If you want your children to speak a foreign language, it should begin at the start.

It is important to develop language skills, provide exposure to other cultures, and learn the discipline of thinking through phonics. Laura, Elementary School Teacher, Mother of 3

[Bethany] Our objective is to facilitate foreign language education by creating a simulation of immersion through virtual language learning tools. Because of this, we are focusing on elementary children because its been proven that the younger you are the easier it is to learn a second language.

The Person

The People
This community includes individuals in the elementary, public education system. They desire to build social skills through foreign language in direct, peer interaction across multiple cultures.

Membership Boundaries
Jane values good curriculum and likes it when the kids can learn by experience, rather than lecture teaching. She feels like there should be more resources put into the foreign language program. In her school there are six hundred kids so it is hard to remember each child and their specific progress. She values children who are bilingual because she feels they are more cultured, and usually perform better in school.

Foreign Language is important because it shows the child different cultures and has deep roots into other subjects.

There are gaps in all forms of education. One of the biggest gaps that we forget about is that everyone has a self will. We don't allow a child to find it for themselves and try to teach them in our own way.
Maryluz, Mother of 4

Emotional Safety

Outside of school? Recess. Thats my favorite thing.

Wyatt, Age 8

Although she loves her students Jane thinks she doesnt get enough time to spend with them one on one. Jane struggles to find new teaching approaches that would support her needs.

Belonging/Identity
Her family is very important to her, she enjoys Skyping with her children to see what they are up to. Since her kids are grown and out of the house Jane and her husband have taken up traveling more. She has even gone to Brazil to teach English to young kids during her summer breaks. She also really enjoys working with other teachers from the school, and sharing different teaching styles.

Kansas, USA

Meet Jane!
Shes a 37 years old Spanish teacher for Shawnee Mission elementary school. She has her Undergrad in Education as well Masters in Spanish and French. She is married with two kids who are out of the house. Both of her children speak French and Spanish. They are fluent because Jane and her husband dont speak English at their home.

The biggest challenge that I have found in teaching foreign language in elementary schools is that some students dont take it seriously. Pronunciation is also an issue because they aren't actually in the culture. Immersion would be ideal.
Abby, 4th Grade Teacher

Connections occur when one responds to a previous experience or feeling.

'("$)"#*+, !"##%-$)"#
Student Student

Allowing a child to share something about their family (a specific person like Mom or Dad) allows them to share about their lives and feelings as opposed to something that they have been taught. Its natural.

Teacher

One subject I would like to know more about is art. I want to draw pictures like I see on the internet.

Membership Boundaries
Zhang's school is not graded by GPA but rankings. She goes to school for 10 hours a day plus half day on Saturdays. Her teacher is from the U.S. Once she comes home she practices her violin and helps her mother prepare dinner. She is very influenced by her parents, and they encourage her to seek creativity and be a part of the community, like when she plays kickball. One subject she struggles with is English. It's stressed by her teachers, to become successful you must know English, and she has trouble pronouncing the words.

Student

Encourage an environment where children feel comfortable to talk their feelings on any subject. This allows the student to form connections with peers that recognize and share the same emotions and experiences.

12*3%4,5*+0%6
Student
Learning Peer Communication Fun

.#/+0%#-%
Teacher Student Student Student

Emotional Safety

Influence works by providing something that is educational and fun to learn.

Her parents have very strong beliefs on the structure of their family. Loyalty to the family is something they value. They also hold high expectations on performance in school. School makes Zhang very happy, she feels proud when ever she learns something new. Her parents compliment her on her discipline. However, it makes Zhang insecure when she cannot pronounce the words in English class.

Meet Zhang!
She is 8 years old, and is in third grade. She lives in Taiwan, China with her mom, dad, and grandmother. She can speak Mandarin, Taiwanese and a little English. She loves to play kickball, and her favorite food are dumplings. Her favorite subject in school is math, and likes to play chess with her dad. She has recently started using the computer and is fascinated with the internet. She loves to giggle at karaoke videos online.

Belonging/Identity
On Saturday half days, she goes to the market with her mother. One of her favorite activities is cooking traditional Chinese food with her grandmother. She is very dedicated to playing the violin as well. She has high respect to her parents and grandmother. Zhang and her family are also close with their neighbors. Chun is her best friend. They enjoy playing tag outside with other kids and like to look at different paintings online.

EDUCATION

Teacher

Positive role models and mentors give the child a chance to establish goals.

Bi/Multilingual Communities Cross-Culture Communication Better Understanding of Own Language Social Skills/Structure

Classroom activities like recess and games develop healthy peer relationships that facilitate learning experiences and social skills. These are a necessary part of productive collaboration in any environment.

