Fun websites that can be used for oral tasks!
Glogster
Glogster allows students to make "graphic blogs". It is like Pintrest mixed in with the classic bristol board posters. The site can be used in FSL classrooms as a modern take on the classic "describe what you see in the postcard" activity where students are presented with a Glog that you have created and they have to talk about what they see or they can create their own glog and talk about it to yourself and peers.
In addition, for classes where students are at unease about presenting, one can embed audios into Glogs too. You can take your class to the computer lab and record clips to insert into a Glogster.
In addition, for classes where students are at unease about presenting, one can embed audios into Glogs too. You can take your class to the computer lab and record clips to insert into a Glogster.
Spreaker
Spreaker allows students to record their own radio broadcast and play it for the students or allows them to air their broadcasts live through a link.
Some specific classroom ideas:
Some specific classroom ideas:
- Create a class broadcast.
- Have students create a broadcast in groups where they talk about specific themes and play music that they like.
- For more advanced groups (and providing that they have the means to), they can do a live broadcast at a specific time. They can send you the link and you can listen along with their friends and classmates.
- Can be used to stream presentations or events for parents.
Little Bird Tales
Although this website targets mainly elementary students, it is a great tool to use in the FSL classroom even at more senior levels.
Students are able to write stories, or present subjects using images, text and audio. It is like creating a picture book but the students also record themselves reading the text. The students can draw their own pictures and scan them or they can upload photos or pictures obtained from the internet.
Some specific classroom ideas:
Students are able to write stories, or present subjects using images, text and audio. It is like creating a picture book but the students also record themselves reading the text. The students can draw their own pictures and scan them or they can upload photos or pictures obtained from the internet.
Some specific classroom ideas:
- Write a story in the target language and then illustrate it and read it.
- Create an autobiography (or a biography) using "little bird tales".
- Present a topic (for example, a francophone culture or holiday) using the website.
Other websites that can be used for oral tasks
GoAnimate
This website allows students to create free animated videos by choosing characters, a setting and recording their own voices. It's a great formative or summative assessment and the videos can be shared with others. Although they cannot be exported to youtube for free, students can email a link to their GoAnimate video to their teacher. Also, the videos can be embedded into websites (such as the one on the home page of this website). Perhaps the students can create their own weebly sites and embed a GoAnimate video for their next project?
Some specific classroom ideas
Some specific classroom ideas
- create an animation of a certain length based on a title/subject given by the teacher
- create a video and as the students to continue the story from where you ended
- create an animation based on a reading
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Other animation tools
Popplet
Popplet is great for creating graphic organizers. However aside from that it can be used in the FSL classroom as a communication tool.
Some ways Popplet can be used for communication in the classroom:
Popplet is also great for literacy! FSL students can create a popplet to summarize a story or to organize the main ideas of the story (who?, what?, where?, when?, how?, why?).
Some ways Popplet can be used for communication in the classroom:
- In the computer lab, have one person talk about themselves (or another topic) and the other partner create a popplet based on it. The popplet can then be shared on social media or sent to the teacher.
- Advanced: Create a popplet. As a class, create a story orally based on the contents of the organizer. Start with one student who will create a sentence based on the first box, and then continue with the next and so forth. If the students struggle, you can create a sentence to get them back on track. It is spontaneous oral communication based on a context.
Popplet is also great for literacy! FSL students can create a popplet to summarize a story or to organize the main ideas of the story (who?, what?, where?, when?, how?, why?).
Zondle
Teachers can create fun games by inputting questions into video game formats! These games can be embedded into sites or you can give students the links to practice outside of the class too. Their results can be monitored to assess their progress.
Vocaroo
Allows students to record and download their recordings. These can then be sent or embedded into other formats.
Other great websites that can be used to motivate students
Weebly
Great tool for creating dynamic websites.
It is good for those who want to run a classroom website. Students can also create their own websites for something such as a culminating task.
It is good for those who want to run a classroom website. Students can also create their own websites for something such as a culminating task.
Capzles
Capzles is really neat for creating interactive timelines. The timelines can have pictures, videos, links and audios. Students can either present capzles or record themselves and embed it inside the timeline. It can also be used to summarize readings.