Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom:

Power to the mobloggers!

Having played around on my new MSI Wind U100 for the last few weeks, I can honestly say that it is the most awesome tool for working on the move I've come across so far. For a start, the keyboard is nearly fullsize and a joy to use, the 6 cell battery gives around 4 hours of battery life and the 3 USB ports mean I can plug in my camera, Logitech microphone and iRiver all at the same time if I want to!

If this wasn't enough, perusing the MSI Wind forum, I've been able to work out how to boost its performance further by having an extra 1GB of RAM added at PC World and by overclocking the processor to enable a 15% increase in 'Turbo Mode' when connected to AC power (Just press FN+F10). 'Eco Mode' when running from the battery also extends operating time too by deliberately reducing power usage. Turning off Bluetooth and wireless connectivity helps as well.

I've thought carefully about what software to install on the machine bearing in mind its primary purpose of audio editing and moblogging and have compiled the following list of free tools:

• Twhirl desktop client - mobile tweeting
• Audacity - recording and editing sound
• The Levelator - balancing audio levels
• Skype - video/text chatting with 1.3 built in megapixel webcam
• Pamela - recording Skype calls
• Utterli desktop client - audio and video moblogging
• Real Player 11 - downloading online video clips
• iTunes - downloading podcasts
• Adobe Reader - reading pdf files
• Quicktime - playing mov files
• Google Toolbar - finding information quickly on the web
• HandyFind - finding keywords in Word and on the web
• DeskPins - keeping media players, Skype and Flickr Uploadr on the desktop
• Avast! - anti-virus software

I've added MS Office 2007 too although I know I could have put on OpenOffice for free, but decided I would take this opportunity to get used to its new interface and re-learn where everything is again! The slim external DVD drive I picked up at PC World will also allow me to watch films and install software from disk if a memory stick is not up to the job.

So far I've hardly dented the 120GB hard disk despite backing up my whole podcast series to date which took up about 2.5GB and came to nearly one hundred recordings!

All in all, I would guess that the MSI Wind U100 or Advent 4211 as it is called in the UK is the fastest, best value for money and versatile ultra mobile PC (UMPC) on the market at the moment and for less than £300 is certainly worth investing in.

For a more detailed description of its capability, have a look at this video or this one. You could even create an RSS search to find similar clips on YouTube and be blown away by the power of the Wind too!

eConfident students lead the way

One of the most inspiring sessions I’ve witnessed in the last two years on the use of new technologies and language learning took place at Language World 2007 when I first heard about the amazing work of pupils and staff at Heathfield Foundation Technology College and Shireland CLC in the West Midlands.

A shining example of the educational value of podcasting, digital video work and other collaborative projects, their shared journey has so far produced a wide range of positive learning outcomes, culminating in the ‘phenomenal results’ achieved by the pupils this summer in their Spanish GCSEs.

Now in its fourth year, the project has allowed the pupils to not only develop into able linguists, but also become confident and independent learners who are more than happy to give their views on what helps them with their language learning.

For this reason, I asked Lesley Haggar-Vaughan, e-Learning manager at Shireland CLC and Julie Adoch, Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Heathfield whether they would be willing to bring the gang down to this year’s Isle of Wight Conference and I was delighted that they agreed.

Below are the recordings of both the presentation and podcasting workshop they gave at the conference, plus their two legendary sessions from Language World 2007 and 2008 which together provide a convincing argument of the learning benefits of using new technologies in the MFL classroom as recommended in the recent Dearing review.

Download e_Confident_students_in_the_Languages_Classroom_IOW.mp3

Download Podcasting_with_Macs_IOW.mp3

Download e_confident_students_in_the_languages_classroom_LW08.mp3

Download e_Creativity_in_Language_Learning_LW07.mp3

Listening to the pupils describe how technology helps them to take an active role in their learning is a joy to hear, as is their support for traditional textbooks for reinforcing grammar and learning vocabulary.

“In my opinion using technology really helps you develop into the language. Some people may think that using new gadgets and technology with children will hinder their progress in learning, but most children actually grow up using this type of equipment anyway and get used to it. So it actually gives them an incentive to work like it did for me.”

“I find that subjects that always use textbooks and nothing else, they’re not really diverse. They get boring after a while. So you need to keep changing, to keep it interesting which technology does.”

“I enjoy learning interactively in the classroom, using whiteboards, computers, games and textbooks. Textbooks are really good for your vocabulary and your grammar. Yes, I do agree with that. Computers and games however, get more kinaesthetic learners to be involved.”

