Let’s keep teaching
The Flagship Exchange
The Language Flagship Technology Innovation Center invites Language Flagship directors, coordinators, and instructors to participate in a moderated panel discussion followed by an open conversation to share how various institutions and programs are addressing issues related to the current crisis, and how educators are exploring possibilities to enact quality online instruction.
Previous Panels
connection
connection
Several LaunchPad companies have created special offers for The Language Flagship. Below is a list of companies and what they make available.
Extempore
Extempore is an app for speaking practice. You can create oral assignments and tests (assessments could be very useful for courses that have an oral evaluation component). Extempore is particularly useful to elicit extemporaneous speech.
The offer: Free subscriptions until the end of the semester. Unlimited number of classes, assessments and students.
Duration: Until end of the semester (unlock form will ask for date).
Instructions: Create an account here
Then submit this form to request your free upgrade.
Contact for Flagship: info@extemporeapp.com
Fluent Forever
Fluent Forever is designed to teach users how to think in a new language, rather than translate. The app accomplishes this by taking users through ear training, simple word acquisition using pictures, and complex vocab/grammar acquisition using sentences.
The offer: Free 30-day subscription.
Duration: Until April 18, 2020
Instructions: Instructions can be found here.
The coupon code is STUCKATHOME
Contact for Flagship: gabe@fluent-forever.com
Storylabs
Storylabs offers a digital library of text for students to engage and learn with. Students gain web and smartphone access to these readings, which are further enhanced with the audio reader and any additional activities that have been linked in.
The offer: A variety of online Spanish readings and novels for very beginners on up to Level 2, which include classroom stories with high frequency words and short cultural pieces. All of these leveled stories are supplemented with printable worksheets and interactive Quizlet vocabulary and question sets and games from Textivate.
Duration: Until July 1, 2020
Instructions: Create an account here.
Enter coupon code “hedstrom” for Spanish; “english” for English; “samples” for samples.
Instructions can also be found here, with a video at the bottom as well.
Contact for Flagship: brooke@storylabslanguage.com
Filmdoo
Filmdoo is a platform that provides a wide array of foreign films and has a game-based edutainment platform bringing interactive classroom and online learning through any film and video. A simple one-click tool to create interactive courses on video content
The offer: Free account for content use and creation.
Duration: No deadline set.
Instructions: Instructors create an account here
Contact for Flagship: wps@filmdoo.com
Scholarcade, LLC
Scholarcade creates exciting video games where you get to be a spy in a foreign world and speak foreign languages to solve missions, beat bosses, and compete with your friends!
Currently supports Spanish and Mandarin language learning, with ACTFL ‘Can Do’ statements implemented into the system.
The offer: Free one month use of the video game.
Duration: Allows for one month of usage after registration.
Instructions: A step-by-step breakdown of creating an account.
Use the school code ‘stayhealthy’
Contact for Flagship: dan@scholarcade.com
Woodpecker Learning Limited
Woodpecker is a state of the art video player packed full of features designed to help you improve your foreign language skills. Practice commonly used vocabulary, tones and accents while watching a huge library of popular shows from all over the world.
The offer: Free access to the paid features
Duration: Until September 30th, 2020
Instructions: Download the App from the Apple App Store or Google Playstore and go to settings to and enter your content code.
Contact for Flagship: p@woodpeckerlearning.com
TOOLS & CONTENT
Tools & Content
Videoconferencing Tools
Google now allows free access to the enterprise version of Hangouts Meet. That plan includes up to 250 users per call, the ability to record meetings, and livestream capabilities for up to 100,000 viewers until July 1, 2020.
Basic Zoom accounts (free) allow meetings of up to 100 participants. Meetings of 3 participants or more are limited to 40 minutes. For more on Zoom, come to a “Zoom on Zoom” session (see just under greeting above).
Tips & Tricks for instructors using Zoom
Listening & Viewing
Language Learning with Netflix
Netflix has created a catalogue to help find Netflix titles with high-quality subtitles in various languages. A Chrome browser extension is needed to use the language tools.
Video content in several languages, including Chinese. Videos are shown in a player designed for language learning. Videos are enhanced with games and can be assigned to students.
What they offer: free extended trials for all teachers and students, to last through the end of your school year.
To activate a trial: www.yabla.com/free
Resources for Chinese
Playposit Lessons from University of Minnesota
If you use Integrated Chinese, our colleagues at the University of Minnesota have made available a great resource containing about 160 interactive videos. Each video covers one aspect of Chinese grammar and runs between 1 and 5 minutes. Most videos are less than 3 minutes in length. The videos can be used in any order, but they are organized to correspond with the twenty chapters in the textbook. Interactivity is conducted through Playposit. Currently, they are set to share links to the set using simplified characters.
Please send requests for access to icg@umn.edu and let them know you have been referred to by the Flagship Tech Center.
- 700+ ready-to-use interactive learning modules and game-like exercises
- Enables teachers to incorporate recordings, focus vocabulary and grammar with authentic content
- Supports the creation of interactive class with multimedia resources, including text, URL, pdf, pictures, audio, and video
- Comes with powerful AI-tools for effective and efficient online Chinese learning
- Can be used along with online collaboration tools such as Zoom and Google documents to deliver real-time online lessons.
- The Tech Center has also created content for use. See our article for Ponddy content.
What they offer: 3-month complimentary academic subscription for Flagship Programs. Contact sales@ponddy-edu.com with the subject “Flagship Offer” to request the 3-month complimentary Reader for your program.
Language Lessons
The National Foreign Language Center has made available for free a subset of language lessons (primarily skills tests).
Babbel is now making its app available for free to all K-12 and college students and all language instructors for three months.
Sharing content with students
Padlet is a tool enabling “bulletin-board”-type commenting on ideas, images, videos, etc. Padlet is already free, but the number of Padlets that users on free plans can create depends on when they signed up. You can check your Padlet quota from your account panel in your dashboard. If you are just signing up for Padlet, then your Padlet limit is 3.
Create “grids” to facilitate video discussions. Each grid is like a message board where teachers can pose questions (called “topics”) and students can post video responses.
Professional Learning
What to expect from the unexpected…
Webinar sponsored by the International Association for Language Learning & Teaching (IALLT). More IALLT Webinars.
The National Foreign Language Resource Center has created a series of TED-Ed lessons on various aspects of online learning design and pedagogy. All lessons provide practical tips and ideas.
ACTFL has made some special member benefits available for free, such as the Virtual Learning Modules.
Tech Center Resources
Culture
Beyond Our Institutions
Beyond Our Institutions
Learning Keeps Going
A collaborative initiative from ISTE (EdSurge’s parent organization), Digital Promise, CoSN and others that aims to curate online resources and tools from educators and companies.
Remote Teaching Resources
List of resource sites for higher education.
Amazing Educational Resources
A spreadsheet with more than 400 free offerings compiled by this Facebook Group.