tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31490623103290642422024-02-19T00:09:54.166-08:00Ms. Bordner's BlogKatie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-79678335489227616052023-06-08T07:28:00.002-07:002023-06-08T07:28:28.166-07:00Highlights from the 2022-2023 School Year<p>Here we are again at the end of another school year! I'm feeling lots of mixed emotions. Obviously I'm excited for summer and very proud of everything that my students accomplished this school year. However I'm also pretty sad that we have to end the year remotely. I have been so impressed that students continue to show up and engage in lessons online. It really speaks to their focus on learning and character!</p><p>This year I have LOTS of highlights, because we had LOTS of good times in our classes! Presented in chronological order (starting from the beginning of the year), here are some highlights from the 22-23 school year!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOvz_P6xXUqhSPAqCd8SabFDDtVbQe80EmnwKYjMCsCxPdiXBraGSuHsC-Qjoin-UmGZdfQD5d7EuRneE_Xc2jVMcMvz0u_ALrbbedzrup6y0-yhQN7ZaWjl_p6yjPaWqloT0cAZ6V7JuUj2935S0-9whmOUh_Mk2GUUzIhbenzY6AthA3V8satxR/s2956/eagle%20and%20owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2085" data-original-width="2956" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOvz_P6xXUqhSPAqCd8SabFDDtVbQe80EmnwKYjMCsCxPdiXBraGSuHsC-Qjoin-UmGZdfQD5d7EuRneE_Xc2jVMcMvz0u_ALrbbedzrup6y0-yhQN7ZaWjl_p6yjPaWqloT0cAZ6V7JuUj2935S0-9whmOUh_Mk2GUUzIhbenzY6AthA3V8satxR/s320/eagle%20and%20owl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Calendar Talk</h2><div>I loved getting to know students by talking about how they felt and what they were doing in Spanish and putting it on our calendars. Every week there was something going on, from birthdays to games to weekend trips, and getting to hear about my students' lives and talking about it in Spanish personalized the class as well as help us get to know each other.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Simulations</h2><div>For most units in World History class we had a simulation. Could you survive in prehistoric times? Would you be a successful merchant along the Silk Road? Who would win the Panhellenic Games, the original Olympics? It was great to see students engaged and competitive to learn about how life was like in various ancient civilizations.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl0-cviY-eCZmMnt9Ew7SfAjRrxyczaWMHUxqidSvIoO26w8zbAaDo8hh_zxlBzn1HrWfy2fXtytss_HrKFWAqqFwS8cJ0ASIpfExrwixcytFsYoMyFws8VQXsU-LdKaD4DxkU7n5KcFG-1MRjXVQUWhMocGD_0tH7undLG0oR2J8Q-HuUY-rWAuX/s4032/writing%20tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl0-cviY-eCZmMnt9Ew7SfAjRrxyczaWMHUxqidSvIoO26w8zbAaDo8hh_zxlBzn1HrWfy2fXtytss_HrKFWAqqFwS8cJ0ASIpfExrwixcytFsYoMyFws8VQXsU-LdKaD4DxkU7n5KcFG-1MRjXVQUWhMocGD_0tH7undLG0oR2J8Q-HuUY-rWAuX/s320/writing%20tower.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Towers of Knowledge</h2><div>One of my favorite games we played this year was the <b>Tower of Knowledge</b>, where groups of students wrote unique sentences on notecards and then used them to build the tallest tower! <i>One of the best things that happened in all my classes this year was the level of positive collaboration</i>, and this game was one of the activities where I saw it the most! The skills used in this activity also helped increase student's growth in our monthly timed writing checks.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkJrORLS4qead00vIBudRSuYX5lKKGfj2baEyGkTNDP8yvdqpawo7SLwFmAd7FrZlfGciao65Lf7oOjYtQH1tEbGoH_fCjj4FxAhdIWzOlKIwFhlr9xHwIcAmFHyhf13-eW6euRzPkNySaT_RH6Z7rP6FaPK_zUoONo6tcI39kcPfFUl0l8zT9Yj2/s4032/FVR%20library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkJrORLS4qead00vIBudRSuYX5lKKGfj2baEyGkTNDP8yvdqpawo7SLwFmAd7FrZlfGciao65Lf7oOjYtQH1tEbGoH_fCjj4FxAhdIWzOlKIwFhlr9xHwIcAmFHyhf13-eW6euRzPkNySaT_RH6Z7rP6FaPK_zUoONo6tcI39kcPfFUl0l8zT9Yj2/s320/FVR%20library.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Free Choice Leer</h2><div>At the start of the second semester, 8th and 9th graders started each class by picking out something to read in Spanish. Renowned language acquisition researcher Stephen Krashen says "People acquiring a second language have the best chance for success through reading" and "Picking up word meaning by reading is 10 times faster than intensive vocabulary instruction." Students were able to engage in Spanish text that were of interest and at the appropriate level for them, and they were able to use what they read to improve their writing!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli1rk_ZRZXd120MXmySLoTAn5cwZLkyD8PyStZzq5OJsRW0J7SigIlNJjzYJo_dDio91dzGyVxzSgga12nR9rrqrMX1San-bolQB-LN-4Xko1ja2Z4Juo9fBMVm-E3VMzWEHwaA8AWF-lAdEt_SXn8fdIBhX-e5MQVqJ_pSu3F3EQoqlm88kawtJn/s4032/que%20asco%20food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli1rk_ZRZXd120MXmySLoTAn5cwZLkyD8PyStZzq5OJsRW0J7SigIlNJjzYJo_dDio91dzGyVxzSgga12nR9rrqrMX1San-bolQB-LN-4Xko1ja2Z4Juo9fBMVm-E3VMzWEHwaA8AWF-lAdEt_SXn8fdIBhX-e5MQVqJ_pSu3F3EQoqlm88kawtJn/s320/que%20asco%20food.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Qué Asco Food Day</h2><div>I'm just not one of those "food day" teachers like Mr. Bynum and his German waffles 😝, so having anything other than fruit snacks in my SOAR store or candy for game winners is a big stretch for me. So when students pressured me to do a food day, I compromised and connected it with <a href="https://youtu.be/xjRSiIJQzD0" target="_blank">Señor Wooly's song "Qué Asco"</a>. Apples with soy sauce? Qué rico! Takis in milk? Delicioso! Oreos in A1 sauce? Mi favorito! It was really funny to see which kids would try the different combinations and record their reactions. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc80zVoyM9XKSCYJrg_qkoJmqL4k0eU_0Bz-ebDfDommiFJGprEO8qKNf7mxF0XQRzaMr1lXHzO8mGaTjtMDSgvbWwJvoJFa7CLkPAnUzbhAj7aMwWPg3NAQrpnfcSXoowFrPkpqxirh2e4bntLoejoV4Fg-8AGm4dtE47Xpkev72y2jM1_3Lmpl-a/s4032/Thor%20comic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc80zVoyM9XKSCYJrg_qkoJmqL4k0eU_0Bz-ebDfDommiFJGprEO8qKNf7mxF0XQRzaMr1lXHzO8mGaTjtMDSgvbWwJvoJFa7CLkPAnUzbhAj7aMwWPg3NAQrpnfcSXoowFrPkpqxirh2e4bntLoejoV4Fg-8AGm4dtE47Xpkev72y2jM1_3Lmpl-a/s320/Thor%20comic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5PgakWyxaoQqaCcokhjAwYtsnYGNm_RoN2RiXzHnAtesE0n4g4SglbaH07XUUQVf-alZyRTYxDGqB5NRwtoTcoH1gIAyNmOwKOVP9ftoW7RHLE0wfSeYXLqNVSey9Ji7fghALGJ9K0z1USvVvZZvw97W7oQyHdWm92GjnmFK0kjsQPwDCSAI58yz/s4032/Devona%20comic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5PgakWyxaoQqaCcokhjAwYtsnYGNm_RoN2RiXzHnAtesE0n4g4SglbaH07XUUQVf-alZyRTYxDGqB5NRwtoTcoH1gIAyNmOwKOVP9ftoW7RHLE0wfSeYXLqNVSey9Ji7fghALGJ9K0z1USvVvZZvw97W7oQyHdWm92GjnmFK0kjsQPwDCSAI58yz/s320/Devona%20comic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Class Stories</h2><div>In 6th and 7th grade Spanish classes a few students worked with our classroom helper Valentino to create a story that was told to the class. These stories were based on the ideas of students and it was great to see how their interests came through in the unique stories. The classes enjoyed getting to illustrate the different stories and come up with their own alternate endings!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XDvNZu7YDLY3pvZuJP4iX6io8mXCizokTLSRtYQXj04ZYba7nsGLR2dVNz3Xuy86oq2HEGaMaPKuMEwT7s5SL6wlipdqAxfXFSW2oNbEEmG1ccOXIzRik3YbCTVVYIHixYVYpRKtyaulAbkDCeXf2xVyCdOA9DURnIvrWBqAvazFlfPJsakjoQtF/s2048/holi%20celebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XDvNZu7YDLY3pvZuJP4iX6io8mXCizokTLSRtYQXj04ZYba7nsGLR2dVNz3Xuy86oq2HEGaMaPKuMEwT7s5SL6wlipdqAxfXFSW2oNbEEmG1ccOXIzRik3YbCTVVYIHixYVYpRKtyaulAbkDCeXf2xVyCdOA9DURnIvrWBqAvazFlfPJsakjoQtF/s320/holi%20celebration.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Holi Celebration</h2><div>7th graders were learning about Ancient India in February and March, just in time to celebrate the annual holiday of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-64874151" target="_blank">Holi</a>! All 7th graders got to participate in various activities from coloring mandalas, playing games that were invented in Ancient India like chess or chutes and ladders, and watching videos related to the holiday. The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive so I think this may become a tradition!</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cinco de mayo Grudgeball</h2><div>Continuing with holiday celebrations, the loudest fun we had all year in Spanish class was definitely the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo" target="_blank">Cinco de Mayo</a> Grudgeball games. After reading a short text in Spanish about the holiday, students got in groups and played an intense game of Grudgeball. There were tears, there were shouts of joy, and there were a lot of fun.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pnkA7so4k2-vV_Is6AlR4y4_II3tYFc35vmbrVNJ6Y-xnCRM2BYdhvT6aXM03bWZe3-xSDKTX4Fc4CkStkJ8NC6ywljI1iZlUpCy1sazAYE_9RemUMDjsvNDhXNubSIXFyCroGOLLRD6QhDAuXPyftYJOuZ0uPSue8_Jmab2hHkkYgd0noU7dtud/s2048/El%20antidoto%20del%20dragon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pnkA7so4k2-vV_Is6AlR4y4_II3tYFc35vmbrVNJ6Y-xnCRM2BYdhvT6aXM03bWZe3-xSDKTX4Fc4CkStkJ8NC6ywljI1iZlUpCy1sazAYE_9RemUMDjsvNDhXNubSIXFyCroGOLLRD6QhDAuXPyftYJOuZ0uPSue8_Jmab2hHkkYgd0noU7dtud/s320/El%20antidoto%20del%20dragon.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">El Antídoto del Dragón</h2><div>When you read "14 minute long animated rock opera in Spanish about a princess and a dragon" you might not think epic bop, but if you talk to most of my 6th and 9th graders, they'd tell you the truth - that the princess is one major hero. Seriously, the classes CLAPPED at the end of watching the video. "No temas a las mariposas" (IYKYK). </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Elimination Game</h2><div>What better way to practice telling a story in Spanish <i>and</i> play a game in Spanish than a murder mystery Who Dun It? The 7th graders loved this game so much they were begging to play it everyday. Similar to the game of Mafia (but without all the negative associations to organized crime and violence) we would get in a circle and I would select who would be the eliminators. Once they were selected, in secret, they would choose who to eliminate. I would tell a story in Spanish about how this person got eliminated (one student drank water and got sick, another one fell off a tube in the Sandcastle lazy river, you get the idea), and then we would vote on who we think eliminated them! After we played the game I would type up the story and we would review/illustrate the different scenes. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all we achieved a lot in Spanish and World History classes this year and we had lots of fun too! I hope everyone has a great summer and I look forward to teaching my rising 7th and 8th grade Spanish students next year!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-74753819393223571542022-06-13T10:48:00.000-07:002022-06-13T10:48:05.018-07:00Highlights of the 2021 - 2022 School Year<p> This academic year had it's ups and downs, and we made it to the end! Time to celebrate all that we've worked hard to accomplish! The highlights are in chronological order (from September until the end of the year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqiK7iAdEordAB4tLvG8d7Y6-fTgx8bAZhBtzlXx3-PTaiZfweh7nSzwowQ3LVTmYJ44RaYWZzoT81MLk00MEi3Bxa6uGhe-pCeePA8KAkp4G3iT-TTMVQlGxGMDpMsLGXjsHsOU5VzRROCuUrH8upHFObVBsvBzVjVHG4tfSMFUQTHprorafJhUa/s4032/pregnant%20teacher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqiK7iAdEordAB4tLvG8d7Y6-fTgx8bAZhBtzlXx3-PTaiZfweh7nSzwowQ3LVTmYJ44RaYWZzoT81MLk00MEi3Bxa6uGhe-pCeePA8KAkp4G3iT-TTMVQlGxGMDpMsLGXjsHsOU5VzRROCuUrH8upHFObVBsvBzVjVHG4tfSMFUQTHprorafJhUa/s320/pregnant%20teacher.