Blog #2: Curriculum Integration Project

My CIP will be based on students blogging in order to practice their Spanish skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Students will blog at various times throughout the semester and post a podcast of themselves speaking in Spanish for other students to listen to and comment on.  These skills are ones that are essential to developing their fluency in Spanish, and by using a blog, students will be able to develop real-life application of blogging as a way to communicate with others.

For my CIP, I will use my already-created curriculum for 7th grade and add an extra layer of a blogging unit that will last through a whole semester.  Depending on how the blogging goes, I will decide whether to continue using it during the second semester as well.  By creating a unit on blogs, I hope to learn more about ways to practically allow my students to develop their language skills.  It has been my goal to integrate more technology into my classroom, and this would be a perfect way to integrate meaningful technology into my Spanish classroom.

In 7th grade, students learn specific skills about ordering food at a restaurant, describing Christmas celebrations in different Spanish-speaking countries, and study the Solar System.  By adding blogging to the course, I know that my students will have an extra opportunity to practice writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills in a creative and communicative way.  This will positively support my current curricular and standards-based objectives, as well as integrating skills and experience with online technologies of blogging.  I can use my own class blog to model skills and etiquette related to blogging for my students, thereby fulfilling NET-T standards, too.

Applicable Standards to my CIP
METS

6-8.CI.2. create an original project (e.g., presentation, web page, newsletter, information brochure) using a variety of media (e.g., animations, graphs, charts, audio, graphics, video) to present content information to an audience

6-8.CC.1. use digital resources (e.g., discussion groups, blogs, podcasts, videoconferences, Moodle, Blackboard) to collaborate with peers, experts, and other audiences

6-8.CC.2. use collaborative digital tools to explore common curriculum content with learners from other cultures

National Standards for Foreign Language Education

Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics.

Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.