World language teachers can bring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16—Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions—to life in their classrooms through engaging literature. One powerful way to achieve this is by incorporating Marta Carrasco’s book La Otra Orilla, designed for Heritage Elementary students at an Intermediate Mid proficiency level.
La Otra Orilla fosters discussions on inclusivity, justice, and understanding across diverse communities. This work is based on my presentation during the ACTFL conference in Philadelphia, co-presented with NELL member Larissa Giacoman.
Interactive Activities for Various Proficiency Levels:
1. Novice Low: Building a Unity Bridge
Students are divided into two large groups, each representing a different community. They pair up and identify at least five commonalities from suggested categories such as family, school, sports, food, colors, or pets. They then illustrate these similarities on paper.
Each pair receives a LEGO brick for each similarity they find, using them to construct a “unity bridge” that symbolizes their shared connections.
If physical bricks are unavailable or as an alternative, students can use paper cutouts. In this case, they will write each similarity on a paper brick before assembling their bridge.
2. Novice Low-Mid: Cultural Expressions Unity Bridge
Students identify ten cultural expressions they share and write each one on an index card. These cards are then used to build a “unity bridge.” For added complexity, students can write full sentences. To present their work, students will read each card aloud while walking along their bridge, reinforcing cultural awareness by highlighting practices that reflect identity, values, and traditions.
As an alternative, students can physically construct a bridge using the index cards, as shown in the reference image. They will then place the cards with their shared cultural aspects on top of the bridge.
3. Novice Mid-High: Comparative Venn Diagram
Students analyze similarities and differences between their own community and a Spanish-speaking country, comparing aspects like traditions, food, and daily life. They create a Venn diagram to visually represent these cultural elements, encouraging a deeper understanding of global perspectives.
By incorporating these activities, language teachers create meaningful learning experiences that promote fluency, cultural understanding, and global citizenship while fostering inclusivity and reflection on diverse cultural experiences.
In an era where education thrives on creativity, inclusivity, and hands-on engagement, Bilingual Book Walks are emerging as a powerful resource for schools. These immersive installations transform children’s stories into larger-than-life learning experiences, blending literacy, art, and curriculum-based themes into a single, interactive journey. Let’s dive into how these innovative displays captivate students, support teachers, and unite communities.
What Exactly are Bilingual Book Walks?
A Bilingual Book Walk is a curated installation that breaks a children’s book into 16 vibrant panels (each 24”x18”), displayed sequentially on durable wooden or metal stands outdoors or mounted on wall frames indoors. Each panel features:
A section of the story in two languages (default: English and Spanish, though they are customizable to any language).
Eye-catching illustrations that bring the narrative to life.
Optional prompts or questions to spark discussion, critical thinking, or ties to classroom subjects.
Designed for flexibility, these walks can be set up in school gardens, hallways, libraries, or community spaces, creating a “story trail” that families and students explore together.
Why Schools Love Bilingual Book Walks
1. Curriculum Connections Made Easy
Teachers use Book Walks to reinforce lessons in:
Environmental Science: Pair with books about ecosystems or conservation (e.g., bees, habitats, tree ecosystems, recycling, etc.).
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Choose stories about empathy, resilience, self- awareness, etc.
Art & Storytelling: Analyze illustrations or inspire students to create their own bilingual story panels.
2. Supports Multilingual Learners
English Language Learners (ELLs) gain confidence by reading in their native language while practicing English.
Native English speakers explore new languages in a low-pressure, visual context.
3. Engages All Learning Styles
Visual learners connect with bold illustrations.
Kinesthetic learners thrive while moving between panels.
Social learners discuss themes with peers or family.
4. Fosters Family and Community Involvement
Families bond over stories in their home language, breaking down barriers to school engagement.
Schools can partner with local artists to design panels or host cultural storytelling events.
5. Durable and Adaptable
Weather-resistant outdoor stands or indoor frames ensure year-round use.
Themes and languages rotate to reflect curriculum needs or community diversity.
Real-World Applications in Schools
Science Class: After reading a Book Walk about pollinators, students explore the school garden to spot real-life bees and butterflies.
Art Project: Kids create their own bilingual story panels inspired by the walk, displayed in a school-wide exhibit.
Family Literacy Night: Parents and children follow the Book Walk together, with teachers providing discussion guides in multiple languages.
Ready to Launch Your Own Book Walks?
