I have been thinking about this post for quite a while now, and I will admit it is a bit different from my usual classroom ideas, but I decided that it fits well with the Thanksgiving weekend. Today, I would like to say I am thankful for teenagers and for the enrichment that they bring to my life.
I am sure that many of you have had this experience. You meet someone new and they inevitably ask what you do for work. When you respond that you teach they comment something like "Oh little kids are so cute." When you correct them and tell them that you teach high school, they give you a pitying look and mumble something about dealing with their teenager, or say something like "that must be interesting." I will be the first to acknowledge that teaching teens has its challenges, but often people forget about the teens who are doing amazing things. Teenagers who receive very little credit in the media.
So here is a secret, I admit that I watch (and love) The Voice, and while I am several episodes behind (I watch online), I still have to give credit to Caroline and Jackie. Two teenagers who are onstage night after night, who carry themselves with grace and poise. Two teenagers who can look adults in the face and accept critique without tears, and instead they say Thank you. And, to any who may not teach, I would like to say that all of us high school teachers receive the gift of being able to work with similar teens. I have students who are able to conduct themselves with as much control as an adult. Students who can politely ask for help, come back and give an apology, or look me in the eyes when I have asked them to correct something and say Thank you. So yes, while I teach students that can be challenging at times, it is also good to recognize the numerous teens across the country who conduct themselves more professionally day in and day out than many adults.
Today, I am thankful for teenagers (and my job!)
sábado, 30 de noviembre de 2013
miércoles, 16 de octubre de 2013
Pronunciation
Fall for most teachers is extremely busy, and I suppose that my classes have been no exception. However, I have recently been pondering pronunciation and the teaching of pronunciation. I have recently been talking to several teachers who do pronunciation drills and activities, which is very different from the approach that I take. I am not certain which method is best, but I would love to hear what others think!
For older beginner students, I actively teach them the correct vowel sounds, r, ñ, and some of the other basic pronunciation rules such as soft c's and g's when followed by i and e in Spanish. For K-5 students, this active teaching is not really necessary, as these students tend to be very quick at mimicking the correct pronunciation.
In my classes, I usually have students speak the first ten minutes or so of class. During this time, which is relatively informal, I do not ask students to correct their pronunciation of a word; however, I will recast (repeat the word with the correct pronunciation) the word for the student. Some students will notice the recast and work on pronunciation on their own, but other students seem to prefer to either ignore the correct pronunciation or actively don't want to use the correct pronunciation for fear of being seen as "trying to hard." I do not force the student to repeat the word correctly, but a few of my colleagues do take this approach. What do you think? Should a student be forced to try the word again? I do not want to embarrass the student, especially if he or she cannot say the word on the second try so I do not force students to try it (although many will on their own). I should note that the above activity is an informal assessment of the students and they are not graded so to speak, except for participation.
For oral presentations, I generally give beginning students one or two pronunciation topics in the rubric. For example, the rubric might state that the student correctly pronounces the vowel A and the letter R. The students are also told that they should actively practice and look in a mirror. For upper level students, I expect them to pronounce the majority of the words correctly. So their grading rubric is a bit different. Once again though, I do not correct students or interrupt them at all during graded oral presentations. I do not call any attention to pronunciation during the actual presentation at all. Again, I do not wish to embarrass my students. At the end of all of the presentations, I might choose one or two words that appeared in many of the presentations and was consistently incorrect that I pronounce and ask the class to practice as a whole. Do you interrupt students' presentations to correct pronunciation? What are the benefits?
Two fun things that I do to practice pronunciation without the students really knowing that we are practicing is tongue twisters and reading Dr. Seuss. I will start the class with a tongue twister on the board and give students time to practice saying it. Then, I will ask for volunteers to say it aloud for the class. Finally, we will have a little competition (volunteer participation only) to see who can say the tongue twister the fastest. Most of my freshmen love this activity, and even if they do not choose to participate in the competition they are benefitting from hearing the words pronounced correctly.
I also like to have my upper level students read Dr. Seuss books. While I fully acknowledge that these books aren't truly authentic because they have been translated, I think the benefit of trying to pronounce the rhymes and maintain a nice reading rhythm is sufficient. My students definitely benefit from trying to read aloud and maintain a decent cadence and pace. Furthermore the students love these books! So for a warm-up activity, my upper level students will each take a turn reading a page or two and then passing the book to the next person in the circle. It is a great Friday morning activity.
