Participants learn how utilizing aerial pictures taken by drones and flying drones can foster student exchanges in the target language and interact with a variety of activities to re-envision a neighborhood unit by integrating creativity with language, target culture authenticity and technology. The presenter showcases how she led her elementary students to create and describe their ideal LEGO neighborhood.
The presentation focuses on approaches to balanced literacy in a Chinese immersion setting to help students achieve high proficiency levels of ACTFL standards and meet the grade-appropriate Common Core Language Arts standards. Presenters use Grade 3-7 classroom examples to demonstrate the setup of the literature circles and the roles and jobs and walk through a narrative writing unit. Students are introduced to different writing strategies and apply them effectively to pick the right “tiny topic”, brainstorm, plan, and draft to help students tell their life stories in Chinese.