Web 2.0: A didactic sequence

 Some weeks ago, we devoted a whole lesson sharing our practical works. As our subject relates to the creation of our own materials to enhance our learners' language acquisition, we spend the evening sharing different activities and tasks we created by profiting from the Web 2.0.

  Not only did we enjoy looking at our classmates' productions, but we also discovered many different tools to work with. It became evident that whatever your topic or the skill you want your learners to develop, there is a Web 2.0 resource ready to be used! Creating comics with special characters, making your own videos, inventing short stories and supporting them with images are some of the endless possibilities we have.

  Together with my mates, Marion and Antonela, we designed a lesson plan which was intended to teach places in the city to a 2nd Course from a public secondary school in Santa Fe. Their final task consisted on creating a video to show their imaginary city, describing it, with the main aim of convincing their mates to go to that place. The only restraint was that the video should last no longer than 40 seconds. 

  As a starting point we chose to work with what our imaginary learners were supposed to know. We tried to active their schemata by showing them the collage on the right, which has photos of places they already know since they are all in their own city. By using a beamer and some traditional worksheets, we shared and elicited from them different vocabulary related to those places. The idea was that our learners could produce simple sentences like "In Santa Fe there are two big stadiums: Colón and Unión".

After chicking this first activity, we showed them another collage, the one on the left. Working in pairs they had to write as many sentences as possibles as regards the places that are and are not in Santa Fe. To check, we designed a brief peer assessment session which, we believe, add some authenticity to the task and it also engages them more. This was followed by a simplified Jeopardy to practice the vocabulary.

To finish and actually introduce the final task, we presented a video that we created using Stupeflix, a Web 2.0 tool that allowed us to come up with a nice presentation of our own imaginary city that was called PARACITY. Have a look at it! And be honest... Wouldn't you like to visit it?
I really recommend this versatile resource that gives you the chance to create unlimited free videos, up to 20 minutes long with your own photos, texts and music. 

This practical work was really an opportunity to learn collaboratively using novel tools within the traditional learning setting, and also a strong invitation to keep on looking for the best way to teach!