How do you teach and grade pronunciation?
For older beginner students, I actively teach them the correct vowel sounds, r, ñ, and some of the other basic pronunciation rules such as soft c's and g's when followed by i and e in Spanish. For K-5 students, this active teaching is not really necessary, as these students tend to be very quick at mimicking the correct pronunciation.
In my classes, I usually have students speak the first ten minutes or so of class. During this time, which is relatively informal, I do not ask students to correct their pronunciation of a word; however, I will recast (repeat the word with the correct pronunciation) the word for the student. Some students will notice the recast and work on pronunciation on their own, but other students seem to prefer to either ignore the correct pronunciation or actively don't want to use the correct pronunciation for fear of being seen as "trying to hard." I do not force the student to repeat the word correctly, but a few of my colleagues do take this approach. What do you think? Should a student be forced to try the word again? I do not want to embarrass the student, especially if he or she cannot say the word on the second try so I do not force students to try it (although many will on their own). I should note that the above activity is an informal assessment of the students and they are not graded so to speak, except for participation.
For oral presentations, I generally give beginning students one or two pronunciation topics in the rubric. For example, the rubric might state that the student correctly pronounces the vowel A and the letter R. The students are also told that they should actively practice and look in a mirror. For upper level students, I expect them to pronounce the majority of the words correctly. So their grading rubric is a bit different. Once again though, I do not correct students or interrupt them at all during graded oral presentations. I do not call any attention to pronunciation during the actual presentation at all. Again, I do not wish to embarrass my students. At the end of all of the presentations, I might choose one or two words that appeared in many of the presentations and was consistently incorrect that I pronounce and ask the class to practice as a whole. Do you interrupt students' presentations to correct pronunciation? What are the benefits?
Two fun things that I do to practice pronunciation without the students really knowing that we are practicing is tongue twisters and reading Dr. Seuss. I will start the class with a tongue twister on the board and give students time to practice saying it. Then, I will ask for volunteers to say it aloud for the class. Finally, we will have a little competition (volunteer participation only) to see who can say the tongue twister the fastest. Most of my freshmen love this activity, and even if they do not choose to participate in the competition they are benefitting from hearing the words pronounced correctly.
I also like to have my upper level students read Dr. Seuss books. While I fully acknowledge that these books aren't truly authentic because they have been translated, I think the benefit of trying to pronounce the rhymes and maintain a nice reading rhythm is sufficient. My students definitely benefit from trying to read aloud and maintain a decent cadence and pace. Furthermore the students love these books! So for a warm-up activity, my upper level students will each take a turn reading a page or two and then passing the book to the next person in the circle. It is a great Friday morning activity.
How do you teach and grade pronunciation?
martes, 3 de septiembre de 2013
Back to School:Ice Breaker Activities for Early Intermediate/Beginning Students
In my last blog post, I discussed some of my favorite first week ice breakers for Intermediate/advanced students. I do however, think that it is equally as important to get students who are just beginning the language to speak and feel comfortable in class. Again, I must stress that I think it is especially important that the teacher participates with the student to set the correct tone. Here are some of the activities that I use in the first week of school.
Circle/action Name game: I have my students sit in a circle. Then I model a few times for them, Me llamo _____ , como te llamas, and se llama ____. Then I say my name is ______ and do an action for something that I like to do. The next student will say my name is _____, and her name is ______. and will his/her name with an action for himself, and then say my name with my action. This ice breaker allows each student to say everyone's name, and allows students to move! Another added benefit is that by the end of the activity, most students have a decent grasp on mine name is___ , his/her name is___ I try to finish the game, which is a good way for me to test whether or not I have learned each student's name. I do insert gentle recasts if a student is struggling with the pronunciation.
Trainwreck or fruteria: I have heard this ice breaker called many names. It is basically like a verbal musical chairs. Remove a chair from the circle of desks (or chairs are even better). One student stands in the middle of the circle and says a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) ______. Every student who likes said object has to get up and switch chairs. Students may not just move over a chair. The student who does not get a chair, is the next person in the middle. With very beginning students, I usually write the first part of the sentence on the board "a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) _____. I will allow the very beginners to say what they like in English, but I supply the Spanish word for them. Students are often surprised (and relieved) to hear how many cognates there are in Spanish. An added benefit includes students getting early exposure to gustar.