!"#$%&$
Fluent First Language Public Education

Taiwan, China

I like looking at pictures and talking to other kids when playing on the computer.

Who Cares?
If you want your children to speak a foreign language, it should begin at the start. It is important to develop language skills, provide exposure to other cultures, and learn the discipline of thinking through phonics.
Laura, Elementary School Teacher, Mother of 3

Available Technology

Activities

Setting

Foreign Countries

Membership Boundaries
Ethan really enjoys school. He is very curious about other countries especially the different types of food they offer. Although he enjoys learning Spanish, he only has this subject once a week and usually forgets what he learned the week prior. He also wishes that when learning a different language there were more games and activities involved to help him remember.

Regular Practice

Online Community

Emotional Safety
He also doesnt quite understand the importance speaking a different language. Ethans parents trust the school to give him a well rounded education, but the school faces limited resources for language learning. When Ethan is learning if he has a difficult time understanding the subject he gets down on himself and usually cries or gives up.

Limitations

Belonging/Identity
Along with playing soccer Ethan likes to play tag and interact with other kids. He also likes to play online games, like halo, with other kids. He also likes to chat online with his other friends, and family he does not live by. Ethans family is extremely close. He enjoys spending time with his older siblings and looks up to them because their cell phones and computers are very cool.

Meet Ethan!
Hes an 6 years old and in first grader at Oak Hill elementary school. His favorite subjects are science and history. When Ethan isnt in school he enjoys playing on his soccer team and reading comic books. Ethan is the youngest of three and likes to ask his older brother and sister to help him with subjects like English. Once a week Ethans school has a Spanish teacher come in for 30 minutes.

Kansas, USA

Parents Teachers Principles

Guardians Politicians Mentors

Time Difference

Technologically Challenged

Attention Span

[Bethany] Through our research of foreign language education, we learned that starting education at an early age is paramount. It is important to develop language skills through exposure to other cultures.

This community includes individuals in the elementary, public education system. They desire to build social skills through foreign language in direct, peer interaction across multiple cultures.

[Bethany] Those involved in this community include the students, teachers, parents, and boards of educations. These individuals value building social skills through direct, peer interaction.

There are gaps in all forms of education. One of the biggest gaps that we forget about is that everyone has a self will. We don't allow a child to find it for themselves and try to teach them in our own way.
Maryluz, Mother of 4

Outside of school? Recess. Thats my favorite thing.

Wyatt, Age 8

The biggest challenge that I have found in teaching foreign language in elementary schools is that some students dont take it seriously. Pronunciation is also an issue because they aren't actually in the culture. Immersion would be ideal.
Abby, 4th Grade Teacher

[Bethany] After conducting interviews, we found a disconnect in the value of emerging and learning foreign languages. We also discovered that there are limitations and needs for both the teacher and the student.

Immersion would be ideal.

Abby, 4th Grade Teacher

Connections occur when one responds to a previous experience or feeling.

'("$)"#*+, !"##%-$)"#
Student Student

Allowing a child to share something about their family (a specific person like Mom or Dad) allows them to share about their lives and feelings as opposed to something that they have been taught. Its natural.

Teacher

Student

Encourage an environment where children feel comfortable to talk their feelings on any subject. This allows the student to form connections with peers that recognize and share the same emotions and experiences.

12*3%4,5*+0%6
Student
Learning Peer Communication Fun

.#/+0%#-%
Teacher Student Student Student

Influence works by providing something that is educational and fun to learn.

EDUCATION

Teacher

Positive role models and mentors give the child a chance to establish goals.

Bi/Multilingual Communities Cross-Culture Communication Better Understanding of Own Language Social Skills/Structure

Classroom activities like recess and games develop healthy peer relationships that facilitate learning experiences and social skills. These are a necessary part of productive collaboration in any environment.

[Bethany] These include the shared value of education through student learning, cross-culture peer communication, and building social skills and structure. In order to facilitate this, it is important to create an emotional connection by engaging the student with a previous experience or feeling. Influencing the student to learn by providing a tool that is educational and fun.

!"#$%&$
Fluent First Language Public Education Available Technology

Activities

Setting

Foreign Countries

Regular Practice

Online Community

Limitations

Time Difference

Technologically Challenged

Attention Span

[Bethany] In that, we discovered a few of the limitations through the context of the learning situation. These include factors such as time difference, initial language barriers, student to teacher ratio, having a curriculum that matches the child's attention span, regular practice and learning disabilities as well as speculative availability of technology in the classroom.

