A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively
engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.
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Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:
Based on the research they did outside of class, students will work with partners to discuss the career advantages one could gain by studying, traveling, or working in the target country. Students should select careers in which they are interested and not be assigned careers ahead of time.
After some time, the teacher will bring the class together and have a larger discussion on what the students found through their research from outside of class and in their small group discussions.
If the class is long enough or over a few class periods, the student will be split into small groups and will utilize their phones, tablets, or other available cameras in order to create a video presenting their research findings. Students will need to use some type of editing software (iMovie, YouTube, etc.) to put together a final product with subtitles. The videos will be viewed by their peers and should be shown to school administration, parents, and the community. Subtitles can be included, in English, to make the video accessible to everyone.
Assessment Strategies:
Observe the students as they research their target cultures to ensure they are on the right track.
As the students discuss the topic with their partners, the instructor should listen making sure the conversation does not become stagnate. The instructor can ask leading questions to get the students on track if needed.
Formative assessment - observing the students as they interact in the discussion. Instructors could also have students provide a script for their video in order to provide some feedback before the final product is produced.
Summative assessment - grade the final video for language accuracy and content.
Advanced Preparation:
At the beginning of the semester or unit, it may be good to take a survey and see what professions interest the students or to see what their goal is for learning the language. Being in Level 5, it will not be to complete a requirement. This will help you lead the assignment and subsequent assigning of partners/groups.
Before using this activity, students will utilize the internet to search for places to study, travel, or work in a country where the target language is spoken. The student will also come up with how studying the target language would be helpful to a career in which they are interested (students can select more than one career).