Global Project Challenge Complete: Why Should I study a Foreign Language?

We finished our Global Project Challenge last week: Why Should I Study a Foreign Language? The results are on our website, whystudyalanguage.weebly.com/favorite-websites.html We had 28 international schools respond to our survey and supply answers to why they study languages. They also listed favorite language learning websites and apps that were compiled on our website. It's very interesting how the reasons for language study are quite similar across the globe. I am very excited about the language websites and apps to explore with my classes. Spring Break is almost upon us, one more day....

Great Genius Hour Results

On Friday my students presented their genius hour projects. I was amazed at the results. Many of the students are quite artistic and I was wondering why they did not register to enter their art at the Roane State Academic Festival. I would definitely say that this program was a success in my classes. The students thoroughly enjoyed presenting their products. We do have a few stragglers who will present on Monday, so we will see what happens with that. I am totally looking forward to ISTE 2107 for inspiration for the next school year. Also, there is the possibility of teaching German for Upward Bound this summer. I found a great YouTube based class I could use for that. We will see. On a personal note, one of my good friends decided to move to town and I am so excited to be able to share experiences with her as she settles in here. The predicted snow did not materialize here. So this afternoon I will be able to get out to Walk Across Tennessee.

Great Student-led Conference

I loved the Student Technology Conference yesterday. One of my students presented "Rapture: Our Underwater Future" about his project proposing such a habitat for our future. I was highly impressed with his presentation as well as the follow-up questions that were posed by the participants. This presentation really made them think about such a possibility. None of them brushed it off as being unrealistic, which was interesting to me. Great conference put on by students!!!

Global Student Technology Conference Participation

This week we found out that one of my student's proposal was accepted for inclusion at the Global Student Technology Conference this coming Saturday. This confererence is completely student run and modeled after the Globel Education Conference. My student's project is about an under the ocean habitat that he could create in the event that life on Earth is no longer feasible. He researched ways to make life sustainable under the sea and even laid down ground rules for behavior in his proposed habitat. This project is his Genius Hour Project in Spanish II classes that I am doing with my classes this semester. We had him do a practice run today to see how long it would be and what sorts of questions the audience may have. My class was pretty shocked by the whole idea, but it's an idea worth exploring in the future.