Elementary School Teacher

Kansas, USA

Jane

[Janna] Meet Jane! Shes a 37 years old Spanish teacher for Shawnee Mission elementary school. She has her Undergrad in Education as well Masters in Spanish and French. She is married with two kids who are out of the house. Both of her children speak French and Spanish.

Ethan
Kansas, USA

Age 6

[Janna] This is Ethan! Hes an 6 years old and in first grader at Oak Hill elementary school. His favorite subjects are science and history. When Ethan isnt in school he enjoys playing on his soccer team and reading comic books. Ethan is the youngest of three and likes to ask his older brother and sister to help him with subjects like English.

Virtual Language Learning Proposal

[Janna] Our solution is Virtual Language! This is a tailored system to children and teachers that gives emphasis to emerging languages, and overlapping other subjects as well. With the assumption that time zones are muted? We propose that the child is set up with another child from a different country. They will virtually interact with each other to learn the others language, learn about their culture, and practice other subjects such as phonics or math, together, through the use of both available and speculative technologies.

SETUP Teacher Registration

Need How do you maintain an identity on screen and store your information in the system to document progress?

[Bethany] How do you maintain an identity on screen and store your information in the system to document progress? Solution: This allows the student to enter their name age, grade, language, scores, photos as well as create an avatar identity. This will be easy to navigate and use later when progress is checked.

SETUP Teacher Registration

Through the creation of an online hub, the teacher will register her class based on their mother language and the language the class is studying.

SETUP Teacher Registration

The teacher will enter information such as location as well as the grade level of her class.

SETUP Teacher Registration

She will register her class in the system and familiarize herself with the curriculum through reading and video tutorials.

SETUP Student Prole

Need How do you maintain an identity on screen and store your information in the system to document progress?

[Bethany] How do you maintain an identity on screen and store your information in the system to document progress? Each student will then create a profile stored in the system.

SETUP Student Prole

They will be given a game-board like screen and are able to click on any block and fill in their personal information. This will be facilitated by the teacher in the classroom.

SETUP Student Prole

They will enter information such as name, age, language and country and the screen will adjust according to which block they have selected.

SETUP Student Prole

The last game-board block creates a student avatar. This is customized to the child by choosing traits such as body type, hairstyle and color.

SETUP Student Prole

Once they have completed all the game-blocks, the student is paired according to their inputed information with another student from their partnering classroom. These two students will help one another complete language games throughout the curriculum and will have the chance to meet and talk face to face, on screen.

SCENARIO 1 Spell and Draw

Need Students need to learn how to spell words in other languages correctly.

[Bethany] Students need to learn how to spell words in other languages correctly. Solution: Partners help one another across ipad screens through an engaging spelling game and hands-on activity.

SCENARIO 1 Spell and Draw

On the left, you can see the American childs screen and on the right is the partnering classmate in spain. The game introduces the partner at the bottom of the screen and each are asked to touch the play button in the middle of the screen.

SCENARIO 1 Spell and Draw

The spanish student is asked to draw an object on the ipad screen. The American student will then fill in the blank letters in an attempt to spell the word that their partner is drawing.

SCENARIO 1 Spell and Draw

If the student misses a letter, he or she is allowed to try three times before their partner is allowed to help them on their screen.

SCENARIO 1 Spell and Draw

When they spell the word correctly, the points are scored at the top right of the screen and the partners switch roles.

SCENARIO 2 Fun with Phonics

Need Students should develop basic phonetic skills through the program.

[Janna] Students should develop basic phonetic skills through the program. Solution: A game with the students virtual partner to practice the sounds of different words in each language. This requires that the partners work together to solve the problem.

SCENARIO 2 Fun with Phonics

This is a phonics' game. The student starts out being able to pick their partner with three other players. The objective of the game is to practice phonics' with their virtual partner. They work together to go through the game and win together. One the right side is the toolbar that allows for them to have a clue, ask the teacher for help and to spin. Once one child hits spin they go that many distance and

SCENARIO 2 Fun with Phonics

come onto a game piece that is an phonics question. In this example one child makes the word while and sends it, while the child has to sound out the word and pick which object it is. Each child will take turns verbalizing the word so the amount of effort is equal.

SCENARIO 2 Fun with Phonics

After a series of different questions the children can win! the scores can be sent to each teacher so they are allowed to see what the child might of struggled with or had no problems with.

SCENARIO 3 Storytime
Need Students learning about other cultures through direct interaction and sharing.

[Janna]
Students learning about other cultures through direct interaction and sharing.