Quien tiene?: With Middle School or upper elementary students, I will often play a game, I simply call quien tiene. This activity requires a coin or other small object. All of the students stand in a circle. One student leaves the room, and the rest of the students pass the coin around in a circle until I call para! The student who has the coin then hides it in their hand or, if the students are sitting in desks, every student places their palms flat on the desk. The student who left the room is called back into the classroom, and everyone asks in chorus Quien tiene la moneda? The student has three chances to guess. For each guess the student should say ________ tiene la moneda. If a student doesn't know another students' name, he or she is encouraged to use como te llamas?
I will sometimes also have students make lists of cognates or words that they already know if Spanish. For example, I may challenge them to make a list of US states that have Spanish or Spanish derrived names. Or, city street names (depending on where you live). Once again, the purpose is to make the foreign language not seem quite so foreign and to activate connections in students' brains.
What are your favorite ice breakers for beginning and early intermediate students?
Circle/action Name game: I have my students sit in a circle. Then I model a few times for them, Me llamo _____ , como te llamas, and se llama ____. Then I say my name is ______ and do an action for something that I like to do. The next student will say my name is _____, and her name is ______. and will his/her name with an action for himself, and then say my name with my action. This ice breaker allows each student to say everyone's name, and allows students to move! Another added benefit is that by the end of the activity, most students have a decent grasp on mine name is___ , his/her name is___ I try to finish the game, which is a good way for me to test whether or not I have learned each student's name. I do insert gentle recasts if a student is struggling with the pronunciation.
Trainwreck or fruteria: I have heard this ice breaker called many names. It is basically like a verbal musical chairs. Remove a chair from the circle of desks (or chairs are even better). One student stands in the middle of the circle and says a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) ______. Every student who likes said object has to get up and switch chairs. Students may not just move over a chair. The student who does not get a chair, is the next person in the middle. With very beginning students, I usually write the first part of the sentence on the board "a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) _____. I will allow the very beginners to say what they like in English, but I supply the Spanish word for them. Students are often surprised (and relieved) to hear how many cognates there are in Spanish. An added benefit includes students getting early exposure to gustar.
Quien tiene?: With Middle School or upper elementary students, I will often play a game, I simply call quien tiene. This activity requires a coin or other small object. All of the students stand in a circle. One student leaves the room, and the rest of the students pass the coin around in a circle until I call para! The student who has the coin then hides it in their hand or, if the students are sitting in desks, every student places their palms flat on the desk. The student who left the room is called back into the classroom, and everyone asks in chorus Quien tiene la moneda? The student has three chances to guess. For each guess the student should say ________ tiene la moneda. If a student doesn't know another students' name, he or she is encouraged to use como te llamas?
I will sometimes also have students make lists of cognates or words that they already know if Spanish. For example, I may challenge them to make a list of US states that have Spanish or Spanish derrived names. Or, city street names (depending on where you live). Once again, the purpose is to make the foreign language not seem quite so foreign and to activate connections in students' brains.
What are your favorite ice breakers for beginning and early intermediate students?
lunes, 26 de agosto de 2013
Back to School: Ice Breaker Activities for Intermediate/Advanced Students
I like to have students speak Spanish early in my classes, as a way to reinforce to both new students and students that have had me before that speaking is an integral part of class. While not all of the activities listed here are speaking activities, I find them all useful for getting to know the students, and as an added bonus, I can get a sense of students' abilities without putting them in a high pressure situation. I also use my Six Speaking Games that Only Require a Ball as a way to set the tone and get students accustomed to using Spanish first thing in the classroom.
Before I continue to the ice breakers, I think that it is important to note that I always participate with my students. They can get to know me better, and it sets the stage for a positive relationship with them.
Ice Breakers for Intermediate/Advanced Students:
-2 Truths and a Lie: Students say three things about themselves, two of them true, one of them false, and the class guesses which is the false item
- I have never: Students sit in a circle. Everyone holds up five or ten fingers. Everyone in the circle says: I have never ______________. If a student has done said item, he or she must put down one of his fingers. If you want, you can give the students pieces of paper to toss into the center, instead of using fingers, etc. The first person to loose all of his items or put down all of his fingers is the winner!