Bilingual Book Walks are more than just stories—they’re gateways to curiosity, inclusion, and academic growth. Whether you’re highlighting STEM themes, SEL, or cultural heritage, these installations turn school spaces into dynamic, interactive classrooms.
Next Steps:
Schedule a meeting with a Book Walk specialist at Syncretic Press. Use the code LTL5% for a 5% discount on a purchase for your school or institution. Agenda items will include:
Displays that best adapt to your goals and budget
Review purchase and rental options for stories
Explore grant opportunities for funding the project
Transform your school’s corridors, courtyards, and classrooms into bilingual learning adventures. Let’s walk the talk—one panel at a time! 🌟📖🌍
Seleccionar material útil para los profesores y atractivo para captar la atención y el interés de los alumnos ha sido siempre el objetivo principal que me he propuesto a la hora de escribir un texto para la enseñanza del español. El teatro me ha interesado siempre.
En realidad son muchas las instituciones que aconsejan utilizar el teatro para enseñar el español, pero son muy pocos los libros que ponen en práctica este consejo, y por esta razón he realizado este Curso.
Mi primera experiencia en la enseñanza del español con un texto teatral fue con mis alumnos del Instituto Sthendal de Roma, leyendo “Pic Nic” de Fernando Arrabal. Recuerdo todavía con placer la atención con la cual los alumnos participaban en la lectura y después repetían las frases del texto. Continué el experimento con “La vida es sueño” de Calderón de la Barca y a pesar de ser un texto de difícil comprensión lingüística resultó fácil subsanar el problema con alguna aclaración previa. El diálogo entre el padre -el rey Basilio- y su hijo Segismundo dio pie para muchos otros diálogos.
Fernando Arrabal, Pic Nic, tragedia absurda, 1952-1962
Buero Vallejo, El tragaluz, tragedia de la esperanza, 1967
Cada uno de los capítulos del libro impreso o cada ebooks contiene los siguientes apartados: breve biografía del autor, características de su obra dramática, presentación de la obra elegida y un fragmento antológico precedido de un glosario.
Sobre cada uno de dichos apartados se realizan ejercicios de comprensión, expresión y elaboración,
Se puede iniciar el estudio de los autores independientemente del orden cronológico, porque no existe una dificultad creciente desde el punto de vista gramatical y su elección está dictada únicamente por las preferencias individuales.
El Curso está disponible como libro impreso, conteniendo los doce autores, en Amazon y como ebooks, conteniendo un solo autor, en Amazon, Google y Apple:
– va dirigido principalmente a los estudiantes de idiomas de las clases superiores y de la Universidad,
– utiliza textos del teatro clásico español de los siglos XVII-XX.
– su objetivo es mejorar la pronunciación, ejercitar la memoria, facilitar la comprensión, buscar el equilibrio entre la regla establecida y la naturalidad expresiva, dando prioridad a la comunicación y mostrar la realidad socio-cultural.
Con este curso se logra el objetivo principal de captar la atención y el interés de los alumnos para aprender el idioma español.
A way to engage students today is planning our lessons and class conversations around the social media they navigate. This will evolve from time to time and platforms available and trending topics will change (the evolution from Facebook, to Instagram, to Twitter or Snapchat, etc. makes a point). Teachers need to be aware of what is relevant and current and adapt the resources they use accordingly.
One of the reasons I wanted to talk about social media in a world language classroom became apparent after reflecting on my own practices. I realized that I am drawn not only to use language related to our curricula but also about life in general and topics that might interest students or that might expand our lessons beyond the scope of the material we always use.
So…how to go about this?
The beauty of social media today is that you can find examples of almost everything online. From funny videos, to memes, to quotes…, the possibilities are endless.
You may choose to use social media at any stage of your lesson delivery, either as a warm up activity, as the main part of your lesson, as a springboard or end of a unit, or extra practice to reinforce content knowledge.
Take as an instance the following social media examples:
Videos
Before introducing the video…
You can have the students complete an introductory guided activity, frontloading some of the vocabulary they will encounter.
As a class, you may discuss beforehand students’ opinions on the topic that will be covered and tap into their background knowledge to dissipate doubts.
If you are using the video as a warm up activity, you might prefer to let them discover the content gradually to have some surprises regarding the message.
Listen to students to hear what they are bringing to the table, their ideas many times can lead to interesting conversations you might not have considered, or they might choose to share some personal story.
