• Home
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Bio
  • Home
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • Bio

What I Do

Seeking the future of world language learning at the intersection of comprehensible input, project-based learning, global education, and love.
tools

Forced to adopt a textbook: Now what?

Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell April 6, 2015 7 Comments
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Google +
  • Pinterest
  • Email

What do you do when you’re being forced into a textbook adoption that’s stifling the creative community in your school?  Sometimes you turn to someone with a generally poor opinion of textbooks for advice.

One of my favorite parts of doing what I do is the conversations I get to watch and sometimes even facilitate.  I’m not in the classroom this year, and I do miss it like a drug some days, but I’m coming to see that where I am now, I can still contribute significantly to the field, mostly through you.

When I get questions and comments through the blog, your immediate need is for advice or direction and my (sometimes not very immediate) response is to try to speak some wisdom into your situation.  But in the bigger picture, the questions you ask me and dilemmas you face and tell me about end up affecting teachers far and wide, because two months down the road at a workshop someone says,

I have this class where I try X and it’s not working.  What do I do?

And I say,

I talked with a teacher in this exact situation 2 months ago!  So she said that you should A, B, and L.

And so, because you reached out to me with your experience, you contributed to the profession in a way that may not have occurred to you.

A striking example of this streamed through my email recently.  Because of the sensitivity of the situations these teachers are in, I have changed their names and some details here.  All of them have previewed and approved this post because they want to help you, should you find yourself in this situation.

I apologize for the massive wall of text that is this post, but as soon as I saw this exchange happen, I knew I had to share it with those of you who find yourselves faced with a textbook adoption, wanted or unwanted.  If it applies to you, you’ll be fascinated by the feedback; if not, if you’re blessed to be a department of one and/or have a lot of freedom thanks to supportive (or indifferent) administration, count your blessings and skip this one.

Round 1: Any change is a solution

Sometime last year, I was contacted by Marlene, who teaches Spanish in a large high school in a department of about seven or eight teachers with widely varying stands on communicative language teaching.  She and her colleagues had done some work on creating assessments, wanted to create common units, and then, bam- a push to adopt a new textbook:

On the theme of books: I am feeling stressed.  I feel like once we get new books, it will be a race by most to create everything new like vocab lists, vocab quizzes, and then the real assessments will be put on hold or have less quality.  I am not condoning vocab quizzes, but some aren’t ready to let them go.

My take on the books is we have Exprésate and we are familiar with it. There is a learning curve with new books.  Maybe we can’t do all the units quickly, but at least if we keep our books, it will be easier to create units.  We already have some decent assessments in Spanish I.   If we adopt a book, we have to get to know the book first and then we mine it for what to keep and use.  Then creating units might get delayed for even longer.  I know the key is assessment.  To me, new book=less time to focus on real change.

I really think people want new books because they want a change.  They like books, so they like new books.   The two best sellers didn’t change since the last round of adoptions, and Descubre was written for a university audience marketed to high school.  I don’t know if that’s a bad thing or not.

When what you’re doing isn’t working, it seems like any big change will be the solution, right?  And a shiny, expensive new textbook with all its techy add-ons and convenient pacing guides seems like the easiest big change that will solve everything.

Honestly, I don’t have a lot to say about specific textbooks because I haven’t used one in years.  So, I turned to a friend who was supposed to be using one and whose opinion I trusted.  Here’s what Brittany had to say:

I would use the Descubre series if I had to select one.  I have used several things from them in my non-textbook classes, and I think I would use them more if I had them.  I like that the activities are progressively more challenging, yet attainable.  Our French teacher got the French editions for her IB classes, and the online resources were amazing–films, audio clips, testing, etc., and all with a proficiency focus.  Grammar is for communication, not just for grammar’s sake.

Info and demo here:  http://descubre1.vhlcentral.com/demo/  They are really good about sending sample copies.

They also have upper level stuff that is intriguing and good to work with.  I sample stuff from those resources too.

To me, it’s the polar opposite of what we currently have, Realidades.  THAT book hasn’t left the shelf all year.  Descubre is still a text, and isn’t perfect, but I feel that I can make it work as a well-made tool.  I have heard some teachers say that they find it challenging to use, but in further discussions, it seemed that they weren’t doing anything more than the publisher’s activities.  I’m thinking it’s pretty safe to say that we wouldn’t do that–that we would use the text to help with core support, but we’d be using other resources to help pull it all together.  Also, there is so provided material that I think that they got bogged down trying to do it all.

Isn’t that the answer, after all?  That a textbook is simply a tool, and the real answer is you, and what you do with it.  Like she said, a tool that’s well-made can make a big difference.

Marlene’s school ended up adopting Descubre.

Round 2: Get a textbook, and do it now

Fast forward some to an email I got from another friend, Angela, who has more experience teaching than I do, currently teaching intermediate students.  Her department was not only being forced into a textbook adoption, but at first was being greatly rushed into it:

I don’t think a textbook is a good use of money.  I’ve seen lots of teachers and departments design curriculum successfully and share their assessments online.    But the reality is we have a tight deadline to do so and we must select a textbook series for our first two levels, maybe the third too.  Teachers think that ‘simply’ adopting a new textbook will bring great ease and less work.  Any change will bring lots of work.  And this change is being rushed… it’s discouraging.  The task is overwhelming and the textbook options are underwhelming.  Could you please recommend a textbook for us to consider?

It’s months later but I still don’t have an answer for this question.  And I’m not even teaching now, much less using a textbook.  So what do I do?  Well, I put them together of course.

And as a side note, the only advice I really had to offer was that if they adopted Realidades that they could refer to Andrea over at Lugar para pensar to figure out how to incorporate it into a more communicative program.

feedback-520527_1280Descubre: Feedback from the stakeholders

Thankfully, Marlene went above and beyond in her response, contributing far more to the textbook discussion than I could.  She even surveyed her department to get feedback from them, too.  The work she put into helping Angela in this situation is what inspired me to write this post.

First, she explained their school situation.  At their school, students have a class:

  • for a trimester

  • which is 12 weeks long

  • with classes every day

  • lasting about 70 minutes each.

Which adds up to a level of Spanish being:

  • 24 weeks divided into two 12-week trimesters

  • which may or may not be consecutive

  • and which may or may not be from the same teacher

  • and students could have four different teachers for two levels of Spanish.

Their department did end up adopting Descubre, an this is the breakdown:

  • Book 1A for Spanish 1

  • Book 1B for Spanish 2

  • Descubre 2 for Spanish 3

  • Descubre 3 for Spanish 4

In her reflection, she believes that Spanish 4 should be using Descubre 2 and not the third book.

