Emma Learns French

This week the topic was Creating and Curating Digital Resources and we were invited to explore various tools that could be used in lieu of pen and paper to organize lesson plans, tools and learning objects such as websites or articles. There are a lot of resources out there! Below are some of the ones we were encouraged to investigate:

I checked out Hypothes.is which is a resource that is applicable to post secondary and potentially secondary settings. It allows users to make annotations in the margins of shared documents. This is a good tool to use to check student participation and engagement because students can leave comments (annotate) while they are reading. I also like that it is unaffiliated with google because I like to use alternatives to supporting billion dollar corporations when possible.

Having worked in post-secondary I have some familiarity with Google classroom. It certainly has advantages however working in classrooms where each student is on a laptop has some drawbacks. For example, who is checking if students are using their devices to get work done or not? Also, when I am working on my computer at home, I tend to get easily distracted by social media and streaming services. I find it takes a great deal of effort to avoid these time-wasters and usually find the amount of time I spend on the computer is divided many times because I often myself visiting sites that are not relevant to what I am trying to get accomplished.

I think using tools like Hypothes.is or Google classroom can give an aura of professionalism to a new teacher and be effective for many students so they are worth using. I hope teachers using Google classroom supplement that tool with hands on teaching to cover any gaps for students who might be struggling to find assignments in the technology for example. Unfortunately I have had the experience of seeing a teacher rely completely on software so students in his class enjoyed only a minimum of interaction with their teacher to the point that a student who asked the teacher to print something for him was responded to with an irritated, “it’s on Google classroom!”

I also checked out Microsoft OneNote and watched some of this introductory video. It looks like a tool that could be potentially helpful to manage a busy schedule. I am used to using Microsoft Word and e-mail, Google docs, Canva and PowerPoint. The layout of Microsoft One Note makes it seem like a binder so I guess it is more user friendly. However, I think that having one page for each meeting/class with notes in a Word program is similar to what is being offered in Microsoft One Note. Still, it is useful to be aware of these tools as they might be useful down the road.

In our class today we talked about ethical implications under the banner of the guiding metaphor of AI as a double edged sword. Other revolutionary technologies such as textile looms that put highly skilled artisans out of work but also helped provide inexpensive clothing to the masses fit with the idea that all forms of new technology create both good and bad changes. We discussed the use of water as an issue in AI and compared other uses of energy to AI prompts. For example a 15 minute shower is equal to 413 text prompts in AI. Videos take the most energy with one video being equal to 5,600 google searches.

Militarization of AI is also a concern that has ethical implications for educators interested in using AI or promoting it as a tool. Recently Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Evan Solomon met with Iddo Moed, Israel’s Ambassador to Canada to discuss “ongoing engagement on technology, AI and economic development.” This is concerning because of the way Israel has and continues to use AI to manage Palestinians freedom of movement as documented in the Australian journalist Anthony Loewenstein’s book, “The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World.”

For new teachers, AI can help save time as it is useful in developing lesson plans, assignment sheets, quizzes and much more. The infographic below was created with Notebook LM. Another useful way to use Notebook LM is in creating Jeopardy games which I have seen done in schools to the great enjoyment of students. As a new ESL teacher, I and my students could have greatly benefited from AI tools. Perhaps my first few years of teaching would have been smoother. That being said, teachers also need to be prepared for technology to fail as it sometimes does because of weather or other unpredictable factors. I still think about the ability to teach in difficult conditions, such as my class in Thailand with fifty students and no projector, or printer. I also think about equity and the ways the developed world is increasingly high tech while resources remain unfairly distributed. I think teaching can be enriched using AI but I hope it will not come to dominate most educational spaces.

Il y a encore beaucoup de choses que je ne connais pas en français. L’une d’elles, ce sont les pronoms en et y. Alors, cette nuit, j’ai trouvé une vidéo de Nelly, qui crée de très bonnes vidéos pour apprendre le français.

Ce soir, j’étais un peu fatiguée et aussi paresseuse. En plus, il est trop tard pour une vidéo plus longue. Celle-ci ne dure que cinq minutes, et après l’avoir regardée, je vais m’endormir.

Je veux aussi écrire sur ma première expérience en assistant au café de français à l’Université de Victoria. C’est une partie du programme d’éducation.

