Culture and Connection: Twitter and Padlet Appsmash for Curating Cultural Content
In this activity students will connect with current events and cultural phenomenon individually using Twitter to discover and share information. Once they have shared this information, students will then curate commonalities and interests with classmates using Padlet. Once the information is curated on Padlet, students can reference the information as a resource for assessment to include written and verbal presentations in the target language.
Lesson Overview:
- Spanish
- Novice (High)
- An entire semester
- Creative Tools: Twitter, Padlet
- No costs involved
Lesson Plan:
Project Description:
STEP 1: Students are assigned a Twitter activity to explore current events or cultural phenomenon in a specific country. They are asked to share on Twitter two events/phenomenon that they have explored and found interesting. Instructor will assign the country along with a specific hashtag for the students to filter the tweets they see from their classmates. The activity is assigned for a future class period where the students will review the tweets and then curate them based on commonality and overall interest using Padlet.
STEP 2: When class resumes on the due date for the tweets to be submitted, students will work in groups of 3 or 4 to determine commonality or general interests in the information from the tweets. Instructor will create these groups of 3 or 4 and ask students to identify 2 or 3 commonalities or general interest areas of the tweets from the class. The instructor will place the hashtag on the screen or ask students to review the hashtag in their groups for 5 minutes. This can be completed in person or in an online setting with breakout rooms.
STEP 3: During the group work, students will curate the information they discovered using a Padlet provided by the instructor in order to categorize the tweets based on commonality of the tweets. Students will reconvene and each groups spokesperson will review their groups contribution to the Padlet. The class will then discuss the information and any personal connection or interest they may have in the event or phenomenon discussed. Instructor will create the Padlet prior to class and provide students with the link to edit the Padlet in real time in order to curate the tweets in categories for class discussion Instructor will then display the completed Padlet on the screen and call on each groups spokesperson to describe their groups contribution to the Padlet. Class discussion may last 15 minutes or more based on topic and conversation.
CLOSURE: Students can then reference the Padlet in order to present material learned in written or verbal presentational expression. Instructor will refer students to the Padlets as they are assigned written and verbal presentation based on learned connection with target cultures other than their own.
Students will work on the following ACTFL communication modes:
Interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational
Students will work on the following language skills:
Reading, writing, listening, and speaking
COPYRIGHT & CREDIT
Patrick Murphy
Vanderbilt University