Marlene isn’t a fan of Descubre, as you’ll see.

My opinion is we should have chosen Así se dice 1A and 1B or Realidades 1A and 1B for Spanish I and II.  To adopt Así se dice, I needed department support I didn’t have.

Realidades has a really good feature in the newest version where there is video support that models the communicative activities.  I also LOVED their map features with the geoculture.  But in our textbook-driven department, teachers didn’t like that it hasn’t been updated much, so it seems old.  Also, even with splitting the the textbooks by using the junior high version, there are a lot of chapters.

Choosing a textbook, especially when you don’t want one at all, is a tough decision, as you can tell.  Marlene still wishes they would have simply re-adopted Exprésate.  Perhaps if the other teachers simply got new copies to replace their worn-out copies they would have been satisfied.

So what have they thought about using Descubre since they adopted it this year?  Marlene says about the content:

The vendor does not tell you, and you need to know, that this textbook was written for a college/university audience originally.  Some of the prompts support that statement for example…pretend you are on a date, tell your roommate, talk about your courses which are part of the vocabulary, but are the type of courses a university student takes.  Lesson 2 is about a college life.

 What about how you schedule the curriculum?

Whether you are on trimester or traditional scheduling, I am in favor of a 1A & 1B for any of the textbooks for Spanish I and II.  This will help with the problem of trying to teach too much in one school year (and even with the split there is too much), and will allow room for a lot more proficiency-based tasks and supplementing with authentic resources if your teachers are so inspired.

One of Marlene’s colleagues, a teacher committed to proficiency-based teaching, chimed in with her perspective on using Descubre in level 1.

I supplement with a lot of authentic materials like music videos and commercials.  I don’t find much of the textbook useful.  I only use the workbook because my students could end up with another teacher the next trimester who will know I didn’t use it, so I do.  But there’s too much vocabulary and too many activities.  The communicative activities that are in the book, we don’t use them because they are too difficult for novices so I supplement those too.

On the higher levels, she can’t tell you a whole lot about how Descubre works there:

I rarely use a textbook. For levels 3 and 4, I barely use it, so I can’t speak of its communicative capacities or the authenticity of its resources. I know Descubre 3 has some great things, but I haven’t used them yet.  I only use it to find an alignment to something I am teaching with units.  So I decide what I am going to teach, and then I go to the book to find something related and I put it in my scope and sequence.  I regret even ordering the book for Spanish III and IV because they are paying for a book that isn’t used.

(Did you catch how her whole perspective is that it’s a tool, and it’s not the curriculum?)

How helpful would it be to hear from the students using Descubre?  Marlene’s a wonder and she’s got that feedback for you too.  Here’s what the kids say (if you teach teenagers you’ll read well into these statements, I’m sure!):

  • There are too many words.

  • It’s kind of difficult.

  • It’s helpful.

  • There are no study materials.

  • It’s confusing sometimes.

  • When you just read it, you don’t understand, so somebody has to explain it to you.

  • It needs better pictures.

  • I like it.

  • It needs more English.

Marlene is a teacher 100% sold on proficiency-based, communicative teaching through authentic resources.  What about teachers who don’t land so much in that camp?  Here’s their feedback:

The testing program has been harder to modify because of software issues, but if you like the tests/quizzes as they are, then you won’t have a problem.  The online components have been fantastic, but will require some getting used to for both students and teacher.   If you’re using them for graded assignments, you must schedule regular in-class lab time with teacher available to answer questions.  Transitioning for 2nd year students has been a bit of a challenge, but I think that would be the case for any textbook.   Pacing can still be a challenge, but we are always rushed on a trimester.  There seem to be a lot of places where you can combine concepts easily. As with all textbooks, you have to pick and choose which activities are most effective for your particular classes.

I am very happy with it and have found that I need to supplement less than usual.

If nothing else, the online activities are great when we are able to use them.  Since we can do half as much as we were before, we are able to go a lot slower.

The book is ok.  It’s not great, some of the activities are a little difficult and/or require too much teacher help, so it’s not something I can give them to work on.  The reason I like those types of activities are that I can help the struggling students and the ones that aren’t struggling can move on or I can make it more challenging for them.

I really like it!

Angela especially appreciated and benefited from Marlene’s input because as it turns out, they are on the same trimester schedule.  Angela says,

They feel like little tourists in our classrooms – here for 60 days and then on to the next teacher (or on to a trimester off).

Descubre was high on the list of recommendations for Angela’s school’s textbook adoptions and seemed at first like a positive choice:

The positive feedback we’d heard had everyone very hopeful.  We had heard that the materials were authentic.

But sometimes in spite of the hype and flashy conference booths, a program is not the all-encompassing solution it seems to be:

We looked at the topics inside the front flap that shows all three levels and we looked at the assessment and video examples they sent us.

Among the red flags that immediately perked Angela’s suspicions:

  • 4 grammar topics per chapter (covering too much content, anyone?)
    Marlene: there’s a lot in those four topics.

  • less than impressive assessments
    Marlene: but you can create your own with a good team

  • a clearly different definition of “authentic”
    Marlene: some are authentic, especially the commercials, but Exprésate‘s “Comparaciones” is better than “Flash Cultura”

It’s a situation that’s so sad but all too common.  Angela’s department, thankfully, decided  at least to take a little more time on their decision, but how often do schools come to this crossroads where they could take a path driven by stakeholder input – especially, what the students need; or they could choose what perhaps seems the easiest way, and take the road highly traveled that fills seat time, gets everyone a paycheck, and doesn’t rock the boat.  And too many departments make that second choice.

If you’re in the same situation, and Angela and Marlene could talk to you now, here’s the advice they would have for you:

  • Know when to ease up and when to press your point.

  • Ask the questions that will lead to more administrative support; it makes a huge difference.

  • Ask the questions that will lead to more teacher buy-in; it makes a huge difference.

To wrap it up, here’s my two cents: remember that whether or not a textbook exists in your classroom is not the issue; the important thing is how teachers implement the tools they have.

  • To work toward being a more effective teacher, explore the great content over at the TELL project.

  • Watch for an upcoming post related to one of my conference proposals for this year- AID: a three-pronged approach to textbook content, Adapt, Incorporate, Ditch.

  • To work with a small group of teachers on planning your curriculum for next year from the big picture to the day-to-day routine, whether or not you incorporate a textbook, consider joining us for a one- or two-day workshop at Camp Musicuentos, this year in Louisville, KY (currently very limited space on the novice day, intermediate day on a wait list), and Warwick, RI (six spaces remaining).