- Hollywood: Set a timer for two-five minutes. One student stands in the middle of the circle of students, and answers random questions from classmates. You might have to give the students some examples. Such as What would your super power be? Or, Who is your role model? Any (appropriate) question is fair game. When the two-three minutes are up, a new person is chosen for the circle. I usually start this activity with volunteers, allowing the students who are more introverted to get used to the idea of being in the spotlight prior to tossing them into the center.
- Describe a classmate. Pair students at random, and ask them to learn eight new things about their classmate. Then, without revealing who their partner was, students say what they have learned and the class guesses who they are describing.
- Silly sentences using names: Students write their own name poem using the letters of their name. You could require a sentence per letter, or require that the entire name reads as one sentence. I usually have my advanced students do the second, and I have them do both first and last names. We often hang these up in the classroom.
-Twitter Wall: My school does not allow us to use social media with students, so I use a paper version in my classroom. I place several large pieces of paper around the room with things like #First day of classes, # first impressions of teachers, #today I feel, etc. and have students go around the room and write under each of the topics. Then we read the papers aloud as a class.
In my next post, I will focus on Ice-Breakers for Beginner and Early Intermediate Students. What are your favorite first day activities that encourage students to use the language and help you get to know them?
Before I continue to the ice breakers, I think that it is important to note that I always participate with my students. They can get to know me better, and it sets the stage for a positive relationship with them.
Ice Breakers for Intermediate/Advanced Students:
-2 Truths and a Lie: Students say three things about themselves, two of them true, one of them false, and the class guesses which is the false item
- I have never: Students sit in a circle. Everyone holds up five or ten fingers. Everyone in the circle says: I have never ______________. If a student has done said item, he or she must put down one of his fingers. If you want, you can give the students pieces of paper to toss into the center, instead of using fingers, etc. The first person to loose all of his items or put down all of his fingers is the winner!
- Hollywood: Set a timer for two-five minutes. One student stands in the middle of the circle of students, and answers random questions from classmates. You might have to give the students some examples. Such as What would your super power be? Or, Who is your role model? Any (appropriate) question is fair game. When the two-three minutes are up, a new person is chosen for the circle. I usually start this activity with volunteers, allowing the students who are more introverted to get used to the idea of being in the spotlight prior to tossing them into the center.
- Describe a classmate. Pair students at random, and ask them to learn eight new things about their classmate. Then, without revealing who their partner was, students say what they have learned and the class guesses who they are describing.
- Silly sentences using names: Students write their own name poem using the letters of their name. You could require a sentence per letter, or require that the entire name reads as one sentence. I usually have my advanced students do the second, and I have them do both first and last names. We often hang these up in the classroom.
-Twitter Wall: My school does not allow us to use social media with students, so I use a paper version in my classroom. I place several large pieces of paper around the room with things like #First day of classes, # first impressions of teachers, #today I feel, etc. and have students go around the room and write under each of the topics. Then we read the papers aloud as a class.
In my next post, I will focus on Ice-Breakers for Beginner and Early Intermediate Students. What are your favorite first day activities that encourage students to use the language and help you get to know them?
domingo, 18 de agosto de 2013
Back to School: Meet the Parents
Almost every school has a night or evening when parents can come and meet the teacher. Here are the things that I make sure I have ready prior to this night:
- A self-introduction blurb or speech outline
- A class syllabus
- Course expectations and materials list
- Class website
- A parent response form
- An explanation of how the parent can help their child in my class
- Any upcoming projects or professional development that is currently being done at the school
- Answers to questions commonly asked by parents
- A newspaper article on the benefits or jobs available bilinguals
Self-introduction: If you have taught at your current school for a long time, the self-introduction may be short and sweet, as many parents are probably already familiar with you. If this is your first year at the school, or you are a new teacher, a self- introduction that sets a professional yet open tone is important. Personally, I like parents to call me by my name, and so I will state this in my opening sentence. I also mention my highest degree (masters) and where it was obtained. If you have taught at other schools, this would be an excellent time to speak about where you taught and what grade levels. I also mention any recent professional development that I have recently completed. FInally, let parents know how and when they can contact you, and your average response time. For example, I tel all parents that I will respond to an email or a phone call within 24 hours.