After the discussion, you can opt to go deeper by creating a mini project related to what students just watched.
Jokes or Quotes
Social media jokes or quotes can be used to practice grammar and decipher meaning, seeing the language in use by different speakers around the world. For example, you can play with pronunciation posts, dialects, famous personalities or to explain idioms.
Conversations around cultural topics
To delve into cultural comparisons, you can choose a specific social media post introduced in class and give more examples of cultural products, practices and perspectives for students.
Some tips and questions to consider when using social media
#1 Screenshots and Videos
Because of the nature of these platforms, it is always good to take screenshots of pictures and screen record videos; to avoid pitfalls such as unwanted comments or images appearing in front of students. That way you get better control over the material and no surprises.
#2 Questions and Questioning
Think about how the material connects to what you are teaching.
What questions could the students have?
What questions would you use to guide the students in understanding the language and topics covered?
What other resources could you use to complement the social media content chosen?
#3 Paratext
Don’t disregard the paratext that accompanies the media posts since it enriches the students’ experiences around common vocabulary and expressions. For example, common textual and visual elements that surround the posts, such as comments, can serve as a starting point to expand the discussion into what people think of the publication.
In conclusion, using social media to promote conversations in the classroom can be a powerful tool to engage students and help them connect what they are learning within the classroom with the outside world. It is a unique opportunity for teachers to take advantage of making their scrolling productive and reignite their passion for language and culture.
I LOVE using music in my classroom with students. How about you? Music is engaging, helps with retention of key structures & vocabulary and provides a great lens into the target language and culture! Between the awesome, dance-promoting beats, incredible repetition and cultural connections, music is an easy way to check off several boxes as a world language teacher! Here are some of my top ways to globally grove with your students!
Use Music to Investigate Target Culture
Using music goes WAY BEYOND just the lyrics! Before listening to a song with students, why not delve into a musician or band’s background- who are they? where are they from? how long have they been together? what kind do they make? Play the music video – without sound – and ask students to make observations about what they see. Can students create a list related to our 3Ps: practices, perspectives, products from the target culture? Or write a simple story around what they see? Would you, as the classroom teacher, be able to design a Movietalk around this music video?
Please see this previous blog post to learn more about the Movietalk technique. In the music video, is there dancing? Can students in your class try the dance from the music video? Or can they create their own dance? If you can get your students moving – sometimes my high school students were a bit reluctant – dancing to music can be SO FUN!
Music Competitions
Whether you have students compete in a dance off, lip sync battle, or karaoke competition, using music each week can be incredibly engaging for all learners. Assign a new song each week to your groups! Try it! Students listen to the song for a few minutes during each class, with lyrics provided and if you want to infuse some gestures to match the lyrics – why not?
On Fridays…
On Fridays, I would host our weekly music competition towards the end of our time together and we had a “batalla” between each of the classes. Would Period 1 sweep the competition this week or perhaps Period 4? I kept a simple tally of “points” for their combined efforts in singing, dancing and overall enthusiasm with performing our weekly song as a class. The class that “wins” for the week would receive a certificate of musical talent (template here)- which all students would sign – I laminate and would proudly display in our classroom.
Other Educators…
For my weekly competitions, I used authentic music and sometimes, music made for students learning a language – Señor Wooly and Canciones de HipHop by the textbook series: Realidades were easy to use with students for their catchy beats and simple lyrics.
Señor Wooly also has a great website with a ton of activities embedded around his catchy tunes! And if you can – pick up some of those inflatable microphones, it can really inspire students to sing!
*Señor Ashby hosts two annual music competitions known as “Locura de marzo” and “Locotubre” – in the Facebook community,teachers are so incredibly generous with their creative creations and I SO appreciate that all of the authentic songs are carefully selected by educators – so you know the songs are a-ok to sing with students!
Leading up to each competition, teachers share activities, readings, slideshows- all connected to the songs that as deemed the “sweet sixteen”. Voting takes places on a GLOBAL level and students can predict their winners from the very start- just like a March Madness Basketball Bracket! There are plenty of Spotify playlists too, and here is one by Cassie Molloy that has all of the previous songs in one place, over eight hours!
*Maniemusicale is available for my French teacher friends.
Cloze Activities
An easy way to have students listen to the music is to create a cloze activity, as they listen, they fill in what is missing from the lyrics! A great website that can help students listen for what is missing is lyricstraining.com. I’ve had one student volunteer sit and fill in what is missing, as the class sings the song out loud, filling in what they believe is missing and music videos are available from all over the globe!
