was created by the French and Italian department at the University of Texas at Austin. It is a really cool website where I could send my upper-level students for grammar help. The design is well laid-out and it is easy to find the grammar help you are looking for. Instead of using boring textbook explanation, the website uses humor and fun stories to explain difficult concepts.


 * __ Website __** : Louvre Museum
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.louvre.fr]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Informational and Interactive
 * __ Site Description __** : This is the official website of the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Teaching a language that is spoken in a country thousands of miles away can be difficult at times because the vast majority of the students have never been there. To try to explain the Louvre to them, I use the Louvre website because it almost makes you feel like you are there. I tell them to “Go visit the Louvre,” and they have fun. They go through galleries, look at high-definition photos of the artwork, and take a 3-D tour of the museum.


 * __ Website __** : About.com: French Language
 * __ URL __** : [|http://french.about.com]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Informational
 * __ Site Description __** : This is a fun website for students to browse through and find interesting information and tidbits that we may not cover in class. For example, they can read an article called, “Beginning French Mistakes.” After they read the article, they might be less likely to make those mistakes. There are also articles are intermediate and advanced French mistakes. They can read hundreds of articles about learning French and improving their cultural knowledge.


 * __ Website __** : Conjuguemos
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.conjuguemos.com]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French II-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Interactive
 * __ Site Description __** : This website gives students verb practice. It is very clean-cut and straightforward, so it keeps students focused and on-task. It is very picky about spelling and accents, so it teaches students to be picky as well. This is a great website to use before exams where they will need to know a verb well.
 * __ Website __** : //C’est à Toi// Internet Resources
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.emcp.com/electronic_resource_centers/index.php? GroupID=5061]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Interactive
 * __ Site Description __** : This website was created by the publisher of our textbook, EMC Paradigm. The activities on the website require no teacher prep, so you can just direct the kids to the website and they can go from there. The activities are closely tied with what you are studying in class, so the kids have fun with them. They are not lost or confused as they might be on some other website. I really like this website.


 * __ Website __** : France Guide, Official Website of the French Government Tourist Office
 * __ URL __** : []
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I-IV, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Informational
 * __ Site Description __** : As I previously mentioned, it is difficult to get my students to appreciate France since many of them have never been there. This website helps me get them a little closer to feeling like they have been there. One assignment I have is for them to plan a weeklong trip to a French region of their choice. They have to find a hotel, plan where to eat, and plan which activities to do all while staying within their budget. It is a fun activity and this website helps students have a good time with it.

**__ Site Description __** : This is the website of one of France’s largest newspapers. It is always up-to-date and current. When class starts in the morning, I always pull up this site and we glance at the news from France. Kids are always interested in what the text says, so we translate it together. Sometimes in the language lab, I direct them to this site and tell them to find an interesting article and print it out. Then we sit in a circle and they share the articles they found.
 * __ Website __** : CIA World Factbook
 * __ URL __** : []
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French I, Grades 9-12
 * __ Type of Site __** : Informational
 * __ Site Description __** : This website is a very good resource for my students. Early on in French I, I make sure they understand that France is not the only place in the world where French is spoken. I generate a list of French-speaking countries and I assign each student their own country. They then do a report on that country. They create the country’s flag, a map of the country, and a write a 3-page report. The CIA World Factbook is an excellent and reliable source for information. I show them this website before they all try to get on Wikipedia!
 * __ Website __** : //Le Monde//
 * __ URL __** : [|http://www.lemonde.fr]
 * __ Subject Area/Grade Level __** : French III-IV
 * __ Type of Site __** : Grades 11-12

Amy, I really liked the website with the Guide to France. It was colorful and informative. I don't think though that my students could understand the articles because of the level of proficiency required to be able to read them. But wow! The pictures available me me just long to be there! It is a great site for providing visual aspects of the French culture. So, I would probably use it as a visual support and one other thing--we teachers are to be culturally responsive and I have become more so within the past few weeks with my own students, within my own classroom. (Thanks in part belongs to my ELL Content Instruction class this semester). Although we have no French students in our class, I believe this site will be an excellent resource for my students as I inspire them to become culturally responsive as well. This is the type of site they could use to investigate other cultures, such as the French culture, in order to appreciate them.