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Student Interviews</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the start of the school year I was so excited to be back in the building with students! Even though teaching 9 months pregnant was <i>hard</i>, I loved getting to know students as we conducted "student interviews". It was fun to talk about families, pets, places to travel, and fears in Spanish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWyTo2gWai4kVYX0TyQ-7n7184swnQsybYcS5Qn4xZTvQ-Wi15pjZIh8UX448usU3wqhd2wbVGzmJF-svD4dKkQQ4NMLqZEpIDc44h1pNemTXxt2yHEgDwl0IWpKbHyBe9YI0jZn5vA7CwriBqXQAlJvqWlWaaqbJu_mWmP1OR7AVlHuBZ8AEBE58/s4032/locura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWyTo2gWai4kVYX0TyQ-7n7184swnQsybYcS5Qn4xZTvQ-Wi15pjZIh8UX448usU3wqhd2wbVGzmJF-svD4dKkQQ4NMLqZEpIDc44h1pNemTXxt2yHEgDwl0IWpKbHyBe9YI0jZn5vA7CwriBqXQAlJvqWlWaaqbJu_mWmP1OR7AVlHuBZ8AEBE58/w320-h240/locura.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Locura de marzo</h3><p>I was <i>excited</i> to return knowing that we would be completing Locura de marzo together! This is always one of my favorite units, and I felt the same this year even though no me gusto <a href="https://youtu.be/_doAV8bx0xg" target="_blank">the winning song</a>. It was so close on some of the votes! </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSxBHd_6BDFkgv-_QkCDRqkk5PY5PDQUNEVr_VICTzYu0zYY47xRBmRk8N4Dm1XKAbdbQvGNxzCooPSTUBQEpYqN9gQMweor0TsqXvbwcuRNh03bHBtWxwaQyXX3FjbxajujG7vV4V1Z0U-OSOuPQoUQgiJA1tjHsHEbMOnT3hupgHlB9JvOZTXjm/s2048/class%20characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSxBHd_6BDFkgv-_QkCDRqkk5PY5PDQUNEVr_VICTzYu0zYY47xRBmRk8N4Dm1XKAbdbQvGNxzCooPSTUBQEpYqN9gQMweor0TsqXvbwcuRNh03bHBtWxwaQyXX3FjbxajujG7vV4V1Z0U-OSOuPQoUQgiJA1tjHsHEbMOnT3hupgHlB9JvOZTXjm/s320/class%20characters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Class Characters & Individual Characters</h3><p>This year we had the opportunity to create class characters and have student artists draw them as we were creating them! Each class had a unique and special character that had quite the interesting story. Then we leveled up and had students create their own characters. Each class voted for the best character created by a student (pictured below)!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCtswqjmY9YiMjG5iLG7X7VGdIT9ZuN7Y-hgheQjvPZra4omXrKRkWkrUYfaVBB0FYo9xVw_nmjeZYwIQtLt5bGOPKr7aRpsLMlqSsEEvXyR28c5xAezKn8r1C4nf3SdS5Re-92X2rtZNh9172t6ds0CaY4DieKxHPZw9iZenhBdydhCQ66FjcsGX/s2048/best%20characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCtswqjmY9YiMjG5iLG7X7VGdIT9ZuN7Y-hgheQjvPZra4omXrKRkWkrUYfaVBB0FYo9xVw_nmjeZYwIQtLt5bGOPKr7aRpsLMlqSsEEvXyR28c5xAezKn8r1C4nf3SdS5Re-92X2rtZNh9172t6ds0CaY4DieKxHPZw9iZenhBdydhCQ66FjcsGX/s320/best%20characters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Special Events in World History Class</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In World History we had a fun finish as we had a Mr. Patrick Campbell from <a href="http://gasp-pgh.org/" target="_blank">GASP-PGH</a> come speak to the class about Pittsburgh Air Quality (this tied into our China Unit as we compared the causes and effects of pollution in China to our lives in Pittsburgh). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYqHaRdYFThcxGymJuMhSCT_Z67qk87pssZU5wclDNPZC4Kav-CMPuw0Rjmtv_R13R8aMNL9GgzbgpUtd99lEsTTmJnt3ABnHctPHKdZIra3wxBHe4HoCQySpe8UGzVAVRB8AUyi75GHJNlwRVBPpqxgl-QObbOjaUg6h9hM37w5jA5em3GZoAMJw/s4032/GASP-PGH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYqHaRdYFThcxGymJuMhSCT_Z67qk87pssZU5wclDNPZC4Kav-CMPuw0Rjmtv_R13R8aMNL9GgzbgpUtd99lEsTTmJnt3ABnHctPHKdZIra3wxBHe4HoCQySpe8UGzVAVRB8AUyi75GHJNlwRVBPpqxgl-QObbOjaUg6h9hM37w5jA5em3GZoAMJw/w316-h237/GASP-PGH.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First period also had a special "chopstick competitions" where JC, using unconventional (but effective) methods, was able to win the race!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4FcAPKjdTqSZfTnzZgLKMzwfVeG05XAaBKNrF4k03uB5sSLiEjxQL4RbWpEI42A8QmhtHpWI1D6_DHTXqG0a9oTcsRwsY9tAttnD0Fndt1sBKsCbb0LPldjmXWdmnnpJmtoafJ1aMwd3tq5c0BeBdQx5k4NLUCqWCCsH9lMaOigAXnWcXxJH4Vx9/s4032/chopsticks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc4FcAPKjdTqSZfTnzZgLKMzwfVeG05XAaBKNrF4k03uB5sSLiEjxQL4RbWpEI42A8QmhtHpWI1D6_DHTXqG0a9oTcsRwsY9tAttnD0Fndt1sBKsCbb0LPldjmXWdmnnpJmtoafJ1aMwd3tq5c0BeBdQx5k4NLUCqWCCsH9lMaOigAXnWcXxJH4Vx9/s320/chopsticks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieE-iV0UHjLh93JzvPp0gm7raTtQQ3f6ug6hxG7DCSMscv2SnAkzphd9o4ZzDbf6LeeZwfMZGmMfMTQyOAaLgzOA_LUVGV-mnnCeuvOZjIvwy3mTnClQBuRorg4R3NLzRVCXBi8VUWcqKdhISuwDCiX-i-XGmeSc1PgPQh2d25Y7voRg6socRmDrR-/s4032/winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieE-iV0UHjLh93JzvPp0gm7raTtQQ3f6ug6hxG7DCSMscv2SnAkzphd9o4ZzDbf6LeeZwfMZGmMfMTQyOAaLgzOA_LUVGV-mnnCeuvOZjIvwy3mTnClQBuRorg4R3NLzRVCXBi8VUWcqKdhISuwDCiX-i-XGmeSc1PgPQh2d25Y7voRg6socRmDrR-/s320/winner.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Growth in Speaking Skills</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final (and greatest) highlight of this year is how many Spanish students improved their speaking skills! We played the Question & Answer game a few times to practice answering questions in Spanish about our class stories and the Locura de marzo, and it was great to hear students say complex sentences <i>from their head!</i> (Using notes was OK too!) For 7th and 8th graders I checked their speaking individually with volleyball translations of our class story and so many students had strong pronunciation and understanding of the story! It was so nice to hear students speak after a year online and being out on leave. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm so excited to build on the growth we accomplished this year! Have a great summer!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-48438851181135565512022-03-01T06:52:00.001-08:002022-03-01T06:52:00.166-08:00A Fresh Start For the Head and the Heart<p style="text-align: left;">It's been a year of transitions! At the start of the year we transitioned back into in-person learning, and as we were getting in the swing of things I had a baby and was out for awhile. Now I'm ready to return and finish the year strong. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg2RN4YHITzaDjY4Yps6s0PXwXdcZSk4CdtMkso5Yj6DukcNDoqu8oi7BsMGuOlV7tNvresTnLFF2p-lO2jXZx1_HqsO_LkNkGkpC17pFQi2zicQGjnlNJG062iRO_ijss3GSw5UmuideW2lfWJIFwix6TJswyilQz9k8ch7JHo6hyIHo1Q-phqgTq=s2461" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2461" data-original-width="2461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg2RN4YHITzaDjY4Yps6s0PXwXdcZSk4CdtMkso5Yj6DukcNDoqu8oi7BsMGuOlV7tNvresTnLFF2p-lO2jXZx1_HqsO_LkNkGkpC17pFQi2zicQGjnlNJG062iRO_ijss3GSw5UmuideW2lfWJIFwix6TJswyilQz9k8ch7JHo6hyIHo1Q-phqgTq=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David my son (in his "monobobsled" because we were watching the Winter Olympics), Mike my husband, myself and the newest family member Evelyn.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For seventh grade Individuals and Societies classes we are going to continue with the unit on India, learning about Hinduism, Buddhism and the caste system. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD21WXWcIDimCEZy5JUuehstq2ACdtiwsyg9OM3a1FjMLeSZu7B41acYeAIVjIVL5iHteRACmofaeRRuHOR_X4i2HwUozBdrJSvioUE-wfWuzix72F9MNnp-6Yo2kTiD930X4lG7wKkkM_wnpv6uV_gxHwdBVf8Y6600hP7JMF7H7ILIlB5E1aYxsi=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD21WXWcIDimCEZy5JUuehstq2ACdtiwsyg9OM3a1FjMLeSZu7B41acYeAIVjIVL5iHteRACmofaeRRuHOR_X4i2HwUozBdrJSvioUE-wfWuzix72F9MNnp-6Yo2kTiD930X4lG7wKkkM_wnpv6uV_gxHwdBVf8Y6600hP7JMF7H7ILIlB5E1aYxsi=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>For all Spanish classes we will be participating in our annual <a href="https://www.senorashby.com/locura-de-marzo1.html" target="_blank">Locura de marzo</a>, a music competition built in a similar way as NCAA's March Madness. All Spanish students at Obama will be voting on these songs to select the school favorite! You can get a sneak peak of the songs in the video below or listen to all of them on this <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lsZfwCTrN9rYb6n9nJJzz?si=b260c75448974e48" target="_blank">Spotify playlist</a>.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3RaHyz5XsUc" width="320" youtube-src-id="3RaHyz5XsUc"></iframe></div><p>One thing <b>I love </b>about my job is that I'm a student's Spanish teacher for a few consecutive years (and sometimes even across subjects). This has alleviated at least one challenge of the pandemic because I get to develop a relationship and leverage the strengths of my students. I also know what I taught them in previous years, and they know my classroom expectations. I wanted to write up a few reminders that will carry over from last year (and probably continue next year as well). </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Schoology will be updated with folders for each week. </li><ul><li>There is a <b>Week at a glance</b> document that will contain important information about goals for each lesson, links to assignments, directions for missed/make up work and due dates. This should be the place students and parents go to answer questions like <i>What did I miss</i>? and <i>I'm going to be out what do I need to do? </i></li><li>In Home Access Center (HAC), in the description of the assignment, I will reference the folder on Schoology where the work/directions can be found. </li></ul><li>In general, work for the previous week will be due the following Monday. For example, work assigned the week of March 7th - 11th needs to be turned in by 7:30am Monday March 14th. (This gives students time to get it to me during homeroom.) </li><li>Please review the Welcome Letter posted in Schoology for information about grade categories and the late work policy.</li></ul><div>While I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with my family, my passion is teaching, and I'm excited to return to the classroom and work with my students. </div><p></p>Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-27943354323959404442021-06-04T12:13:00.001-07:002021-06-04T12:14:36.999-07:00Highlights of the 2020-2021 school year<p>Even through a wild year of remote learning, when I look back at all we accomplished this year I'm so proud of the effort and growth I've seen from students. Here are the top 5 highlights of this year in our middle school Spanish classes.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6aet3Zn2JEksKIQXmoNZih5ObXl0FSg-1-sm-wovvIzM5mZmvcmF7tl5U9pJPIuycXKF3WXAfRV2DxE0aUknuwl3bqdj2WxZFZXxvGmsfgSOvgSiTWzQoPu5aRmLU4qZarC7YdCC6VE/s2726/IMG_3610.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="2726" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6aet3Zn2JEksKIQXmoNZih5ObXl0FSg-1-sm-wovvIzM5mZmvcmF7tl5U9pJPIuycXKF3WXAfRV2DxE0aUknuwl3bqdj2WxZFZXxvGmsfgSOvgSiTWzQoPu5aRmLU4qZarC7YdCC6VE/s320/IMG_3610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th grade playing Humans vs. Zombies</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. Games </h3><div>We had so much fun playing vocabulary games on <a href="https://quizlet.com/Katie_Bordner" target="_blank">Quizlet</a>, <a href="https://www.blooket.com/" target="_blank">Blooket</a>, <a href="https://kahoot.com/" target="_blank">Kahoot </a>and <a href="https://www.gimkit.com/" target="_blank">Gimkit</a>. The most requested version of games was the Among Us version of Gimkit. I personally enjoyed when students played against me in Boss Battle on Gimkit, and I remember some really intense games of The Floor is Lava on Gimkit. The strategy aspect of many of these games added an additional layer of fun to review games. It was enjoyable to hear students in the class (or off mute at home) having fun and commenting like we were playing video games together!