My school is called the School of Business, Innovation, and Science. Our motto is 'BIS maximizes potential, inspires curiosity and builds a culture of innovators.' Many students are business-minded and/or inclined towards math and science. Most students in BIS opt to take Spanish for two years as a requirement for entry into a four-year college. This year, my students range from high school sophomores to seniors studying Spanish for their first, third, or fourth year. Sixty percent of my students are male. Most students have plans to pursue a college degree or technical career after high school.
My students are curious learners who never cease to surprise me with their creativity and innovation.
I use the Organic World Language (OWL) method to instruct students. This method is an immersion method that emphasizes comprehensible input and kinesthetic movement in class. My students and I create actions to go with every vocabulary word. We take regular "Brain Breaks," which are short games or activities that allow students to rest or get some oxygen, while we maintain a Spanish-language environment. The result is an active class period where my students speak, read, write, and comprehend Spanish every single day.
My Project
In an immersion classroom, I work hard to provide my students with opportunities to learn new vocabulary and practice the things they have learned. These materials will give my students another way to demonstrate their understanding. I am most excited about the Story Cubes because they will help my students stretch their abilities as they work to cohesively connect ideas. We will use them to write creative stories, to introduce persuasive writing, and to inspire impromptu speeches.
I am also looking forward to providing my students with the opportunity to work with their hands while learning a foreign language.
Spanish is not typically a physically engaging subject in school, but my experience has been that students are more engaged when they have a physically active role. We will use the Play-Doh to make vocabulary words in 3D (a la 'Cranium'), create original characters, and recreate events of stories or articles we read in Spanish. As we use the materials, I am sure that we will find more ways to increase engagement and enhance learning in Spanish. I cannot wait to continue to innovate alongside my students!
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