Mooing around in MundoHispano

Exploring the Spanish Language Moo was really interesting. It was a little confusing downloading the software, but I finally got into the MOO. It is huge (as far as I can tell) and people from all over the world are involved in adding to it. I spent a lot of time at the "tourist office" my first visit, learning the commands I could use, how to get around, what my options and possiblities were, etc. This is a neat construction because you can also speak English and read instructions in English if you are totally lost. This first visit I went to La Puerta del Sol, La Calle Acala, the Internet Cafe and the "Newbie Room" in Madrid (the Moo's homebase). I stayed in Madrid this first time and didn't do much but look around. Every one I saw (few people) were all dormidos -- asleep!

The second time I entered the MOO, I traveled outside Madrid, to some ski slopes, but I didn't figure out how to actually ski. When people build their own little rooms or places, they have a whole other set of instructions that are sometimes hard to find. I also went to someone's house and wrote on a "tablero". Every one I found in the blog, like the first time, was "dormido".
My final time in the MOO was the most fun, probably because I knew a little more about how to move around. I went to a bar, saw and pet a parrot (it bit me), and even went to Guanajuato, Mexico on a MOOtour. While in Gto, I went to the Callejon del Beso (right by where I used to live!) and a gift shop to look at teddy bears. That was cute. Back in Madrid I went to a park and read some poetry by Pablo Neruda on the graffitti wall.

At first I was skeptical about using the MOO in class, but now I think it could definitely work. I think it would have to be a pretty advanced class, however, so they wouldn't get completely frustrated. Ample intro activities would be needed like a "demo" by the teacher, a sheet of commands, etc., and I think that students could work in groups. Two activities I thought of: a scavenger hunt, where students have to go to certain places, write a message on a bulletin board, find a gift, etc. (like we did in TIFLE class) or a race where students have to try and find a certain place and the first ones to get there win. Students could also, if they can find people who are awake, speak (write) in TL and meet people from all over the world. Virtual meetings could be coordinated.

Even though complicated and hard to grasp at first, the MoondoHispano was fun and I think students would enjoy it. Besides, they are forced to use Spanish to get results, which is always motivating and rewarding for them.

Mini-Project 2

MyCMC assignment was designed as a term-long project for a Spanish high school class of approximately 10 students with 2+ years of Spanish as a base. The course would be a 4-week elective course on Mexican culture and would incorporate all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. While class time would be dedicated to more speaking and listening, the series of CMC activities would primarily focus on enhancing students’ writing skills; all interactions will be made in Spanish. All assignments would also promote a further deepening of cultural knowledge as well as an interactive, outside-of-class language community. Besides the first week, when students are taken to the language lab to set up their blogs, most CM assignments would be conducted outside of class as homework. A final cultural presentation on a topic selected by the student will conclude and serve as a follow-up to what students have learned.
Blogs have been chosen as the means for CMC for this project because of their ability to generate a creative, personal space that is also compatible with many means of communication and interaction—postings, comments, pictures, audio files, links, etc. Students would visit the computer lab, and with the assistance of the teacher, create individual blogs using blogger.com.
As a complement to the topics and materials presented in class, students’ would be required to post four blog postings per week: two to their own blog and two to their weekly compañero/a’s blog. Of the posts to their own blogs, one would be a formal article response—that is, students would be assigned an article (by the teacher) appropriate to the weekly cultural topic (for example, this Día de Muertos article) and asked to post a response to their blogs. This “formal” posting would be graded more formally in terms of grammar, vocabulary, spelling, etc. The second post would be a more “free” and creative response to any topic discussed in class that week, and would be graded not in terms of grammar or spelling but in terms of engagement, thoughtfulness, and creativity. The balance created each week between free / informal expression and structured / formal expression would keep students engaged and active while deepening their cultural knowledge and enhancing their writing skills.
Each week, students’ will be paired with a different compañero/a from class. The pair will respond to each others’ blogs twice per week—once to each other’s formal posting and once to each other’s informal posting. Students will be reminded that posting and responding outside of their weekly pairs and beyond the required amount is highly encouraged and a percentage of their overall grade in the course (5-10%) will be allotted for general activity in the class’ blog community. Other homework assignments at the teacher’s discretion could also be assigned and posted to students’ blogs.
Serving as “mayor” of this virtual community, the teacher will maintain a “home blog” with links to all student pages, links to articles, questionnaires, assignments, resources, grading rubrics, etc. (similar to our TIFLE blog). This blog would probably be a “paid” one in order to allow for more features (linking to PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, etc.).
CMC, and more specifically, blogs, would enhance this interactive cultural class by allowing the interaction to continue outside of the classroom, strengthening the class community. Students would have a creative space to express themselves as well as track their progression in cultural knowledge and language skills. By having specific postings due on certain days (and the ability of the bog to track this) allows the teacher to disperse students’ assignments throughout the week and insure that they are getting ample practice outside of class. The guest speaker provides a different, real-world perspective to the classroom and his interaction will encourage students to communicate with competence and cultural sensitivity. The final project will allow students to pursue their specific cultural interests (while serving as a follow-up to what they have learned) and also get feedback from their classmates. The weekly, teacher-led topics and articles combined with student-led responses and projects provide a great balance of guidance and autonomy for the more advanced Spanish learner.

Samuel- the little heartbreaker

Omarcito (left) is six!! With brothers Gabriel and Adrecito.

It had been WAY too long since I'd added a picture of my nephews. Let's bask in their beauty once more...

This week in Technology World, I created a Yahoo Groups for my classes. I share my class power points with them, some links, and I have even started polling them on different aspects of the class. So far not so many have responded but I am going to remind them again tomorrow. I wish I could like my powerpoints to my normal ufl website, but the program I used, Microsoft Publisher, won't let me for some reason. Grrr. Anyways, I will let you all know if this Group works... ciao.

For my CMC project, I am thinking about using a discussion board to have students journal freely as they would in the "Mi Diario" section of their workbooks. I might even have them do the "Mi Diario" online... I am interested in having students interact in writing through CMC in an informal way that promotes community and out-of-class thinking in Spanish. I am still brainstorming topics and rules for interaction, as well as the rubric I will use. Any comments are welcome!!!!!!!!!!