1. Blogs, Micro-Blogs & Websites in
the WL Classroom
and other “back-channel” and assessment fun
Catherine Ritz
November 2011

2. First, let’s assess…
• m.socrative.com
• If you have a smartphone, please go to:
– m.socrative.com and join my room (8323)
• Students can also complete assessments from
a computer.

3. Questions & Instant Feedback
• Wiffiti.com
• Create a “Screen” where students can text
comments, questions, answers, or type them
online
– practice
• Can create a Screen with Twitter feeds for
current events
– #langchat & #flteach Screen

4. Why Twitter for
Professional Development?
• Connections: create your own Personal Learning
Network
• Collaboration: share resources and ideas with
likeminded teachers
• Live chats
• Research: search for resources you need
• Impress your students!
– Use new sites and resources even they haven’t heard of!
• “Twitter in 60 Seconds” (video)
• Follow me: @ritzforeignlang

5. Twitter Resources
• LiveBinder: “An Educator’s Guide to Twitter”
– http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=34291
• TagDef: http://tagdef.com/
– Look up a definition for any hashtag
– My favorite: #ff (FollowFriday!)

6. Twitter with Students
• My rule: one tweet per day!
• Need to set Twitter to
“Protect my Tweets”
• Parent concerns
• @ritzyfrancais
• Use TweetDeck.com to log
in to multiple accounts
(requires download to your
computer)

7. More “backchannel” resources
• TodaysMeet.com
– Chat room, can do from Smart
phone or computer
– practice room
• Chatzy.com
– Chat room, can set password
– practice room

8. Blogs & Wikis
• Love the “embed code”!
• Email embed code as homework, you insert
on Blog/Wiki
• Student inserts embed code on a Blog/Wiki

9. Blogs
• Blogger
– French Class Blog
– Spanish Class Blog
• Wordpress
– French/Spanish Class Sample
• Why Blog?
– Audience
– Promotion

10. Wikis
• Wikispaces
– Spanish Class Sample
– French Class Sample
• PB Wiki
– Spanish Class Sample
• Why Wiki?
– Collaboration
– Projects

11. Class Websites
• Can use a blog or wiki as your class site
• Google Sites
– My class page
• Engrade.com
– free online grading site, homework posting, etc.

12. Practice
• Pick as many resources as you have time to
practice with.
• Be ready to share feedback with the rest of
the group.

13. Additional Resources
• catherineritz.org
– Check “Resources: Tech Sites”
– Check out my professional blog:
ritzylanguage.blogspot.com