No matter what your department does, you can always push for more latitude, do more of your own thing, and then show off your results.  Your students’ success will always be your biggest advocate.

 

Problems textbook
  • Share This:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Google +
  • Pinterest
  • Email
Previous New song: El perdón for two levels
Next How can I help you put research to practice?
Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Related Posts
The Miss Musicuentos of 2003: 5 things right, 5 things wrong August 1, 2019
6 strategies to turn to when (language class) plans go awry March 28, 2019
From the “icky” test to the Supreme Court: Reflections on teachers sharing (& selling) ideas November 20, 2018
Dear pregnant/young mom teacher: Dream small. May 25, 2018

7 Comments

  1. Textbook Unit Breakdown: Realidades 1, Chapter 4b | Lugar para pensar says:
    April 6, 2015 at 10:12 am

    […] Cottrell mentioned me in a post she wrote about textbooks, so I thought I’d write about how I use Realidades, and what strategies help me incorporate […]

    Reply
  2. Courtney says:
    April 6, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    Great post! I really feel for those teachers who have to adopt textbooks. As far as textbooks are concerned, I have always been impressed with Vista Higher Learning. I “adopted” Temas for my AP Spanish Language and Culture course. Así se dice makes me cringe! My department adopted it about seven years ago. What was their reasoning? It was the newest version of Buen Viaje, which they had used for years and years (and wouldn’t have to throw away their lesson plans). *cringe* But, hey, they are all my dear friends and that’s what they wanted in order to make their lives easier!

    Reply
  3. Kathy Griffith says:
    April 7, 2015 at 10:04 am

    This is fascinating. What I takeaway from this is that no matter what, it’s going to take a lot of work. I used to think a new textbook would be a solution, but attending #langchat and #campmusicuentos changed me, and I’m moving towards this new paradigm.

    Sara Elizabeth has helped me with posts like these: http://musicuentos.com/2013/03/eveneasier/, where she encourages you take baby steps in the direction you want to go.

    Reply
  4. Musicuentos – A checklist: Adapt, Incorporate, or Ditch a textbook activity? says:
    November 16, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    […] all textbooks or their activities are created equal.  If you’re incorporating a textbook (or forced to adopt and use one like these teachers), keep […]

    Reply
  5. Jess says:
    April 10, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    I am STRONGLY opposed to Descubre, which we have just purchased. It is by far the worst textbook for Middle School students learning Level 1 Spanish. The “school day” vocabulary requires students to learn “accounting, psychology, economics, student residence, physics” and other ridiculous words that they do not even understand in English or are not applicable at all. Ready for the practice activity to accompany this lesson? Hey kids, can you match the name “Carl Jung” with the correct class? Good luck teachers, this book is the WORST I have ever seen. The website is entirely in Spanish, opposite of user-friendly, and it constantly marks student answers wrong for not capitalizing single-word answers. The kids can NEVER find anything without me writing a list of about 10 steps. The videos look like they were filmed using a camera with 100 pixels total. The photos are poor quality and the book layout is boring and examples are not clear. The speakers are very difficult to follow and the “plots” make me want to cry. The last one I tried to show was a group of college students randomly talking about their classes and then a joke that went like this: “So, why am I taking computation?” Answer: “Because you like homework.” I am beyond disgusted with this book. Give me REALIDADES back!! Realidades allowed for TPR, games, CONVERSATIONS using the vocabulary, CONTEXTUALIZED scenarios and I was able to do almost ALL of the class activities with ease. Lastly, Pearson is also the company that creates all of the country’s standardized tests (PSSAs) so their format is “the” format that the kids need to be familiar with anyway.

    Reply
    1. Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell says:
      April 11, 2016 at 8:41 am

      Thanks so much for this feedback “from the trenches” Jess!

      Reply
  6. In the end, these are your favorite posts. | Musicuentos says:
    January 2, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    […] 8. Forced to adopt a textbook: Now what? […]

    Reply

Your comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Recent Posts

  • Mon amis found magic, and it’s throwing stuffies.
  • Everything works (or nothing does).
  • Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  • In the end, these are your favorite posts.
  • In the end, these are my favorite posts.
Tweets by Musicuentos
Tweets by SECottrell