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Music</h3><div>This year we had TWO music competitions, one in the fall (Locotubre) and one in the spring (Locura de Marzo). Similar to the NCAA March Madness basketball competition, we have a bracket of a variety of songs in Spanish. Students previewed the songs and completed their own bracket before the competition. Then each day we voted between two songs, and one song advanced to the next roun, until there was a champion! </div><div><br /></div><div>You can listen to all the <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUvhstN2NwU3rERiQSkxP_bnlxLtRQg" target="_blank">Locotubre songs here</a>, and all the <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYZuaMR53hTGTw4RL0gbyci91G-M1DZJL" target="_blank">Locura de Marzo songs here</a>. If you love Just Dance or Zumba, check out some of the <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqWUvhstN2NxdC2PMYM2gqwVsYVHcY0V1" target="_blank">dance videos from Locotubre here</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>These music competitions are a great way to practice listening to different accents and musical genres, as well as learn about culture through authentic music videos. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-fKW1mxoH9g" width="320" youtube-src-id="-fKW1mxoH9g"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OaUphdVCjBUHDwgayc4e38TBapRftRWv0zVMkanGmcZzyfT-pCuYQhcX_klbL-CORVaccxYep4-76Yspg6eEupPe8rfid6dnxRPe3uNXN0kK20FPIpxW-bGir9gUZjtnbXlVyivuHHM/s1347/Locura+de+marzo+2021.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OaUphdVCjBUHDwgayc4e38TBapRftRWv0zVMkanGmcZzyfT-pCuYQhcX_klbL-CORVaccxYep4-76Yspg6eEupPe8rfid6dnxRPe3uNXN0kK20FPIpxW-bGir9gUZjtnbXlVyivuHHM/s320/Locura+de+marzo+2021.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locura de Marzo 2021 Final Bracket</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ttqZfUHiM7k" width="320" youtube-src-id="ttqZfUHiM7k"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f5Gt_8dzP_6wLsN17Ss6I5YqQcMEurdc0Ggb5gBr5ZzYISY1NmtF1LQ1567r8IWUs7majm0GmyajMZDAq-nK7QEIBfq1jCVq8jY_IqJcHM5BsH3Q4xAObYrmXk26clcUe272JpTMXuE/s1240/locotubre+bracket.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-f5Gt_8dzP_6wLsN17Ss6I5YqQcMEurdc0Ggb5gBr5ZzYISY1NmtF1LQ1567r8IWUs7majm0GmyajMZDAq-nK7QEIBfq1jCVq8jY_IqJcHM5BsH3Q4xAObYrmXk26clcUe272JpTMXuE/s320/locotubre+bracket.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locotubre Bracket Final</td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br />3. Class Characters / OWIs (One Word Images)</h3><div>This year we imagined creative, complex characters in Spanish from scratch. The creativity of students made these so fun to make! We had a huge box of rice win rap battles against Gozilla, a mean pot of soup that wants to share their soup but couldn't because of Covid, and a non-binary ice cream cone that is always tired. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_pgu-o2QfmCJMRat-RPdrDtkLEUWeOmHxa7PMih6sTbjXvX7ZarE2HkhRJRsrRAkYTka68E7behRIZPPLV7wHuAE2HRi_ehtMYfNHiX14xFWJlaNLYD-scj5Fola2RZv3Kheq6SLvC0/s909/6th+garde+OWIs.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="909" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_pgu-o2QfmCJMRat-RPdrDtkLEUWeOmHxa7PMih6sTbjXvX7ZarE2HkhRJRsrRAkYTka68E7behRIZPPLV7wHuAE2HRi_ehtMYfNHiX14xFWJlaNLYD-scj5Fola2RZv3Kheq6SLvC0/w400-h74/6th+garde+OWIs.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th grade characters</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs4X7EvWsGEEdhqyJyNO8_6poRHBk8XQiWGk5GfaNYvt2Yv7Pb1GiooK03kv3dDYnt08ugMRplsR7l22Xim2M6tJiPEBVmL1Ur7PhIfpvc2YtJ89beX-H35Qud51fipoGb7j9Pq-_0jE/s601/7th+grade+OWIs.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="601" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs4X7EvWsGEEdhqyJyNO8_6poRHBk8XQiWGk5GfaNYvt2Yv7Pb1GiooK03kv3dDYnt08ugMRplsR7l22Xim2M6tJiPEBVmL1Ur7PhIfpvc2YtJ89beX-H35Qud51fipoGb7j9Pq-_0jE/w400-h114/7th+grade+OWIs.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th grade characters</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCWPsH4QLla_lOm3e1RKx2lHMvoJSZjCxGUlUkS5d6njiJB8sWQDvtBDasU69tPbFY3LGI48zU5sVQHy1UknaNN8bDLqSjMHxHrXUu9sXJ7ya-xHWP6MfA_YAyRRwMA9T4Pi0EWxDyGM/s1226/8th+grade+OWIs.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="1226" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCWPsH4QLla_lOm3e1RKx2lHMvoJSZjCxGUlUkS5d6njiJB8sWQDvtBDasU69tPbFY3LGI48zU5sVQHy1UknaNN8bDLqSjMHxHrXUu9sXJ7ya-xHWP6MfA_YAyRRwMA9T4Pi0EWxDyGM/w400-h59/8th+grade+OWIs.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8th grade characters</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This activity was a great way to review high frequency vocabulary and practice describing people!<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">2. Growth in Checkpoint Assessments</h3><div>Each quarter I assessed students' reading, listening, speaking and writing growth. I was so impressed this quarter with how much growth I've seen over the year! Students were able to understand so much of a familiar (and more complex) text this quarter. For the speaking assessment in quarter 4, students recorded themselves describing a character and used a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures with improved pronunciation and fluency! </div><div><br /></div><div>Students received personal feedback via email with a specific comment on what they did well and what they can focus on improving next year. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The biggest growth was in our writing assessments, where students DOUBLED how much they were able to write in Spanish in 5 minutes from quarter 1 to quarter 4! </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">1. We wrote books! </h3><div>My biggest highlight of the school year is that <b><i><u><span style="font-size: medium;">we wrote a 50-page book all in Spanish!</span></u></i></b> Each week we discussed a topic (like what food or activities we liked, how we were as younger children, or how we would describe ourselves) and each class worte a summary of our conversation in Spanish. Throughout the year we wrote more complex sentences and increased our variety of vocabuly. See the work from <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAECn0YtoYI/ezhv4OGPhH9fetSkP0CpPg/view?utm_content=DAECn0YtoYI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton" target="_blank">quarter one here</a>, <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEMpX3cLas/OltlTg3AHiXsyFZYF4y1Ew/view?utm_content=DAEMpX3cLas&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton" target="_blank">quarter two here</a>, <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEHEEQHLpU/1-0I6MgPhdaZuv3J0emqEQ/view?utm_content=DAEHEEQHLpU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton" target="_blank">quarter 3 here</a> and <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAEJ4NE6rDU/qGeo-PDQC2t4cD9xyKlBDQ/view?utm_content=DAEJ4NE6rDU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton" target="_blank">quarter 4 here</a>. We also used them for <a href="https://quizlet.com/Katie_Bordner/folders/readings?x=1xqt&i=2gzocb" target="_blank">review activities on Quizlet</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Through a generous grant from Obama's PTSA I was able to print 14 books of our writings that will be the basis for our classroom library we'll use next year. You can check out the master copy below.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aDENj4rL6DVsWHOQNgLt3JJlSAuRLIIh/preview" width="640"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">We did it!</h3><div>This year brought many challenges but as you can see our classes achieved something truly special that we can all be proud of!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-33651163732962848552020-09-01T04:31:00.001-07:002020-09-01T04:31:01.541-07:00How We Learn a LanguageHello! At the beginning of the school year I like to talk a little about why we do what we do in our Spanish classes. This year I've made video explanations and included them in this blog post so it can easily be shared with parents and reviewed at any time. <div><br /></div><div><div><b>In this class, students don't learn </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">about</i><b> the language. Students will </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">acquire the language naturally through input.</i><b> </b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>The videos below will go into detail about what I mean by this. I've broken the presentation into short videos (between 2-4 minutes) to chunk the information. I've also included a reflection question after each video to help you process the ideas of the video.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Y8YBmHd3Iw" width="320" youtube-src-id="6Y8YBmHd3Iw"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>In This Class We Learn to Speak From the Heart</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reflect: What does it mean to "speak from the heart"?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dm0g8SB06-o" width="320" youtube-src-id="dm0g8SB06-o"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>What is "Input" and Why Is It Important?</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reflect: How do people develop the ability to speak a language?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SFcQAtDXSic" width="320" youtube-src-id="SFcQAtDXSic"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The Right Kind of Input to Speak From the Heart</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reflect: What skill(s) did you develop through practicing?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fHm-qjuLBQs" width="320" youtube-src-id="fHm-qjuLBQs"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>The World Needs People That Speak From the Heart</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reflect: Given that our planet faces many serious problems, why is it important to be able to connect with people around the world?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope the videos above give you an idea of the WHY and HOW of our Spanish class. I also wan students and families to know that language learners will <b>understand much more than they will be able to produce, and that's OK!</b> The image below is a nice visual representation of this idea.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKoi1ngA7859P4wSg1yJMZAKT1jSmg4kkWd7W__Ztrmlexcv2uafFzB5FWhZBnHlPUrsU1vcPxBg9CLb2AgepHaYY5-0DkxrXhZnU9S6IGfUa0Srwpt1zsciicecGu0C8bbZpstxNjwY/s1737/students+know+more+than+they+can+produce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKoi1ngA7859P4wSg1yJMZAKT1jSmg4kkWd7W__Ztrmlexcv2uafFzB5FWhZBnHlPUrsU1vcPxBg9CLb2AgepHaYY5-0DkxrXhZnU9S6IGfUa0Srwpt1zsciicecGu0C8bbZpstxNjwY/s640/students+know+more+than+they+can+produce.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm excited to start another year! Feel free to reach out with any questions! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-50907032610087773242020-05-22T08:03:00.001-07:002020-05-24T08:56:30.798-07:00Highlights of the 2019 - 2020 School Year!<h3>
What. A. Year.</h3>
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This year I started teaching middle school students Spanish at an International Baccalaureate school. In early March I was so darn proud of how much my students had learned and grown. My sixth graders were reading a multi-chapter novel in Spanish and doing a great job! My 7th and 8th graders were having conversations about food, family, school, and more! These students were understanding and producing more in Spanish than high school students I've taught! And then school closed for the year. </div>
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I want to take a moment to highlight a few of the great moments of the year I was able to capture through photos and video.</div>
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We WORKED TOGETHER</h3>
