On parle français...(Mod 9, Post #2)

http://bighugelabs.com/map.php

While exploring this website called Big Huge Labs, I came across a really awesome map maker. The website was created to allow users to do cool things with their Flickr photos. This particular application does not use photos but can be great for a foreign language class. The map I posted above has several French speaking countries and territories highlighted. Teachers could use this tool to introduce the vastness of the francophone world to their students. By asking students to name and select the countries they know that speak French, teachers can help the class to create a visual map of the francophone world. This can also easily be done in a Spanish or other second language classroom.

Another application that I like from this website is the mosaic maker. Teachers could ask students to make a mosaic from Flicker photos of a particular place that they would like to visit as a kind of virtual travel brochure. For example, if a student chooses Quebec, they could make a mosaic of sights from Quebec including buildings, scenery, activities one can do there, etc. Students could also use the mosaic maker to make a pictoral representation of a poem, story, or play that they read in French class. Using photos is another way to get conversations started in the target language.

Flickr Photo of the French Polynesian Island Tahiti

Photo by: jimg944