In this blog he posts videos and other fun things from the world of Latin America.
I will translate his objective.
A varied supply of fun activities based on authentic cultural products (songs, comic strips, news, film reviews, publicity, etc.) with which one can learn about the Spanish language and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.
The first blog that I looked at was a an interview with Pamela Rodriguez, a peruvian singer-songwriter. Not only does the visitor get to practice listening comprehension, but her song and interview are about the "cuna de hielo", ice crib, where the babies in the Andes during the winter die at an alarming rate due to not having access to heat. She explains that they provide large amounts of clothing but that the babies still pass away. This is an issue that your normal Spanish class would not focus an hour to, nor one second. With blogs come the ability to disseminate so much information that students will never be at a loss for a learning opportunity. I had never heard about this. But now i have!!!
Thanks Zambombazo!!! (which translates as a strong blow that sends an object very far away, essentially) A goalie would utilize one of these blows in soccer.
The comics strips comment on things from various light humor all the way to dark political metaphors. There are even word games and writing contests that appear on some of the blogs. It is a truly extensive look at the Spanish language and culture.
Paz y amor
Wow, "ice crib" is such a powerful image. It's so important to bring real-world issues like that into our foreign-language classrooms. I like that the blogger you talked about seemed to encourage fostering a sense of global citizenship, rather than just drilling grammar and vocab.
ReplyDeleteWow - glad Jeff's suggessttion was such a hit! Finding folks who can provide you with ideas and resources makes a huge difference in how we approach our teaching.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a captivating post! I really was drawn into your thoughts by the enthusiasm that you conveyed. Thanks! It's a joy to read it. I too had no idea that there are so many educational resources out there, as well as such great educational bloggers! Zambombazo really had some powerful content that would definitely teach students about grammar and the spanish language, as well as provide them with knowledge that would help them understand more about the world they are a part of.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that I really appreciate your enthusiasm in this post. I didn't know much about educational bloggers either and I think it's such a good thing to be made aware of. I'm hoping to be able to connect with others about teaching and get ideas about how to prepare lessons, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the blogsphere has so many intelligent and important writers and figures who can bring important issues to the forefront of our lives through the utilization of technology. I am also surprised to see so many teaching blogs out there, and I think they will be very helpful as I go through my first year of school, both in providing ideas for classroom activities and bringing important topics to light that we can discuss in class. I think your passion for the spanish language is amazing and easy to recognize through your great cultural knowledge. I also think a blog that has a celebrity speaking about an important issue is a great way to get students interested in current issues and causes. The ice crib is so sad. I had never known about this and it's terrible this is happening in the world. It's great that blogs can bring these type of issues to the public's eye, because then we can change them. A testament to the power of blogs and online resources is the KONY 2012 movement and even the occupy Wall St. movement got a lot of energy through twitter. We definitely need to utilize these resources as educators.
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