Angelique

__**Tell Me More**__ 1. The purpose of this software program is to help students learn a foreign language. There are a multitude of languages available to learn. The program is internet-based, so the students can use it at home as well as at school. It uses high-quality graphics and sound to keep kids highly engaged and immersed in the language. The content can be specifically aimed at secondary students. 2. Tell Me More falls into almost every category: drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, and instructional game. The program teaches you a concept and then gives you the chance to drill, practice, and play games. It also creates simulated scenarios where the student interacts with the program using their headset and microphone. 3. I use this program in all levels of French. One example of a time I used it was when I taught my French II class how to use the past tense. I gave a lecture in class and then gave them the opportunity to practice using worksheets. They seemed to understand it, but they were not very enthusiastic about it yet. Then we went into the language lab and they got to actually use the past tense in a simulated scenario. The program was able to detect if the student was speaking correctly. They were amazed and became more enthusiastic about the past tense! 4. The strengths are that the program is highly engaging, includes 3-D animation and videos, easily customizable for any curriculum, and accessible through the Internet. The weaknesses is that sometimes it seems to have operating issues, some kids find it intimidating, and it is very expensive. 5. The program can be purchased from a company called Auralog. The cost for Pueblo City Schools was around $400,000. However, if an individual wanted to buy the program, they might pay around $400 for one language. 6. http://us.tellmemore.com/content/view/full/299

__** Sanako **__ 1. The purpose of this software is to turn any ordinary computer lab into a real, working language lab. It allows the teacher to monitor student computer use in real-time, give mass oral tests with the click of a button, launch videos to each student’s screen for viewing ease, and much more. 2. Sanako mostly falls into the drill and practice and tutorial categories. The teacher provides the content; Sanako provides the teacher a way to dynamically and engagingly present that content. 3. In my French I classes, I have a total of 93 students. If I were to orally test each of those students, I would spend at least six hours doing so. Sanako has saved my life! Now, when I have an oral quiz to give, I just take my class to the lab. They put their headsets on and I ask questions using my microphone. They respond to my questions using their own microphones. When we are done, I click a button and every student’s test is saved to my computer. Then I can quickly go back through each file and assign a grade to each student. It is very cool! 4. The strengths are that the program is engaging, useful, saves time, and allows me to monitor my students in the language lab. The weaknesses are that it does have some operational problems, students can close the program on their computer using CTRL+ALT+DEL and thus “disappear” from the activity, and it does take a decent amount of training to understand its full abilities. 5. Sanako costs several thousand dollars. It is not a cheap program by any means. It is worth the money. Pueblo City Schools is very lucky to have been able to purchase this program. 6. []

__** Rosetta Stone **__ 1. The purpose of this program is to create measurable language-learning success in its users. The program has a specific branch that it aimed at schools. The interface is attractive and engaging. The program also contains advanced speech-recognition that ensures that students’ pronunciation improves. 2. Rosetta Stone falls into drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, and instructional game. In this respect, it is very similar to Tell Me More. It allows students to play fun games, engage in realistic scenarios, and watch engaging tutorials. 3. If we did not already have Tell Me More here in Pueblo City Schools, I would definitely look into using this program. I could teach the students some vocabulary and then let them go use the program to engage in a “conversation” with authentic speakers. It looks like a wonderful program! 4. The strengths are that it is attractive, interactive, and responsive. It also contains powerful teacher tools that allow progress to be measured. The weaknesses are that it does not seem to be Internet-based, so the students would not be able to use it at home like they could Tell Me More. 5. The corporate pricing was not available, but a consumer could purchase two levels of one language for approximately $400. 6. []