J’avais communiqué avec Julie, la femme qui l’organise, et j’avais entendu parler du café, mais j’étais très occupée — ou peut-être un peu paresseuse. Alors aujourd’hui, presque à la fin de janvier, j’y suis finalement arrivée !

J’attendais le café pour le niveau débutant, et ce fut une très bonne surprise quand Julie m’a dit que je pouvais entrer dans le café intermédiaire. Elle m’a aussi encouragée à y assister, alors j’y vais vendredi.

La meilleure partie du café, c’était que Julie nous a donné quelques petites gâteries. Il y avait des croissants au chocolat, de l’eau pétillante et des biscuits.

Je suis toujours heureux(se) quand il y a de la nourriture !

Today we worked on multimedia learning and used H5P to insert a banner and a multiple choice question into a video. We created the video by practicing a new skill. We learned how to screencast through zoom to create videos that include audio and show how to navigate a website. I chose the Audobon Society website. I already feel that I have come a long way in this class in terms of gaining technological skills. Each class there is a steep learning curve but I am getting better at following the steps and figuring things out.

We watched a video on multimedia that talked about effective ways to display and present information. Ray Pastore dissuaded listeners from putting too much information together to avoid overburdening of cognitive load. He talked about the split attention principal which asserts that having a graph and text on a slide demand that the reader splits their attention or switches between items in order to focus on one item at a time. This risks some information getting ignored. The redundancy principal explains that duplication of text and narration hurt learning. However, he did admit that learners do express the desire for text, image and sound all to be present in slides/presentations. I think this is because combining these forms not only makes learning more accessible to diverse learning styles but having “more” on a slide might make it seem more appealing to the human brain that relies on dopamine to retain focus. Despite, being less effective for learning, offering a busier set up might help grab readers attention and keep them alert to at least one of the items on display sort of like toddlers being most interested in toys with flashing lights.

I agreed with most of the points made by the presenter but struggled with the point he made about how having extraneous images in a presentation can hurt learning. He used a presentation that used an airplane metaphor and included images of airplanes as an example. I think this conflicts with the multimedia principal that words and pictures together are more effective for learning than just words alone. I personally really like it when an otherwise boring presentation includes images that are decorative or humorous because it makes the learning process more enjoyable. I also think art can be incorporated in everyday life so if a presentation on literary devices includes images of black bears I don’t think it will hurt the bottom line of the presentation too much and might help bring in students who are struggling mentally because the image is friendly.

The multimedia presentation also highlighted signalling as an easy way to help facilitate learning. This refers to essentially highlighting points in some way whether that be with graphics, color or the presenter slowing down for emphasis. Interactivity was also encouraged as the presenter asserted it would prevent the audience/students from getting lost. The presentation should move at the pace of the students and should be created with flexibility in mind so that some areas could be returned to for review if necessary or some areas allotted extra or less time as needed.

I decided I need to get clearer on what my goals for learning French are so I found a website called Strommen that provides a really short 5 minute to place learners at their learning level. It turns out I am one level higher than I thought I was!

I have also been reading this book:

J’ai fini les deux premières histoires et je vais commencer la troisième histoire, qui s’appelle Le Chevalier.
La première histoire parlait de deux jeunes personnes qui partaient en vacances. Le jeune garçon se perd dans le train, puis il prend une place dans un camion et finit par trouver son hôtel.
La deuxième histoire parle aussi de deux jeunes personnes, mais cette fois ils marchent dans la forêt et ils trouvent une créature.
Après la lecture, il y a du vocabulaire et des questions, ce qui me permet de vérifier si ma compréhension est bonne.

We do need to reimagine education constantly as the world changes politically, technologically and environmentally.  Prime Minister Carney’s comment about the new world order at his meeting in Beijing highlights the new era that has many repercussions on how and what we teach in schools, how we interact with international students and think about our positionality in the world. This move toward China and away from the United States also highlights the changing landscape of security that ties into what does and doesn’t get included in curriculum. Global context also ties into the corporations that develop and supply technology to schools. When we think about FIPPA in the context of the current US government, issues of privacy around young people becomes highly relevant. As educators it is easy to ignore the vast stores of data that house our photographs, assignments and emails. Due to teacher workload, these concerns often slide to the bottom of teachers high priorities. However, considering how simple approaches like using an ipad for class photos instead of a personal cell phone linked to a cloud, can avoid this problematic area.

