Category: primary languages

Following on from my previous post about rediscovering Seesmic, another friend, John Warwick, asked me to share a little bit about eTwinning in the primary language classroom for an eTwinning presentation he was preparing. I decided to record him my answer as it’s easier to explain in person and I also thought it might be useful too! So here it is!

If you want to find out more, see my Slideshare and post here.

Wondering if any of you would like to add to a debate I’m having at the moment re QCA schemes for KS2. I’m trying to help someone choose the best way to present materials on a site to satisfy as many Primary MFL teachers as possible. Having drawn their attention to the KS2 Framework and the QCA units and their thematic and skills rather than topic based approach, they’re now in a quandary as to how to best present things.

I’m helping the producers of the BBC schools website a bit this week, giving them some suggestions about their Primary French and Spanish pages.

One week on from the Language Show at Kensington Olympia, here’s my presentation entitled

This one-day course will give you the opportunity to gain knowledge and hands on experience using the latest software and hardware. Use the course as an opportunity to get to know your own equipment, bring laptops and cameras with you if you wish.

You will learn tips and tricks for getting great results quickly in the classroom, ideas to take back and use with your class as well as teaching resources designed to kick start animation projects.

For: Teachers in KS 1,2, 3 and 4 (ICT coordinators, Art and Media Studies Teachers.)

Cost: £130.00 + VAT Includes a CD of your work with teacher’s resources and lunch.

Times: 9.30 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.

All enquiries to Oscar Stringer, Tel: 07974 764 849 or Email oscar@animationforeducation.co.uk.

And don’t forget that you can download forms for ICanAnimate and Hue HD webcam from his site.

On Saturday I’ll be in London at The Language Show. So excited!

I’ve been having a little look at Youtube resources again, and, inspired by the session last week on teaching Infants languages, I’ve found some sweet little videos featuring Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too! Now, Winnie is always a winner in my books – I just love that bear of very little brain! – but talking Spanish is even better.

The words are:

Then there’s this clip called Es la hora de pensar and is a little song to signal thinking time. I think it would be a lovely cue to send children to their desks to work on whatever they are doing, or as a signal to change activity. And not just in language lessons but as one of those ’embedded’ ways of making language an everyday, incidental thing.

Hope you like them!

I’ve spent some time over the weekend doing something that I find rather uncomfortable – listening to my own voice! Whilst it is much better than watching myself on video, I find myself cringeing at the sound of my accent and speech habits. In my head I don’t sound like that – my ‘self-image voice’ speaks much more ‘properly’ and sounds less Brummie!

So why do it? Well, I was catching up with editing the audio from my presentations at two recent conferences – in Hull and in Basingstoke, Hampshire – before adding it to my podcast. I kept reminding myself that I wouldn’t have to listen again once I’d finished, and then remembered that I’d have to listen one more time to synch the audio to my Slideshares to make Slidecasts.

So – I’m pleased to announce three new episodes of my podcast Lisibo talks! But does it make sense?

Very sweet – love the graphics. And it’s short too.

I’m on a blog writing roll this week aren’t I?

And being an inquisitive gal, I went and had a look.

Another highlight of the Hampshire Language Conference was Oscar Stringer‘s session on Animation. So popular it was put on twice, and had to move rooms to accommodate the number of people wishing to attend, from the conversations I heard, Oscar and his ideas were a hit!

Using I Can Animate and a Hue webcam, Oscar guided the assembled throng through how to animate using fuzzy felts before adding voiceover using iMovie – bet he had no shortage of volunteers!

You can see the finished movies – made in 20 minutes!- on Oscar’s blog, along with other examples of animation using languages such as the ones from Wednesday in Gloucestershire, and the lovely animations made with a Reception class last year. You’ll also find plenty of tips and guidance on how animation can be used right across the curriculum and beyond.