The collaboration with Shireland CLC began when the pupils were in Year 8 and Lesley invited them to come to the centre and create digital videos of restaurant role plays and fashion shows that they had been practising in class. With careful planning and support from foreign language assistants and sixth formers to keep everyone on task, they shot the clips in small groups and each pupil played a role in the production and editing process. Pupils were encouraged to be creative and use props and humour in their scenes to embed the language and make it more memorable. When all the films were completed Julie would have a ‘cinema lesson’ with drinks and popcorn where everyone could celebrate their combined achievements and enjoy each other’s efforts.

Building on this success, the pupils then started exploring the potential of audio and reinforcing language by podcasting role-plays which they could then listen to again and again. This seemed particularly popular for the less confident ones who were shy appearing in front of the camera, but were happy to record their voices and publish the results on iTunes to a worldwide audience. Using iPods and docking stations meant that they could rehearse and listen back to their scripts before making a definitive version for broadcast.

Next, staff at Heathfield decided to roll out the project across different languages in the department by investing in their own equipment and forming an innovations group to forge cross-curricular links throughout the school. This has resulted in the best uptake of languages at GCSE Julie has seen in the last seven years.

The pupils are now involved in creating a Spanish GCSE revision website to pull together all their prior learning in one place and to act as a model for others in and out of school. Each pupil has taken on a different role in the project such as creating games, proof-reading scripts and adding downloadable content supported by staff from both establishments.

Over the last four years, Julie and Lesley have found that digital video and podcasting are excellent tools for promoting pupils’ productive skills, improving fluency, pronunciation, accuracy and intonation, as well as developing memorisation skills, independence, creativity and collaboration. If you are still not convinced, listen to the pupils speak for themselves. They know how to personalise the curriculum and create distance learning opportunities. They’ve been doing it for years and it’s us who need to catch up. Listen and learn!

Animations at IOW Conference 2008

One of the most popular sessions from this year's Isle of Wight Conference was Mark Pentleton's One Stop Animation workshop. Here are the short clips produced by delegates on the day using webcams, Stop Motion Animator and Windows MovieMaker. They include:

• ¿Eres Nemo?
• Fred et Bob jouent à cache-cache
• Pierre Le Poisson
• C'est Halloween
• El Fantasma, El Blobbo y La Palmera

Thank you to Mark for showing how easy it is to produce such fantastic results in a short period of time using a bit of plasticine and lots of imagination.

I'm sure these clips will give food for thought for anyone interested in integrating animation within the languages classroom ¡Estupendo! 

Testing the Wind at Language Show 2008

As The Language Show fell over our half term break this year, I was lucky enough to be able to attend for all three days and see lots of great sessions from inspirational speakers such as Chris Fuller, Rachel Hawkes, Carole Nicholl, Helen Myers and Alex Blagona (pictured below).

It also gave me an excuse to test drive my new MSI Wind and check out its potential for moblogging, twittering, editing audio and presenting via a projector. Suffice it to say, the Wind rose to the challenge admirably on all fronts and should prove an indispensable tool for the forseeable future with its four hour battery life and stylish good looks to boot!

I spoke on the Saturday morning and repeated my talk from The SSAT Conference recently New tools, new curriculum, new opportunities with an update from The Isle of Wight Conference 2008. The audio, presentation, summary and links are supplied below. Hope you find it useful and thanks to Lisibo for her shot of me in full flow. Mmm.

Download New_tools_new_curriculum_new_opportunities_Language_Show_2008.mp3

Download New_tools_new_curriculum_new_opportunities.ppt

Summary

• Introduction
• quoting Kathy Wicksteed quoting Chris Maynard from QCA at Language World 2008
• inviting teachers to be bold when implementing the new KS3 curriculum
• Alec Couros' diagram of the networked teacher
• creating new CPD opportunities using RSS
• how language teachers are creating their own Personal Learning Networks (PLN)
• explaining RSS and how to subscribe in Google Reader
• tailouring materials to personalise learning for students
• finding the RSS feed in your browser
• subscribing to a RSS feed
• celebrating language related events on Flickr
• tagging photos on Flickr so pictures can be shared by different people in the same collection
• embedding Flickr slideshows on to your blog
• uploading videos as well as images to Flickr
• using the video fuction on a still digital camera
• subscribing to the photostreams of other language teachers
• sharing your favourite websites online with social bookmarking
• using email to find out about the latest updates as an alternative to RSS
• adding a del.icio.us tag roll to your blog
• the benefits of being part of an online community (fora/Ning networks)
• having an open or closed network
• micro-blogging with Twitter
• the power of asking questions on Twitter
• twittering at The Isle of Wight Conference 2008
• using Twitter for language learning purposes
• Twitter blending the personal with the professional
• downloading YouTube clips and embedding them into PowerPoint
• creating customised RSS feeds to search for clips by username and tag
• using Skype to make free calls to other users or inexpensive calls to landlines over the internet
• recording and editing Skype calls from a USB stick
• bringing authentic voices into the classroom
• using SkypeOut credit to ring landlines for a few pence
• videoconferencing with Flashmeeting
• using wikis for creative writing, collaborative projects and for hosting multimedia resources
• reasons to start blogging and ideas on promoting your blog
• ideas to start moblogging
• using a UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC)
• the educational value of podcasting
• CILT video case studies on the effective use of ICT
• creating the Nodehill french Grammar Podcasts and putting them on iTunes
• using podcasting for assessment for learning purposes and distance learning
• using podcasting for global citizenship and eTwinning
• some cool tools for schools (Wordle, Mobus, Tumblr+Kwout, VoiceThread, eBook to Images, Go! Animate)
• how to morph your voice in Audacity
• further reading
• a few final thoughts

