ELL Learners and Technology

As I move closer to working with students in the classroom, my imagination has taken me to classrooms across the world. Working with students whose first language is not English can be a challenge, but amazing and rewarding just the same. When considering the ELL classroom, here are a few options.

Advantages of Integrating Technology
There are a number of advantages that come from integrating technology into your ESL (or ELL) classroom, but one of the most important comes from the flexibility in instruction that technology can offer. Roblyer and Doering (2013) note, "In many ELL settings, teachers need to deliver instruction across a wide range of proficiency levels" (p. 290). Luckily for these teachers, technology can help! This presentation outlines many of the possibilities for flexibility in the classroom. In this way, technology (once you as a teacher are familiar with) can make your job just a touch easier. Rather than spreading yourself thin coming up with mini lessons for all of your fluency levels, let apps or other technology resources help you teach.

Disadvantages of Integrating Technology
Along with striking advantages, there are a number of disadvantages as well. These disadvantages usually fall under the locus of overall technology use in the classroom. This article illustrates this point well. And, as I suspected, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Overall, there are few disadvantages for utilizing technology with ESL/ELL students that cannot be solved by the many essential conditions we discussed in the last blog.

Specific Activities, Programs, Etc. 
My favorite activity from the chapter has to be videoconferencing. With the ease and accessibility of programs like Skype, students across the world can learn from each other. Roblyer and Doering (2013) claim, "many FL teachers claim that...aspects of video communication actually make teaching and learning more effective" (p. 293).
I also really loved the suggestion of radio broadcasts such as NPR for more advanced students (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p. 296). Similarly, teachers now have access to easy podcast creation software that can allow their students to submit oral language samples. Roblyer and Doering (2013) continue, "This use of podcasts gives teachers greater ease in assessing students' individual speaking skills" (p. 297).
Roblyer and Doering also suggest using learning games or learning apps to reach your ESL students (2013, p. 296). Speaking of apps Daily MOMO has to be my favorite so far. Most ESL apps on the market are directed towards young children (think toddler or early elementary students), and for ESL learners this can be rather insulting. Daily Momo on the other hand keeps it simple and mature for upper level learners.
Check out this video about the app:

Reference
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

ActivInspire and You

Developing Vocabulary: Using Context Clues 

The flip chart I chose aims to teach students to use context clues to determine the meaning of words they might be unfamiliar with and when they don't have a dictionary handy. While the internet and Google are quite ubiquitous, this is an immensely useful skill to have.

This particular flip chart integrates both hardware and software with the use of the ActivInspire software in conjunction with the use of a "clicker (a.k.a., student response systems)" (Roblyer & Doering 2013, p. 11). At the end of the presentation, students will answer questions posed in the presentation with a hand held device.

In addition to this integration, the presentation offers a great example of technology use based on problem solving. Roblyer and Doering note that students often need to "visualize underlying concepts in unfamiliar or abstract topics" (2013, p. 25). I believe that this presentation offers great context from which to understand the unknown or tough words. In addition, the clicker allows teachers to easily track and grade their students' performance and can come to know the effectiveness of their lessons (2013, p. 26).

As part of the essential conditions for technology integration, skilled personnel are at the very top of my list. As with good presentation design, good technology integration is built on understanding design elements and continued training and practice. Roblyer and Doering continue, "because technology resources and applications change so quickly, continuing professional development in technology resources and applications remains an essential condition for effective technology integration" (2013, p. 68). As I was searching through the flip books, many were vetoed because of their poor design or lack of total utilization of the software.  

As I stated earlier, I believe this flip chart falls neatly into the category of data collection and analysis in regards to software support tools because of the integration of a "clicker." I love this feature because it "permits each student in a classroom to answer a question simultaneously and permits the teacher to see and display a summary of the results immediately" (Roblyer & Doering 2013, p. 157). This has endless possibilities the most exciting of which is more hands on or targeted teaching. If students struggle with a particular flip chart lesson, teachers can more easily identify these students and customize lessons or homework accordingly.    

Reference
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Utilizing the Web

Integration of online tools in the classroom is integral to keeping media savvy students engaged in and out of the classroom.

Wiki
Roblyer & Doering define a wiki as "a collection of web pages located in an online community that encourage collaboration and communication of ideas by having users contribute or modify content" (2013, p. 223).  In thinking about creating your own wiki in the classroom, a good place to start is looking at what other teachers are doing with wikis.  This 8th grade English wiki is representative of many of the wikis made by middle school teachers for their classes.  While the site contains a lot of information that would be helpful for students, there is nothing collaborative or communicative about the site.  This seems like a waste of potential.  Though Roblyer and Doering make this assertion in reference to online courses, it can also apply to wikis, "a great web interface will not save a poor course, but a poor web interface will destroy a potentially great course" (2013, p. 227).

Google Calendar


Organization is one of the most important things to me in the classroom.  As a student I often struggled to keep all of my classes organized.  If students can go to one place for assignments and due dates, this would be ideal.

Countdown Clock


This countdown clock can be used to denote important due dates or even more important dates like spring break or the last day before summer break. As Roblyer and Doering point out, "sometimes the little extras go a long way" (2013, 227).

Google Lit Trips
When considering web based activities in the classroom Roblyer and Doering ask, "Does the Internet enhance the activity?" (2013, p. 238).  In the case of Google Lit Trips, the Internet offers students and teachers varied useful information in one easy place.  Using the Google Earth application, teachers can give their students global context to the literature they are learning.  I would consider this type of resource to be what the text calls a "lesson enhancement"(Roblyer & Doering 2013, p. 238).

