Individual or group blogs are created and posts shared with partners and beyond to stimulate discussion.
The task is to be led by students own interests and can be mediated through more than one language.
Author: Teresamac
Chain stories (continued)
Groups of students in two different institutions collaborate together to produce a short story which continues from an opening line given to them by the tutor. Using google docs, the students contribute to a story in their own language as well as one in the target language. They can all edit and add comments, correcting language and changing the direction of the storyline.
Echange de friandises
An exchange of physical gifts, small items between the two centres. Groups bringin items that they consider to be little known to the other culture, items are cheap/free but present an aspect of the home country s culture which may be unfamilar. Reactions are shared through photosharing and thank you notes/messages on a forum. An online classroom is availalbe as is an Instant Messenger tool for connecting synchronously.
Que souhaitez-vous changer en 2015
A forum task to capture our hopes and desres for the New Year.
This is part of our second task sequence for 2014-2015.
Consolidating connections
This sequence was used in the second term of 2014-15. It builds closer relationships between the two cohorts. During this period physical student exchange visits also took place.
Chansons d’hiver
A video sharing activity which gives cultural background to celebrations during winter.
A forum is created and students are asked to share their favourite christmas songs. They can use links to youtube, make a group video or record audio singing their favourite winnter song.
Getting to know you
This online profile creation task is the opening task once our students arrive in the shared online area, EWC. It is a useful initial language activity as students have to draft and upload the information and also discuss in class the nature of their online identity for this virtual exchange.
Students have the option of adding a video recorded presentation or audio recording to introduce themselves using the integrated audio/video tools. They can also contribute to fora that are of interest to them (multiple fora are available on a range of topics e.g. music, film, politics, sport.
Building connections
A collection of initial tasks ued to create a shared presence and help participants connect online. The sequence also helps to build digital literacies necessary to participate in future tasks.
Image used:
Bridge CC BY shared by Karl-Ludwigg Poggemannhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/hinkelstone/
Un moment de ma vie
This is a photo sharing task which encourages students to share an image which best captures a moment in their life that is of significance to them.
Cultura surveys
Based on the Cultura surveys. Adapted from Furstenberg and Levet 2001, we set up 3 types of anonymous survey in google forms to be completed in the mother tongue of the students. They were encouraged to complete these without spending too much time thinking about their answers so that we could collect their instinctive reactions. The results would then be analysed by students who were learning that language and use the information as a basis for discussion about their assumptions of the cultural norms of the country whose language they were studying.