Archives

  •  2023 (1)
    •  March (1)
      • Mon amis found magic, and it's throwing stuffies.
  •  2022 (2)
    •  October (1)
      • Everything works (or nothing does).
    •  September (1)
      • Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  •  2019 (31)
    •  December (5)
      • In the end, these are your favorite posts.
      • In the end, these are my favorite posts.
      • One last time: Book Club '19, All the Fluff
      • What I learned from COFFEE (or, another hat I wear)
      • Every story comes to an end.
    •  November (3)
      • Make a MovieTalk more than a MovieTalk: 5 ways
      • And then PBLL says to TCI... #ACTFL19
      • 4 ways to incorporate a Song of the Week comprehensibly & thematically
    •  October (2)
      • One thing at a time: Step Five.
      • One thing at a time: Step Four
    •  September (4)
      • One thing at a time: Step Three
      • One thing at a time: Step Two
      • One thing at a time: Step One
      • Try adding this 1 practice to your classroom culture this year
    •  August (6)
      • Authentic poems for the Spanish novice
      • Hurry up & move! Two (no three! no SEVEN) new brain breaks
      • Supercharge a "News" unit
      • 10 real-world project examples for PBLL
      • Brain Break: Play 5 Second Rule!
      • The Miss Musicuentos of 2003: 5 things right, 5 things wrong
    •  June (1)
      • Join me for a revolution: #SociallySilentSummer
    •  May (3)
      • The 3 silver bullets that killed my textbook
      • Reflections on our AAPPL experience
      • How proficient language speakers get there, and how it changed my goals
    •  March (3)
      • 6 strategies to turn to when (language class) plans go awry
      • 10 songs for a Spanish class health unit & "duele"
      • The wait is over. #EsperanzaRenace
    •  February (2)
      • Legacy, or how my father's spirit lives on in my bilingual child
      • The fundamental perspective that drives your approach to TCI
    •  January (2)
      • Pick & choose lightning review for Novice Spanish
      • Resolved with a Plan 2019: Stuck rabbits, changing puzzles, picking up a paintbrush
  •  2018 (32)
    •  December (2)
      • Thank you, and what you read this year
      • All the Fluff: Book Club 2018
    •  November (3)
      • Gallery Blitz: High-energy novel review
      • From the "icky" test to the Supreme Court: Reflections on teachers sharing (& selling) ideas
      • If the resource fits, use it! (But what fits?)
    •  October (2)
      • Straw wars: #authres photo resources for Carrie Toth's Mar de plástico
      • Keys to an unforgettable, successful #unconference session
    •  September (5)
      • My most expensive resource is now FREE
      • StoryDrawing the song "Latinoamérica"
      • Crowdsourced tips: Toward a new, improved conference model
      • It's conference season. Kick FOMO out the door.
      • RESOURCE RELEASE: Trip Itineraries for Novice High Spanish
    •  August (8)
      • This year, consider... 4) drawing the story
      • #AuthresAugust: Kiva project descriptions
      • This year, consider... 3) paying for apps & services
      • #AuthresAugust: Tips for teaching an authentic novel
      • This year consider... 2) teaching a learner novel (resources for Peter va a Colombia!)
      • #AuthresAugust: Turning TripAdvisor reviews into a trip itinerary
      • This year, consider... 1) A vocabulary brainstorming station
      • Back to work: #AuthresAugust and This year consider...
    •  May (3)
      • #Langchat history and more: Stories and perspectives for your listening pleasure
      • Dear pregnant/young mom teacher: Dream small.
      • More translation-free twists on Matamoscas
    •  April (2)
      • Two cures for our obsession with high-frequency words
      • A must-have resource to accompany Felipe Alou
    •  March (2)
      • How the (shower curtain) word wall looks... so far
      • ImproviCuentos: Mad Libs + novel chapter = (90-minute) lesson plan
    •  February (2)
      • A tribute to your unhistoric acts, teacher
      • NCSSFL & ACTFL gave us new Can Dos: Your 15-minute(ish) guide
    •  January (3)
      • Mind Mapping Vocabulary
      • Blogs to watch 2018: You tell me!
      • Resolved 2018: Intention vs. plan
  •  2017 (30)
    •  December (4)
      • Book Club 2017: All the Fluff
      • The Power of Thank You (and what you read most)
      • Book Review: Raising Global Children
      • 21 gifts for the teacher you love
    •  November (3)
      • A minor stroke of genius: Count down the rabbit trail
      • ACTFL '17: Novice PBLL, and adapt that text!
      • Can I learn with you at ACTFL '17?
    •  October (2)
      • Break free from the verb chart. (FLANC '17)
      • Build an iceberg? I'm gonna need some ice.
    •  September (3)
      • Let the PLN make your simmer sauce (w/Ratoncito Pérez resources)
      • The $10 gift for EVERY teacher on your list
      • In search of music that says something real (#AuthresAugust)
    •  August (5)
      • The alphabet book every Spanish teacher must have (#AuthresAugust)
      • The best Spanish travel channels on YouTube (#AuthresAugust)
      • #AuthresAugust: Blogging street signs in Madrid
      • Authentic or learner material? Wrong question.
      • New resources: How frequent is that high-frequency word?
    •  July (1)
      • Welcome back! (sort of)
    •  May (2)
      • Summer Activity Record sheets for elementary to Spanish 2
      • Yes, some people are "good" at languages. So what? (Black Box)
    •  April (1)
      • A Musicuentos storytelling video
    •  March (3)
      • Why it's I Can, not I Need or even I Want
      • 5 steps to make a video viewing guide
      • Let's do this together.
    •  February (3)
      • So your students think they can dance...
      • One question: What do you use your L2 for?
      • Blogs to Watch 2017
    •  January (3)
      • Resolutions 2017: Support the community
      • Resolutions 2017: Do something empathetic
      • Resolutions (Systems!) 2017: Become Officer Hopps
  •  2016 (54)
    •  December (8)
      • Top post of 2016: Homework choice systems for Spanish class
      • Best of 2016, #2: Top 20 Songs for Spanish Class
      • Book Club '16: Who Owns the Learning
      • Best of 2016, #3: 5 ways to use infographics in language class
      • Book Club 2016: All the Fluff
      • Best of 2016, #4: Where's the agreement?
      • Best of 2016, #5: New(ish) authentic music!
      • When the textbookless teacher's creativity goes up in flames
    •  November (3)
      • Textbook as AID: #actfl16 slideshow and checklist
      • See you this year? Conferences & workshops
      • One more question: Did you become proficient because of a class?
    •  October (4)
      • So, what was your pathway to proficiency? (Poll)
      • Post-It Votes: Low stress, high interaction with input
      • VanPatten/Ellis/Conti/Long: "Principles" compared
      • Native speaker video resource: ¡GRACIAS Project Amigo!
    •  September (2)
      • The largest Spanish class PBLL collaboration ever?
      • Throwback ThurSLAy: Research that brought us here
    •  August (6)
      • #AuthResAugust: Interactive websites
      • #AuthRes August: Top 20 Musicuentos songs
      • #AuthResAugust: New(ish) Music!
      • Nine homework choice systems for world language classrooms
      • #AuthResAugust: The power of Twitter
      • Annual BTS sale: 20%-25% off ebook guides to authentic novels
    •  July (5)
      • A call to #AuthRes August