Show Notes

SSAT Annual Languages Conference 2008

Kathy Wicksteed at Language World 2008

the new KS3 curriculum

Typical teacher network v the networked teacher

RSS in Plain English

Google Reader in Plain English

Easy ways into RSS

IE7

FireFox

Flickr

European Day of Languages 2008 on Flickr

The Isle of Wight Conference 2007 on Flickr

SSAT Annual Languages Conference 2007 on Flickr

FlickrSLiDR

Video on Flickr

Video VoxPop at Language World 2008 on Flickr

Lisa Stevens' puppets set (lisibo)

Alex Blagona's EDL and LAFTA set (Blaggers)

del.icio.us

My del.icio.us tags

Isabelle Jones' del.icio.us tags

Diigo

Isabelle Jones on Diigo

del.icio.us tag roll

Flashmeeting

MFLresources

TESConnect with RSS

Linguanet Forum

Ning networking

Talkabout Primary MFL Ning

Jo Rhys-Jones

The Isle of Wight Conference Ning

Twitter

Creating your personal learning network with Twitter

Twitter film from IOW Conference 08

The Isle of Wight Conference 2008

Interview with Steve Collis

Quel temps fait-il à Foxford?

Embedding YouTube and Google videos into PowerPoint

Keepvid

Download video clips with Real Player 11

Search YouTube via username with RSS

Subscribe to YouTube video tags via RSS

MFL Karaoke and Role Play Raps

Welcome to Gorseville

GCSE French for Dummies

AuthorStream

Podcast your PowerPoints

Podcasters power up in class

Skype

Recording Skype calls with Pamela

Record and Edit Skype calls from a USB stick

Bucharest eTwinning Conference 2008 and using a USB modem abroad

Audacity Anytime Anyplace Anywhere

Interview with Kathleen Holton

Kathleen Holton at The Isle of Wight Conference

Podcasting and Language Skills

SkypeOut

eTwinning ambassador John Warwick and his email contact

My Flashmeetings

EdTechRoundup

Flashmeeting project for Primary Languages

OZ/NZ Educators

Passionate about podcasting

Live Blogging with Cover It Live

OZ/NZ Educators Ning

Making Use of Blogging, Podcasting and Wikis in the MFL Classroom

Interview with Chris Fuller

Peter Morris and his CILT Wikimania project

CILT Cymru Wetpaint wiki

Making Languages Count: CILT Cymru DVD

MFL Show and Tell 08 wiki

Shozu

Using SkypeOut credit with Utterli

Interview with Chris Holbrook

Liz Kolb at K12 Online

USB modem

Asus Eee PC

MSI Wind

The educational value of podcasting presentation at Jersey e-Learning Conference

Podcasting in Plain English

CILT video case studies on effective use of ICT

Nodehill French Grammar Podcasts

Nodehill French Grammar Podcasts go from strength to strength

Nodehill French Grammar Podcasts now on iTunes

Interview with Adam Sutcliffe

Rate My Mate's Podcast

Chinese Day at Nodehill

Interview with Joe Molloy

Spread the IOW Conference Wordle

Blog on a mobile

Tumblr + Kwout for simple tumbleblogging

Learning languages with VoiceThread

Mobile revision with eBook to images

Go! Animate your lessons

Morph your voice in Audacity

Morph your Voki in Audacity

Posts on blogging, podcasting, moblogging and mobile phones

Twhirl for Twitter

The Isle of Wight Conference 2008

The Isle of Wight Conference 2008 was a celebration of technology, language learning and social networking. The communal buzz created by speakers and delegates at this year's event was phenomenal as was the face to face networking. For many attendees, the conference provided the opportunity for those who had been communicating online through blogs and Twitter to meet for the first time and share ideas collaboratively and informally in a warm environment.

