Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom:

Live Blogging with Cover It Live

In this morning's OZ/NZ Educators Flashmeeting, Jess McCulloch introduced us to new live blogging tool Cover IT Live a type of moderated chatroom which could be used across classrooms anywhere in the world as any new message can be approved by the teacher before going live.

The chat window can be embedded on a blog and once the session has finished it can be replayed too. There is also a cool voting tool too.

During the chat, the teacher can add images, audio or video files and can give permission for certain pupils to contribute without moderation. See Jess describing Cover IT Live below and check out the links above to find out more about how we got on.

Have a listen too to this longer explanation from Jess who I skyped after the meeting. Thanks Jess for sharing.

Download Jess_McCulloch_on_Cover_It_Live.mp3

Flip Video for the YouTube generation

The Flip Video Ultra has attracted a lot of interest recently on the blogosphere thanks to its all in one solution to producing great video on the move. Described as a an idiot-proof camcorder by Claudine Beaumont from The Telegraph, it can shoot up to an hour of video, connects directly to your computer via USB (no cables required) and has all the software required for quick editing and uploading to YouTube.

Clips are saved as avi files and can therefore be imported into MovieMaker without being converted first. Have a look at this tutorial for more information.

Silvia Tolisano has comprehensively blogged about her first experience of using her Flip camera and created this useful how to guide as part of her Digital Storytelling posts. Likewise, Anne Mirtschin has been playing with her new toy helped by a jovial Jess McCulloch. Very amusing.

Available in the UK in a matter of weeks for a very attractive £99 , the Flip Video Ultra could be the ideal vlogging tool for the summer.

Le French Factor!

Esther Mercier, authoress of Atantot and AST in MFL at Longridge High School has been encouraging her Yr 7 pupils to think out of the (X)box and promote their creativity in Le French Factor!

"I introduced it in class telling pupils they would have to create a song using either a rap, a melody they know or their own tune. Then lesson 1 they wrote it. I collected it and marked it. Lesson 2 they practiced it and by the end of the lesson they groups who were ready. We recorded it in class with Audacity. Lesson 3, we finished the recording then listened to them all."

Pupils voted for the best compositions and winners won their own French Factor trophy (Les Frenchies for short?) made by Esther's husband Dave using Corel Draw 12, a laser cutter, some perspex and balsa wood (See below). Runners up were awarded a novelty rubber each imported from Canada.

"They are very cool in the shape of flip flops, footballs, big flowers, stars etc and you put them on the end of your pen. I traffic rubbers from Canada every time I go. Once I got stopped and the people looking in my bag laughed their head off, when I said they were prizes for my pupils."

The overall winner was the excellent Dans la ferme il y a beaucoup d'animaux (the middle X on the right).

Esther's pupils also took part in the recent LAFTAs competition. Check out Learn a language, I can speak french really! Elephant and Mouse and my personal favourite Ich liebe deinen Hut. Great work guys!

Asus Eee 900 - great moblogging tool?

In this clip from The Gadget Inspectors, Claudine and Harry describe the main features of the Asus Eee 900 and suggest how the little device could be a powerful tool for use on the move. See what you think.

Taking the lead at Chelsea

Last Thursday, as part of his SSAT Languages Lead Practitioner interview at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, Spanish teacher and Liverpool fan Chris Fuller gave an impassioned speech on the power of Web 2.0 tools and creating genuine, cross-curricular learning opportunities.

Putting the theory into practice, Chris has published his presentation as a slidecast so you can enjoy it too.

Well done, Chris and fingers crossed.

Takes me back!