Katrina Holman, a LATIN teacher (how cool!) who teaches 6th-9th grade shared her ideas for using technology to help teach and practice grammar in her Latin classrooms. She gives examples below of how to implement technology in the classroom. See if any of her suggestions make sense for the subjects YOU teach!
TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM:
In my classroom, I frequently use technology for vocabulary practice and grammar drills. Students have responded well to this, because both the Quizlet and Moodle activities allow students to work individually without pressure and provide immediate feedback for the student.
As possible, I try to allow my students to experience modern, communicative Latin, but this is difficult. I’ve usedtwo international news websites in Latin, Ephemeris and Nuntii Latini, and well as the Latin Vicipaedia. Their reception has been more positive than negative, but these are often well beyond my students’ comprehension even with lots of scaffolding.
There are many databases that contain original Latin text, but these texts are often designed for students who are both older and have studied Latin for much longer.
Teaching with technology is crucial to connect to today’s 21st century learners. I would love to have a chance to use technology to connect my classroom with other Latinists, but in a system where the National Latin Exam assesses reading and grammar with classical vocabulary, connecting to a spoken Latin program using some Neo-Latin and only necessary grammar instruction doesn’t seem to be high on the priority list of most Latin teachers. I’ve not found anyone who is interested in setting up a communication-based arrangement, but I will continue to research new and innovative ways to connect to my 21st century learners through technology.
CONCLUSION:
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