How to Tackle Challenges When You Learn French in the Classroom

When you learn French in the classroom, it's easy to let the classwork get in the way of the experience. Many students find that they quickly become bored with the curriculum and start to notice a decrease in their performance. If this is happening to you, don't let yourself fall into the trap of thinking it's beyond your abilities to learn French. It's not at all beyond your abilities. In fact, you may find that the classroom exercises you've been doing have actually been setting you up for failure.

When you get stuck trying to learn French in the classroom, ask yourself a few questions. First and foremost, are you being challenged or are you just frustrated? In some cases, students start to believe that material is too hard for them simply because that material is more boring than any rational person could stand. French should be exciting, vibrant and lively, just as is the culture it comes from. Learning French, in fact, should be one of the most fun experiences of your life and should give you rewards that last a lifetime.

Those rewards are important. When you learn French in classroom settings, sometimes your only rewards are a good score on a test or quiz. While this can be satisfying, the real reward is that you're supposed become a fluent French speaker. You're probably not going to accomplish this by reading phrasebooks closely enough to pass tests. You can pass those tests---and learn to converse with French speakers-by adding different study materials. Some of the most useful types are those that feature French speakers talking to one another with minimal translation provided. Of course, you won't understand everything at first, but you will in time, and that is a very meaningful reward.

If you're trying to learn French fast and the classroom isn't cutting it, look for plays, especially musical plays, that are given entirely in French. There are products that utilize these for learning materials and they help a lot. You'll hear people speaking French in different contexts, which makes it easier to pick up the language. You'll learn which words are used commonly and which are used infrequently. You'll also learn how the language is spoken by people with a French accent, which is very important to becoming fluent. Such materials are very helpful to students.

Dr. Dennis Dunham has over 25 years in international education experience and is a co-creator of LanguageandLyrics.com, a website designed to help you learn French the right way. If you've tried every language product out there and haven't made progress, visit LanguageandLyrics.com to see how learning French can be easy and fun.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom on a Small Budget

Modern classrooms differ greatly from those that students attended just 15 years ago. Although textbooks are still considered a chief source for learning, technology is now considered fundamental to preparing students for entrance into adult careers. Yet the benefits aren't only long-term ones. Studies show improved student achievement and self-concept, attitude and teacher-student interaction in classrooms when technology is employed as an alternative method of learning.

There is some good news and bad news when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom. The bad news is, classroom technology can be costly, which is especially challenging for educators in light of diminishing school budgets. Technology is often one of the first programs cut. However, the good news is there are ways to integrate technology in your classroom without breaking the bank. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Use what you have - Think outside the box when it comes to your computer. Most older students probably already know how to message or email on their home computers. But do they know how to access programs that will help them with homework or project presentations? Offer students the opportunity to give book reports or presentations using PowerPoint. Show younger students how to use Windows Paint or Kid Pix to draw illustrations for units they are studying. They could draw a map of a famous battle they are studying in history, show the correct number of something for math concepts, or illustrate a plant species and its anatomy for science. When technology is integrated in the classroom daily, learning will be enhanced as students become comfortable with using a variety of programs. And since work can be saved to a disk or a thumb drive, less paper and other supplies will be wasted with classroom projects.

Infinite library - The internet offers a virtually unlimited "library" of information, most of it offered free of charge. Yet sometimes it can be a challenge to find the information you need. Give students practice using your class computer's search feature by encouraging them to find information on the internet. Present an argument and challenge students to find information about the topic. Have them include supporting statements from credible advocates on both sides of the issue, adding their own opinion at the end. Students will learn how to search difficult topics, realize there is always more than one side to a story and teach them about finding credible sources for the information they need. Students can also create trivia questions about a unit topic by finding information on corporate or government websites. They can explore their own state by going to the state website or learn more about business by reading the "about us" tab of a corporation or organization they are interested in.

Wii remote whiteboard - If you have a computer with Bluetooth capabilities, a Wii remote control, a computer project screen (recommended), and a few inexpensive electronics, you can create a whiteboard for your classroom. Instructions for this project can be found at: http://www.techintheclassroom.com/7/cheap-whiteboard-using-a-wii-remote.

Jennifer Dobson is a preschool educator that really loves working with young kids and sharing her past experiences with many parents. Take a peek at one of Jen's preferred websites for early childhood teachers, MPM School Supplies. The website includes a vast assortment of items including everything from classroom banners to bulletin board borders. You can even save ten percent on your first order so go shopping today!