We could, and have , learned a lot about using tech tools of all flavors to connect students with students and students with ideas from around the world from our very own Google Teacher Toni Theisen, Thompson World Language educator, and district curriculum coordinator.

Toni’s teacher tips were highlighted in a recent article “How to Connect Your Foreign Language Students with the World” published by Edutopia, a cutting-edge education website with the mission of improving public schools and public educators.

In the article, Toni encourages teachers to connect, connect, connect!  If there is one thing we have learned as educators is that a spark of an idea from another teacher is the magic that keeps our creative juices flowing.  Toni shares ideas and sites for teachers to find other teachers through social networking outposts for content-area specialties, general instruction, and other informative web shops filled with ideas packaged and ready for your taking.

Also provided are accessible ideas for engaging students in creating their own web content through interactive, collaborative tools like wikis and Skype and Voxopop.

The excitement created in classrooms where students are engaged in authentic learning is the best measure of our success.  Building student confidence by creating opportunities for them to create actionable ideas and put them out to the global community is the kind of robust learning that shines whether in a world language classroom or any other kind of classroom.  Thanks Toni for sharing your thinking with the world!