      • World language teaching after the Babel fish
      • Where are the points of agreement in language teaching?
      • My own position statement: the why & how of TL use
      • July agenda: To boldly think in public
    •  June (2)
      • Welcome, again
      • This side of the Year of No Grades: How it changed (me)
    •  May (1)
      • Seven things I will (should/would/might) do next year
    •  April (8)
      • They couldn't hear the word "no"
      • Scaffolded reading: Novice Mid #authres "Places to Plans"
      • NEW Summer PD: Brave Little Tailor CI strategies workshop
      • Dear Everychild: Learn a language
      • I am (Shakespeare): A practical, fun TL transition/brain break
      • Extra, extra! Special guest at (Base)Camp Musicuentos
      • Guest Post: What is "unconscious" acquisition in the classroom? (Justin Slocum Bailey)
      • I'll never use authentic resources again
    •  March (6)
      • Primacy/Recency Lesson Plan Template
      • Better acquisition by altering (not eliminating) translation
      • 5 ways to use infographics in language class
      • Armed for incomprehensible input (CSCTFL '16)
      • Effective Storytelling with Consistency, Cartooning, and Cool Content (CSCTFL)
      • The Best Laid Plans (CSCTFL '16)
    •  February (3)
      • It's TIME! Register for Camp Musicuentos 2016
      • The word to fear in lesson planning
      • Culture, description, family: Novice #authres this week!
    •  January (6)
      • Quick tech to start your year: One-Click Timer
      • Quick Tech to start your year: Video DownloadHelper
      • Quick tech to start your year: Screencastify
      • Chameleons and bears and early language class, oh my!
      • Blogs to Watch 2016
      • Resolve for 2016: Walk free, and pay it forward
  •  2015 (78)
    •  December (11)
      • Top post of the year: The 2015 updated rubric
      • Book Club 2015: Make It Stick
      • Best of 2015 #2: The five things I must have in my syllabus
      • Book Club 2015: All the etc. in one post
      • Best of 2015 #3: How important is task completion?
      • Semester 1 assessment: Elementary edition
      • Too much choice = a self-defeating tyranny?
      • Best of 2015 #4: My homework choices for very early novices
      • Best of 2015 #5: Using the song El perdón
      • Ending the year with Best of & Book Club
      • How about an elementary rubric?
    •  November (4)
      • Couch conversations from ACTFL: A conference in sound bytes
      • Teach me to say what I need to say: Overview of TBLT (Black Box)
      • See you at ACTFL '15?
      • A checklist: Adapt, Incorporate, or Ditch a textbook activity?
    •  October (7)
      • 7 Brain Breaks for World Language Teachers
      • Give & take #authres activities: Let's collaborate!
      • Collaborating via Google Drive step-by-step
      • Correcting all those errors? Step away from the red pen. (BlackBox)
      • Twitter Lingo for World Language Teachers
      • More resources for very early circumlocution
      • More TL in class is tough. Let's do it anyway. (BlackBox)
    •  September (6)
      • A conference in sound bytes: 6 quotes from KWLA '15
      • The Best Laid Plans (KWLA '15)
      • Cultura y Comunicación con Comerciales (KWLA '15)
      • Novice description with a deep cultural AP twist
      • See you this year? Conferences & Camp Musicuentos 2016
      • The taco/sushi talk - visualized!
    •  August (9)
      • These are a few of my favorite things
      • ANNOUNCING: The 2015 updated performance assessment rubric
      • Let me tell you about tacos... I mean crêpes!
      • You can't possibly teach it. But you can do this. (Black Box)
      • Homework choice for elementary students (and my syllabus)
      • BTS: The Taco Talk for Intermediates
      • Finally: My homework choices for very early novices
      • The five things I must have in my syllabus
      • If I learn it, can I use it? The interface debate (Black Box)
    •  July (6)
      • Back-to-school time! Upcoming posts, resources on sale
      • Starting my interactive notebook
      • I can do more with you than I can alone (Black Box)
      • This is design-based learning: A disaster relief team
      • No dog with my iced tea, please
      • All they need is accurate input... right? Wrong. (Black Box)
    •  June (4)
      • The new required school supply: Find your own audience
      • Grammar drills aren't all in your head... or in your head at all (BlackBox)
      • The one-word key to teaching culture
      • Why your method doesn't matter: Black Box videocast
    •  May (4)
      • Embedded listening
      • Rubrics: How important is task completion?
      • Add this to your Novice AND Intermediate HW choice options NOW
      • What a design-based WL program looks like
    •  April (6)
      • "Three Before Me" poster in German and French
      • Three before me
      • Why interpersonal isn't interpretive
      • How can a transition empower your class?
      • How can I help you put research to practice?
      • Forced to adopt a textbook: Now what?
    •  March (7)
      • New song: El perdón for two levels
      • En español, por favor: Fostering bilingualism in children
      • It's not about the I in IPA, or the vocab list
      • Armed for a world of incomprehensible input: Circumlocution training
      • Timely repost: the "I don't understand!" signal
      • Poll: what conference proposals?
      • Anatomy of a novice question
    •  February (7)
      • I see a... great chance to practice prepositions
      • Speaking of motivation: Guest interview on Paulino Brener's EPC Show
      • It's TIME! Open registration for Camp Musicuentos '15
      • The M that trumps your method, materials, & madness
      • Shake things up: Vary your seating - every day
      • #Teach2Teach 3: A coach who failed me, and a coach who didn't
      • Pronunciation gold: Forvo.com
    •  January (7)
      • It's a myth, #11: Assessing communication without communication
      • My favorite authentic resource combining culture & calendar
      • #Teach2Teach Question 1: The Great Balancing Act
      • All new resource: Battleship for es / está
      • 2015 Resolution #3, Expand your learning network: New blogs to watch
      • 2015 Resolutions #2: Act like we're on the same team
      • 2015 resolution #1: Stop being so hard on yourself
  •  2014 (96)
    •  December (22)
      • Book Club '14: George Müller & Bruchko
      • Best of 2014 #1: Every language teacher's biggest mistake
      • Best of 2014 #6: Carol Gaab's rebuttal to my TPRS critique
      • Book Club '14: Creating Innovators
      • Best of 2014 #2: Where I depart from classic TPRS
      • Book Club '14: Stella Bain, Gemma Hardy, & a bittersweet hotel
      • Best of 2014 #7: What I love about TPRS
      • Book Club '14: Monuments Men, With the Old Breed, In Pharaoh's Army
      • Book Club '14: The Kite Runner
      • Best of 2014 #3: Sample homework choice systems
      • Book Club '14: Crazy Busy
      • Book Club '14: The Hobbit & The Scarlet Pimpernel
      • Best of 2014 #5: How I use verb charts
      • Book Club 2014: Amazing Grace (Kozol)
      • Book Club '14: A Step of Faith & Walking on Water (The Walk series)
      • Best of 2014 #4 & #8: Curriculum planning outside the textbook
      • Book Club '14: Five Days at Memorial & Men We Reaped
      • Best of 2014 #9: Genius hour isn't a great idea for novice classes
      • Book Club '14: The Painted Veil & Life After Life