There are also many teachers who have generated AMAZING Activities on the topic for the WL classroom. Here are some of my favorites from the Spanish teacher community – Bertha Degadillo shares ideas on her blog & resources on her TPT page, Kara Jacobs has resources on her blog page: CEAuthRes, and Allison Wienhold has competitions during Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as música miércoles on her blog & TPT store .
Extension Activities
–Draw images to represent the lyrics/chorus in a song, have students compare & contrast.
–Lyric scramble – students put the lyrics in the correct order after listening.
-Create (or have students create) true/false statements or guiding questions about the lyrics.
-Use a word cloud (generated from the chorus or lyrics) to either pre-teach vocabulary or help prompt a post-viewing writing activity.
–Change it up! Have students use the melody and create their own song / change the lyrics.
-Use music as a timer for your Daily Do Now or Classroom Activities.
Music For my Elementary Friends
Having time with my almost nine month old, I have enjoyed singing along to several songs in Spanish made for young children! We dance, move around and sing to the tunes every day- many involve animals! Here are some of my favorites {so far!} for the little ones!
I hope you are inspired to use music with your students this week and always! If you have any other ideas or resources for the language classroom related to songs, please feel free to share below!
Here’s to a summer with fewer screens and more reading to let your imagination soar!
A contest for all ages with 4 categories: Infant, Primary, High School, and Over 18. With prizes for the winners donated by fantastic writers that will make your imagination fly. We invite you to participate and share with your friends and family.
Concurso de reseñas de libros
¡Por un verano con menos pantallas y más lectura para dejar volar tu imaginación!
Un concurso para todas las edades con 4 categorías: Infantil, Primaria, Secundaria y Mayores de 18. Con premios para los ganadores donados por fantásticos escritores que harán volar tu imaginación. Anímate a participar y comparte con tus amigos y familiares.
Las reseñas o recomendaciones de libros deben incluir los siguientes puntos:
Looking back at what motivated me as a learner when I was a child and I started learning English, brings back memories from my primary school years in a small village in the south of Spain. Back then foreign languages were introduced in Year 6 (at age 12).
Before that, I’ve had my first contact with English through music like most of us did back then, listening to Madonna, Michael Jackson and all the great singers from the 80s, (I’m showing my age now…🙃😊) musicals like Grease, etc. And of course, I loved singing their songs without having a clue about their content and mispronouncing every single word: “Wi ar de worl, wi ar de children!” or “Laik a berjen, tach for the beri ferst taim” 🤣
One day, I remember that one of my sister’s friends heard me singing and started laughing at me (not only because of my singing, but more because of the words that I was saying… Well, not that she knew any better, as she was older than me and the older generations were learning French…). I must have been around 8 or 9 years old, but I remember it really annoyed me and that day I decided that one day I would speak English really well and that I would understand every single word from my favorite singers.
Some years later, when I was about 12-13 and I was already learning English at the school, I remember that I had fallen in love with the boy band of that time “New Kids On The Block.” I used to spend hours and hours listening to their songs, rewinding my tapes (very 80s!) and writing down the lyrics that I could understand by decoding them on my own and using my Spanish/English dictionary to find out what they were singing about.
Ahhh the 80s! No Google Translate back then to help me, all manual… But you know what? There was something about that process that really helped those words and sentences stick better in my head and allow them to stay in the long-term memory and embed themselves as part of my vocabulary.
Don’t get me wrong, I am really in love with technology and all the advantages that it brings; however, I am seeing how relying too much on technology is making us all slowly less sharp… Faster for some things, but in terms of independent learning and reasoning, I think that the abuse of technology could make us lose some of our intellectual capacities gradually, so I believe that keeping a balance is very important. The key thing is to find the balance, like with everything else in life.
Music in Language Lessons
Going back to the motivation and inspiration when learning languages, I believe that Music is without a doubt a tool to be used in lessons as frequently as possible. I invite you to the section in my channel called MUSIC & ACTIVITIES IN SPANISH & ENGLISH LESSONS, where I post and recommend songs and activities related to them.
I try to choose songs that have great messages, key structures, verb tenses that need to be revised (subjuntivo, pretéritos, etc.) Also, I try to give ideas of activities that you can do in Spanish and English lessons. I hope you find them helpful and include music in your lessons to motivate and inspire students. Be on the look as I will be uploading many more soon.
