Sample Online Lesson Plans

Teaching with Technology Elementary Language 1101

Things to think about when preparing to use the electronic classroom and new media for elementary language teaching

Familiarize yourself with the technology well in advance
Plan a tightly structured set of activities
Plan a logical build up including
- warm-up
- manipulative practice of structures needed to accomplish communicative tasks,
- a communicative activity that students would be likely to want/need to do in reality in the language
Electronic activities should fit into the overall curricular plan and promote the overall pedagogical goals that you have set for the semester / program
Engage technology to advance students on their way to proficiency, NOT as a sidestep or as entertainment // at the same time find or devise activities that engage students both for the language and the technological approach
Ideally activities include speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural investigation.
Plan activities using technology that make sense as technology-based activities
Keep in mind that authentic materials online are not created for language learners
To avoid frustration: simplify the task, NOT the text!

Call / email lab the day before (at latest) to make sure software is installed, laptops are charged, the room is really reserved for your group
Get yourself an assistant for the first visit!
If you can1t do it yourself, have assistant come ahead of class time to get room ready, laptops should have sites already bookmarked
Bring students directly to the lab!
Give students a simple exercise to complete in transit that activates thinking about computers: Interessierst du dich für Informatik?
Explain basic rules for using electronic room:
- no eating or drinking;
- extension of classroom rules from regular class time.
Begin with warm-up
Have good clear explanations of procedures!
Be prepared for student difficulties with technology
- Macs vs. PC1s,
- lack of experience,
- interference due to foreign language, etc.)

Goal: Familiarize yourselves with the lab, the computers, and our webpage in German; prepare to write short essay about yourself on courseworks page
Targeted Skills:
- Answering questions both in spoken and written form;
- following instructions both orally and in writing;
- practicing verb forms for leisure time activities and student life

I. Warm-up: Responses to questions about technology that students asked one another on the way to the lab

II. Opening a word document and manipulating page size on the screen to accommodate more than one document / program at a time

III. Creating German characters using a Mac

IV. Answering basic informational questions in a word document

V. Transferring the information onto the discussion board of Columbia Courseworks

VI. Homework: Go to courseworks page and respond to "Das ist Richard. Wer bist du?" (This is Richard. Who are you?)

Comments:
- We had some trouble getting Course Works to cooperate -- partly because of my lack of preparation!
- I discovered that the number of pages students had to open for each activity was too cumbersome for the small laptop screens.
- Students reacted very positively to their limited language but exhibited ability to "function in German" in most of the activities we did.