Teaching in Times of Covid: Minimising and controlling the use of Google Translate

I haver read a lot in social media about the use of Google Translate by students during online teaching and how its use is becoming a real issue for Reading and Writing tasks while teaching online. In fact, this is a problem that MFL teachers face even in normal lessons: many teachers conduct writing tasks in lessons and not as homework, to prevent their students from using Google Translate. In the case of Reading tasks, sharing a photo of a text, rather than the word document, makes it more difficult for students to paste that text in Google Translate, but what about writing?

WHY DO STUDENTS USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE?

In most cases students use it because they want to say things  beyond their ability/level. Over the years, I have made the mistake to set up as homework, an open ended task or project, which has become a catastrophe as students were not linguistically fully prepared for it, or it was far too abstract, so they turned to Google Translate, defeating the purpose of the task and hindering their linguistic ability!

 This turns to occur at KS3 and KS4. It seems that when students want to be creative and impress us they turn to Google Translate! How ironic! 

How did I deal with this issue? 

By modelling language and thinking, first, of the written/oral task or tasks I would like my students to be able to carry out by the end of a unit and start working backwards: planning the language, the structures and the activities which will prepare them to complete this open ended project or task. Asking students to write a fairy tale, poem, film script, film review, thoughts about lockdown, or a comic without careful planning the linguistic content that they will need to master, in order to complete the task, it is an invitation to Google Translate and a waste of time. This is particularly true, the lower the linguistic level in our students, say Y7-Y9.

WE CANNOT ASK STUDENTS TO WRITE CREATIVELY TOO EARLY IN THE LEARNING PROCESS, ONLY WHEN IT IS RIGHT!

HOW TO MINIMISE GOOGLE TRANSLATE USE

Firstly, I don't think we can prevent Google Translate use completely, unless we carry out writing tasks in lessons, which I think is a pity:  I like using lessons for interactive, collaborative activities and oral tasks as much as possible!  Unless doing Timed Writing with Y11s, a test, or collaborative writing in pairs/groups, I tend not to use lesson time for individual writing tasks.  

Once I have in my mind the final task or tasks that I want my students to be able to produce and I decide the language they will need to do so, I provide students with a wide range of scaffolds in their learning journey so that throughout lessons they embed and assimilate as much language as possible, which they can use and manipulate relatively confidently in an open task, so they do not feel the need to use Google Translate to be creative. 

How?

Firstly, through the use of Sentence Builders. Since I started using these three years ago, my students turn less and less to Google Translate. That is a fact.

I think of some final tasks, in relation to a topic, and I create a Sentence Builder to help students create such tasks at the end of a unit.  

I present the Sentence Builder content, in Covid Times, via a pre-recorded video, modelling pronunciation and asking students to repeat after me (they do record themselves using the Audio Insert feature in Onenote). Then, we would spend many lessons practising these Sentence Builders through listening, reading and translation activities.  

Currently, using spiral.ac allows me to carry out many of the listening activities I would do in normal lessons: Dictation, Delayed Dictation, Finish the sentence, Translation both ways, Manipulation of Sentence Builders to different tenses etc...

At a second stage, LearningApps, Textivate, Flippity, Wheel of Names, Quizizz, Carousel Learning, Genially and Deck Toys tasks, help me enormously to make students practise the structures I want them to master in order to become schemas of their long term memory!  This process, especially at the moment, can be lengthy!  That's why less is more! Only when I have evidence that students have pretty much assimilated our Sentence Builders, I would set a writing, creative task.  On a post on how digital tools can support Sentence Builders click here.

The task will be based on the Sentence Builder studied  and/or on previous ones, with elements of creativity, which would have been also rehearsed in the previous structured practise stage of learning. When given the task, students are encouraged to use their Sentence Builder as much as possible and they also have access to a grammar section in their Onenote, to make reference to different verb endings. It works! Most of my students DO NOT use Google Translate because they can use some set structures from memory, although spelling mistakes may occur, and have gone through a planned scaffolded learning process of the needed structures.  

Jumping to the creative stage of learning to early tends to lead to the use Google Translate.

DO I FORBID THE USE OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE?

No, I don't. I think that Google Translate, if used properly, is a fantastic resource!  I wish I had had something like that when I was learning English! 

My students are allowed to use Google Translate to say something that they genuinely cannot say and they really want to LEARN how to say it!  This MUST only be a few sentences, never a paragraph, and they must highlight it in their writing task. 

When I read their work, they are honest about Google Translate use. In many cases, although Google Translate is getting better, the given translation, especially if an idiom, is wrong! That is a powerful message for them!!! At that point I will write the right translation in their writing.

What do they do next?

All my students have a personal Random Quizlet for vocab they encounter in reading, listening, oral or writing tasks. When students read or listen to my feedback from a writing task, they are given time, or it is part of their next homework, to include their new, chosen Google sentence in their Random Quizlet and learn it as any other vocab. Doing this, gives them more chance to reuse the structure/ sentence they wanted desperately to say, gives them ownership of their learning and makes them proud!

Still, I have some students who abuse the system, but they are the small, small, minority, the vast majority do use Google Translate responsibly!