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I told lots of stories, and then we played lots of games working with the vocabulary and grammar of these stories. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSoEoa5GkjZkn2f5MWs4S6pBPHGKJAxX9k-lacZaTjKIxPwkGXxMYJpQ4y7s4gRKKYQGi7V13P-eu6ajAdvcwnVgDcWWRrKDViORLUGL1XKcMbnDg0Kj0d09d6maSPlulU9IzUqhen4w/s1600/IMG_5317.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSoEoa5GkjZkn2f5MWs4S6pBPHGKJAxX9k-lacZaTjKIxPwkGXxMYJpQ4y7s4gRKKYQGi7V13P-eu6ajAdvcwnVgDcWWRrKDViORLUGL1XKcMbnDg0Kj0d09d6maSPlulU9IzUqhen4w/s320/IMG_5317.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th graders placing parts of a story in the correct order</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkF1DeAsrdJocUbZFlDZcblYYgRmdGBpgUrppEL4QAUK1lLaQgfZeTc-yH_18uQp9J70M07oLTk_c_2ky3VLihVcD3PGFEOssyVhV5cV20vrdyXeM3OI08r5gsjvnRAVvrh7pH_NRz98/s1600/IMG_6507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkF1DeAsrdJocUbZFlDZcblYYgRmdGBpgUrppEL4QAUK1lLaQgfZeTc-yH_18uQp9J70M07oLTk_c_2ky3VLihVcD3PGFEOssyVhV5cV20vrdyXeM3OI08r5gsjvnRAVvrh7pH_NRz98/s320/IMG_6507.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th graders playing BOOM game based on a story</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpqF6QihWD_NqJnDQWtzanDRGwwrDnr1sl7TkGah5EVnlbyfdQiCWrz0KFUSE_1r7XogTvt3SSlsSQ-zczzLMR50_U97ywc9L9x4Z86mJOGZtaDZDDqRLb5od3FyW3XG4CUdlBBfAh-w/s1600/IMG_6865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpqF6QihWD_NqJnDQWtzanDRGwwrDnr1sl7TkGah5EVnlbyfdQiCWrz0KFUSE_1r7XogTvt3SSlsSQ-zczzLMR50_U97ywc9L9x4Z86mJOGZtaDZDDqRLb5od3FyW3XG4CUdlBBfAh-w/s320/IMG_6865.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th graders playing Quizlet Live Relay</td></tr>
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We had FUN</h3>
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We drew, we watched music videos from Spanish speaking artists, and we danced!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fP4mXMvZRiGGWoEpfMAbQEb1zA-dVpueNhtpQ4s6ggKMnozt9SoydPwr0TEYPQmwm37NHfzRfrLa_CTprh65exfdVtG25Q_L4jcvZMadh2-7FYfyEc3NIjv2cAydHTweMNsK3fiLdhc/s1600/IMG_5059.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fP4mXMvZRiGGWoEpfMAbQEb1zA-dVpueNhtpQ4s6ggKMnozt9SoydPwr0TEYPQmwm37NHfzRfrLa_CTprh65exfdVtG25Q_L4jcvZMadh2-7FYfyEc3NIjv2cAydHTweMNsK3fiLdhc/s320/IMG_5059.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great example comparing Victor and "el otro hombre" </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnBPO_v2TE5asYz16NiSGGprgAJDhhSyGWQXsSlqqQQkz_7Wkarz0Uqn_LLV-s2A9fhvf0oof1cv4bPeVoQOnwINFn30MBAahngYYJd4GrD9YgO4njLIOeGHgyt5LY_1XIHbWwfaTe14/s320/IMG_6337-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th graders drawing what they want to be when they grow up</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnBPO_v2TE5asYz16NiSGGprgAJDhhSyGWQXsSlqqQQkz_7Wkarz0Uqn_LLV-s2A9fhvf0oof1cv4bPeVoQOnwINFn30MBAahngYYJd4GrD9YgO4njLIOeGHgyt5LY_1XIHbWwfaTe14/s1600/IMG_6337-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG66BXWjWlNhNhCLTB-kGQPpW6A7p3RFp89i8uSggQTU8sIQocipjmOtCpEMqLCE8dYGAy6jSXuoSO5Z22dswj_J-Lc5iZXap2NRXLg_4EtHtXMhjVIAB3ktEnEkSk0gT211DSv_nXic/s1600/IMG_5491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG66BXWjWlNhNhCLTB-kGQPpW6A7p3RFp89i8uSggQTU8sIQocipjmOtCpEMqLCE8dYGAy6jSXuoSO5Z22dswj_J-Lc5iZXap2NRXLg_4EtHtXMhjVIAB3ktEnEkSk0gT211DSv_nXic/s320/IMG_5491.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th graders dancing to Just Dance videos! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7th graders trying to find differences between Señor Wooly videos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD67lVxJ4n5eKEkeGr0SXxM8msV0V5V0nFV_bZoz1UroUnoxQ4ujVlU94StC_UoUjfTXF43QRcIduHT1sgZy6Za6VXGA_kR0bU3EBKTt4r3BEc6gNuls3tv4-ate7PXJRfrYDWjtmx1Hc/s1600/IMG_7217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD67lVxJ4n5eKEkeGr0SXxM8msV0V5V0nFV_bZoz1UroUnoxQ4ujVlU94StC_UoUjfTXF43QRcIduHT1sgZy6Za6VXGA_kR0bU3EBKTt4r3BEc6gNuls3tv4-ate7PXJRfrYDWjtmx1Hc/s320/IMG_7217.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Locura de Marzo Bracket!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8H1jUzCMSuXkOLnntvws9N7uZUVgBxdSnl1gGZZ9Crulx3UMK5CuwgQ5WjrJ28pfkL8lTfI8r55vVeC3Q7g1bbb7b0GI8h1pUVZRcMux94VfNFWLAziT4dsEEMHuu3JuppV0Nbe1Pd4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-22+at+10.02.57+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1600" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8H1jUzCMSuXkOLnntvws9N7uZUVgBxdSnl1gGZZ9Crulx3UMK5CuwgQ5WjrJ28pfkL8lTfI8r55vVeC3Q7g1bbb7b0GI8h1pUVZRcMux94VfNFWLAziT4dsEEMHuu3JuppV0Nbe1Pd4/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-05-22+at+10.02.57+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6th graders dancing to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0yWNkDBva0" target="_blank">Tooty Ta</a> en español</td></tr>
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6th graders dancing during a Gimkit review game</div>
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<h3>
This isn't the ending I wanted for the year, but this isn't the end anyway. </h3>
I'm very grateful that I will get to teach the current 6th and 7th graders as they move up to 7th and 8th grade. Whatever the future of school will be, I'm looking forward to continuing our learning. As the ad below says, <b>we are never too far down to come back</b>. <br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">I wish everyone a safe, healthy summer break!</span></div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-74554560811166927192019-07-22T17:56:00.001-07:002019-07-23T04:37:31.772-07:00Highlights of the 2018 - 2019 School Year!<div style="text-align: center;">
It was a great year! Below are the Top 5 Spanish class highlights as well as 5 more great moments with the 2021 students. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="569" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTMLxAJsN_OR8yBYLo0sQvu5fgA_X8OywKX-6cM8IMKykXL_yUkSmR1r8aA4jgIGnZInPRf_s9mrqA1/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="960"></iframe>
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At the end of the year I give anonymous survey to students for feedback on what went well/what could to be improved. Below is a word cloud of what students enjoyed the most!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRTp3G9IBBNyc9v3YfQ_q4u4o7B39xPQ1aiNtkUimZRvvO5FoVopJzrreWEEI_BoOMfG14VQOhtXZZQtuMu14nmPzZtgXEWJWtkthyDq8HRXyHLPDKvaqiR8H1uPgcHIsqkF8Sg0Vfvo/s1600/Student+Survey+co+2021+Word+Cloud+Likes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRTp3G9IBBNyc9v3YfQ_q4u4o7B39xPQ1aiNtkUimZRvvO5FoVopJzrreWEEI_BoOMfG14VQOhtXZZQtuMu14nmPzZtgXEWJWtkthyDq8HRXyHLPDKvaqiR8H1uPgcHIsqkF8Sg0Vfvo/s400/Student+Survey+co+2021+Word+Cloud+Likes.png" width="292" /></a></div>
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Have a great August break!</div>
Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-21900531095651107172017-08-25T11:01:00.002-07:002017-08-25T11:01:23.672-07:00August Break 2017<div style="text-align: center;">
I hope everyone had a great break! I really enjoy traveling over breaks. (In April I went to <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskVkZwR1" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, December I went to <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskTNPrfC" target="_blank">Mexico</a>, and last August I went to <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskFvWWSL" target="_blank">Canada</a> and a <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskHdbx4d" target="_blank">bike trip with my mom</a>) This break was spent mostly in Pittsburgh resting, going to Sandcastle and biking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77TATUIJSxaeq7puA5O8zpvUFB5V7ujW75fD2tTRgKqGs7jgDR39-tfvEyzfiR9u1Bb2hlyqnEADnz9Eh6Gq0yV8qulC0Lu8_fz98X1C_RXqan-P5AaGQoTzeKoB73AWlqISNrpK9mKs/s1600/36086875890_31f2e901a0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77TATUIJSxaeq7puA5O8zpvUFB5V7ujW75fD2tTRgKqGs7jgDR39-tfvEyzfiR9u1Bb2hlyqnEADnz9Eh6Gq0yV8qulC0Lu8_fz98X1C_RXqan-P5AaGQoTzeKoB73AWlqISNrpK9mKs/s320/36086875890_31f2e901a0_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did return to my hometown Jefferson City Missouri to experience the solar eclipse. We saw totality!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9APmES58PddIOOmJusCUguxD4yU8k-cOXNEGD3hLkQDDMMNT2uJ-CXWGO4NDmZile76C_SlElIIzyXqekH5kGaRF13zamqORGj-VNKGlApSn6pZEKOsqXjsWUEecxh8ocBbRTSoaZGg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-08-11+at+11.39.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9APmES58PddIOOmJusCUguxD4yU8k-cOXNEGD3hLkQDDMMNT2uJ-CXWGO4NDmZile76C_SlElIIzyXqekH5kGaRF13zamqORGj-VNKGlApSn6pZEKOsqXjsWUEecxh8ocBbRTSoaZGg/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-08-11+at+11.39.11+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path of totality going through Missouri. My hometown is also the state capitol.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTuz3SVgZVWifz99p0mOQU7N5uoOAYvNtZLbSoiKOzayHkeolR4EXsj6KPjMiPY9ZGxZFj1pTDrn6p6endoMJ7NLX1y0AVf0TRcMwNIzy8O3EbM56zSgEZXllmMnXEfeS62DDhZN2jl0/s1600/36718104825_c994244c8a_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTuz3SVgZVWifz99p0mOQU7N5uoOAYvNtZLbSoiKOzayHkeolR4EXsj6KPjMiPY9ZGxZFj1pTDrn6p6endoMJ7NLX1y0AVf0TRcMwNIzy8O3EbM56zSgEZXllmMnXEfeS62DDhZN2jl0/s320/36718104825_c994244c8a_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A total solar eclipse! I took this with my phone and the glasses.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8Ov_FRWBqb_v1Kt3pShxLUziKeM0TqppcSAZjfVvePRSgFMlFKANAna-kiE1uJFxL4xMexnmwubvpblkKxVvspS_Wqhleb3zCtiaI31uaBXjuL0Cr6WVAyI27keOBxj6YDmDZ1l6fvk/s1600/35907840963_fe700fb4b4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8Ov_FRWBqb_v1Kt3pShxLUziKeM0TqppcSAZjfVvePRSgFMlFKANAna-kiE1uJFxL4xMexnmwubvpblkKxVvspS_Wqhleb3zCtiaI31uaBXjuL0Cr6WVAyI27keOBxj6YDmDZ1l6fvk/s320/35907840963_fe700fb4b4_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Bordner Point"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9APmES58PddIOOmJusCUguxD4yU8k-cOXNEGD3hLkQDDMMNT2uJ-CXWGO4NDmZile76C_SlElIIzyXqekH5kGaRF13zamqORGj-VNKGlApSn6pZEKOsqXjsWUEecxh8ocBbRTSoaZGg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-08-11+at+11.39.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9APmES58PddIOOmJusCUguxD4yU8k-cOXNEGD3hLkQDDMMNT2uJ-CXWGO4NDmZile76C_SlElIIzyXqekH5kGaRF13zamqORGj-VNKGlApSn6pZEKOsqXjsWUEecxh8ocBbRTSoaZGg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-08-11+at+11.39.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm looking forward to a new school year and sharing in learning with students!</div>
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<br />Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-61152039943218046792017-08-04T19:41:00.001-07:002017-08-04T19:41:38.804-07:002017 - 2018 Recap Class of 2019<div style="text-align: center;">
Looking back on a great year and I'm just blown away by how much we accomplished and how much fun was had!</div>
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Final Hispanic Music Projects</h2>
First I want to start off highlighting some great final projects students created.<br />
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Ji and Julian's Comida Song</div>
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Jacob, John and Bryce's SER ESTAR song</div>
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Alexa's Tengo Tu Love video</div>
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Isaiah's El Cuerpo Animation</div>
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Taharka, Connor, Mark and Ryan's version of "La Gozadera"</div>
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Guests</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLrRRKwZMFIkT5UV2GGdSTDhSx-tSkSC70MnahEyzhxdohj9-Br9kB879UjoCi3_SC_iX04gyKo31O3XWPxmRDcEs7hRzthUjNbP3kUPEMxQ9tCsH2hrCkWC1MD1Gabxb_Gw3V55grBo/s1600/IMG_4161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLrRRKwZMFIkT5UV2GGdSTDhSx-tSkSC70MnahEyzhxdohj9-Br9kB879UjoCi3_SC_iX04gyKo31O3XWPxmRDcEs7hRzthUjNbP3kUPEMxQ9tCsH2hrCkWC1MD1Gabxb_Gw3V55grBo/s320/IMG_4161.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan from Community Justice Project</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO7F2RmQ_S3nK0EmhajYAIeR7kaNwgTQybBN7gTjH1s8WFywpZZs07iTxUnnd_XqDOcm8UvKCpBLVf6AR49zuiLYI-Ni-YExBrQXnoWd8SwU1Yr4XvJA_Uk1dQgom1BRwrGtp19_BPak/s1600/IMG_4160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHO7F2RmQ_S3nK0EmhajYAIeR7kaNwgTQybBN7gTjH1s8WFywpZZs07iTxUnnd_XqDOcm8UvKCpBLVf6AR49zuiLYI-Ni-YExBrQXnoWd8SwU1Yr4XvJA_Uk1dQgom1BRwrGtp19_BPak/s320/IMG_4160.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guillermo from Pittsburgh Labor Council for Latin American Advancement</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />Again we were lucky enough to have guests visit our classes this year! From Antonieta who spoke about her home country of Venezuela, to video-conferencing with Ben, a community organizer supporting agricultural workers in California.</div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Random Good Times</h2>
