The document discusses using various technology tools in a Chinese language classroom to make lessons more engaging for students. It introduces three websites - voki.com for recording voices and creating avatars, toondoo.com for making comic books, and animoto.com for creating short videos. The goal is to move away from solely lecture-based teaching and allow students to actively participate and express themselves using these hands-on digital tools.

1. Using Technology in 21 th Century Chinese Classroom Tsun-Ju Lin 林純如 Red Bank Middle School NJ (since 2007) 4 th -8 th graders meet every other day Over 200 students Level: Chinese I, II and III

2. GOAL Share resource materials and website . Attendees will be able to use: www.voki.com (record voice) www.toondoo.com (write a comic book) www.animoto.com (make a small movie)

3. Lessons can be more interesting and hands on students have a tendency to lose interest if a teacher is at the front of the room just lecturing. From my own personal experiences, - I learn best when I am actively learning. - I learn best from actually doing than just observing.

4. www.voki.com Must record first, otherwise students will spend hours on playing avatar.

5. Allow students to record their voice for conversation or storytelling and create customizable speaking avatar

6. www.jingproject.com

7. Three types of input methods:

8. Starts to record

9. Yellow bar is running

10. Can be saved as file, email teacher to do the assessment and give out grades

11. Can type in phone or cellular phone number

12. Can type English or Chinese

13. Can change the colors of character’s mouth, eyes, skin or hair

14. Can adjust the sizes of character’s mouth, nose, body, height, and width

15. www.toondoo.com Super easy and user friendly

16. Comic-creating tool Creating a new way of expression for those who do not have the talent to draw

17. Toondoo.com Homepage

18. Select your layout

19. Drag down the characters & customize through tool bar on the top and bottom

20. Type in Chinese characters

21. Change background

22. Make a comic book

23. www.animoto.com

24. Produces videos using images and music that a user selects to produce short movies Can be used in language presentations Can be looked at the web or embedded in blogs to share with classmates

25. Upload pictures

26. Complete upload pictures

27. Upload music

28. Uploading pictures

30. Type in name of video

31. Producing

32. About 5 minutes

33. Finished and ready to view Show the video clip

34. Click on toolbox, few ways to send

35. Few ways to share

36. Send by email

37. Sent

38. Share the link

40. Embed to blog

41. Students are found to be challenged, engaged, and more independent when using technology .