Reading Prompt #10

We've talked a lot in class about how technology can be used to help ELLs learn English. The Internet is also an excellent resource for teacher professional development. Describe ways you have used Internet resources for your own professional development as a language teacher. If you haven't already done this, describe some of the resources in the Egbert chapter you would be interested in trying.
Next, briefly describe how images such as those from Flickr and other free photo sharing sites can be used in ESL classrooms.

I like the tappedin web page. To me, teaching, like learning is a collaborative activity in many respects and this web page allows teachers to network with other teachers and share ideas and activities. I think a resource like this can help alleviate the frustrations that teachers, especially teachers with limited technology experience, feel when dealing with new technologies. Teachers can go to this web site get answers and ideas. They have less pressure to constantly rely on their own creativity and where technology is concerned, talking to other teachers can stimulate your own creative juices. I think this can be particularly important for less experienced teachers. So to me, a tool like tappedin is invaluable for teacher professional development in the CALL realm. I couldn't help but notice that the teacher in the Egbert Chapter 10 scenario realized that her unpreparedness would effect her students benefit of technological tools. In my opinion, her supervisor should have had that same sense about her preparedness. As a leader, that supervisor should have made sure that she had the tools she needed to take full advantage of the computer lab. He set her up for failure by pushing her into the computer lab without ensuring she had the training she needed to make it a success. His failure to do so ended up trickling down to the students who ultimately found it as frustrating as the teacher did. As teachers we want to set our students up for success. The same holds true of school administration, if CALL is to be effective the teachers need to be set up for success as well. Ultimately each teacher is individually responsible for their classroom, but it is not unreasonable to support expectations that match what they are doing. Sorry, just couldn't help getting on that soap box. Now back to CALL. I really like bringing things like Flickr into the classroom. I know as a history buff and posting the Dachau and Verona pictures on my blog really made me feel empowered to write my own history. I know that seeing those things and being able to touch them gave me a much higher sense of involvement than just words alone. I have to admit it is really cool to see the things you've read so much about up close and personal. I think what I would do with Flickr is have my students do virtual field trips. I would let the students pick a topic that interest them and then search for pictures about that topic and then do a slide show that the narrate and/or sub title the slides with their own explanation of what the viewer is seeing or do actual field trips and give the students camera's to take their pictures and do the same thing.

Reading Prompt #9

Which of the limitations, caveats, and challenges with regards to computer assisted language learning apply to your current (or future) classrooms? How could these be overcome?

It seems to me that the biggest concern for teachers may be cultural differences in how copyrighted material is viewed and/or handled. Intellectual property rights are not necessarily universal. As a teacher, I think I would need to try and familiarize myself with how different cultures that are represented in my classroom may view both technology and the use of material that technology provides. Additionally, it seems to me that helping students learn the rules for referencing information is a critical part of developing academic proficiencies that students need to succeed long term in American schools, especially at the university level. I also was surprised by the students in Egbert Ch9 that had physical and developmental barriers to using computers successfully. I had not even thought of that until I read the chapter. I think I need to educate myself a little more on that one. I think the idea of having other forms of backup to the computer is definitely a good idea. I know that sometimes for older learners they just prefer good old books and paper and pencil. Something I need to consider since I really want to work with adults who may view themselves as to old to learn new tricks and resist the use of technology.

Reading Prompt #8

What is the difference between traditional standardized testing and authentic assessment? Describe how computers can be used for both. Which do you feel is a better use of computers? Describe examples from the readings or from your own experiences how computers can be used effectively for assessment, and/or how to effectively assess the work students do via the computer.