      • Best of 2014 #10: The new JCPS curriculum documents
      • Happy Cyber Week! Resource sale Dec. 1-3
      • Musicuentos Book Club 2014
    •  November (4)
      • Lessons from ACTFL '14: if they have all the answers, they're trying to sell you something
      • What's ahead: ACTFL, best of '14, and the book club
      • Linguacafé: The idea that rocked my interpersonal world
      • What we learned at IFLTA '14: Everyone struggles, Culture leads
    •  October (5)
      • Communicative teaching in the shadow of [grammar-focused] common assessment
      • More multi-tasking children's lit
      • Next on my PD list: New proficiency videos
      • What we learned at KWLA: share, think, respect
      • The game-changing authentic resource guide for Spanish 3+: it's here!
    •  September (4)
      • Three days and then...
      • The technology that's making us irrelevant...and more relevant
      • Thank you, reflective teachers
      • See you this year? Conferences & Camp Musicuentos
    •  August (6)
      • How I teach La ciudad de las bestias
      • Putting homework in their hands: Sample systems
      • The First Day Story: Empowering with CI
      • Keeping games communicative
      • Let's talk tacos: Informing parents & students on proficiency
      • Regreso a clases! Ciudad on sale
    •  July (2)
      • Oso de Mantequilla: A tribute
      • It's coming!
    •  June (7)
      • What we learned at Camp Musicuentos
      • Lesson plan: Indirect objects and celebrations (template too)
      • New Podcast: What kind of corrective feedback works?
      • New resource: Educating parents and students on proficiency
      • Another resource: JCPS new curriculum documents (K-12)
      • Introducing the past tenses together
      • Time for you to get feedback?
    •  May (9)
      • Upcoming workshop (IN): Proficiency-based lesson planning
      • Stop calling this easy & fast
      • Revisiting Photopeach for the AP Final
      • Stop stressing: It's wrong to do the best you can
      • Three tasks for crafting an effective message: Black Box Podcast episode 4
      • A Year in a Day: Camp Musicuentos 2014
      • Taking care of business: Summer collaboration for a successful year
      • 4 ways to tweak the exit ticket
      • Black Box Podcast episode 3: To Sell Is Human, part 1
    •  April (9)
      • Top 25 Spanish novels
      • Let's play
      • New activity resource: Tweetfest!
      • Black Box Podcast episode 2: Circumlocution
      • An impromptu "langcamp"
      • See you at ACTFL '14
      • 4 ways to keep curriculum relevant
      • Tutorial on the best free PD you'll find in your own home
      • The Musicuentos Black Box Podcast: IT'S HERE!
    •  March (11)
      • Authentic visual illustrations of proficiency (Spanish)
      • Curriculum planning outside the textbook, Part 2
      • A week or more of working with Vivir mi vida
      • Resource release: Complete verb pack
      • Curriculum planning outside the textbook: Part 1
      • Corrections to simple verb pack
      • Musicuentos is on Pinterest!
      • Is this the best we can do?
      • Writing a restaurant review: Activity from Bethanie Drew
      • Putting a number grade on proficiency-based assessment
      • Resource release: Simple verb pack
    •  February (7)
      • My favorite source for restaurant (and other) reviews
      • Guest post: A TPRS rebuttal by Carol Gaab
      • TPRS strategies I don't put in my toolbox
      • What I love about TPRS
      • Repost: Valentine's #authres from Twitter
      • How I use verb charts
      • Guest post: What students need- A leader (David Seibel)
    •  January (10)
      • Every language teacher's biggest mistake
      • My new favorite digital storytelling app
      • Why Genius Hour can't work in a novice classroom
      • Website review: Geoguessr
      • 2014 resolutions #5: Use more authentic sources.
      • 2014 Resolutions #4: Take a step outside the textbook
      • Reviewing 2013: Five blogs to watch
      • 2014 Resolutions #3: Survey your students.
      • 2014 Resolutions #2: Collaborate with someone
      • 2014 Resolutions #1: Read a book
  •  2013 (110)
    •  December (13)
      • The #1 Musicuentos post of 2013 (and the six years before that)
      • Best of 2013: #2 - Tips for the new AP
      • Best of 2013: #3 - Choice in homework, updated
      • Best of 2013: #4 - Novice song for Spanish Class Idol
      • Best of 2013: #5 - Can you control vocabulary?
      • Best of 2013: #6 - Is your lesson plan out of whack?
      • Best of 2013: #7 - Four habits that enrich vocabulary
      • AP Spanish final exam: Controversia navideña y Vacunas para niños
      • Best of 2013: #8 - Novice high vs. Intermediate low
      • Best of 2013: #9 - Using assessment to inform your teaching
      • Best of 2013: #10 - Spot-checking conversations
      • First-ever Musicuentos ebook: Reader's Guide to Ciudad de las bestias
      • Happy December!
    •  November (8)
      • AP Spanish essay - Obamacare
      • Vote: Musicuentos proposal for ACTFL '14
      • Setting goals
      • Don't go to ACTFL '13 without TELLing
      • Repost: A story for demonstratives
      • Listen to some Grammy music
      • Caring about the Really Big Deal
      • Calm before the excitement!
    •  October (4)
      • Using assessment to inform your teaching
      • Just some fluff: Makeup for busy mom teachers
      • Top 3 mistakes teachers of novices make
      • Book review: Teach Like A Pirate
    •  September (7)
      • Interacting with authentic materials: a guide
      • Using audio-lingua
      • Seven keys to a great story
      • Stations: Exploring music
      • It's a myth: Equipping students to communicate with... themselves
      • Turn a Novice Song into "Spanish Class Idol"
      • Is your lesson plan out of whack?
    •  August (12)
      • Children's literature for the world language class (Helena Curtain)
      • App review & Giveaway! High School Spanish
      • Choice in homework, updated
      • Back to school: Proficiency posts
      • App Review: Storykit (bonus - meet my family!)
      • Back to school: Evaluate traditions
      • Back to school: Blogs with great ideas
      • App review & giveaway: Word Magic dictionary and thesaurus
      • My authorized AP syllabus
      • Back to school: Musicuentos "first days" posts
      • Back to school: Give them signals
      • Going back to school with Musicuentos
    •  July (6)
      • Tips for the New AP
      • Don't be fooled! What the AP does and doesn't measure
      • Illustrating proficiency with a laugh
      • Snag some free apps while you can!
      • Stop asking for unnatural language
      • Fun video: Animals, present, feelings
    •  June (9)
      • Targeting problems with a pop quiz
      • Song, irregular present, part 4: Tengo tu love
      • It's my birthday - check out our presents!
      • A meaningful approach to grammar
      • Websites for creating online magazines
      • A world with no magazines
      • Guest post: Coaching with choice
      • Screencast: Photopeach
      • Communicative grading made easier
    •  May (10)
      • Health infographic: Novice - Intermediate Activity
      • A lesson in finding authentic sources easily
      • Tips and songs for past participles
      • Foster higher-level thinking from the beginning
      • Summer: Language for the fun of it
      • Novice high vs. intermediate low
      • E-magazines with learner appeal