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A typical morning greeting from Dayona and Ja</div>
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Bike Club getting to cruise the town!</div>
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Doing the <a href="https://youtu.be/bxWxXncl53U?t=2m16s" target="_blank">"Soy Yo" Girl dance</a> with students!</div>
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Having fun on field trips!</div>
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SciTech Days</div>
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Looking back now that the year is over and I scroll through the videos and photos and projects of the year, I wish I had done a better job of telling the class of 2019 how impressed I was with their talent and creativity. It was truly <b>a pleasure</b> to work with them! </div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-75325897461861839812016-07-13T06:15:00.000-07:002016-07-14T05:08:57.012-07:002015 - 2016 Recap Class of 2018 <div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-d1020ea6-df44-5832-656c-daa399e3206b"></span>I'd like to take a few moments to review all the neat things we've done this year with the class of 2018!</div>
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Six Guests</h2>
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At different points in the year we had guests come in and share their experiences with Spanish 1 class </div>
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<li>Tara from <a href="http://www.cafeconlechepgh.com/" target="_blank">Cafe con Leche PGH</a> came to class to talk about her latinx identity</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9gDeD4LWeHqzpGUwFmy3ZqqkZ57Zejm-Kj99YYlPgU8xqF5hKe1Yq-2cGysA03RYeV8EPv7AGtEbfJJ5EfnD9EAaLO-7N3cOIYJ-BB3x0gB5A8nIbRFlJS-g_PBSrYfqVe7O64aG_4s/s1600/Tara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9gDeD4LWeHqzpGUwFmy3ZqqkZ57Zejm-Kj99YYlPgU8xqF5hKe1Yq-2cGysA03RYeV8EPv7AGtEbfJJ5EfnD9EAaLO-7N3cOIYJ-BB3x0gB5A8nIbRFlJS-g_PBSrYfqVe7O64aG_4s/s320/Tara.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>Brenda is a human rights activist, a professor of Spanish at University of Pittsburgh, and she also works at the Community Justice Project. She shared with students what people face when they attempt to immigrate from Central America to the United States. </li>
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<li>University of Pittsburgh's Center for Latin American Studies had a student intern present about youth protesting for better education options in Chile. It was also a great opportunity for our students to pick the brain of a college student interested in World Languages!</li>
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<li>Bozena visited us from Duolingo! Students got a chance to provide feedback on what they liked about Duolingo and ask questions about how it was structured. Bozena also talked about learning more than just two languages.</li>
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<li>Ruth was with us for a week and she presented to one class about various adventures she's had, including a Fulbright Scholarship in Russia where they <i>drove on a frozen river like it was a road!</i></li>
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<li>Jasiri X shared stories of how he uses music & passion to speak truth about injustices. He shared a verse from his recent collaboration with Rhymefest #WarOnUs, which was informed by a trip to Colombia.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRstf-R4Nnc9FkJdo3tocQZf1CMl023F2SYNt-9tufGyQ7RIJAL3C9RWItClp5Iagrk02BgLVaU0JmY9ygB6K_BO-TtA3RETZakba1xKViNyW3Ba7RxvvmIN0d-CjDPV333CSSGTB_qA/s1600/Jasiri+X.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRstf-R4Nnc9FkJdo3tocQZf1CMl023F2SYNt-9tufGyQ7RIJAL3C9RWItClp5Iagrk02BgLVaU0JmY9ygB6K_BO-TtA3RETZakba1xKViNyW3Ba7RxvvmIN0d-CjDPV333CSSGTB_qA/s320/Jasiri+X.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Trying new things</h2>
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Students were open to trying new things in Spanish class</div>
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Students trying crickets</div>
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Salsa lessons!</div>
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Mate from Argentina</div>
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Fun in Clubs</h2>
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Clubs this year were great! First trimester was Music Making Club and we borrowed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfQqh7iCcOU" target="_blank">Makey Makeys</a> from the <a href="http://remakelearning.org/project/digital-corps/" target="_blank">Remake Learning Digital Corps</a>. </div>
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Third<span style="font-family: inherit;"> trimester was photo/video club. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The club partnered with </span><a href="http://www.412project.org/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">412Project</a><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a Pittsburgh-area photo club. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students participated in a “mini-instameet”/ workshop with 412Project Photographers. The photographers mentored the students on some technical basics of photography as well as how to creatively see their everyday surroundings in a new perspective. The photographers and the club walked around downtown and focused on street life and architecture. </span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Students then had 10 days to post photos under the hashtag #412project_cityhigh on instagram. 412Project photographers selected the best photos of the group and had them printed to be displayed at the school.</span></span><br />
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Great Final Projects</h2>
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Throughout the second trimester of Spanish 1 students listened to music as part of their warm up activities. The final project in Spanish 1 class was to create something original that teaches about Spanish language or culture through music. All final projects can be viewed and voted for on <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/cityhigh.org/final-hispanic-music-projects-c-o-2018/home" target="_blank">The Showcase Website</a>. Below are some great final projects</div>
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Overall the progress and creativity of the students of the class of 2018 was remarkable! </div>
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Great job!</div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-51193256624061221592016-04-19T10:16:00.002-07:002016-04-19T10:16:50.068-07:00Lessons learned while traveling<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/katiebordner/albums/72157666811022411" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Best of Asia 2015"><img alt="Best of Asia 2015" height="360" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1553/25708073664_682b69f261_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskxRLzcr" target="_blank">Here are photos from my recent trip to China and Vietnam</a></td></tr>
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As I get to learn a bit about a new group of students in their introductions to me, it was pretty exciting to see that so many of you mentioned that you want to be able to travel. You want to see other parts of the United States and the world.<br />
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Obviously as a Spanish teacher I'm a bit biased. But traveling has been one of my favorite things. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/life-experiences-happier-material-things_n_5072591.html" target="_blank">Studies show that people who spend their money on experiences (like traveling) are happier than people who spend their money on things (like the latest shoes).</a></div>
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And we all have to start somewhere. I had never traveled out of the country until I was 20. Traveling is not something my family did. But once I was in college and I had the opportunity to travel I took advantage of it! The first country I went to was Switzerland. (People in Switzerland speak French, German/Swiss-German, and some speak Italian). I went to Switzerland because it is in the center of Europe and I could easily travel to Paris, London, and Rome for the weekend. It is amazing to get to sit in a plaza (similar to Market Square) and absorb a different culture and language. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The biggest advice I have for students who want to travel is to seek out opportunities that will help you travel. Learning the language is great, but it is not necessary.</span></div>
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This past winter break I was able to travel to China and Vietnam. I was reminded of three big ideas during this trip</div>
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1. You don't have to know the language of the place you are going. China uses characters, not an alphabet, and the language is tonal (which means different ways of saying the same thing <i>have different meanings)</i>. The most I could say is hello, thank you, count 1 to 5, and some food words. Even after being in Vietnam for two weeks, I was no where near able to have a conversation. <b>Don't let not knowing the language keep you from going to a place you want to explore.</b></div>
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2. <b>The more you learn (language/history/culture) the more you get out of the trip</b>. Reading general info on a travel website about a place you are going is a good start. For this trip I read some articles about current <i>and</i> ancient Chinese culture and a brief book about the history of Vietnam. I also found some podcast of a professor of Chinese culture and listened to a few that I thought might be interesting topics. I watched famous movies that took place in the countries as well. All of this was obviously done in English. It is so neat to be able to see something in person that you have learned about. You can also seek out tour guides to get specific information, </div>
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3. <b>Being scared and/or uncomfortable is part of the adventure.</b>Those are going to be the more meaningful experiences. There were <i>many</i> times I was tired, cold, and hungry. Food is going to mess up your stomach. You are going to have to walk! We walked about 10 miles a day in China & Vietnam but I didn't mind it because it was exciting, and we were walking around all these amazing places! If you know ahead of time you are going to be out of your comfort zone then when plans go awry you can just go with the flow and be open to a new adventure. Things will not go as planned. You will not get to see and do everything that you might have wanted, but that does not mean that what you do get to see and do is any less of an amazing experience.<br />
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To close, here are a few opportunities open to area youth to travel that are severely discounted/ free!<br />
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<li><a href="http://costaricachs2016.blogspot.com/p/tri.html" target="_blank">City High's Costa Rica trip</a> for 20 juniors</li>
