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 * 6 **. **Teachers communicate well.**
 * The teacher uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques as well as instructional media and technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.**

Evidence 1: blog site []

Rationale 1: Blogs were initially a challenge as many of the sites were blocked by our district server. After those issues were worked out, I used blogs with every class and in nearly every unit in the second semester last year. I even taught a small group of our staff about blogs during a technology academy in our district. I found that students were much more motivated to journal on a blog than in a traditional notebook. Many of the questions that I posted were exactly the same as those that had previously been "dreaded" in a traditional notebook type of journal. They really enjoy making subthreads. I set the posts up to be approved by myself before showing on the site so one challenge was reading the posts quickly enough to give students the opportunity to subthread in the same 52 minute class period.

KSD 6.K.1 The teacher understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning. As a world language teacher, I am advocate of communication and language learning. The blog site has been effective for students of all learning and language levels to communicate. The option to subthread enhances the communication and provides opportunity for reinforcement.

6.S.2 The teacher supports and expands learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media

In many lessons, I used the blog as another activity to practice the vocabulary and grammar that we were studying. We began by doing speaking and vocabulary activities and often ended with posting to a blog. Many of the activities are done in pairs but some are group activities also.

6.D.2 The teacher values many ways in which people seek to communicate and encourages many modes of communication in the classroom.

One of the benefits of the blog site that I had not foreseen was the number of other foreign language teachers that would find my blog and send posts. I received some requests to use some of the information about texting in Spanish that I had posted on the blog site. Clearly, texting is a form of communicating in today's society and the interest is evident.