El diccionario de la RAE define serio/-a como real, verdadero y sincero, sin engaño o burla, doblez o disimulo. Teniendo en cuenta esta definición, no nos equivocamos si decimos que la enseñanza del español es una cosa muy seria. Nosotros nos la tomamos muy en serio y estamos seguros de que tú también lo haces.
Pero eso no significa que siempre debas ser un profe serio ni que siempre tengas que estar seria en tus clases 🤨❌️. Y es que también podemos hacer que el español sea real, verdadero y sincero con juegos 🎲🃏.
En esta entrada te presentamos algunos juegos con los que conseguirás que tus alumnos se lo tomen muy en serio pasando un momento realmente divertido. Vamos con ellos:
👉 4 en letras: se trata de un juego ideal para que tus estudiantes puedan rescatar de su memoria palabras cortas y sencillas que seguramente ya hayan visto y conozcan. No importa si son plurales, formas verbales o topónimos; cualquier combinación que resulte en una palabra correcta en español dará un punto a quien la consiga. 4️⃣
👉 Mim Too: juego idóneo para que tus alumnos pierdan la vergüenza y eliminen el estrés. Deberán hacer mímica 🫶 para representar a un personaje 🥸, objeto 🫖 o animal 🐶 que haga una determinada acción. ¿Te imaginas a un guardaespaldas regando plantas carnívoras? ¿O a una tetera haciendo patinaje sobre hielo? ¡Pues estamos seguros de que tus estudiantes sabrán representarlo!
👉 Sospechosos inhabituales: juego colaborativo que reproduce una rueda de reconocimiento policial y que sirve para que tus alumnos, a partir de un nivel A2, puedan practicar el vocabulario relativo a hábitos, gustos y personalidad de una manera original. ¡Deberán ponerse de acuerdo para encontrar al culpable! 👮♀️👮🏽♂️
👉 Dixit: las imágenes de sus cartas lo convierten en un juego atractivo en clases de español. Tus estudiantes deberán asociar una carta determinada a un concepto concreto (puedes proponer ideas como “subjuntivo”, “las clases de español”, etc.), en función de lo que les evoque el dibujo, y luego tendrán que adivinar la imagen elegida por sus compañeros. ¡La inclusión de este juego en niveles intermedios y avanzados es una apuesta segura! 🖼✅️❌️
Esta pequeña selección no es más que una muestra del uso que se les puede dar a los juegos en nuestras clases. Juguemos con nuestros estudiantes, sin importar su edad, y conseguiremos que se tomen el español muy en serio.
Decía Chaikovski (o tal vez solo dijo, o quizás nunca llegó a decir, pero eso ahora no importa) que si no fuera por la música 🎶, habría más razones para volverse loco 🤪.
No sabemos si estaríamos más locos o no, pero de lo que no hay duda es de que, sin la música, a nuestras clases de español les faltaría algo 🤔. Y no nos referimos solamente al hecho de poner canciones en el aula para que nuestros alumnos completen espacios en blanco, sino a tratar la música como un tema en sí mismo.
En este sentido, nos parece muy interesante el tratamiento que se le da en la unidad 9 del libro Etapas Plus C1📚, en la que se presentan una serie de actividades que siempre podrás adaptar a niveles inferiores (de hecho, ¡funcionan muy bien con B1 y B2!).
En ellas, se trabaja el tema de la música a partir de la idea de recuerdo, de vivencia, de experiencia. Y eso es algo que nos parece precioso 🥰 (y sobre todo, implementable* en el aula).
¿Quién no tiene una canción asociada a una determinada época de su vida? Pensemos en los tiempos de la escuela 👩🏻🏫, en aquel viaje sin los padres 🚍, en aquel primer amor ❤️, en aquel verano 🏖🏕… ¿Acaso no son momentos asociados a alguna canción?
Así pues, ¿qué te parece si promueves entre tus estudiantes ese viaje al recuerdo? Imagínate cuánto vocabulario podrán usar para hablar de sentimientos asociados a canciones 🗣. Piensa en las estructuras de las que podrán echar mano. Y además, combinando los tiempos de pasado…
Pero puedes ir más allá: haz que el español también forme parte de su recuerdo. ¿Qué canciones relacionan con las diferentes etapas y contenidos en su aprendizaje de nuestra lengua 🎶📚? Seguro que entre sus canciones favoritas hay alguna en español que les ha permitido practicar el subjuntivo o en la que han aprendido alguna palabra que ya no olvidarán nunca. ¡Hagamos que hablen también de ello!
