This is my first experience “blogging” but I feel that there are many people out there doing the same and I wanted to become part of this collaborative & resourceful venue.
Recently, I attended a conference hosted by our state’s Foreign Language association. It left me inspired but also wanting to share more with other World Language teachers. I generated a short list of what I have found to be quite useful when teaching Spanish, that is available online and is FREE! 🙂
So, here are my “top” websites. Today is March 17th, 2013, a year from now, interestingly enough- this list may be very, very different.
WEBSITES WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHERS SHOULD BE USING AS RESOURCES:
(1) Become Connected!
Social Media Sites to Connect with other WL Teachers:
EdModo, Twitter, LinkedIn, Thinkfinity, Edutopia, Pinterest
*I’m finding that this year has been my year to explore what the social media world has to offer, in terms of helping me to find resources and fun ideas/activities to really enhance my students communication skills. Personally, I am finding EdModo & Pinterest to be the most helpful from what I have listed. Any of the tools will link you to thousands of WL teachers who do what you do each day and many are willing to share. You can follow me on Twitter or Pinterest- @srtanrodriguez
(2) NJ DOE- Technology Toolbox
http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/sr/tech.htm
*Thinking about implementing technology into your next assessment? The NJ DOE breaks down all of the different types of technologies available online, within different categories.
(3) ACTFL- Web Watch
*A site to visit with some great ideas on what is emerging on the web right now. There are many other helpful areas on the site, so feel free to browse!
(4) Zachary Jones– Authentic text, videos & useful activities
http://zachary-jones.com/zambombazo/
*Click on “Panorama tematico” on the right side. This site is constantly updated with different authentic tools to use with students. My favorite is his “Twiccionario” section.
(5) Spanish 4 Teachers–
http://www.spanish4teachers.org/
*Recently discovered this site and I’m finding the power point section to be quite resourceful.
(6) Realidades- Textbook http://www.phschool.com/atschool/realidades/program_page.html
*I know, I know. What is this teacher thinking? A textbook link! However, Realidades online offers downloadable- EVERYTHING! Music (Canciones de HipHop), activities & integrated performance assessments- all in one place! Also, for another resource of fun music, visit: http://www.senorwooly.com/
(7) Professional Development Videos
http://www.ecb.org/worldlanguageassessment/index.htm
http://www.learner.org/resources/series185.html
*Don’t wait for your district to bring the presenters to you, check out either of these sites and learn from any of the amazing teachers featured here.
(8) Revistas- TECLA
http://www.mecd.gob.es/reinounido/publicaciones-materiales/publicaciones.html
*I especially like the magazines featured here because they are authentic. I would recommend these to intermediate or advanced level learners.
(9) Videos ELE
http://www.videoele.com/zona_profesores.html
*Teaching about food? the city? the airport? Find some great free online videos, which include teacher resource packets & even games!
(10) NY State Proficiency Exams
http://www.nysedregents.org/loteslp/spanish/home.html
*Here is the archive of past NY State Proficiency Exams given. They use authentic realia throughout their exams, which you can “borrow” and use with your own students.
(11) Spanish Proficiency (Listening) – Univ. of Texas & BBC
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/spe/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/spanish/
*Students can always use more practice in listening. Set up on this website, you have a very wide variety of native speakers describing different experiences or sharing their thoughts. A written transcription is also provided.
(12) MFL Sunderland Resource Page
http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/resources-pr-sp.htm#weather
*I came across this website last year. Thank you to the creators who posted & shared from Sunderland. *Resources in other languages as well
(13) Michigan State University- Rich Internet Applications
http://clear.msu.edu/teaching/online/ria/
*If you want to record your students speaking, this is a great website designed to help you do just that! As the teacher, you can set it up to have interpersonal communication by recording videos with questions and having the students answer. Or students can complete a presentational task by describing a topic of your choice. Students must have access to a computer & working microphone/camera installed. If this doesn’t seem realistic for you, website option #14 may work better.
(14) Google– Voice, Docs, Forms, Drive, Maps, YouTube (TeacherTube)
*If you have not yet taken advantage of all the wonderful things Google has to offer, what are you waiting for? Google Voice- Students dial a telephone number and leave you a “message”. Google Docs is used for students to collaborate & store their documents all online. Google Forms can be used to take polls from students or give a quiz! Google Maps allows you to take a trip around the world, from your computer. And YouTube, hopefully you know about YouTube by now-create playlists to store all of your favorites. TeacherTube is also user friendly.
(15) Todo ELE
http://www.todoele.net/matfuen/MatFuentes_list.asp?MatFuentesPage=2
*Caution– This website can be overwhelming. I spent one of many evenings, looking through different sites and links they have provided. FULL of great resources.
(16) Live Television from Spain
http://www.rtve.es/noticias/directo/canal-24h/
*You don’t need cable to watch TV nowadays. Check out these live TV feeds from Spain. Also, to keep up with current global trends, here is a newspaper link (recommended for intermediate & advanced levels) http://www.prensaescrita.com/newspapers/
(17) Quizlet- Online flashcards
*Students can create their own flashcards or you can search by textbooks, themes or grammatical concepts. I like to select flashcard sets with pictures, instead of Spanish to English only.
