Using technology to encourage higher level thinking

There are now so many ways that can be used to help students revisit a novel to reuse the content in a different way to encourage analysis of the main points. A good one has always been to write a diary account summarising the feelings of a key personality. Whilst one can't imagine Meursault of L'étranger doing this, I'm sure that Doria in Kiffe kiffe demain , Vinca from Le Blé en herbe, or Jo from Les petits enfants could do it. Another prime candidate would be the young woman or the old man in Le silence de la mer.
A more technological way of doing this would be to get pairs of students to be one of the characters texting to a friends what is happening as the story goes on (based on what I've just heard on radio about updated 50 shades of grey versions of Bronte and Jane Austen novels but without the bondage I hasten to add!) I can imagine Cécile from Bonjour Tristesse being an ardent texter (rather than a diary writer) - you would give some prompts initially with half a dozen English to French sentences per chapter. The person texted could respond accordingly.
Some books lend themselves to the use of map creation. Un sac de billes would be a good example. Just create a google account if you don't have one and follow these instructions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw A note can be added to each point added so that, when completed, visual learners can remember their way around the story more easily.

Now that surveys are so easy to create, again using google (google docs) it is a good exercise to get students to create a survey requiring respondants to answer questions around moral dilemmas. This would work well with "Qu'est-ce que les parents/Jo/ aurait/aient dû faire..." situations. It could be done with Right/wrong answers or with text entry responses. The google tool is particularly good with plenty of customisation possible and of course questionnaire creation is a good generic PLTS skill.

Ther are lots more ideas many of which we shall be incorporating in future manifestations of alevelfrench.com materials. The illustrations given above all relate to novels covered by resources from the site.