      • Step outside the textbook: Tell a story
      • Repost: Novice description with Jengibre and Pin Pon
      • Interpersonal communication by choice
    •  April (11)
      • Novice speaking: Describing self with Sie7e
      • Can you control vocabulary?
      • Activities from authentic resources: Future tense
      • Why I love mistakes
      • Maternity leave!
      • Lots of your class gone? Pick up a book.
      • Abandon the multiple-choice question
      • Songs for future tense
      • I choose béisbol: sample "homework" report
      • 300 times thank you
      • Reporting like kindergarten
    •  March (11)
      • Training in circumlocution: Ban the dictionary
      • Fun activity #9: A leer
      • Last tips on avoiding burnout
      • Cortometraje for narration
      • Make developing curriculum even easier
      • Even more tips on avoiding burnout
      • Authentic resource: trivia games
      • Still more tips on avoiding burnout
      • Two more ways to ease into developing curriculum
      • Song, irregular present, part 3: Carmelina
      • More tips on avoiding burnout
    •  February (10)
      • Intermediate news activity for all three modes
      • Easing into developing curriculum
      • If you don't pay attention to comprehensibility...
      • Burning out or burning bright?
      • Keeping the class engaged: Change activities
      • Fun activity #8: A cantar
      • Twitter/relationships activity, just in time for Valentine's
      • Tech tools gone wrong
      • Grading regular free-topic writing
      • Add more music to homework choices
    •  January (9)
      • Spot-checking conversations
      • Song, irregular present, part 2: Hace tiempo
      • Four habits that enrich vocabulary
      • Paragraph form
      • Myths 8 & 9: I don't do it because they can't handle it.
      • Assigning homework
      • Song, irregular present, part 1: Sigo con ella
      • More choice every day
      • A novice cross-curricular activity from authentic materials
  •  2012 (39)
    •  December (2)
      • 5 New Year's resolutions for every WL teacher
      • It pays to have a focus
    •  October (2)
      • Best and worst games I've seen
      • Example: authentic text for novices
    •  September (7)
      • Success with Stations
      • More student choice in homework
      • Prezi: The Choice is Theirs (KWLA 2012)
      • Prezi: Kick the Vocab Quiz (KWLA 2012)
      • Take the leap to standards-based assessment
      • Fun activity #7: Conecta cuatro
      • A song for feelings
    •  August (11)
      • Screencast: Edmodo
      • Myth #7: Spanish Mike is a taco.
      • A study in motivation, part 2: Self-assessing abilities
      • It's my blogiversary - but you get the gift
      • Menus
      • Reading guides: Cajas de cartón & Esperanza renace
      • A re-post for your first days back: Abecedario
      • Screencast: Finding authentic sources for prompts
      • Maintaining personal proficiency
      • Ideas for the first days of school
      • AP redesign: Units & EQ's
    •  July (9)
      • A study in motivation
      • Advice for teachers in training
      • More uses for Amor de mi tierra
      • Book review: The Talent Code
      • Songs for 'duele'
      • The Case for Commands
      • Got idioms?
      • Like Musicuentos? Like it on Facebook.
      • Very short times with very young kids
    •  June (1)
      • 5...4...3...2...1... LAUNCH!
    •  March (4)
      • Another change: Survey says...
      • Design your own final exam
      • What I'm changing this week
      • Repost for CSC12: Increasing target language
    •  February (1)
      • A storytelling success story
    •  January (2)
      • Not going to ACTFL again, but for the best reason ever
      • Free Ebook for WL educators
  •  2011 (57)
    •  November (1)
      • Dear novice-learner teacher - love, an AP teacher
    •  October (3)
      • Learning from #langchat
      • Not your average health unit
      • Presentation: Target Language: Expect More, Say Less
    •  September (6)
      • Spanish 3 assessment documents
      • For KWLA 2011: Media from Reel to Real
      • Accuracy vs. proficiency: an illustration
      • Fun activity #6: A escribir
      • App review: Tour Wrist
      • Myth #6: Memorizing vocabulary
    •  August (5)
      • Trending topic = authentic comprehensible input
      • Got the rubric!
      • New year, new units, new assessments
      • Jumping on the Animoto bandwagon
      • Rethinking "late" work
    •  July (1)
      • A song made for early Spanish 1
    •  June (9)
      • Proficiency & tacos
      • Proficiency levels shouldn't be a secret
      • Flipbook illustration
      • Ethics in the language class - we aren't their parents
      • Activity #5: Gira la botella
      • Symbol Illustration
      • Connecting your classroom
      • Myth #5: The textbook is all I need
      • Taking paperless to the blog
    •  May (2)
      • Combat the 'este tiempo' monster
      • Children's DVD giveaway!
    •  April (6)
      • Activity #4: Drama Inmóvil
      • Myth #4: The Time Whine
      • Have you used PhotoPeach?
      • The myths aren't going to ACTFL
      • Fun activity #3: ¡Arriésgate!
      • Fun activity #2: A conversar
    •  March (3)
      • Dismantling Myths 2 and 3: Learning about language and its cousin, Grammatical Terms
      • Activity 1: Cuento poco a poco
      • (Trying to) Make learning fun
    •  February (10)
      • Two new options for out-of-class fluency
      • Great resource from la Sra. Birch
      • Dismantling Myth #1: What's a qualified teacher?
      • Keep singing: 189 pages of Spanish lyrics
      • #Charlando para aprender
      • Vote for this week's #langchat topic
      • It's time for them to use their time
      • For tonight's #langchat: A game for description
      • Short listening activity tailor-made for beginners
      • Ciudad de las bestias: Guides public & streamlined
    •  January (11)
      • Instead of the vocab quiz
      • Best songs for stem changing irreg. present
      • Do something drastic - kick the vocab quiz
      • Topic for #LangChat 1/27
      • Topic for the first #LangChat 1/20
      • Low-level learners can't understand authentic media, what?
      • They can't speak, and it's our fault: Dismantling the myths
      • Don't teach a health unit without this song
      • New: A language teachers' weekly chat on Twitter - choose our first topic!
      • Since I stopped teaching to the [AP] test
      • Faith and Culture: help me decide our AP topic
  •  2010 (38)
    •  December (4)
      • 9 ways to increase students' TL use
      • I love collaboration
      • The problem with translation (from a student)
      • Why music is more powerful than anything (& how to use it)
    •  November (2)
      • iPad giveaway!
      • A collaborative project for our Spanish-teacher PLN
    •  October (2)
      • And the winner is...
      • In the spirit of open source: Ciudad de las bestias
    •  September (10)
      • Books recommended as 'easy'
      • Pure present tense & at least 22 repetitions of 'ya no'
      • For a conference attendee: resources in math
      • Searching BBC Mundo
      • Prompts with Power: writing/speaking prompts
      • Prompts with Power: Prezi
      • Prompts with Power: German & French resources
      • Prompts with Power: Dating in high school
      • KWLA Presentation: PLN-ology
      • Tweet with double objects
    •  August (6)
      • Interactive comic creator using Maya & Miguel
