Kia ora koutou (hello everyone)
Welcome to our first ever blog post! 😁
Today, we’re really excited to launch ImmerseMe Teacher Features (it rhymes!) For our first edition, we asked teacher extraordinaire Dr Patrick Finnegan from Summit NJ (USA) about his experiences with ImmerseMe. Here’s what he had to say…
What is your name, where are you from and what do you teach?
Patrick Finnegan Ph.D in French Lit. I live in Summit NJ and teach AP French and French 5 at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.
Tell us about how you heard of ImmerseMe?
Last year, our tech department here at the Oak Knoll School, offered a trial membership and after I tried it, I asked if they could get a subscription for my students for this year 2019-2020.
How does ImmerseMe fit into your pedagogy? (Read more about the pedagogy behind ImmerseMe here)
I assign 25 to 50 points of ImmerseMe homework to my students after each class. Every French teacher finishes class, watches the students leave, and thinks: "Well, I guess they won't speak French until next class." Well, with ImmerseMe, not only do they speak the language of Molière (French playwright) but the teacher can see when, how many minutes and how accurately they spoke because of the TEACHER DASHBOARD. Very satisfying!
What is your favourite feature within ImmerseMe?
The TEACHER DASHBOARD allows me to check the points my students accumulate and then give them credit for homework completion.
How well does ImmerseMe align with your curriculum?
The AP French exam has two oral components: a dialogue and a 2 minute presentation. The IM format is perfectly suited for preparing my students for the dialog segment and there is good preparation for the 2 minute task given the pronunciation feedback and speaking practice interaction with the virtual IM instructors.
What are some tips for getting the most out of ImmerseMe?
There are hundreds of dialogues to engage in, allowing the students to make their own choices gives them a sense of ownership and investment in their learning.
What is the feedback from your students?
They enjoy being able to comfortably practice in the quiet of their rooms. Parents do ask: "Who is that?" when they hear the IM instructor's voice!
Where could you see ImmerseMe going in the future?
Perhaps a separate and dedicated IM for BUSINESS.
What other tools and resources could teachers check out that you'd recommend?
I like Ilini.com. French videos with 3 buttons: 1. French text 2. Eng. translation 3. Slow rate of speech. IM could perhaps partner with them and create virtual dialogues that would reinforce the grammar and vocabulary presented in the videos.
Merci bien Dr Finnegan !
It should also be noted that Dr Finnegan is actively using ImmerseMe himself for French revision (30+ hours), currently earning over 3,500 points - wow! 🤩