The Most Likely to Succeed film showed what challenges educators can face when attempting to revitalize education.  As technology zooms forward and young people have increasingly short attention spans, educators are struggling to bridge the gap between the old curriculum and new ways of interacting with it. At High Tech High, by avoiding simply regurgitating knowledge, teachers were prompting students to engage with one another, become leaders and group members designing and creating independently of the traditional textbook guide. Although both students and parents were concerned about post secondary prospects, the test scores at this school outshone those practicing the traditional teacher-led model.  While the film didn’t bring up mental health outright, it was an obvious side effect of this new method that seemed to prioritize student learning, engagement and real-life relevance. The community night was such a cool example of how schools can be at the center of creating community and a vibrant lived experience for young people.

Seeing students moving around at school is, to me, a healthy change from desk warming.  I still want books and reading to be included and worry sometimes that an obsession with technology forgets the deep learning that comes from engaging with a chapter book. I observed an English 12 class where a student was responding to Hamlet with Minecraft.  Is it crazy to expect there to be any books in schools anymore? I hope students at High Tech High are still learning how to read and write at a level that will make them successful if they proceed to post secondary. I think plays are an excellent way to explore literature and would like to see more interplay between theatre and English 12 for example.

Are books on track to becoming obsolete?

J’aime cette vidéo. Malheureusement, je ne connaissais aucun des mots, mais ce n’était peut-être pas une mauvaise chose, parce qu’au moins j’ai beaucoup appris. Alors, je sais que je ne suis pas encore au niveau B2.

Voici les mots de la vidéo.

1. autrefois – autre temps, autre époque
2. à mi-chemin – au milieu du chemin, entre deux points
3. l’effet de serre – phénomène climatique lié au réchauffement de la Terre
4. climatosceptique – personne qui doute du réchauffement climatique
5. un cambriolage – vol dans une maison ou un bâtiment
6. avertir – prévenir quelqu’un d’un danger ou d’un problème
7. un avertissement – message ou signal pour prévenir
8. embaucher – engager quelqu’un pour un travail
9. la croissance – augmentation, développement économique
10. la délocalisation – transfert d’une entreprise dans un autre pays
11. un logiciel – programme informatique
12. une hotte – appareil dans la cuisine qui aspire la fumée ou les odeurs
13. l’amertume – goût amer ou sentiment de rancune / déception
14. flâner – se promener sans but précis, se détendre
15. retrouvailles – moment où l’on revoit quelqu’un après longtemps

Review de la vidéo « 10 French Mistakes I Hear Every Day » de French avec Nelly sur YouTube

Aujourd’hui, j’ai regardé cette vidéo. Elle présente dix erreurs courantes que beaucoup d’apprenants de français font tous les jours. La vidéo est claire, bien expliquée et très utile pour améliorer son français à l’oral et à l’écrit.

J’ai vu beaucoup de vidéos de Nelly. J’aime son style. Elle est très joyeuse et amicale.
Parfois, ses vidéos incluent aussi ses amis ou sont tournées dans Paris.

Voice les dix erreurs:

1. ❌ Je suis bien → ✅ Je vais bien
2. ❌ Je suis 25 ans → ✅ J’ai 25 ans
3. ❌ Je visite mes amis → ✅ Je rends visite à mes amis
4. ❌ C’est ma amie → ✅ C’est mon amie
5. ❌ Je sais cette musique → ✅ Je connais cette musique
6. ❌ Je n’aime le français → ✅ Je n’aime pas le français
7. ❌ J’ai habité en France pour 10 ans → ✅ J’ai habité en France pendant 10 ans
8. ❌ Le avion / je habite / je aime → ✅ L’avion / j’habite / j’aime
9. ❌ Il est mon ami → ✅ C’est mon ami
10. ❌ J’ai beaucoup des amis → ✅ J’ai beaucoup d’amis

Sur ce site web, je veux documenter mes sessions d’étude de français. Je vais utiliser des livres, des textes de grammaire et regarder beaucoup de vidéos.Mon objectif est d’améliorer mon français et d’élever mon niveau.
Je veux atteindre le niveau B2, mais il y a encore beaucoup de travail avant d’y arriver. Je veux aussi assister à quelques cours de français et j’ajouterai mes notes ici. Si vous voulez améliorer votre français, vous pouvez visiter ce site web et nous étudierons ensemble !