(18) Mary Glasgow Magazines (Scholastic)
http://es.maryglasgowplus.com/
*If you are looking for leveled magazines, Scholastic offers a teacher subscription. There are other great magazines available for language learning as well.
http://www.delearte.com/2012/03/el-mundo-con-ene-revista-gratuita-para.html
(19) World Language Clip Art
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59577015@N05/
*I’m always looking for clip art and images to help me with my daily teaching. Here are just a few that I’ve found to be quite useful.
(20) Graphic Organizers (in Spanish)
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/spanish/
*When students are reading in Spanish or making comparisons, it is without question that I utilize some sort of graphic organizer with them, to assist with comprehension.
For even more sites & ideas of how to implement technology into your classroom, on my teacher webpage in my school district, I post to a section titled, “mar-tecnologia” otherwise known as “Techie Tuesday”. Each week, I give students different tips on using technology and Spanish outside of our classroom. There will be future updates 🙂
http://www.marlboro.k12.nj.us/webpages/nrodriguez/mar-tecnologia.cfm
Other Blogs/Sites of Interest:
MisCositas– http://miscositas.com/spanish.html
The Comprehensible Classroom– http://martinabex.com/
The Creative Language Class– http://creativelanguageclass.wordpress.com/
Fun for Spanish Teachers– http://funforspanishteachers.blogspot.fr/2012/08/17-fun-games-to-play-in-spanish-class_15.html
***Feel free to add your own thoughts, suggestions & ideas to this post****
—COLLABORATION IS KEY—
Personalizing the Path to Proficiency 
Querida Señorita Rodriguez:
Me encanta tu “blog” hay muchisima informacion util. Muchisimas gracias por compartir tus cositas!
Con todo cariño
Gracia
@Gracia- Gracias 🙂
Here’s my blog: Teaching & Learning Spanish http://teachinglearningspanish.blogspot.com It’s like my online file cabinet. I started it in 2008.
Thank you for sharing Karen, I will be sure to begin to read yours!
Wow….such a helpful site.
The link for the mar-tecnologia site does not seem to be working. Do you have another one? Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your message. Here is a copy of the page from the website, since it is closed for the summer. Feel free to use any of the ideas with your future classes or colleagues. Enjoy the summer!
mar-Tecnología
(cada martes)
Objetivo: Usar español fuera de nuestra clase y con una forma de tecnología.
9 de octubre- Using Audio Drop Box or other internet recording tools to record your voice in Spanish.
16 de octubre-Adding a “Learn Spanish” app to your “smart” device.
23 de octubre- Using Google Docs to collaborate with peers.
13 de noviembre- Joining EdModo to communicate & share opinions in Spanish
20 de noviembre- Posting a question to our class in Spanish using EdModo; Adding EdModo app to our smart phone
27 de noviembre- Completing online quizzes in Spanish using our textbook website (Accessing the textbook electronically)
4 de diciembre- Using Quizlet to create helpful flashcards online!
11 de diciembre- Listening to Spanish Radio Stations (Through the radio, the internet or our phones- different music apps)
18 de diciembre-Changing our cell phones to Spanish. Set the language to: Español or add a Spanish keyboard, to text in Spanish!
8 de enero-Creating a PodCast in Spanish! See the Student Podcast Tab for more information!
15 de enero-Designing your own Avatar/Cartoon Comic Strip in Spanish!
websites: http://www.bitstrips.com/
http://www.toondoo.com/
http://www.voki.com/
http://blabberize.com/
22 de enero-Check out an online Spanish pronunciation guide! Listen to native Spanish speakers say different words with their authentic accents.
website: http://www.forvo.com/
29 de enero-Using Google Voice- You can call a designated number & leave a voicemail in Spanish from your phone!
5 de febrero- Accessing books & stories online or downloading for a reading device. You can also visit your local library or bookstore to borrow or purchase books in Spanish (in print).
12 de febrero-Watch/Listen to live TV channels from Spain through the Internet. http://www.rtve.es/noticias/directo/canal-24h/
19 de febrero- Sending a text message to someone in Spanish OR creating a “pretend” text to & from someone in Spanish.
26 de febrero-Creating a “meme” in Spanish. Go ahead, be creative!
5 de marzo- Need to check the weather? Why not look it up in Spanish! http://espanol.weather.com/
12 de marzo- Music videos in Spanish- A website called “Lyrics Training” allows you to play music videos in Spanish and it posts the song lyrics right below. You have to type in what is missing! Here is one of my favorite Spanish bands: La Oreja de Van Gogh!
http://www.lyricstraining.es/play/10255/la_oreja_de_van_gogh/jueves
19 de marzo- Using an iPad, download the “Sock Puppet” app and create your own unique sock puppet speaking in Spanish!
26 de marzo- Staying in Marlboro over spring break? You can still see places around the world! Using Google Earth or Tourwrist (app) to get a neat view of real places in Spanish speaking countries. Travel globally and take a tour without leaving your home!