<li><a href="https://amizade.org/program/yapsa/" target="_blank"> Amizade's Youth Ambassador Program</a> takes 20 students from the Pittsburgh region to Peru and Bolivia</li>
<li><a href="https://www.worldpittsburgh.org/global-education-initiative/high-school-students/global-travel-scholarship-program/" target="_blank">The World Affairs Council Pittsburgh</a> accepts students to travel to different parts of the world</li>
<li>Various churches and community groups have mission trips around the world. We've had a student get a sabbatical to go to on a trip to Guatemala.</li>
<li>You can study abroad in college and find other opportunities at <a href="http://www.goabroad.com/" target="_blank">goabroad.com</a></li>
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If you want any help or advice or just want to talk about travel dreams, I'd love to continue the conversation with you!</div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-86100087269054505532015-09-20T14:59:00.002-07:002015-09-20T14:59:40.506-07:00That's Stupid vs. That's Different<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the first couple of weeks of learning another language and students are really curious and asking some great questions like</div>
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<li>Why are there upside question marks? </li>
<li>Why are there accents on some words?</li>
<li>Why is the date in front of the month?</li>
<li>Why is the adjective in front of the noun in a sentence?</li>
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Some of the questions I know the answer to, some of them I don't. In the past I have "Google" many of those questions myself. Some of the answers make sense to me, some of them I just shrug my shoulders and say "OK." Some of the answers I can never truly understand.</div>
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It's great that students notice the differences between Spanish and English and want to understand! However I've also heard some students notice these differences or hear the explanation and just reject the logic by saying something like "that's stupid."</div>
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No. It's not. It's just <b>different</b>. You are learning something new. New information is not stupid. It's an awful habit to develop negative feelings for anything that doesn't immediately make sense to you. It will ruin every day of your life because you will probably learn new things about the world every day for a very long time! </div>
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The world is full of different, complex languages and cultures that have completely different ways of thinking about the world than we might be used to. These diverse cultures and people are not stupid, they are different. </div>
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You don't have to learn all the differences, or completely understand them. I don't! Be excited that there are so many different ways to think about things. It makes for a fascinating world to live in!</div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-36776704477338636062015-09-09T05:18:00.002-07:002015-09-09T05:18:39.145-07:00Introducción de Ms. Bordner<span style="font-family: Tahoma; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Hola! </span><br />
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I am very excited to get to know the City High class of 2018 and have fun together in la clase de espanol! S<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">ince I'm asking you to introduce yourselves to me, I figured I'd tell you about me!</span></div>
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The biggest lesson I learned last year was that when I give my students more freedom to be creative and demonstrate what they are learning in their own way, students can produce very impressive work! This is best seen in the videos students made like Hymay Banks 005, El Restaurante de Pablo, and </div>
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This is my 10th year teaching students Spanish. I did not grow up speaking Spanish, I learned it in high school just like you all will do with me! I grew up in a small town in Missouri and went to college in St. Louis, Missouri. In college I majored in Spanish <b>and</b> Media Communications, I really wanted to be a photojournalist traveling the world. I love photography, music, and making videos. (In college I had a radio show and I created, produced and acted in a TV show.) </div>
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After college I moved to Chicago, Illinois where I taught students Spanish for six years. Then I moved to Pittsburgh and started working here at City High! As far as what I see for myself in the future, well I really enjoy teaching so I hope to continue to do that. I also hope to continue to travel to different places in the world! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking in Colombia</td></tr>
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There are a few things that are really important in my life. The first is my family. Mike is my husband and we love to bike and travel together. Rich, my brother, along with his wife Ezichi and my nieces Amara and Zara live near Los Angeles California. Rich teaches high school English and Ezichi tutors math. My parents live in my hometown in Missouri but they visit Pittsburgh often!</div>
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Learning new things is also important to me. I love learning something new, and I find traveling to be a great way to learn about the world. I've traveled to close to 20 countries and this winter I hope to go to China and Vietnam.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucia and I biking in Spain</td></tr>
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I ask my students to answer the question "What do you need from me to be successful?" so I'd like to share what <b>I need from you in order for YOU to be successful</b>. I need you to put forth your best positive effort on a daily basis. Learning a language is not easy, and mistakes and embarrassment can be common. Just know that's OK, it's part of the process, and to keep trying!<br />
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This August was really fun. I biked from Pittsburgh to Washington DC with some friends! It was 300 miles and took about 5 days. I also went to Chicago, Boston and Houston to visit friends.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking 300 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC</td></tr>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-59815485273812352632013-09-08T14:37:00.001-07:002013-09-08T14:37:16.680-07:00Excited to start!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm glad the first week is over! I tend to do the most talking in the first week, explaining expectations, procedures, routines, etc. It's important work that keeps us from getting tripped up once we really start rolling, but I'm glad the first part is over.</div>
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I read through the <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/cityhigh.org/forms/d/1wTiCm0Mt3jH9Hp0EG7sE0qAtLWPKj5ymYE7Uxoy73Kw/viewform" target="_blank">Goal Setting</a> answers and I was very excited. I was excited because many of the things students want to have conversations about (talking about things you like to do, describing school, talking about food, weather, music and shopping) are things we cover in our Spanish 9 and 10 classes! We aim to teach things that are valuable to students, and when they tell us they want to learn some of the things we already plan to teach well then, we think we are going to have a great year!</div>
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Many students mentioned some things that are different about Latino culture, or they mentioned similar things about latino culture that they wanted to learn more about. Some of these things were how Latinos dress, their dances, currency, food, sports, and celebrations like Cinco de Mayo, Día de los Muertos, and Quinceñeras. This showed us that you are an observant bunch, and you pay attention and notice things. That's great because that <b>a big part of being a knowledgeable traveler is paying attention and asking good questions. </b>That so many of you are already aware and curious means we are going to get a lot out of this class!</div>
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What's even better, is that we all share the common goals of being successful, and speaking Spanish and understanding Hispanic culture!</div>
<br />Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-67028324616525363632013-09-03T12:26:00.004-07:002013-09-03T12:26:44.706-07:00Words of Wisdom from Conan O'Brien<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-19524184038713410622013-08-05T16:17:00.002-07:002013-08-05T16:17:24.077-07:00Great Hispanic Music Projects<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was so impressed with some of our Hispanic Music Projects I wanted to highlight a few!</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two s</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 13.600000381469727px; white-space: pre-wrap;">tudents recorded themselves playing songs on a piano, used Adobe Soundbooth to mix in latino beats like bachata and cumbia, then created their own </span><a href="http://pianomeetscumbia.bandcamp.com/" style="line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bandcamp</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 13.600000381469727px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> webpage.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This project mixes jazz, Mozart, piano, bachata and cumbia beats and mixing audio using Adobe Soundbooth. </span></li>
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<li><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many students decided to make webpages. One student made a <a href="http://losrakasmusic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">website with translations of lyrics of a </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://losrakasmusic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Panamanian</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://losrakasmusic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> hip-hop group called Los Rakas</a>. She wr</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ote "</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found it pretty fascinating how hip-hop is similar no matter what language it’s sung in or who is singing it; they all have similar tones at times and they also share similar ideas."</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">One student created <a href="http://hispanicstuck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">a website where she review four bands</a>. The first one was from the band she was assigned to review on the first day, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hello Seahorse. Using the keywords/search terms Pete gave her, she found the other 3 bands. I had never heard of the other 3 artist, but what suprised me is that one of them, </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/king-coya/sets/king-coya-remixes" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">King Coya</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">, has remixed music from Amadou & Mariam, a African band, as well as tango, and more! </span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another student started by making a </span></span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kennedyjfk/sets/spanish-indie" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soundlcoud mix</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, then created a </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://spanishmusickennedy.tumblr.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Tumblr</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that gave details about each song she selected and the artist who made them, and finally made a poster for one of the bands as if they were coming to Pittsburgh. I was very impressed with how this student kept delving deeper and deeper into different aspects of the music. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is a video two students created from a song they liked.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This .gif was drawn by hand, scanned then color was added. This was "cover art" to a song two other students created. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15.199999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you can see, the projects we get are incredibly diverse! I'm constantly blown away with the creativity and technical skills our students demonstrate. Bravo, 2015 Team A!</span></span></div>
Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-56311393588096952052013-07-27T16:53:00.001-07:002013-07-27T16:53:48.129-07:00Best Blogs From Team C 2016 Spanish 9In general, Mrs. Akhand and I were <i>very impressed</i> with the quality of blogs that Team C 2016 completed during Spanish 9 class. We want to showcase some of the best post and blogs.<br />
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Blog that was as clear as it was cute - <a href="http://konikasspanishblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Konika</a></h3>
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Konika's blog is very stylized, and looks unique! It is also very easy to read. This is a great example of a student personalizing their blog while also making sure it doesn't get out of control!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84UkGPQf1l0IfoFHR6ZAzwG7Mks8AA1FU_N04tmMJY8ms7bzQshZIajgkscbwEQnwt_Ql9D5q5d7RF7gRRkMgx4e3rrXvrl63_qGp10y9UTtnbUFGHq2EU7jg3chPZCf81FoNwZb7Dqw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.07.38.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84UkGPQf1l0IfoFHR6ZAzwG7Mks8AA1FU_N04tmMJY8ms7bzQshZIajgkscbwEQnwt_Ql9D5q5d7RF7gRRkMgx4e3rrXvrl63_qGp10y9UTtnbUFGHq2EU7jg3chPZCf81FoNwZb7Dqw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.07.38.png" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Amazing visually beautiful blog - <a href="http://kaylonamciverblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kaylona</a></h3>
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Kaylona got an advanced grade for most of the posts because she always went the extra mile to complete a visual. She is a Prezi guru! Her attention to detail makes her blog one of the most visually enhanced blogs of the trimester!</div>
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Awesome Advanced blogger - <a href="http://kelseykochsspanishblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kelsey</a></h3>
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Kelsey delivered a quality blog every week. She was very careful to follow all directions. The result is a great portfolio of work throughout the trimester!</div>
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Best Male blog - <a href="http://dam1997.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dylan</a></h3>
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Dylan, like the ladies mentioned above, completed all required posts as well as many optional posts. What makes Dylan's blog great is how he has used technology to let his personality and work shine! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6gjZRoan-pxjwWVc9gKsY-4gT-Y4rLTW4O-HDF7PCy87CrazDmNxoXN9DA2dN-2Dh_VCs9gNaWBGv8SlxTCjW8mD8qVhon4IuKdDhVcrrAJ_4Tr4IyUE-NIe4eNrSgbsF9Q3HmffSHA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.32.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6gjZRoan-pxjwWVc9gKsY-4gT-Y4rLTW4O-HDF7PCy87CrazDmNxoXN9DA2dN-2Dh_VCs9gNaWBGv8SlxTCjW8mD8qVhon4IuKdDhVcrrAJ_4Tr4IyUE-NIe4eNrSgbsF9Q3HmffSHA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.32.58.png" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h2>
Great blogs by post</h2>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://chaiseknightsspanishblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/latin-america.html" target="_blank">Latin America Post - Chais</a>e</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcqCT7zdCNs9_ChllPHfwQ3BSufHzGiplWkTM-uQwcOlhx8xfGLVv1wGXlIbRSYwt6VukkCPcN2JnGK0tdZT6ligeamplXkjDTN9dEDIqS0Vvpr8InA6kXpNvSWFnLZkfrZz6n3hPqvg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.24.24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcqCT7zdCNs9_ChllPHfwQ3BSufHzGiplWkTM-uQwcOlhx8xfGLVv1wGXlIbRSYwt6VukkCPcN2JnGK0tdZT6ligeamplXkjDTN9dEDIqS0Vvpr8InA6kXpNvSWFnLZkfrZz6n3hPqvg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.24.24.png" height="320" width="126" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://vinnysspanishblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/basic-spanish-conversation.html" target="_blank">Basic Spanish Convo - Vinny (make sure to listen to the conversation between Vinny and Michael!)</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUXwrPpiA4cSe6jjj8F1R7V4M1U1QRlugb6hJVV7A_1Uz4DoxOSfUu1lTk0MIU-8SrjiBLHF_KqkZjgBSnDJNdxAxm1nXo6AQGMPHxGmitwQue3P45daofuFPhjwRvC8NUNpYt4aByoE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.34.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUXwrPpiA4cSe6jjj8F1R7V4M1U1QRlugb6hJVV7A_1Uz4DoxOSfUu1lTk0MIU-8SrjiBLHF_KqkZjgBSnDJNdxAxm1nXo6AQGMPHxGmitwQue3P45daofuFPhjwRvC8NUNpYt4aByoE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.34.08.png" height="320" width="300" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://kelseykochsspanishblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Basic Spanish Comic - Kelsey</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn6KdyLtE9L4WagWhA2MFDn3eTWdpjQuU2zxDGrQWaNyaXiRr19EfHFZ8GkFA-QAMP5pdIqNkeLw6w_UsFTpgkfoCvi_X0KJza8dC7pBS3jIZ9F70Z_dyTDfHuYxuxAS8LeRcPEyrd7c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.27.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNn6KdyLtE9L4WagWhA2MFDn3eTWdpjQuU2zxDGrQWaNyaXiRr19EfHFZ8GkFA-QAMP5pdIqNkeLw6w_UsFTpgkfoCvi_X0KJza8dC7pBS3jIZ9F70Z_dyTDfHuYxuxAS8LeRcPEyrd7c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.27.21.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://samsspanish.blogspot.com/2013/06/floor-tour.html" target="_blank">Floor Tour</a> - Sam </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-9OrIZFypGNLfMcuvdUEFHnDTSFD8D-n8m1bkoPooAll02ArzkfCWKJcrNcxeycawjOiSbcucRqJYAvTiMn8SbY_A3jWopI1l1oJidfl8eqep1X4otpuOG1oSX8UkMk82TeoxEqG03g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.17.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-9OrIZFypGNLfMcuvdUEFHnDTSFD8D-n8m1bkoPooAll02ArzkfCWKJcrNcxeycawjOiSbcucRqJYAvTiMn8SbY_A3jWopI1l1oJidfl8eqep1X4otpuOG1oSX8UkMk82TeoxEqG03g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.17.32.png" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam's Floor Tour post w/ a visual</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://aniyaspanishblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/dominican-republic-blog-post.html" target="_blank">Country Profile Website - Aniya</a> (The photos make it pop!) Also check out <a href="http://kaylonamciverblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/latin-american-country-website.html" target="_blank">Kaylona's</a>!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSJ6lv12U2zou2OMZgYU6jxEnsl3PThe_OU0kAybTfteZTT8C275k1o9XWG6qcFpYn0etLux8Mlkc3a2E5a5R5JQ077TS17vHm9qPyjbc7aW6C5VXdL76CnRb9nIttbk8NJrJx8tBiE4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.21.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSJ6lv12U2zou2OMZgYU6jxEnsl3PThe_OU0kAybTfteZTT8C275k1o9XWG6qcFpYn0etLux8Mlkc3a2E5a5R5JQ077TS17vHm9qPyjbc7aW6C5VXdL76CnRb9nIttbk8NJrJx8tBiE4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.21.42.png" height="320" width="277" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://konikasspanishblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/quien-soy.html" target="_blank">Immigration - Allana</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSsSEHyTshnD5cJTTNqd3imVeBhU9cpsVGYwExM6DLdsSUm-Ib2lQjTTqUhjNjbWq6Ng3aEtkxgqe3prjl0hp7hyEeQfbqF2JLOYwy8lIN9Eh-VQWxX5jRkvUW8GEjodrpgeM9sn6BQw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.40.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSsSEHyTshnD5cJTTNqd3imVeBhU9cpsVGYwExM6DLdsSUm-Ib2lQjTTqUhjNjbWq6Ng3aEtkxgqe3prjl0hp7hyEeQfbqF2JLOYwy8lIN9Eh-VQWxX5jRkvUW8GEjodrpgeM9sn6BQw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.40.14.png" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Quien Soy - Konika</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkgxgD2HNryBINeUlr350gRWH1p6RKCW0FgLoy979yW8NkEq9HzP10eW52Bwa1tiwNdrJ8nOW7AbgQNe0pfnmu-5uN2JzmAPmvZuMKnnYhLDYr-qkDlj1nzh5wJ-KwaS9-yOykQNfT9Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.04.09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkgxgD2HNryBINeUlr350gRWH1p6RKCW0FgLoy979yW8NkEq9HzP10eW52Bwa1tiwNdrJ8nOW7AbgQNe0pfnmu-5uN2JzmAPmvZuMKnnYhLDYr-qkDlj1nzh5wJ-KwaS9-yOykQNfT9Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.04.09.png" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Konika's Quien Soy Glog</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://riccospanish.blogspot.com/2013/07/celebrity-guess-who.html" target="_blank">Guess Who presentation - Ricco</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuIx1xZrJPwPg70Vmk5KYqOMDL2xZEBBguDU8SwJ2i8zP26BQbRqPZSRCfyyAZpMc59cMrwWsxvUV06Mv7jcAX_tCRWd2FuMiUgxX7LZ0TWxElatA13MCBKuLMo9VMO1PZV17UU8DMD0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.36.29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuIx1xZrJPwPg70Vmk5KYqOMDL2xZEBBguDU8SwJ2i8zP26BQbRqPZSRCfyyAZpMc59cMrwWsxvUV06Mv7jcAX_tCRWd2FuMiUgxX7LZ0TWxElatA13MCBKuLMo9VMO1PZV17UU8DMD0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.36.29.png" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Native Speaker Interview - <a href="http://kaylaspanishblog98.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kayla</a> and <a href="http://oliviasspanishblog10.blogspot.com/2013/07/native-speaker-blog-post.html" target="_blank">Olivia</a>!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhlOZo8KX18SDGQmGfqm_avt40rkKK_709pzuMqcYi8NoCUbX5iSxBIsbrxp-KEB0sIVMM3cO5Awc9lrULR-sTfjYJj7uf1C9iujOCoSMtGVpBt_cV1BUj-YccxUk-o-ks2REK-a8TmI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.51.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhlOZo8KX18SDGQmGfqm_avt40rkKK_709pzuMqcYi8NoCUbX5iSxBIsbrxp-KEB0sIVMM3cO5Awc9lrULR-sTfjYJj7uf1C9iujOCoSMtGVpBt_cV1BUj-YccxUk-o-ks2REK-a8TmI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-07-27+at+19.51.26.png" height="320" width="250" /></a></div>
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Muchas gracias for a great trimester Team C 2016! We're really excited to continue your Spanish conversation and culture learning next year!</div>
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Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-76749887371645135712013-07-27T15:58:00.003-07:002013-07-27T15:58:51.619-07:00Native Speaker Interview Day July 2013Native Speaker Interview Day is one of my favorite days to be your Spanish teacher. I get filled with pride and excitement watching students engage in bilingual conversations with our guests. Here are some photos from the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3821/9366065350_964a1a9275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3821/9366065350_964a1a9275.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricco and Kori interviewing Ms. Dimate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7354/9366088780_b225842888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7354/9366088780_b225842888.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh and Stevie interviewing Ms. Aguirre</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/9363293393_033d10fca5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/9363293393_033d10fca5.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayla and Anna interviewing Mr. Matteo<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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As I was listening I even learned things. I learned that when someone asks your age in Spanish and they don't want to tell you, they say "sin cuentas" which means "without counting" but also sounds like 50. That was a reminder to me that in many situations it is <i>not</i> appropriate to ask someone's age!<br />