Class syllabus, class expectations, and class materials list. I like to review these items with parents. I usually don't go into great detail about any of these items, but I do show parents a copy of each of these things on the smartboard, and I show them where to find them on the class website. I also explain here when I will contact parents. For example, I contact parents if a child receives below a C- on a test or project, and if their child has not turned in three homework assignments. I also contact parents when their child has done something wonderful!
Class website- some schools have websites that only students can access, while others have specific codes for parents, etc. Either way, I show the website to the parents in my introduction, and if I am at a school where the parents cannot access the website, I encourage them to have their son or daughter show them the class website once a week.
Parent Response form- I ask students to fill out a half page questionaire about their child and leave it with me at the end of the session. If the parent turn-out is low, this questionaire can also be sent home with students as their first homework assignment. My questionaire is simple. It asks parents to tell me one thing about their child, One thing they hope their child will gain from my class, and any concerns they have regarding my class.
How they can help sheet or letter- Even if I don't have a meet the parents night, this letter or handout is extremely important foreign languages. On this handout, I explain to parents of Spanish I and II students that they can best assist their son or daughter by asking what they did in Spanish class, as opposed to asking them to translate words or phrases. I also explain that language learning in the early years can seem slow just as a new musician finds it frustrating that they can only play Mary had a little lamb as opposed to Beethoven. I give parents study tips on helping their child learn vocabulary words: drawing the word, acting the word, saying it aloud together, etc. Finally, I reiterate that Spanish class is an academic class and that just as the child needs to practice math in order to improve, he or she will need to practice Spanish in order to be successful. I also remind parents to contact me if their child is taking longer than the expected forty minutes of homework a night on a consistent basis.
Upcoming projects or professional development- If my class is going to start a project in the next few weeks, I mention it to parents. Also if the school is doing new professional development, which might be evident in their students work, I talk about that as well.
Answers to questions that parents commonly ask: Does my child have to take this class? What type of Spanish do you teach? When will he/she be fluent? My child hated Spanish last year, how is this year going to be any different? Does my child really have to speak Spanish in class? etc.
Newspaper articles on learning foreign languages- I like to have these articles printed and around the classroom for parents to look at as they leave or enter the room.
What else do you have ready for parents?
- A self-introduction blurb or speech outline
- A class syllabus
- Course expectations and materials list
- Class website
- A parent response form
- An explanation of how the parent can help their child in my class
- Any upcoming projects or professional development that is currently being done at the school
- Answers to questions commonly asked by parents
- A newspaper article on the benefits or jobs available bilinguals
Self-introduction: If you have taught at your current school for a long time, the self-introduction may be short and sweet, as many parents are probably already familiar with you. If this is your first year at the school, or you are a new teacher, a self- introduction that sets a professional yet open tone is important. Personally, I like parents to call me by my name, and so I will state this in my opening sentence. I also mention my highest degree (masters) and where it was obtained. If you have taught at other schools, this would be an excellent time to speak about where you taught and what grade levels. I also mention any recent professional development that I have recently completed. FInally, let parents know how and when they can contact you, and your average response time. For example, I tel all parents that I will respond to an email or a phone call within 24 hours.
Class syllabus, class expectations, and class materials list. I like to review these items with parents. I usually don't go into great detail about any of these items, but I do show parents a copy of each of these things on the smartboard, and I show them where to find them on the class website. I also explain here when I will contact parents. For example, I contact parents if a child receives below a C- on a test or project, and if their child has not turned in three homework assignments. I also contact parents when their child has done something wonderful!
Class website- some schools have websites that only students can access, while others have specific codes for parents, etc. Either way, I show the website to the parents in my introduction, and if I am at a school where the parents cannot access the website, I encourage them to have their son or daughter show them the class website once a week.
Parent Response form- I ask students to fill out a half page questionaire about their child and leave it with me at the end of the session. If the parent turn-out is low, this questionaire can also be sent home with students as their first homework assignment. My questionaire is simple. It asks parents to tell me one thing about their child, One thing they hope their child will gain from my class, and any concerns they have regarding my class.