2 de abril- Get to know some sites with Spanish podcasts-
http://www.audiria.com/, http://www.notesinspanish.com,
9 de abril- Create a “word cloud” in Spanish. (using worlde.com)
16 de abril- Using social media to communicate in Spanish. Tweet in Spanish! #espanolesfantastico @SrtaNRodriguez
23 de abril- Collaborate with others instantly in Spanish- websites like: Edmodo (post opinions, respond to others), TodaysMeet (discussion forum), Socrative (question/answer) /Infuselearning, Pollseverywhere (create a poll)
30 de abril- Researching different Spanish speaking singers, actors or artists, using es.wikipedia.org
6 de mayo- In honor of Art Appreciation week- Create your own “Picasso” head- http://www.picassohead.com/create.html
or take a virtual tour of this Art Museum!
13 de mayo-Viewing Digital Stories online, in Spanish from former students.
20 de mayo- Creating our own digital stories using FRAMES software (in class)
27 de mayo- Creating your own website to showcase your Spanish accomplishments from this past year! (eportfolios/digital portfolio) Then make a QR code, to link the world to your site! (http://qrcode.kaywa.com/)
Using Animoto (website: http://animoto.com/) to create your own unique video in Spanish!
Hi there, after reading this remarkable article i am also glad tto share myy know-how here with friends.
Hola Srta Rodriguez!
I am César Alvarez I am a Spanish teacher from Spain currently working in San Francisco. Congratulations on your blog there are great ideas for us teachers!. I write songs to teach Spanish and i have created a very fun website to teach/learn Spanish. Please take a look at it! http://www.rockalingua.com
¡Gracias!
I’m not a teacher, but a student and I still find this to be helpful for self study!
There is a new cool resource for Spanish teacher actually for all foreign language teachers, I love the games so do my kids http://www.lingohut.com
Muuuuuuuuuchísimas gracias por compartir!!!! I just got hired as a part-time Spanish teacher in the midst of finishing up my licensure/Master’s program. I am in over my head to say the least, but this blog is going to ensure my survival — I am sure of it 🙂 Thank you thank you thank you.
🙂
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¡Muchísimas por escribir este blog!
Quiero compartir una página web, Rockalingua, tiene vídeos con canciones y dibujos animados, hojas (worksheets) y juegos muy apto para enseñanza de Español en escuela primaria o principio de secundaria.
http://www.rockalingua.com/
I am really pleased to read this web site posts which carries tons of useful facts,
thanks for providing such statistics.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always interesting to read articles from other authors and use a little something from other websites.
I’m very happy to find this web site. I wanted to thank you
for your time just for this fantastic read!!
I definitely appreciated every bit of it and I have
you saved as a favorite to check out new information on your site.
¡Hola! I have a new website which has 330 teaching resources on it and is growing daily – please take a look at http://www.spanishteachertoolbox.com
Great resources I’m always looking for new sites. Unfortunately most of the sites I’m finding are not updated regularly. I’m going to see if I can change that and see how regular I’ll get about updating subdays.com. Thanks for this list of places to check out.
These are all such great resources. Thank you for sharing! I always get such great ideas from other Spanish teachers. I also have my own blog called ‘Mejor Dicho’ that focuses on the elementary Spanish classroom. Visit it at: http://www.nikitottingham.com/
Fantastic Website!!! Thank you for sharing!
Fantastic list! I’d love to include a quote from you in a round-up post I’m writing for TakeLessons.com, with tips for Spanish students. I could not find your email address, so if you’re interested in helping, please email me at sstgeorge@takelessons.com so we can chat! Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your information.
The link for the Creative Language Class Blog has changed to http://www.creativelanguageclass.com. Love her stuff!
Hola, muchas gracias por el lindo blog, es información muy importante.
Quisiera consultarte que requisitos piden para ser profesor de Español en escuelas de USA
Muchas gracias
Hi everyone! Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing. I will leave below my Spanish Blog site for you to take a look at. If you like it, please let me know by providing a “like” on the facebook link. Thanks a lot!
http://asinosentendemos.blogspot.com
Muchísimas gracias por compartir!!
I found a new web page the other day that focuses on the new gcse / AS-Level exams. I really liked the design and the translation activities. The newsletter they sent with the new releases means I don’t have to search for topical resources as they seem to be releasing new topical stuff as we are teaching it.
http://www.spectrumspanish.com
Also check out https://www.learnwitholiver.com/
It has some nice features like your own word lists, mouseover explanations, a loop flashcard feature and a text analyzer.
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Muchísimas gracias por la información! This is really great stuff to know for my future classroom! I’ve never heard of about 14 of these sites but they all seem very productive and very useful!
Brandon Davis
También le mando un fuerte abrazo por esta fuerte contribución
Señor Wooly
Nice post and thank so much! CLEAR is not from U of M, it’s from MIchigan State!
Thanks for this information, will update the blog post 🙂 It has been a few years since it was published, so thanks for catching that & sharing!
Thanks for this blog. Even though it’s a few years old, it still has some relevant information. I would also like to recommend this app http://www.beebl.io to your reader because I believe it can be a powerful tool for language learning and teaching.
Thank you