WALL PHOTO

Click WALL PHOTO on the sidebar menu to see a photo of the Spanish Verb Wall as it would be displayed in a typical classroom.

Remember that each paper in the display is 8 ½ x 11 inches, standard paper size, although it appears tiny in the photo.

From this photo you can click on the individual tenses or areas to zoom in on a close-up photograph and read a detailed explanation. From many of these close-ups you will also be able to zoom in further to see additional photos and explanations related to that particular topic.

Within the text describing the photos, there will often be addition links to supplemental materials related to the area you are viewing.

As you explore the various parts of the verb wall, the NAVIGATION GUIDE,
a miniature of the Wall Photo, will appear in the upper left hand corner. The current area you are visiting will be highlighted, showing your location on the Verb Wall at all times.

In addition to being able to click on the photo to access an area, you may use the navigation arrows above the photos to go to other parts of the wall.

The Navigation Arrows are located above the individual sections photos. Clicking on either arrow will navigate the virtual workshop to the next (right) or previous (left) section.

Throughout the workshop, you will be referred to sections that provide additional information:

• SEEDS
• ANECDOTES
• LESSONS

You can access these sections from the sidebar menu located on the left side of each page.

What do I mean by "seeds" in the Spanish class?

We all know what "teachable moments" are--those glorious opportunities that come up in class that allow you to expand the students' horizons, based on something that "comes up" just by accident.

I think of "seeds" as PLANNED teachable moments. The students THINK the topic has come up by accident, but you have planned for it to happen. In fact, all these "seeds" were originally the result of a teachable moment.

A "seed" is meant to take only 2-5 minutes. You appear to be "off-task." It is always a hint of what is to come and lays the groundwork for future learning. It needs to be something that is usable in class, in daily activities, in real life. You will see lots of examples in the Virtual Workshop and hopefully will develop many of your own and even contribute them to our list.
Not all students will benefit from every seed planted. Some will get them all; some will get none.

I once explained that I was just planting some seeds for the future. Due to my childhood background that involved lots of Biblical training, I began to quote, or maybe it was "misquote"

"and some seeds fell upon fertile soil, and some seeds fell upon rocky soil…"

when I paused, a student continued,

"and some seeds fell upon a paved parking lot!"

To which I responded, "Even in a paved parking lot, there are cracks, and you can see something growing there."

To which another student commented,

"Yeah, right, weeds!"

Throughout the workshop you will have links back to this page. Or you can access it from the home page. The seeds are titled and numbered.

Seed #1 Establishing the Basic Time Zones
Seed #2 Estaba y tenía
Seed #3 Imperfecto vs pretírito
Seed #4 ¡No fui yo!
Seed #5 ¿Estuviste ausente?
Seed #6 Prometo que estudiaré.
Seed #7 Prometí que estudiaría.
Seed #8 Cuando yo era jóven....
Seed #9 ¿Quepo Yo?
Seed #10 Yo quiero Taco Bell…
Seed #11 No comprendo…
Seed #12 Yo no sé…
Seed #13 Comamos, comemos
Seed #14 No Habiamos Nacido
Seed #15 Haya
Seed #16 Hubiera
Seed #17 Si Yo... Pero No
Seed #18 ¡Ojala Que Fuera Viernes!

These are stories that real teachers have related to us about their students who have "made forays into unknown territory," by using the verb wall to access verb forms in tenses they had not officially studied yet.

Anecdote 1: Imperfect: Iba a bailar
Anecdote 2: Preterite: Mi perro…
Anecdote 3: Future: Formation of tense
Anecdote 4: Future: ¿Qué haremos?
Anecdote 5: Past Subjunctive: Yellow Bubble! Yellow Bubble!
Anecdote 6: Past Subjunctive: Vive Le Françias!
Anecdote 7: Past Subjunctive and Conditional: Si supiera, se lo diría.
Anecdote 8: Pronouns: ¡No, es mío!
Anecdote 9: Pronouns: Advice about “LE”
Anecdote 10: Reflexives: Do we have to learn reflexive verbs?
Anecdote 11: Tú Commands

We have included explanations of lessons that are usually included in our "live" workshops. Most of these lessons "Build Artificial Realities" that provide meaningful context for communication-based learning.

REMEMBER that in order to get the basic information on the Web as quickly as possible, some of the seeds, lessons and anecdotes may not be complete. I will add them asap.