tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post3612326959671120497..comments2012-02-19T18:48:56.833-08:00Comments on Jenn Martin's EDTC 625 Blog: Lost in TranslationMs. Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08705845572375947828noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-3575145799514021722012-02-19T18:48:56.833-08:002012-02-19T18:48:56.833-08:00Wow, I'm so amazed by the number of parents yo...Wow, I'm so amazed by the number of parents you have that do not speak English. That's a huge extra responsibility to translate comments. I'm sure it's appreciated though!Kate Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18331959416198730857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-6287547133983310162012-02-19T18:23:19.855-08:002012-02-19T18:23:19.855-08:00Translating your posts is a wonderful idea.
I alwa...Translating your posts is a wonderful idea.<br />I always translate report card comments and interim reports for my Spanish-speaking parents before sending those home. Otherwise, there is no point in writing a half a page report. My first year of teaching, I had only one student whose parents did not speak English, so I asked a colleague of mine to translate it for me. However, during the recent years, I had in average of 7-9 Hispanic students and I felt uncomfortable asking for help. Now, i use on-line translators. After reading about your principle, I might need to find someone to edit the Spanish version for me before sending it home :).Lilit Bayburtianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00599230136024367728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-31142179853355549672012-02-19T16:16:50.220-08:002012-02-19T16:16:50.220-08:00Translating your posts into Spanish would be an im...Translating your posts into Spanish would be an impressive undertaking. I would check to see if your blog would receive the traffic you’re hoping for. I have to say the majority of my parents do speak English, but very few actually check my website for updates even though I email it out every week as part of a newsletter. It would be unfortunate to put all this work into the blog and not have the audience you’re hoping for. <br /> <br />I also have to admit that I, like you, should have taken more Spanish. The last time I was in Spanish class was my freshman year of high school. I’m in awe of my colleagues who are fluent speakers. I wish I could have peeked into the future to see how useful knowing and speaking the language would have been.The Treichlershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08867443116206630217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-38583064257139881502012-02-18T14:52:12.162-08:002012-02-18T14:52:12.162-08:00I deal with the same issues - and would love to he...I deal with the same issues - and would love to hear if you find a solution! One thing would be to use students to share with their parents - I find my students are often able to translate for their parents - at least much better than I can! I also wonder if you could find a parent volunteer who would be willing to translate at least some of the important posts.<br /><br />It would be great to get parents involved as well, but maybe it would be easier to start with students, using ideas like virtual field trips.Mrs. Cieplakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06797039325705052183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-1363599035591116312012-02-18T09:42:34.398-08:002012-02-18T09:42:34.398-08:00Fascinating entry. I'm very interested in thes...Fascinating entry. I'm very interested in these issues. I'd not thought about the possible benefit of translating a blog into Spanish. (I should explain, too, that Rodrigues--my husband's family name-- is Portuguese, not Spanish. It's just coincidental that I've lived in heavily Spanish-speaking areas, such as Brownsville, Texas.) Your story about the translation being wrong is both hilarious and scary!! I'll keep thinking about this issue and try to find examples of teachers' blogs in Spanish. I think I'll also write to one of my friends (a teacher) in Brownsville and ask for her thoughts on this.Dawn from Vermonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03034976189716935873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4482344669297456574.post-6261576776978428942012-02-17T18:11:31.324-08:002012-02-17T18:11:31.324-08:00Jenn,
This certainly sounds like a challenge. Whi...Jenn,<br /><br />This certainly sounds like a challenge. While I was reading your post, the first thing I thought about was a translation website... but your story about your principal made me think otherwise! I was truly stumped after reading your post because I've never been in this type of situation and I, unfortunately, only speak English. I did find an article on the National PTA's website called Overcoming Obstacles to Parent Involvement (http://www.pta.org/topic_overcoming_obstacles_to_parent_involvement.asp) that addresses this issue. It offers fantastic ideas for parents of students who do not speak English. Unfortunately, there aren't recommendations for online resources. I still think maybe having a link to a translation website would be beneficial. (Maybe you'd just want to add a disclaimer.) :)<br /><br />KateKate Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18331959416198730857noreply@blogger.com