Solution: Students will engage with their partner as they share classic stories from their culture (For example: the three little pigs) With this game the teacher will read a story to her class and assign a sentence to each student. With that sentence the child will go to their ipad and connect with their virtual partner. With their partner they will draw out and animate that sentence. Once they are through with the animation, they will press send that will go tot their teacher. Once all the students are finished, the can go to her virtual

SCENARIO 3 Storytime

This is storytime! (smile!) The objective is to have the child with their virtual partner create something that they get to share with the rest of the class. For example Jane would read her class a story this would be a classic story from one culture, like three little pigs, and the other teacher would read the same story to her class. They assign sentences from that story to each child. From there the child goes to their ipad connects with virtual partner, and begins to create that sentence.

SCENARIO 3 Storytime

The point is for them to animate the sentence and work together using visuals, along with being able to type in a keyboard what they want to their partner. Both students see the same screen and can add whatever they want to the animation. In the bottom, there is a tool bar, that offers pencil, eraser, FF rewind and play. Once they are nished they can press send and it goes to the teachers virtual chalkboard

SCENARIO 3 Storytime

Once all the students are nished the teacher gathers them back around.The teacher can move around the different clips

SCENARIO 3 Storytime

Can arrange the clips by the order in which she or he assigned them. From there the teacher plays the clips and they all play together. From here the students can talk about what part of the story they liked, and what challenges they faced.

[Bethany] We have developed a speculative form of technology by introducing a virtual chalkboard in which the students can interact with a classroom across the world. This creates the simulation of immersion in the classroom.

SCENARIO 4 Vocabulary Matching

Need To have students practice vocabulary regularly and develop a situation where students from different classrooms work together.

[Bethany] Solution:
To have students practice vocabulary regularly and develop a situation where students from different classrooms work together.

A vocabulary matching game initiates fun. This game requires that the assigned partners work together across the virtual chalkboard to match each vocabulary word with the correct card from the board.

SCENARIO 4 Vocabulary Matching

Here, 6 students enter their information at the bottom of the virtual chalkboard They are then asked to choose a catagory such as color, food, or people.

SCENARIO 4 Vocabulary Matching

Here, the students chose the catagory color and are asked to match the cards on the screen with the correct word shown at their station on the virtual chalkboard. If they mis-match a card, the screen mixes up the location of all of the cards. When they match one correctly, the points are added to that child and their station lights up.

SCENARIO 4 Vocabulary Matching

At the end of the game, the partners are allowed to see the points they have made as a team and have the option to go back and choose another game or replay this one.

SCENARIO 5 Show and Tell

Need Students making emotional connections across cultures.

[Janna]
Students making emotional connections across cultures.

Solution: Students will use their profiles to store and upload photos and videos that will then be shared across the virtual chalkboard with their partner classroom. This allows them to share their lives with one another and learn about the other culture.

SCENARIO 5 Show and Tell

Every child loves to show and tell, but what if there was a show and tell through the virtual classroom. The teacher will assign a topic for the students to be able to upload images to their online prole. From there, the teacher in the opposite classroom can upload the pictures to show their students.

SCENARIO 5 Show and Tell

They can drag images onto the screen, as well as videos, articles pertaining to that topic. From there they can ag those images or videos, and spell out what it is in the opposite language. for example the spanish classroom would spell out cat.

SCENARIO 5 Show and Tell

Once they go through the students show and tell, they can email the agged videos, images, articles to anyone in their families and store those les if they wish.

SCENARIO 6 Progress Check

Need Track student learning progress based on both individual and partner scores.

[Bethany]
Track student learning progress based on both individual and partner scores.

Solution: This allows the student to enter their name age, grade, language, scores, photos as well as create an avatar identity. This will be easy to navigate and use later when progress is checked.

SCENARIO 6 Progress Check

Here, the teacher or parent puts in the correct name and password and chooses what kind of user they are: parent or teacher.

SCENARIO 6 Progress Check

The teacher is allowed to choose from the avatars of her class. Here, she clicks on ethan to view his scores by date and game played. For further information, she can select the tip at the right of the screen and view the areas that Ethan needs to work on based on each game. Rolling over the game will explain each one in further detail and allow the teacher to learn the best ways of facilitating his learning experience.

SCENARIO 6 Progress Check

The parent will be taken right to their own childs scoresheet. Again, this is based on date and game. It will also give a chart on their progress throughout the class. When the parent clicks on the top at the right of the screen, the area that the student needs to work on will be highlighted and it will give the parent different activities of helping their child learn and practice the language at home

[Janna] Again, our objective is to facilitate foreign language education by creating the simulation of immersion through virtual language learning tools. In that, we hope to better cross-culture communication and develop a diverse and educated community for the future.