How they can help sheet or letter- Even if I don't have a meet the parents night, this letter or handout is extremely important foreign languages. On this handout, I explain to parents of Spanish I and II students that they can best assist their son or daughter by asking what they did in Spanish class, as opposed to asking them to translate words or phrases. I also explain that language learning in the early years can seem slow just as a new musician finds it frustrating that they can only play Mary had a little lamb as opposed to Beethoven. I give parents study tips on helping their child learn vocabulary words: drawing the word, acting the word, saying it aloud together, etc. Finally, I reiterate that Spanish class is an academic class and that just as the child needs to practice math in order to improve, he or she will need to practice Spanish in order to be successful. I also remind parents to contact me if their child is taking longer than the expected forty minutes of homework a night on a consistent basis.
Upcoming projects or professional development- If my class is going to start a project in the next few weeks, I mention it to parents. Also if the school is doing new professional development, which might be evident in their students work, I talk about that as well.
Answers to questions that parents commonly ask: Does my child have to take this class? What type of Spanish do you teach? When will he/she be fluent? My child hated Spanish last year, how is this year going to be any different? Does my child really have to speak Spanish in class? etc.
Newspaper articles on learning foreign languages- I like to have these articles printed and around the classroom for parents to look at as they leave or enter the room.
What else do you have ready for parents?
domingo, 28 de julio de 2013
Back to School: Items to have ready for the first day!
Every year there are certain items that need to be ready for the first few days of school. For those teachers who have to send their copies away, it is especially important to be organized. The rest of us can procrastinate a bit more, but I prefer to avoid the copier crunch and start the year prepared. Here are the items that I want to have ready prior to the first day of school.
1) Course plan or overview for the year
2) Detailed lesson plans for the first month (brand new teachers might have to start with the first two weeks until class pacing becomes obvious)
3) Ice breaker activities for the first few days
4) Parent letters or parent presentation for the "meet the teacher" night
5) Class expectations policies, and philosophy handout
6) Requisite class materials list
7) Newspaper or internet articles about learning foreign languages
8) Classroom decor finished and hanging
9) Projects, tests, and quizzes that will be done in the first month
10) Class website (my school requires that all teachers use an in-house website. This year, the school is trying a new platform called Haiku!) I am excited to try it out and see how I can use it to make learning more effective in my class.
What items have I forgotten? What else needs to be done before students walk through the doors of the classroom?
In my next blog, I will discuss the items that I put in my meet the parent night presentation.
1) Course plan or overview for the year
2) Detailed lesson plans for the first month (brand new teachers might have to start with the first two weeks until class pacing becomes obvious)
3) Ice breaker activities for the first few days
4) Parent letters or parent presentation for the "meet the teacher" night
5) Class expectations policies, and philosophy handout
6) Requisite class materials list
7) Newspaper or internet articles about learning foreign languages
8) Classroom decor finished and hanging
9) Projects, tests, and quizzes that will be done in the first month
10) Class website (my school requires that all teachers use an in-house website. This year, the school is trying a new platform called Haiku!) I am excited to try it out and see how I can use it to make learning more effective in my class.
What items have I forgotten? What else needs to be done before students walk through the doors of the classroom?
In my next blog, I will discuss the items that I put in my meet the parent night presentation.
lunes, 22 de julio de 2013
Summer!
I haven't updated this blog much throughout the summer, but I just want you to know that starting next week I will be posting a back to school series!
In the meantime, I have been taking most of the summer to relax, spend time with family, exercise, and work on my TPT store. One new product in my store that I am excited to use for my Spanish II, III; and IV students is the present tense review packet. This packet goes through all of the different types of irregular present tense verbs, and is a good resource for students who need to quickly double-check an irregular present tense verb.
I have also been scouring the web for some new blogs and resources. Hopefully, I will be able to reference some of these at a later date.
I hope that your summer is going well, and that you are feeling refreshed, as many will soon be heading back to work!
In the meantime, I have been taking most of the summer to relax, spend time with family, exercise, and work on my TPT store. One new product in my store that I am excited to use for my Spanish II, III; and IV students is the present tense review packet. This packet goes through all of the different types of irregular present tense verbs, and is a good resource for students who need to quickly double-check an irregular present tense verb.
I have also been scouring the web for some new blogs and resources. Hopefully, I will be able to reference some of these at a later date.
I hope that your summer is going well, and that you are feeling refreshed, as many will soon be heading back to work!
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