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Another thing I overheard was one of our guest engaging in "chit chat" with students before the interview began. He explained that in Latin America, it is considered rude to just get straight down to work without having an informal, <i>how are you</i> check-in conversation. That is very different than what I am used to and I remember struggling with that a lot when I traveled, but I saw how it helped some of our students get comfortable and less nervous before they started the formal interview.<br />
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The last thing I want to mention that I overheard was one of our native speakers encouraging a student to try again. He said "<b>No one is going to laugh at you, no one is going to make fun of you.</b>" That is very true. Many times, we are too afraid to try something because we are afraid of looking stupid or failing. When you are learning another language, and you practice that language in an attempt to try to communicate and respect someone else's background, even if you mess up, they appreciate the effort. No one is trying to embarrass you, so try your best, and learn something. Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-88120181406021373072013-01-21T09:55:00.001-08:002013-01-21T09:55:26.257-08:00Explore but don't judge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/dd1fe4ab3e368c67d037540ef5103897/tumblr_mgcybbFOL41qzr04eo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/dd1fe4ab3e368c67d037540ef5103897/tumblr_mgcybbFOL41qzr04eo1_500.jpg" width="212" /></a> </div>
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Last Friday 9th grade period C had a guest speaker come in to answer some questions. His name is Adam and he is a travel blogger. His website is <a href="http://www.happinessplunge.com/" target="_blank">ww.happinessplunge.com</a>.<br />
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Adam was born and raised in Cleveland. He graduated from Ohio State University and started working as an engineer. After awhile working in the "real world" he decided to quit his job and travel the world. He now spends his time volunteering and exploring different places around the world, <a href="http://www.happinessplunge.com/2012/01/together-lets-help-kids-with-cancer/" target="_blank">while also growing crazy hair</a>.<br />
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The conversation between Adam and students was respectful and engaging. Students asked some great questions and Adam gave great advice and told some pretty interesting stories.<br />
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As I read the post-video conference reflections, I was surprised at how many students focused on Adam's hair and the fact that instead of staying in hotels he has used <a href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/">www.couchsurfing.org</a>. Students were shocked at how abnormal these things were.<br />
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I admit, those are not things we hear or see everyday. I'm also not suggesting students follow in Adam's footsteps. But I do hope my students challenge themselves to be open-minded about new information.<br />
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The world is a big place. There are many different ways of looking and living. There are many different reasons people look and live the way they do. It's important for us to remember that just because something is not familiar or what we are used to, that doesn't make it bad. When we see something that is different, we must <b>suspend our first judgement</b>.<br />
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We must be open to exploring how and why things are different. We must seek to understand, not condemn or reject.<br />
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This is a skill that is developed over time. This is not just a skill for traveling, but a skill you will need in City High, in Pittsburgh, and any other place you come into contact with new or different people.<br />
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One of the things that Adam said is that when you travel you get to know yourself. When you come into contact with things that are different than what you are used to you ask yourself "Why do I believe what I believe? Why do I do things the way I do things?" When you seek to understand others, you learn about yourself in the process.<br />
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<br />Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-4555963667143214962013-01-06T11:33:00.001-08:002013-01-06T11:33:50.657-08:00Thoughts after reading your letters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m74g9nVFsi1qzr04eo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m74g9nVFsi1qzr04eo1_500.gif" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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I just finished reading all the letters of introductions from my new students. I love reading about students hobbies, what's important to them, and their experiences with other languages and cultures. I even learned about airsoft, though I don't know how it's different than paintball.<br />
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A lot of students mentioned that they have had Spanish before but they don't remember much. That is a pretty normal response. I bet many of you remember more than you realize, and things will come back to you as we review them.<br />
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We understand that for most of our students Spanish class is like a side salad. It's not the main course, but it's a good place for getting nutrients that make you healthier. That's why we've set up the class to focus more on participation and projects rather than exams. We don't expect you to remember everything forever, but we design the course to help you develop skills that you will use beyond this class, such as<br />
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<ul>
<li>growth and reflection - we want to help you find areas that you have improved in and identify what you did to help you grow</li>
<li>respectful, positive communication - how you do/say something often communicates more that what you actually say</li>
<li>keep an open mind - learning to be curious and non-judgmental about new and different things you encounter</li>
</ul>
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Many of you mentioned that in order for you to be successful you need your teachers to be patient. That will be my goal for this trimester, to be patient and support my students as they learn about Spanish culture and language. What I want in return from my students is a positive effort and focus everyday in class. </div>
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I'm really looking forward to this trimester.</div>
Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149062310329064242.post-15256217092658616342013-01-02T14:33:00.003-08:002013-01-02T14:33:38.851-08:00BienvenidosHola estudiantes!<br />
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This blog will be a place where I share my thoughts on how our class is going, highlight some great work, and share some resources/ support for you and your blogging.<br />
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To get things started my first blog post will be like your first blog post, a letter of introduction from me to you.<br />
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Dear students,<br />
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Hola! Como estas? (Hi! How are you?) I'm very well. I had a great break and I'm back ready to work to help you learn about Spanish language and culture and have fun while doing it!<br />
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There are a few things that are important in my life. My family is important, but I don't get to see them very much because my parents live in Missouri and my brother teaches English out in Los Angels. I also have a few close friends that have helped me though a lot, so I'm very grateful for them. Another thing that important to me is my health. Not too long ago, I realized if I got a good night's sleep and ate an apple instead of potato chips I felt much better.<br />
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I started taking Spanish classes like many of you, in high school. I wasn't that great at it and yea, I remember being really frustrated sometimes! It was hard and I thought my teachers were crazy. When I got to college I signed up for Spanish level 3 but didn't do too well and had to take it over again. Spanish was never easy, and I felt embarrassed every time I spoke to someone in Spanish. But I really wanted to travel and I loved learning about the history and culture of Spanish speaking countries so I stuck with it. In college I applied to travel just about every semester or summer, and I haven't stopped traveling since! And as I travel, my Spanish gets better and better. I keep practicing by listening to music in Spanish, and listening to radio shows/watching TV, and reading Harry Potter (or Twilight) in Spanish.<br />
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I've had many good experiences with other languages and cultures. When I was in college I studied abroad in Switzerland and Argentina. Then I got an internship in Mexico, then in Switzerland. Since college I've traveled to Costa Rica, Peru, Spain and Mexico. In each of these experiences I have learned so much, and I'm looking forward to my next trip!<br />
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During my travels I've had some negative experiences. I've been mugged, and I've also had some gnarly food poisoning. There have been times when people were offended because I did something they thought was inappropriate but I didn't know. These lessons have taught me to be humble and as kind as possible to anyone I meet.<br />
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For me to be a successful teacher I need you (my students) to <b>try your best</b>. We have tried to set up this class to allow students to be creative, passionate, reflective, and honest about their work. Reading directions carefully will also take you very far.<br />
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When I think of a vision for myself in the future, I think of myself as continuously learning. There is so much I still don't know about, so much my students will teach me, and so many adventures to be had. I hope one day to take you to Costa Rica.<br />
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I have <b>a lot</b> of hobbies and interests. I love music and I play the guitar and piano. I like all kinds of music, and before I was a teacher I wrote and took photos for music magazines in St. Louis and Chicago. I also love<a href="http://vimeo.com/28276364"> taking photos</a> and I dabble in <a href="http://vimeo.com/14346997">making videos of places I go and things I see/do</a>. I also like long distance running and biking. I hope to bike from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. in 2013. I like making jigsaw puzzles, coloring, reading books, and knitting.<br />
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I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all and helping you learn Spanish!<br />
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Regards,<br />
Ms. Bordner<br />
<br />Katie Bordnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11559369599256866743noreply@blogger.com0