Blogs I follow

It's important for teachers to network with colleagues locally, nationally, and internationally in order to be relevant and provide students with the experiences they need to be 21st century learners. I am following a Spanish teachers and leaders in World Language education on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and now I am deciding on an RSS feed. The posts in Bloglovin' show up in a list form and if you click on a blog widget, the posts look like Pinterest. I like the visual aspect of it.Here are three blogs that I subscribe to and why.

1. Language Coaching by Amy Lenord

Señora Lenord is tireless in keeping up with issues in world language instruction and proficiency-based language learning. She has posts on topics that include student and teacher successes and limitations, strategies, resources, theories, language chats, workshops, ideas from other professionals, etc. It's easy to click on her page and learn about something new in the field of World Language, especially Spanish.

I just read her post called, "Dammed students changing my mind about control and its connection to profiency." She compared the students to water and teachers to engineers who must create channels, dams, etc. to lead students to proficiency. She argues that know matter how hard you try or want the students to acquire certain vocabulary or language, you cannot force them; you can only channel them in the right direction. She dives into topics like maintaining trust that the activities and tasks lead to a higher proficiency, creating tasks are doable, making sure students feel and are successful, having clarity in directions and goals, designing prompts that allow for multiple pathways.

2. Schoology

I subscribed to the Schoology blog because this is the new tool I will be using this coming school year. I am setting up content on Schoology and need to check this blog for posts on how to use features, updates to the features, and to how educators are using this learning management system.

3. SraSpanglish

I am following Sra. Spanglish. She has an ongoing collection of presentations and videos that promote proficiency-based language learning, project-based and inquiry-based language learning. She offers ideas for how World Language teachers can implement these kinds of tasks. I like her page on interactive notebooks and using stories.

4. Mis clases locas

My students have been reading Pobre Ana by Blaine Ray. I've been using some TPRS strategies and reading guides. I am looking to incorporate for reading into my curriculum. I happened upon the blog "Mis clases locas" and am pleased that there are a wealth of resources on teaching novels in Spanish class. I am looking forward to picking new novels with my colleagues and this site has helpful information about novels and strategies using the novels.