Reference
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Using the Internet Effectively

URLs
The easiest way to think about URLs is to consider them as the “addresses” for sites on the web (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 216). Much like home or business addresses, each part of the address is a signal for the user as to where they are going. Consider the site, http://www.montevallo.edu/. If we’re searching for a site, we know that we’re on the Internet, but the domain name—montevallo in this case—shows that the site we’re connecting to has something to do with the word Montevallo (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 217). In the case of this site, the domain designator—edu in this case—is our biggest clue to the contents of the website. From this designation we now know that it is the University of Montevallo website. Each URL can be dissected in this way allowing students to better understand the website links they are clicking on.

Search Engines
Now we’ve all typed a simple word or phrase into Google, hoping for specific results only to find that there are far too many “hits” or search results that are not relevant to your needs (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 219). One tip for students and teachers alike is to employ Boolean search terms—“”, +, -, and, or, etc.—when using search engines. Though Roblyer and Doering do not touch on this important element of web searching, there are multitudes of online resources about Boolean searching methods.

Tapestry
Tapestry is a fantastic site that allows users to create “tap essays” or single click PowerPoint like presentations on any topic imaginable. The creation platform is much more limited than PowerPoint allowing for simplicity to reign. Each slide can contain pictures, text, or gifs. Overall it is a very interactive in that, once published, students can view their peers’ work as well as the work of other tapestry users. Roblyer and Doering claim that this interactive element increases the value of a given site (2013, p. 256).

Owl Online Writing Lab
This is a website that I frequented often in my undergraduate writing career, but it is not limited to college students. Teachers can use the Owl site as a reference point for their students’ at home writing assignments in every stage of the writing process. It is also a valuable resource because it is updated frequently in accordance to the ever changing MLA and APA style manuals (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 256).

Website Evaluation Video



Reference
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Prefixed Media in the Classroom

Interactive Storybooks

Roblyer and Doering offer the reader a number of options when it comes to hypermedia products from instructional software and interactive storybooks to reference materials and collections of development resources (2013, p.174-176).  In an English classroom, the most effective tool often comes in the form of outside media that will make reading more fun.  
U-Ventures’ interactive storybooks seem to do just that.  The books are written in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” style that combines a traditional storyline with that of a game.  The reader is given options to choose from that change the story and often dictate the outcome of their adventure.  Each time the student picks up a choose your own adventure book, the experience can be completely different.  While these books do not necessarily fall under the term “instructional games,” there is still something about choose your own adventure books that mimic “the motivational qualities of games” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 174).  In addition, “various studies have reported positive impact of interactive storybooks on children’s enjoyment of reading and development of reading skills” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 175).

Podcasts & Garageband

While Garageband does not at first seem like a tool that can be used in an English classroom, the application’s other uses such as podcasting allows teachers of all disciplines to take part. “Podcast, a term that combines ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast,’…originally meant posting audio on a website” ” (Roblyer & Doering, 2013, p. 189).  While Roblyer and Doering go on to say that this word now encompasses video platforms, there is more nuance and creativity required to make audio interesting to listeners (2013, p. 189).  In the classroom, teachers can record lectures, read aloud to their students, or assign homework.  Podcasts like these will most likely be listened to outside of the classroom, but can engage the student in their down time.  Students can also be tasked to create their own podcast episode.

Reference

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

The Big Three

Word Processing Software
 Word processing software can be very versatile in the classroom. Students and teachers both reap the time saving, beautification, and collaboration benefits when using this type of software (Roblyer & Doering 2013). In addition, research suggests that “when students write with computers, they ‘engage in the revising of their work throughout the writing process, more frequently share and receive feedback from their peers and benefit from teacher input earlier in the writing process’” (Roblyer & Doering 2013). Though both parties benefit from the use of this kind of software, some believe that the negative impact word processing has on handwriting, grading, and the revision process outweigh the benefits (Roblyer & Doering 2013). In my opinion, the drawbacks to using word processers are minimal when compared to the necessity and prevalence of this type of software.

Spreadsheet Software 
In the classroom spreadsheet software can be used to make quick calculations, organize data, and challenge students to ask causal questions (Roblyer & Doering 2013). While spreadsheets can be useful in teaching mathematics and lessons based on numbers, the instructional process needed to learn the software is much more involved than word processing or presentation software. Our textbook does not address all of the issues that can arise from implementing spreadsheet software in the classroom. The book would like us to believe that students could be resistant to using spreadsheets because of a fear of mathematics, but this is a vague generalization without proof or support.

Presentation Software 
Presentation software can be used to enhance lectures, organize ideas, and aid in group projects (Roblyer & Doering 2013). These uses closely mirror uses found in the professional sector. Its impact on the classroom, however, is mostly negative. The text states that researchers Craig and Amernic “found little evidence of any consistent impact on better achievement…[T]hey also found a common perception that presentation software has observable effects on classroom dynamics, tending to focus attention on the teacher and discourage student contribution” (Roblyer & Doering 2013). These findings seem counter intuitive to the learning process, and furthers the negative pedagogical process of teaching facts rather than fostering critical thinking. The text offers several tips for avoiding bad presentations such as only showing a few slides before asking students to implement the knowledge therein (Roblyer & Doering 2013).

Classroom Use
Overall, the text offered me little to no persuasion towards the implementation of any of the “big three” in a classroom setting (Roblyer & Doering 2013). Language arts overall almost requires the use of word processing, but according to the research the software does not lend itself to good writing practices. While the draft is now a more fluid state, word processers do not encourage global changes. With the addition of spelling and grammar check and autocorrect, mistakes and missteps can be corrected easily; leading the student to believe that editing and revision are unnecessary steps. Despite these drawbacks, I know that I will be using word processing software very often in my classroom.

Reference 
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

History Lessons in Song

This album from Neutral Milk Hotel describes the life of Anne Frank in an unconventional way.

To learn about her the conventional way, I suggest the Anne Frank House.