Aquí te dejamos una infografía 👇 que podrás utilizar si finalmente te animas a llevar la música a tus clases de español. Nosotros te damos la “partitura”. ¡El ritmo lo pones tú!
* Nota: Sí, lo sabemos, implementable no está en el diccionario. Ahora bien, la RAE no la censura, por atenerse a las reglas de derivación, así que nos hemos permitido el lujo de usarla 😌. Y además, ¡nos gusta mucho esta palabra! 🥰
Have you ever wondered why we teach what we teach? I realized that my professional and personal experiences inform my language curriculum in more ways than I have imagined.
It all started when a few years ago, in the educational and pedagogical arenas, there was a big emphasis on culturally responsive teaching. That is when I decided to revisit my curriculum. Among all the units, I started by digging deeper into the typical ‘get to know students’ one at the beginning of the school year. Yes, it is important to know what students’ preferred name is and learn about their favorites, and I do not underestimate this, but to me that was not enough. I wanted my students to learn about themselves, who they are and who they want to become as language learners.
A children’s book, a trip to a museum, and a fellowship are three examples that informed my unit on identity. I developed, tweaked, and grew this unit throughout the years.
A Professional and Personal Experience: A Children’s Book
I had the privilege of meeting Rafael Lopez in person when he received the Americas Award for illustrating Pat Mora’s Yum! MMMM! Que Rico!. Lopez made an imprint on me that day. I bought most of his titles from then onwards (all worth it!).
When I read Rafael Lopez’s, El dia en que descubres quien eres, I knew I had to introduce it to my students. This book reminds us not to forget how you feel when you are new to a place. It reminds us of the importance of making connections and sharing stories among each other. It touches upon the identifiers of race, ethnicity, gender, class, ability, origin, and age and at the same time it develops empathy. I use the Project Zero Thinking Routine CSI – Color, Symbol, and Image – to have students show understanding of the story.
A Personal Experience: A Trip to a Museum
I make a big emphasis throughout the identity unit on the importance of learning about the ‘invisible’ side of people, of others and of our own. Students discover and explore this by walking the same steps I walked many years ago when I saw ‘Braiding’ by Lin Tianmiao while visiting a Chicago museum.
Lin Tianmiao massive installation made a huge impact on me back then. I decided to add this work of art into the identity unit. It seemed the appropriate way of helping students understand how much of what we see and perceive influences what we think about others.
Students use the simple (but powerful) Project Zero Thinking Routine “I see, I think, I wonder” to describe the installation. As a first entry to the art, I only show students the face in the artwork. Once students share what they have written about what they see, think, and wonder, I show them the complete piece of art. In their own words they express what I intended them to understand.
I want to show students that we cannot stop at the visible part of human beings to learn about others. Introducing them to Caja de Memoria Viva II: Constancia Colón Clemente by Adrián Viajero Román seemed the way to go. The following materials are based on the collections developed when Marcela and I participated in the Smithsonian Fellowship.
Students use personal memories to recall what songs or sounds, what smells, what artifacts, and what tastes we associate with home or a special place for us. Only then we analyze the art.
Students observe and analyze the three dimensional work of art first. Then they describe both its exterior and interior. I usually start by showing students some photographs of the visible cube representing the head of a person. The installation is of a black Puerto Rican woman who migrated to the United States in the 1940s.
After they observe the photos from the outside, I have them observe photos of the inside of the piece of art. Students see lots of different objects hanging in the inside walls of the cube.
We continue by using the Project Zero Thinking Routine ‘Layers.’ This routine provides learners with a structure for looking analytically at creative works through its narrative, aesthetic, mechanical, dynamic, and connections.
Example questions for using ‘Layers’
-Who do you think is this person?
-How old do you think she is?
-Where do you think she lives?
-How does this installation make you feel?
-What do you see?
-What is unique in this piece?
-How does it connect with your personal experiences?
The installation helps students concretely see the connection between the ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ sides of a person. One important aspect about this art piece is the fact that you can hear the voice of Constancia Colon Clemente when you are under the installation. It feels you really are in her head!
