Student work at SIS - Authentic Learning
Pen Pal Program
SIS - VR 360 video for Martinique PenPals
2017-2018
The making of the VR 360 project for the PenPals
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image: Woman with VR goggle Alicia Millane 2017 https://www.theprimacy.com/blog/virtual-reality-360-degree-immersive-video-experience/
Metaverse App
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SIS students' video - Year 2016/17
8th graders 3rd Hour |
8th graders 5th Hour |
This year my 8th graders created a movie to send to their PenPals in Martinique. Two years ago, I started a PenPal program with two schools in Martinique. Martinique is an overseas French Département, (a Département is what you call a state) like the USA, France is divided into 101 Départements, 96 of them are in France Métropole (mainland) and 5 of them are overseas Départements (4 islands (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion et Mayotte) and Guyana). Students wanted to show their Penpal what a day in the life of an SIS student looks like.
Martinique - PenPal
Videos from our Pen pals in Martinique
Martinique video Part 1 |
Martinique Video Part 2 |
Pen Pal program and its effect on student learning and growth
It is common knowledge that the more efficient method to acquire a language is to be immersed in an environment where that language is spoken. In reality, not everyone is able to take a trip and put themselves in those learning environments. I’ve been working at Shorewood Intermediate School for 6 years and since the very beginning I had a vision on how I wanted my students to learn French. I always wanted to break away from the traditional teaching which is lecturing the students and having them complete activity sheets. Not only is this type of teaching proven not to be very effective when it comes to earning a language, but it is boring for me and my students who are digital natives. I wanted to innovate and go beyond the textbook activities, but before I could pursue that route, I had to give myself the means to accomplish this goal. I was confronted with a big problem; the school budget is very limited so I could not rely on that funding. My only option was to write grants to get what I needed.
Every year for the past 5 years (twice a year) I submitted grants for French-English dictionaries, a 360-degree camera, software, headphone, iPads, and storage cart. After multiple attempts and rejections, I was granted those tools. Little by little I was able to get what I needed to transform my curriculum. By 2018, I finally got 16 iPads, a storage cart, a 360-degree camera, 30 French-English dictionaries, and 30 sets of headphones with microphones. These new tools allowed me to accomplish great projects with the students and provide them with a cutting-edge environment to improve their language learning.
One of the biggest projects I worked on, was to connect my 8th grade classes to French students in Martinique (Caribbean) and Paris via the Pen Pal program that I started 4 years ago. Being able to communicate to actual French natives is an amazing opportunity for my students to not only practice their French but also improve, the quality of their fluency. The first year my student created a video where they could show to their pen pal their school (see video here) their pen pal also sent us a video of their school (video here) My student where thrill because now learning French had become “real” to them. It was not just CD, or premade videos from Textbook company. The program had connected them to the world. The second year my I wanted to go beyond the 2D classic video and have my students do a 3D virtual reality video for their Pen Pal. It was very ambitious because I had to learn that kind of technology myself, before I could have my students create that project. I then purchase a 360-degree camera with the SEED grant, my 8th graders created a video tour of SIS all in French for their Pen pals. ( to view that video scan this QR code and download the APP call Metaverse)
Throughout the year I could see my students improve their 4 core of language acquisition. They had a better listening comprehension because they were not learning French through my voice only. Their writing was improving too because they were writing to a real person and not just completing an activity sheet (see writing sample here – letters that they wrote to their Pen Pal on March 2019)
Besides improving their French in a more creative approach, they are also connecting with native speakers all over the world. My French class students were able to FaceTime with students in Martinique (A French island in the Caribbean) and also with students in Paris. During the summer of 2018, I went to Martinique and met in person with the French students and their teacher. I shared with them the activities and projects that my students made for them. I also brought along a pair of VR goggles. The students were amazed on what my pupils did and how they were able to use such advanced technology. (See video here.)
Even though most of the students at SIS own a mobile device, most of them don’t know how to create a document, attach a picture, and many other skills. In fact, they are passive users which means that they only consume their information, watch their videos, use social media, take pictures, and that’s about it. In the World Language Department, we are teaching them how to be 21st century learners. They are not only learning a language, but also important skills that they will need as college students and beyond.
