District Administration - February 2009 - (Page 30)

Their Speaking Language sations with native speakers by sitting in a restaurant and ordering food together, according to Second Life. Pen-less Pen Pals en there is the new twist on the pen pal. In eresa Cormier’s French language classroom at Haddam-Killingworth Middle School in Killingworth, Conn., part of Regional School District 17, students don’t need stamps to correspond with pupils in France. Cormier uses ePals (www.epals .com), a free Web site, so students can exchange e-mails and photos with students enrolled in the equivalent of grades 6-9 in Collège Robert Schuman in the small town of Saint-Amarin. Cormier had met the teacher online through a now defunct Web site that connected international educators by e-mail. Cormier’s students write messages in French using the skills they have learned, but they also write a separate message in English for the French students to read, typically focusing on areas like current events, so the students in France can practice their English skills. e ePals Web site allows Cormier to review messages from the French students before they are sent to her students to ensure they are safe and instructional. Aside from the excitement of corresponding with students of a diﬀerent culture and continent, the e-mail exchange program has fostered cross-cultural understanding with the French students at the school. “I’ve been teaching for 38 years and it’s the biggest motivator I’ve ever seen in my classroom—that they are writing to actual kids in France,” Cormier says. EPals can also be used to to establish “pen pal” relationships between teachers in diﬀerent countries. Language Software With the advent of voice recognition and improved sound, educational software such as the Rosetta Stone line is being used to boost language skills among foreign language students and English language learners. Rosetta Stone is among several create a show-and-tell presentation in the target language using computer-connected microphones to record commentaries. Photo Story 3 turns the resulting product into a playable video ﬁle. For instance, younger students can take digital pictures of each other acting in poses as part of an assignment to create their own “telenovela,” de Ramirez says. e students can then use Photo Story 3 to record an audio track of the narration and dialogue of the scenes and create a slideshow. Researchers are exploring other innovative online learning networks, such as “virtual classrooms” in Second Life, an online social environment in which users can interact with one another by assuming a computer-created character and identity. e U.K.-based company Languagelab, which operates exclusively in Second Life, is developing courses in Spanish for beginners and already has one for those learning English. For example, using tools in Second Life, Languagelab built what is called “English City,” where students can have conver- 1,500 SCHOOL CAN’T BE WRONG. DI S T RI CTS Experience Only Weidenhammer, an education management software leader, could develop a suite as complete, yet affordable, as alio. It’s a comprehensive, fully integrated library of Financial Management, Payroll, and Human Resources software applications. And it’s so intuitive that it is remarkably easy, and inexpensive, to install, train, and use. alio Meets state requirements Is powered by Oracle™ Technology Operates on Windows™, Linux, and Unix platformss Is web-based and client server capable With 200 IT professionals in seven locations and a network of strategic partners – like Microsoft™, Oracle, and Cisco to name a few – Weidenhammer is equipped to provide complete software, installation, training, and support. Weidenhammer has been delivering innovative solutions for education since 1978 and has nearly 1500 school districts as clients. 30 February 2009 District Administration http://www.epals.com http://www.epals.com http://www.hammer.net http://www.hammer.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2009

District Administration - February 2009 Contents Advertiser Index Editor's Letter News Update Security Curriculum Crisis Response Supervisor's Opinion The Rise of the Virtual Teacher Speaking Their Language Alternate Transportation Routes Opinion The Aftermath of the New 403(b) Regulations How Well Does This Web Site Work? Problem Solution New Products Product Focus Professional Opinion

District Administration - February 2009

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