Future Professional and Personal Experiences
The examples mentioned above – a children’s book, a trip to a museum, and a fellowship – informed my unit on identity. I will surely keep on developing and tweaking this unit in the years to come.
Though usually unexpectedly, my professional and personal experiences will keep on influencing my language curriculum. Therefore, I wonder where my next inspiration will come from.
Presenting global views connects language students to the experiences of others. It engages their minds, hearts, and hands. There are wonderful resources that help language students broaden their perspective of the world, not necessarily limited to the people in the countries that speak the language they are learning. Why wait until they are at an intermediate level? You may start with novice learners. It all depends on what you show them and what you do with it, i.e. how you use the resource, as well as why you are using that specific resource.
Why global views?
I part with the idea that we live in one world and the more that we learn from each other, the better. As a Spanish teacher myself, I moved from showing only things related to the Spanish-speaking world to showing my students the whole world. Of course, a big part of what we do in class is related to the Spanish world, but I intersect resources that go beyond that. Learning about others helps break down stereotypes, expands our worldviews, and helps us become aware of our interconnectedness and common humanity. In sum, it is about helping my students become globally competent.
How do we use photographs as global views ?
To successfully reach the minds, hearts, and hands of language learners, it is necessary to think through how we introduce, develop, and conclude each lesson. It is also important to think about what background knowledge students need in order to understand the topic and what prior knowledge they bring to class. Using resources thoughtfully is key.
Many times I choose to use photographs to do this type of work because they are potent visuals. They tell stories and we can all relate to stories. Photographers have a unique eye as their lens captures a precious moment in time. It is up to us to show these global views and choose how to do it.
The following are some ways in which I have presented global views to my students.
When I taught elementary school, my students particularly enjoyed when I showed them photographs of classrooms around the world and they had to compare and contrast those with their own classroom. As an added benefit, I learned about students’ prior experiences and their families’ history.
My students love when they can choose. When presenting them with several photographs, I let them choose one that talks to them and ask them to do different activities, from simply describing the photograph to creating a story to only asking and answering questions. Other times, I present them with two photographs and we compare them to find similarities and differences. These types of activities propel great conversations.
The National Portrait Gallery has many classroom resources to use when describing portraiture, and some of them can be applied to analyzing photographs successfully. I especially enjoy:
There is no doubt that using the Project Zero Thinking Routines makes perfect sense when analyzing photographs. For this type of work, I would go with the Global Thinking Routines ones.
The Library of Congress has a special tool when it comes to analyze photographs that differs from the tools used to analyze other media. It is a wonderful way to start a conversation about photographs. Check it out!
There are so many ways to go when it comes to introducing global views to students. Of course, the images per se are key in making it a powerful experience.
What resources can we use to engage learners with global views ?
The following are some resources based on photographs. Some of these photographs include the topics of school, food, identity, and landscapes and I have used some of them with my novice students. What is important is to choose what to show and how to present it to students.
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Each time I present global views to students, their engagement is palpable as global views engage language learners’ minds, hearts, and hands. If you haven’t already, give it a try and let me know how it goes in your classes.
Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead or Halloween? October starts and there is this buzz in the classrooms about what to wear for Halloween. When we get near to the date, the conversation about chocolate, candy, and costumes is constant. Our minds, however, revolves around Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead, its significance on the one hand, and the different ways that is celebrated in Spanish-speaking communities around the world.
Depending on the age group we teach any given year, we use different resources gathered along the way. Therefore, if somebody asks us, ‘How do you celebrate El Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead?’ the answer will vary as we gear our choice of resources to the students we teach, what is going on in the world, and other circumstances. Sometimes we choose to teach resources about Halloween to have students compare the two celebrations.
Resources
Below you will find a list of some resources that Gaby, Marcela, and myself have used related to The Day of the Dead/Halloween in our years of teaching. Enjoy!
What resources do you use to teach El Día de los Muertos / the Day of the Dead? Share them with us!
by Gabriela Barbieri, Marcela Velikovsky, and Vicky Masson –
Interdisciplinary Connections is a column of Language Teaching Lab to show specific examples of connections between world language teaching and other subjects at school
“Interdisciplinary Connections” is a column of Language Teaching Lab to show specific examples of connections between world language teaching and other subjects at school
by Vicky Masson
Interdisciplinary connections
Long-lasting learning happens when students’ minds and hearts are involved and invested in their own growth, when what is being taught sparks their curiosity, and when they make connections. The more senses involved, the better. Interdisciplinary connections are powerful experiences for student learning.
