Spanish Classroom Chronicles

     As Spanish language teachers, we not only teach linguistic skills but also shape the global citizens of the future. Digital literacy should be considered as crucial as language proficiency. ( Use the link to read more about digital literacy.) Our students are in a unique position of being “digital natives”, we must not only teach them Spanish, but also how to function appropriately and professionally in the digital world they have grown up in. For many students they view this online world as a playground. We must teach them how to foster their digital presence for the betterment of their future. Here are some reasons why it is essential and a few ideas of how we can incorporate it into our classrooms.   Why does it matter? Responsible Digital Citizen      We must cultivate responsible digital citizens . (Use the link to review ITSE's standards for digital citizenship.) We must teach students to respect others' privacy, avoid plagiarism, avoid o...

I created Spanish Classroom Chronicles with the idea that this would be a place where I could record my ideas, reflections, and experiences in teaching Spanish. The inspiration of the use of the word chronicles came from an image Bilbo Baggins chronicling his adventures in Tolkein’s Hobbit.  The word chronicle can be used as both a noun and a verb referring to the recording of factual events, typically important or historically significant. Now I don’t anticipate that my posts are important or historically significant like Bilbo’s adventures. But rather I use the word loosely to indicate this will be a diary of recording my ponderings, reflections and hopefully growth as I pass through the middle of my career as a Spanish teacher.   Regarding my profile picture and banner, I chose images that represent the culture of some Spanish speaking countries. In my profile picture you will notice that there is a square border of blue tiles called Azulejos. According to the Encyclop...

In the future I plan to post reflections on my teaching experience. I will explore the growth I've experienced in the craft of teaching and areas I would like to continue to grow in. I will share resources and tools I use in the classroom. This a place for me to focus on continually becoming a better language educator and explorer of the cultures, histories, and people of the language I teach.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash  I have taught Spanish at the High School level for going on 19 years. 18 of those years have been in the same small rural school district where I am 1 of 2 foreign language teachers. I started out very traditional following a textbook and grammar focused. I still remain a grammar lover at heart. I love the patterns and the decoding- the language comparisons of the rules. Over the years I had repeatedly heard my students express their desires to be able to produce and use more of the Spanish language. This lead me to learning more about Comprehensible Input and Acquisition based instruction. I have the continual desire to learn and grow in my craft of education. My goal for my students is the widen their cultural awareness, facilitate growth in their language abilities, and above all else create a safe educational environment without judgement. It can be scary to learn a foreign language and uncomfortable. It is a risk to try pronounce words i...