__** Quia.com **__ 1. The purpose of this program is to allow students the opportunity to practice skills in a fun and engaging manner. Middle school and high school students in any subject area can use it. I find it to be especially effective for my French students. 2. Quia.com falls into the drill and practice and instructional game categories. This program does not intend to teach students material, it only intends for them to practice material they have already been taught. 3. I have used this software many times in all levels of French. Last week, I reviewed the past tense with my French III class. After we reviewed in the classroom on our white boards, we moved into the language lab. The students were then able to play games to help reinforce the review. The games are Battleship, Rags to Riches, and many other fun activities. 4. The strengths are that it is internet-based, the games are relatively simple to understand, almost any subject can be reinforced with the games, and it does not require a sophisticated computer to run. Only an Internet connection is needed! 5. The program is free. However, if you want to have the ability to log in and monitor your students, the program will cost approximately $60 for 12 months. It can be purchased on the website. 6. [|www.quia.com]

1. I discovered this website while at International Baccalaureate training this summer. Many experienced teachers recommended that I use this in my French classes. I have found it to be a very fun activity that the kids really enjoy doing. The purpose is to allow the students to insert subtitles into short clips of movies from India. I have them create these subtitles in French. It gives them grammar and vocabulary practice. They are learning, but they don’t even know it because they are having such fun! 2. This program falls into the instructional game category. The website does not teach them anything new. It just allows them to use what they already know to create humor, drama, horror, or any other effect! 3. I used this in my French III class. After we reviewed adjectives, I sent the class to the language lab to create their subtitled clips. They were told to use at least five adjectives in their clip. They had a wonderful time! We had fun as a class watching all of the clips when we were finished. They used their adjectives perfectly, so I know that they really understood the concept. 4. The strengths are that it is fun and engaging, free, and very different from anything they have done before. The weakness is that the clips are very short, so they do not have a ton of time to develop the story. 5. The website is totally free! 6. []
 * __Bombay TV__ **

Comment by Christina Lochow  Amy, what a wonderful idea to use the //Bombay TV// website for your language classes. I just created some subtitles in German just for fun. I can imagine that your students enjoy this activity and don't even notice that they are studying grammar and vocabulary at the same time. I enjoyed the colorful clips, but I agree with you, they tend to be very short. The website's publisher ([|www.grapheine.com]) seems to be a French graphic and communication agency - my French isn't what it used to be, so I could not understand everything. Maybe I should come to one of your classes…

I also really liked your example of the //Tell Me More// software helped your students understand the past tense better when using simulation. I would think that this is precisely a situation when technology is used in the classroom to enhance learning. The //Tell Me More// program seems to be a popular language program considering the numerous awards listed on the publisher’s website. A German independent evaluation service (Stiftung Warentest), which is usually very rigorous in its evaluations gave the software a high score, too. Which other languages are taught in your school using //Tell Me More//? The price seems to be high, so I would imagine that your school uses it for several languages? Thank you for your reviews and your interesting examples of classroom use.

It's me again - I just read your comments on my reviews and I am really excited that you will be using Earth Album in your class. Please let me know if your students liked it. Like you, I had used Google Earth until I discovered this website. Now we are "visiting" Germany on a regular basis and really enjoy it. Christina

Comment by Janine Yaklich

Hey Amy! I am amazed by the voice recognition capability of the //Tell Me More ​//software! It's also a quality of the software //Learn to Speak// Spanish that I researched a bit. I have little experience with computer software in general and have almost none with educational software; I am yet to teach but do plan to possibly teach Spanish. With your experience using this software in the classroom, do you find that the voice recognition is rather accurate?

__Comment by Gail Purcell

Amy,

I didn't know that Rosetta Stone could be used in schools. I've seen advertisements for it on television and always wondered if it would be a good program for me. I have a goal to become fluent in Spanish. That will be the next chapter in my education.

Is this program something that works well for your students? Is it available through Pueblo City Schools? I know that for me the portion of the program that I would use most is the pronunciation portion of the program. I have a lot of students who receive speech services and I wonder if this program might help me supplement what the speech teacher is doing with my students. Hope all is going well for you!

Gail Purcell__ __