Madame Koerten
Every year for the past 5 years (twice a year) I submitted grants for French-English dictionaries, a 360-degree camera, software, headphone, iPads, and storage cart. After multiple attempts and rejections, I was granted those tools. Little by little I was able to get what I needed to transform my curriculum. By 2018, I finally got 16 iPads, a storage cart, a 360-degree camera, 30 French-English dictionaries, and 30 sets of headphones with microphones. These new tools allowed me to accomplish great projects with the students and provide them with a cutting-edge environment to improve their language learning.
One of the biggest projects I worked on, was to connect my 8th grade classes to French students in Martinique (Caribbean) and Paris via the Pen Pal program that I started 4 years ago. Being able to communicate to actual French natives is an amazing opportunity for my students to not only practice their French but also improve, the quality of their fluency. The first year my student created a video where they could show to their pen pal their school (see video here) their pen pal also sent us a video of their school (video here) My student where thrill because now learning French had become “real” to them. It was not just CD, or premade videos from Textbook company. The program had connected them to the world. The second year my I wanted to go beyond the 2D classic video and have my students do a 3D virtual reality video for their Pen Pal. It was very ambitious because I had to learn that kind of technology myself, before I could have my students create that project. I then purchase a 360-degree camera with the SEED grant, my 8th graders created a video tour of SIS all in French for their Pen pals. ( to view that video scan this QR code and download the APP call Metaverse)
Throughout the year I could see my students improve their 4 core of language acquisition. They had a better listening comprehension because they were not learning French through my voice only. Their writing was improving too because they were writing to a real person and not just completing an activity sheet (see writing sample here – letters that they wrote to their Pen Pal on March 2019)
Besides improving their French in a more creative approach, they are also connecting with native speakers all over the world. My French class students were able to FaceTime with students in Martinique (A French island in the Caribbean) and also with students in Paris. During the summer of 2018, I went to Martinique and met in person with the French students and their teacher. I shared with them the activities and projects that my students made for them. I also brought along a pair of VR goggles. The students were amazed on what my pupils did and how they were able to use such advanced technology. (See video here.)
Even though most of the students at SIS own a mobile device, most of them don’t know how to create a document, attach a picture, and many other skills. In fact, they are passive users which means that they only consume their information, watch their videos, use social media, take pictures, and that’s about it. In the World Language Department, we are teaching them how to be 21st century learners. They are not only learning a language, but also important skills that they will need as college students and beyond.
Madame Koerten
In 2018 My contact in Martinique was relocated to Villemomble, France
7th Grade
Students created "VOKI" for their Pen Pals in Villemomble, France
check it out! 2020
Voki Examples - Students samples
7th graders Show and Tell
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8th graders - Video blog
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Other projects
Like the old adage says a picture is worth a thousand words. So please take time to look at our students work.
During the school year students have to: - Perform dialogues based on the current unit that they have to memorized - Skits The students write and practice their skits until the day they have to present in front of their peers. It is a performance that can be intimidating especially because it is done in French. - Write a comic book: a. 7th graders have to write a story on a group of students going to school and talking about their school supplies b. 8th Graders have to write a story about 2 tourists visiting the monuments of Paris - Create an Avatar: Always so much fun to have an avatar that kind of looks like you to introduce yourself. The students really love this activity. |
- Create a Picture Album: Describing their family or a fake family. Before the picture album they have to make a family tree.
A. An American in Paris
This are two great projects that allows students to discover Paris and its monuments. Students have to do research a monument of Paris and create a book. Then they have to create a skit and, ask for directions.
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B. Dans Mon Sac a Dos
Projects : Picture Album
2019
Students SkitsA. At the restaurantFor this project students have to create a skit where they have to order food, give they opinion on the dish and have a basic conversation with their partner while waiting for the food. It is a very fun activity and students get to eat the food that they prepared. They also have to memorize their dialogue and present it to the class.
Here are some examples: |
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