Teaching in times of covid: Using Digital Games at Alevel

 After an amazing morning sharing ideas with wonderful MFL teachers in the TMMFLicons event, I would like to write briefly about how to upcycle most of the apps we use with KS3/4 and reutilise them at Alevel to create digital small games during Covid times.

My presentation from the TMMFLicons Webinar today

 

WHY?

Because games at Alevel as at earlier stages, engage and enthuse students and it is a fantastic opportunity to use the language in a real context: the interaction produced from the game is real target language use, which comes much easier than at the early years when their students are not as fluent. 

WHEN?

At Alevel I use my 10 Step Guide, which is fully explained here. I have found that using digital games at stages, 4, 6, 9 and 10 (in red below) of  this sequence, is particularly effective with my students and easy to do via Teams or Zoom if sharing a screen or even better in Breakout Rooms.

1. GCSE Oral activity

2. Oral activity based on a thought provoking photo

3. Working with a text (reading)

4. Practising structures from the text in stage 3 

5. Working with a text (listening)

6. Explicit grammar lesson 

7. Language assistant

8. Lecture Style lesson

9. Oral practice with ideas from all lessons.   

10. Exam style Questions.  

STAGE 4 WHEEL OF NAMES WITH POINTS

Wheel of Names examplehere 

At stage 3 we "milk" and "squeeze" a reading text, where we study ideas, structures, vocabulary etc.. For Stage 4 I recreate a similar text, in English, recycling the structures from our previous text and I divide it sections. I put the sections in wheel of names, with allocated points and share my screen. Students are divided in teams and when the wheel spins a member of the team must translate the chunk that comes up in the wheel, or even extend it. They do this orally so they get instant feedback. I keep a tally of the points.

Below a video on How to create a Wheel of Names activity

STAGE 6 CLASSROOMSCREEN AND FLIPPITY FOR GRAMMAR PRACTICE

Classroomscreen example here 

The example above is from a Y12 lesson on the subjunctive which I did on Friday. I share the screen, roll the dice and students need to create a sentence according to the number in the dice.

Flippity example here 

The example above is from a Y13 lesson to practice "difficult" structures with students. I enter key structures (grammar) in the Google Slides for the Flippity activity. When running the activity I go to "lineup" mode. I structure comes out. I divide the class in teams and someone from the team must translate the structure and create a sentence with it, orally. Teams get a point for each correct answer. 

At a second stage, here is how you can "milk" the activity, you can go to "groups of 2", now students need to create a big sentence using the two structures in each box. You can make it more challenging by going to "groups of 3/4 " etc.. At this point, students are allowed to write their paragraphs and post them into the Collaborative area in Onenote or use Spiral.ac. (In a normal classroom students would use mini whiteboards to write their answers) You can compare answers, students correct each other's paragraphs etc.

Flippity Example here for literature

Same as above but now students need to speak about the character, metaphor or even quote that comes up in the "lineup" mode. They can work in teams and support each other. Normally they need to talk for up to a minute. This is great once the book has been studied as a Retrieval Practice activity.

STAGE 9 GENIALLY BOARDGAME TO PRACTISE ORAL QUESTIONS.

Example here on Jumanlly on Genially

I play this game as a whole class by sharing my screen, as I have small sets at Alevel. However, it can be played in Breakout Rooms, where students play in groups of 4/8 students with one student sharing the screen with the group. I move the counters and when landing on a dot, students must answer orally a question on the given topic. Students love this activity and the template is free from Genially!  

Below a Video on how to Create a Genially Boardgame

STAGE 10 GENIALLY BOARDGAME AND DECKTOYS LEARNING PATH TO PRACTISE EXAM QUESTIONS.

Example here on Snakes and Ladders on Genially

I was trying to think of exciting ways to practise exam style questions without using the actual paper or worksheets from Exampro, and I thought of adding them in Genially and Deck Toys as little tasks!  

This is what I did:  using Snipping Tool, I selected the exam question I wanted to practise (mainly translations and summaries) and pasted it onto Genially.  

Students play the game in small groups in Breakout Rooms. When landing on a spot they must, as a group, carry out the exam question. They do this collaboratively, so learning from each other, and in writing. They upload their answers to Onenote for me to mark later.  If you have a look at the example, there is also a filling gaps LearningApps activity embedded from an actual past paper, a type of question that my students find particularly difficult!

Example here on Deck Toys  

This activity worked a treat yesterday Friday, Period 8 with my Y13s! Students carried it out in Breakout Rooms in small teams. 

The aim of the activity is to escape the island, by collecting keys, which students get by going through the learning path, which is formed of past exam questions!!! Reading, summaries and translations. 

One student shared the screen with everyone in their breakout rooms and worked collaboratively through the tasks. The big plus of Deck Toys is that students can submit direct answers to the game!!!! (not like in Genially).  Students go to the deck via a link and sign up with their Microsoft accounts (they can also use Google). THEY LOVED IT!   They did not have time to finish it in the lesson so I asked them to finish it for homework for Monday's lesson. Yesterday evening, I checked the Teacher's section of Deck Toys and everyone had escaped the island, meaning, they had completed all the past exam questions!!! Amazing!