This was of course what we'd planned and hoped for, but the fact that it worked so spectactularly was amazing. For example, to keep our sponsors happy, we made sure the sessions had staggered starts so that there was a constant drip feed to the exhibition and delegates could congregate and take part in informal round tables over lunch.

 

Twitter was a revelation for many at the conference thanks to Drew Buddie's session on Web 2.0 tools which inspired delegates to create their own account and start tweeting throughout the event. Having John Johnston's customised Twitter presenter page on two large TV screens in the main hall meant that everyone could keep up to date with the incredible learning going on around the school.

Mark Pentleton paid the conference a flying visit and presented a very popular sessions on one stop animation the results of which will be published soon.

Another hit of the weekend was the presentation and workshop delivered by pupils from Heathfield Technology College who showed us how to create enhanced podcast with Macs (pictures and audio). A real treat.

The MFL Show and Tell on Saturday night proved to be another highlight of the weekend including 10 minute presentations from:

• myself (Triggers and drag and drop in PowerPoint)
• Isabelle Jones (Social bookmarking)
• Adam Sutcliffe (Amazing etre)
• Sam Downe (St Neots Podclub
• Jo Rhys-Jones (VoiceThread)
• José Picardo (Edmodo)
• Andy Stanford-Clark (One Laptop Per Child)
• Sarah Ferretti (LinguaRyde)
• Drew Buddie (50 ways to tell a story)

Between presentations we sang the odd foreign language song and at the end I was presented with two birthday cakes (even though it's not my birthday until next month, but nevermind) Drew twittered throughout and described the evening as unconferencing at its best in one of his tweets. Thanks Drew!

Before leaving on Sunday, some of us took part in a Flashmeeting with colleagues around the world and gave our impressions of the conference.

Here is the audio version including background noise and laughter.

Download Flashmeeting_at_IOW_Conference_2008.mp3

Leon Cych who took part in the videoconference was so impressed by how energised and engaged delegates seemed in the Flashmeeting that he interviewed Drew Buddie on his mobile phone to find out more.

You can listen to an edited version of the interview here:

Download Interview_with_Drew_Buddie_on_Twitter_and_IOW_Conference_2008.mp3

In the EdTechRoundup Flashmeeting on Sunday night I did admit to feeling a little disappointed that we had ony been able to attract 60 delegates to this year's conference considering the quality of the programme and the amount it had been promoted. Preaching to the converted is great for those 'in the goldfish bowl', but we need to spread the word further a field and encourage those who are curious to find out more. Have a listen to the thoughts of a very tired language teacher by clicking on the link below.

Download Reflections_on_the_IOW_Conference_2008.mp3

I'm delighted to see that attendees have already started by blogging about the conference and you can check out their posts here:

• MFL in Isle of Wight
• Podclub at the Isle of Wight Conference!
• Free Your Mind and Your Class Will Follow
• @digitalmaverick Drew a crowd
• Recovering from IOW Conference
• Why we came to The Isle of Wight Conference
• Digital voice recording in MFL
• Interactive Whiteboards, The Isle of Wight Conference, Organising ICT CPD
• Podcasting with a Mac
• From Pod to Vod tutorial
• Funky Flipcharts and Interesting Interactivity
• IOW Conference 08 - delegate podcasts
• Why you should use Twitter - interview with the amazing Drew Buddie
• Impressions of The Isle of Wight Conference
• Isle of Wight Conference
• Isle of Wight Conference
• Mark Pentleton - Two years of podcasting
• IOW Conference Show and Tell: Let's Not Preach To The Converted
• Coffee Break Podcasting
• IOW Conference 08
• Teaching the world through podcasting
• Creating digital exercises and integration within the school's VLE
• The new curriculm: Making it work for languages
• Free your mind and your class will follow
• Using digital voice recorders in the classroom
• Moodle by Drew Buddie
• Thinking outside the classroom box
• Flashmeeting with John Warwick
• Creating digital exercises and integration within the school's VLE with Steve Whittle
• Get Animated! with Mark Pentleton
• Giving students wings by building content in a VLE
• Progression and Fun in Primary Languages
• Videoconferencing with Flashmeeting
• Sharon Balch - AfL in Practice
• Funky Flipcharts and Interesting Interactivity
• The Aftermath of the IOW Conference 08
• The Isle of Wight Conference

Thank you to everyone who came to the Isle of Wight last weekend and made the event what it was. Let's keep spreading the word and encourage more colleagues to open their minds too and embrace the power of new technologies in the 21st century. It's all about community.