What is Olivia y el violin
Olivia y el violín by Silvina Rocha and illustrated by Vanessa Zorn is a picture book in Spanish about a girl named Olivia who is in search of creating beautiful melodies using her violin. She experiments with different sounds and tries new ways of playing music with her violin. At times she is frustrated, at times she is sad, and at times she wants to give up. However, Olivia persists. She persists till she succeeds in creating music.
When I read the book, I absolutely loved it! At that time I was teaching Spanish in elementary and middle school. The music teacher also taught strings in elementary to second and third graders, and to middle school students. It sparked an idea in me. We got together and looked at the book illustrations. Then, we talked about the content of the book and how it would be a novel way of introducing her second and third graders to violin lessons, so we gave it a try.
Impromptu performance to students starting with violin lessons
We arranged a time that would work with our schedules and off we went! I started reading the book in Spanish and she started playing the violin following what I was reading. The second and third graders’ Spanish proficiency was limited and the book had what we would consider ‘big’ words.
I used all possible body language to make it comprehensible to the students and to the music teacher. She was creating music, sounds, and melodies with her violin at the words’ rhythm.
There is a part in the book that says that violins can jump, scream, mumble, complain, sing in whispers, and stomp on the floor. Well, the music teacher made the violin perform all those actions full of emotion, as if the violin were sort of speaking. The students broke into a loud applause and cheered us wholeheartedly. We were both humbled by our students’ reaction to the experience.
Book becomes part of my classroom Spanish library
The next class, the students asked me to read the story again. I added the book to our classroom library and each time we had independent reading, students reread Olivia y el violin and recalled the experience.
What are some interdisciplinary connections experiences that you have to share?
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“Museums Alive” is a column of Language Teaching Lab that aims to connect the authentic resources of museums, art galleries, and other collections to the teaching and learning of World Languages.
Why authentic resources
Authentic resources in World Language such as art and artifacts help explain and understand the people that created and used them, its history, and its culture. They tell stories, are springboards for deeper learning, and leave memorable impressions to those who come in contact with them. Also, they open our minds to new perspectives and make it easier to relate to different points of view.
What is the Smithsonian Learning Lab
The Smithsonian Learning Lab (SLL) is a platform that connects the millions of objects that belong to the Smithsonian institution to anyone in any part of the world who has internet access. The SLL helps you find digital resources, create content using online tools, and share them with the world.
Why use the Smithsonian Learning Lab in a World Language Class
What a better way of learning a language than using the authentic resources from the SLL! The platform has millions of authentic resources at our disposal. The SLL collection that my colleague and I created, “Using Authentic Resources,” can give you ideas on what type of art and artifacts to choose and how to include them in the World Language class.
The artwork included in this collection helps students understand how art reflects culture by exploring and learning about cultural topics. It increases their language proficiency and develop global competence and 21st century skills.
How we Teach with the SLL: PZ Thinking Routines, SDGs, and EdTech Tools
Creating a collection with the SLL allows you to have all that you need accessible in one place. Most importantly for teachers to consider is how you present the unit for student learning. All while, they use EdTech tools for a purpose: from Flipgrid to EdPuzzle to Teams or Google Docs. The SLL allows you to create collections with interdisciplinary connections.
People, Place & Time: How Art Reflects Culture
The collection “People, Place, & Time was presented at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language Conference 2019.” It explores how integrating museum resources, Global Thinking Routines, and the Sustainable Development Goals can help students understand who the people are, when and where they live, and what they do. In the collection teachers will find guiding questions to help with lesson planning, presentation slides, museum resources, examples of student work, and links to the three case-study collections.
Using the SLL is quite simple. In the following GWATFL TIPS video, “Introduction to the Smithsonian Learning Lab,” Tess Porter, Digital Content Producer at the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, explains how to use the SLL. Follow her tips and in no time you will have your own collection to use with your students.
In short, using authentic resources helps develop global competence and prepares students to communicate and interact in the world. It helps our students move beyond their inner circle and familiar contexts to understand people from different cultures with different points of view.
Using the SLL digital resources combined with Project Zero Thinking Routines and relating what we teach to the Sustainable Development Goals connect students with real-world global issues, all while raising empathy and curiosity.
How do you teach for Global Competence with Authentic Resources? How would you use the Smithsonian Learning Lab in your teaching?