Visit this post on how to use Deck Toys 

And here it is a How to Video to start using Deck Toys. Great for departmental use!

Happy Gaming!!!

Teaching in times of Covid: Breakout Rooms

This is the first post, I hope, in a series of posts where I would like to reflect on what is working for me and is not working in remote teaching. In a previous post, I wrote about my approach to teaching remotely: adopting a hybrid approach between live online lessons, mainly for Starters and Plenary activities, and independent tasks shared via Onenote which I can follow live and give feedback, while I am available on Teams to sort out questions.  Some of these independent activities also involve interactive videos where I introduce vocabulary, carry out a dictation, listening activity, translation etc.. as I would have done in normal lessons.  This approach worked brilliantly in March and is working extremely well now! 

However, we have a new kid on the block if you, like me, use Teams to deliver your lessons: Breakout Rooms!!! Inspired by the wonderful presentation from Ester Borin in todays' TILT show and Tell, I have decided to focus on how we can use Breakout Rooms in the MFL remote classrooms. 

The concept of Breakout Rooms is that you can divide your students who are participants in a Team meeting, in different rooms so students have mini meetings within the main meeting. I was very excited about this possibility which would allow me to add a personal touch to my lessons and create collaborative tasks for my students, making the whole process of remote learning less isolating!  I started using Breakout Rooms last week and this is a summary of my reflections:

TIPS 

1 To have the option of Breakout Rooms, you need the latest version of the Teams app in your computer. You cannot run them through the Web Version as the meeting organiser for your Breakout Rooms. 

2 For the Breakout Rooms to work, your students also need to have the latest version of the Teams app or use the Web Version. If they have an old version, they will not be added to a room and they will remain in the main meeting.

3 Students cannot see your main screen once they are in their Breakout Rooms, so anything you want them to work on, must be shared via the chat or, like I do, via your class Onenote.

4 You can manually assign students to the Breakout Rooms or you can allow Teams to do so, after you select how many rooms you want. If a child is left alone, close the room and assign that child manually to any of the other rooms. 

5 Hop from room to room to make sure students are on task and they don't leave the meeting!

6 Once students are distributed to rooms, Teams can redistribute then to different ones automatically, as Adolfo Suarez Fuente points out, if you do this in a time limit you’ve got a Speed Dating type of activity. 

I found this short Youtube Video tutorial very easy to follow to get me started from a technical point of view. Thank you to my colleague Malcom Ewan for pointing me out to the right direction! 

GOOD ACTIVITIES FOR BREAKOUT ROOMS

Many thanks to Ester Borin for the inspiration for some of these activities:

1 Battleships, or any Information Gap activity you would do in a lesson with a worksheet!

I share my Battleships worksheet on Onenote as part of my week's lessons with my Y10. (TIP: if you insert the worksheet as Print in Onenote and select the image as background, students can write direcly on it with a digital pen or type).

I create the Breakout rooms so I have 2 or 3 students in each room. Students play battleships against their partner, no one needs to share the screen etc. as each child will have their own Onenote open and write on the Battleships worksheet directly while talking to their partner and playing the game. 

2 Group Discussion with brainstorming of ideas

I did this with my Y13 class. They had to prepare ideas for a debate in groups of 2/3. Students were assigned to a Breakout Room and discussed their ideas for them to use in a final debate in a whole class activity. To write ideas, you can use the Collaboration Space in your Onenote or some of the wonderful slides from Slidemania , which you can share on Onenote (make sure that your PPT is editable when you share the link so everyone can write on the slides). This way at the end of the activity, everyone can see the ideas from all the groups. 

I used the same idea for my Y9 Erasmus lesson, where students had to come up with ideas for the Global Goals in Breakout Rooms and write these ideas in a particular Slide from a PPT (which I downloaded FREE from Slidemania)

3 Genially Boardgame 

I did this with my Y10 students. I created a Genially Boardgame which I shared in our lesson Onenote page.  Students were divided in groups of 3/4 in Breakout Rooms. One student (Señora Salgado's little helper) in each room shared their Onenote screen and game, rolled the dice and moved the counters while all the students played together orally.

4 Deck Toys Learning Path

I also carried out this activity with my Y10s. As in the previous activities, I shared my learning path in our class Onenote.  I divided students in Breakout Rooms and my little helper in each room, shared their screen with the rest of the group. Students went through the deck as a team while only the person who was sharing the screen was entering answers, on behalf of the group. Students will have the opportunity to complete the deck at another moment individually.

5 Playing Quizlet, Flippity Randomizer, LearningApps in groups.  

I haven't tried this yet, but as in the examples above, once I share the links in Onenote, students will get assigned to Breakout Rooms, one student will share their screen and all can work in pairs or as a group with the activities.

6 Any collaborative activity, really!

I think, Breakout Rooms is a game changer and can make our lessons more "human" and closer to the real classroom experience!!! In the case of MFL, being able to do oral work in pairs o small groups is priceless and so needed!  

Technical difficulties will occur but keep trying because when it works it is BEAUTIFUL!!!