      • Ads of the World | Creative Advertising Archive & Community
      • Added some great new links
      • First 12 days of Spanish 1
      • My supply list
      • Scope & sequence, word list for Spanish 1
    •  July (4)
      • 5 tips for increasing (your own) target language use
      • A warm-up from @samocamila: por vs. para
      • Camila's all on board! (well, on Twitter)
      • Getting vocabulary from a tweet
    •  April (3)
      • Huge toy giveaway from SpanglishBaby
      • A case for avoiding "pet" grammar
      • Authentic audio with future tense
    •  March (2)
      • Interesting blog post about iPod as language lab
      • News article: appeal + subjunctive for influence
    •  January (5)
      • A high-interest exercise for imperfect/pasado continuo
      • A song with 17 verbs in past subjunctive
      • My corporate Spanish links, all in one place
      • "Adora la Exploradora"-the week we didn't feel like a boring past-tense review
      • My level 1 and 2 stories (for Bethanie, and whomever else)
  •  2009 (80)
    •  December (2)
      • A song with 37 repetitions of "más que"
      • Switch to a communicative set-up
    •  November (10)
      • Print & audio sources for AP synthesis essay re: efficient energy
      • Two songs for voy + a + infinitive
      • A case for free-topic blogging
      • It's 19 de noviembre!
      • Camila's new single: "Mientes" (release date 11/24!)
      • A case for pleasure reading
      • Noviembre - a popular month for songs
      • Zachary Jones's "Clozeline"
      • Two songs + resources for Ojalá + subjunctive
      • A song just for @mamitati
    •  October (13)
      • You can't buy this in a textbook
      • Cultural connections: Four songs to explore using Google Earth
      • David Bisbal's YouTube channel
      • Correction on Pin Pon in Shrek
      • Four songs for contrasting que & lo que
      • Nominados en la 10a entrega de los Latin Grammy
      • Story and songs for subjunctive: indefinite/negative antecedent
      • AP sythesis essay sources: Los indocumentados y el sistema de salud
      • Blog that does what I do, only better
      • My October playlist
      • We must not ignore the Paz Sin Fronteras (video)
      • Build your perfect tenis (en español)
      • Video with por, haber, past participles, commands, from Coca Cola
    •  September (10)
      • Latin Grammy website gets a cool makeover... and nominations!
      • Songs for the elusive 3rd pers. sing. preterite
      • I just made my first Yodio
      • KWLA Fall 09 Conference presentation
      • Found Juanes on Twitter
      • For you French teachers
      • Bilingual toy giveaway, gracias a @mamitati
      • Keeping your eyes open for gold nuggets
      • CNN launches Latino in America
      • Bob Esponja on Mundonick
    •  August (4)
      • A correction on the correction of La Frase Tonta
      • I am in technology heaven
      • An AP oral presentation, with past tense: "Consecuencias"
      • I love crossover songs
    •  July (2)
      • Raimundo, the bilingual Latin American snail
      • A song for object/refl pronoun 'te'
    •  June (6)
      • A song for your hip-hop fans
      • Developing world citizens
      • Follow me on Twitter
      • Aquí Estoy Yo: video oficial
      • A new group on my radar
      • Two months later, back to the blogosphere (with a companion)
    •  April (5)
      • A most fantastic performance at Premio Lo Nuestro
      • The heroes speak Español
      • A brilliant pair of songs contrasting por/para
      • Useless grammar I used to teach
      • Adding some links--check 'em out
    •  March (7)
      • Negative commands + culture
      • Winds of change
      • Our students aren't the only ones who have speaking problems!
      • Activity: News interaction (present perfect)
      • A new smash hit with a subjunctive benefit
      • A shout out for Jacob & Joshua
      • El campesino y la princesa (a Spanish 3 story test, with a bit of subjunctive)
    •  February (15)
      • More interactive websites, courtesy of my students
      • A product I love
      • Good stories for commands
      • a story for imperf. vs. pret. and subjunctive influence
      • Interactive websites: practicing house/location/color vocab
      • Subjunctive for doubt: Story, song, activity
      • A good story for 'tiene'
      • A song for subjunctive/nosotros commands
      • A story for demonstratives
      • Rules in a communicative class
      • Cause and effect
      • Relating everything to English
      • A correction on La Frase Tonta
      • Equipping and informing, for free
      • A project based on motivation
    •  January (6)
      • "How much is estuvo de pie?"
      • One more song for subjunctive
      • A couple more subjunctive songs
      • An example of vocab
      • Internet scavenger hunts
      • A Spanish 2 story test
  •  2008 (51)
    •  December (7)
      • Videos from Jesús Adrian Romero
      • Alex Campos's YouTube channel
      • A story test
      • A video for Navidad
      • Great new song for subjunctive
      • ¡Nueva música!
      • A fantastic blog post
    •  November (14)
      • Ever heard of Patito feo?
      • Two groups you just can't go wrong with
      • Things to be thankful for
      • Grammar learning vs. acquisition
      • Forced to give grammar tests?
      • High aptitude is a beautiful thing
      • Another Spanish 1 reading
      • New media list!
      • At the ACSI conference in Dayton
      • Story success: Huevos verdes con jamón
      • Another story source!
      • Words we don't use
      • Song success: Hace tiempo
      • El carro de sus sueños
    •  October (12)
      • Overgeneralizing, again
      • Spanish 2 Story: La llama se llama...
      • Song success: Me voy
      • Not posting lately
      • overgeneralizing
      • The outcome of Pin Pon
      • Pin Pon in Shrek?
      • Best practices
      • Reading in Spanish 3
      • SCORE!
      • My media list
      • Awesome YouTube video
    •  September (18)
      • KWLA '08: Assessing comprehension without English
      • Song success: La llave de mi corazón
      • Spanish 1 Story: Insectos grises para el almuerzo
      • Finding stories
      • How do I find the music?
      • Modeling the billingual lexicon
      • Summaries of some classroom SLA articles
      • Love/Hate Krashen
      • Another article that rocked my world
      • More sunshine
      • When it's not all coming up roses
      • What on earth is going on here?
      • So, what are the cuentos?
      • The verdict on pop test 1
      • People I love
      • A pop test
      • Some assumptions
      • Starting to share my journey

Categories

  • Activities
  • Assessment
  • Authentic Sources
  • Best practices
  • Black Box
  • Curriculum
  • Elementary
  • Motivation
  • PBL
  • Personal development
  • Proficiency
  • Resources
  • Technology
  • tools
  • Uncategorized

Recent Comments

  • Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell on Everything works (or nothing does).
  • Loly Mireles on Everything works (or nothing does).
  • Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell on Sometimes, the journey is a circle.
  • Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell on Every language teacher’s biggest mistake
  • Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell on Everything works (or nothing does).
© 2008 – Present, Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell