Ok, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: distance learning and teaching Spanish. I know, there are SO. MANY. QUESTIONS. I have them, too. I want answers, too. One thing is for sure: our future is unknown and we for sure cannot predict how this school year will go. As for me, when I can’t control things I over-plan.
We just started summer here in NY so naturally I am already thinking about next year (I am a type 6 Enneagram…we plan!). My biggest concern coming out of distance learning last year was Spanish language output. It was really challenging to give my students opportunities to speak Spanish via distance learning.
At this point it is not clear what our classes will look like. Either way, I think we can all agree that we are not going to jump back in to normal classroom teaching. With this in mind, I have started mulling over some activities that I can share with my students to give them the opportunities to practice speaking Spanish.
1. This or That
This is one of my favorite icebreakers. I usually start off the year with this and get to know my students in a fun, low-pressure way.
How does it work? I project two options on the SmartBoard (one on the right side of the board and one on the left). Coffee or Tea? Pink or Purple? Students respond by simply moving to either side of the room.
Once all students have made their decision, it is a great opportunity to ask some follow up questions and learn about their choice. If I have a large class, I usually ask them to talk to someone who is near them and find out more.
So, how is this going to work with new restrictions? What if we start the year off with distance learning? This activity can be adapted to a restricted movement classroom OR a virtual classroom.
For either of the above-mentioned situations, I am going to assign Number 1 to the picture on the left and Number 2 to the picture on the right. Students can then show me, which they prefer by holding up one or two fingers. The same outcome is met, yet movement is restricted.
If we are online, I can easily see (as long as cameras are on) which they prefer. I can still follow up with some questions to get to know them better and I can still prompt further discussion in the target language. You can grab a copy of my This or That Icebreaker Here.
Another way to adapt this to Distance Learning is to use the Google Slides Add-On called Pear Deck. This was a great tool for distance learning that made my live virtual classes more interactive. I will be using this tool with my Icebreaker in September!
2. Scavenger Hunts
There are so many different versions of Scavenger Hunts. I love the ones where you ask students to find another person in the room who _____ (fill in the blank with some kind of activity/descriptor, etc.). But again, this requires movement within the classroom and talking to one another close range.
How can this be adapted? Well, if we are teaching in virtual classes, students can complete the scavenger hunt with things around their house. For example: Find a funny mug, or what is something you are proud of. This will allow students to choose something and explain in the target language what they chose and why. If you need an already done for you Virtual Scavenger Hunt, you can grab one here!
If we are in a restricted movement classroom, we can continue to do Scavenger Hunts in small groups with students that are appropriately distanced. Students can talk to each other in the group to complete the Scavenger Hunt and compete against the other groups in the class. The group that has the most boxes filled wins! This will foster conversation but will minimize movement between the groups. It’s not ideal, but it’s something!
3. Dice Activities:
One of my other go-to activities that gets students speaking involves Dice. I have six different prompts that will spark a conversation. Students roll the die and have to discuss whatever prompt is next to the number.
This presents a problem for distance learning. Imagine trying to coordinate all of your students to bring a die to your virtual class? No way.
There are many great websites that allow you to roll a die. What I will be doing is sharing my list of prompts with students and then sharing the link to a website for dice rolling. I will have my students break out into smaller groups and have conversations between themselves. I can easily monitor their progress by having them complete and submit a summary of what they learned about their classmates.
I would also suggest setting a timer and inviting everyone back to your large group after about ten minutes. You can then ask some students to share what they learned about their classmates with the whole class.
If we are in a restricted movement classroom I will still use the virtual die. This will reduce the spread of germs and students can use their personal device (or cell phone) to roll the die. They can have conversations in person within a small group that is appropriately socially distant. Get your copy of my “Dicebreaker” activity here.
I know that this year will be one filled with constant change. We are resilient and we will get through this. I know that planning for the unknown is near impossible but I must say, it feels good to have some options ready to go for September. Once my students get used to these types of activities I can easily switch out the topics and make them unit appropriate as they year goes on.
I hope that you get some helpful takeaways from this. I am certainly no expert in this situation but I do know that as a teaching community we are stronger and better together. Thanks for reading!
If you are looking for more ideas for Distance Learning, Check out these posts:
A Reflection on Distance Learning in Spanish Class.
Engage Your Students During Distance Learning