Traditional standardized testing tends to narrow curriculum for low income school districts because so much time is spent teaching to the test. Standardized tests tend to be culturally biased for English language learners and the methods used to hide these kids' test scores tend to marginalize these kids and force them out of the system which is counter to the expressed goal of NCLB. Authentic assessment on the other hand actually measures how much a student has learned and tends to factor out uninstructed factors such as poverty. Additionally, students become involved in the assessment process and take ownership of their learning. Students are realistically engage in authentic learning processes that cannot be measured by a standardized test.
Computers can be used for standardized testing or authentic assessment. Simply put a student can do everything on a computer that a paper and pencil test requires. Unfortunately, using a computer for standardized testing is a massive waste of the power of the computer in the classroom. The computer is much more effeciently used for projects such as the International Students project in Cummins chapter 3 regarding immigrants rights. Corresponding with elected officials and parents in both English and their native tongues is far more authentic than any canned standardized test. The text rich environment of cyberspace and the ability of students to do so much research is a better use of computer time. The ability to save multiple drafts of writing samples for example really allows teachers to provide feedback and allow assessors, teachers, parents and the students monitor their academic growth over time. Realistic projects focusing on real issues contributes so much more to academic language proficiency and it is measurable over time quite easily with technology. Multiple assessment forms allow teachers to teach and students to learn without pigeon holing students into narrow curriculum's required by standardized testing.

Reading Prompt #7

What are some important techniques for designing content instruction that supports both language and content learning? Egbert gives several examples of ways content and language objectives can be combined with technology objectives. Share some of your own experiences or ideas for combining these. In other words, give a specific example of how you could teach a content-area lesson with integrates technology and supports language learning for ELLs.

Content instruction really hasn't been my focus, but I did do a lesson in an adult ESL class about the American custom of Thanksgiving. I asked the students, who were from Mexico, if they had a similar custom in Mexico and what other holidays they had that were similar or different from American holidays. I instantly got a chorus of English from the students about their holidays. All I had to do from there was ask a few questions and make sure everybody had a chance to talk, the students did the rest and I think I learned as much as they did.

I was thinking that this lesson might be even better if I had the students work in pairs on a computer and research the history of Mexican and American holidays on computers and then write a paper comparing and contrasting the holidays and essentially do the same lesson as above incorporating computers into the lesson. In addition to being exposed to rich texts in Spanish and English I think it would be an excellent opportunity to help the students learn some basic computer skills they may find helpful in their everyday lives.

Reading Prompt #6

Describe an inquiry or problem solving activity appropriate for ELLs that you have used, participated in, read about, or just now thought of. Describe which critical thinking skills it requires students to use and develop. Then, describe how this activity supports language and content learning for ELLs. Finally, comment on how podcasting could be used within the inquiry and problem solving process in a manner which supports language and content learning for ELLs.

An inquiry that jumped out at me was the oral history exercises in Cummins Chapter 7. I guess it really appealed to me because I am a history buff and I thought the activity was really cool. Of course, I am presenting that chapter on Tuesday so I won't go into great detail here. I don't want to give it all away. Essentially, the students did interviews of family to discover their own history. The students discovered that internet tools were not one size fits all and they had to be creative in coming up with alternatives to what the net provided them. Additionally, the students had to learn to synthesize multiple sources of information and organize that information. They had to learn how to reframe questions to seek additional information and use language in meaningful and authentic ways. Most important I think is the students learned to make connections and look at what they were learning with a critical eye and consider how history affects them. They did their presentations with iMovies but I think conducting their interviews and publishing them as podcasts would have added another interesting dimension to the project for them.

Reading prompt #5

Popular second language acquisition theories stress the importance of "comprehensible input." While most agree this is important, many others argue we also need to focus on output as well. What are some ideas you gained from the Egbert chapter about how technology can be used to encourage creativity and production? How does this help promote language learning? Share any experiences you've had with any of these or similar ideas in language learning classrooms. Finally, comment on the potential of Wiki's to allow language learners to collaborate in creative and productive ways.

Thinking in terms of adult language learners I like the ideal neighborhood activity. I think I would have the students develop a map of important services and government offices that recent immigrants may need to get settled into their new neighborhood. I would have the students include pictures to help new immigrants "see" what they are looking for instead of just a point on a map. I would also have the students work together to come up with frequently asked questions based on their own experience and do a web quest to find the answers. Wikipedia might be helpful here as an additional resource for them to use to find the information they need. I don't know if I would have the students do a wiki on this or just publish a web page. I guess I still have reservations about a full blown wikipedia page. I am leary of inappropriate information finding its way on to the page or someone vandalizing the page. For me, the jury is still out on that one.

Reading Prompt #4

Why is communication and collaboration so important in the language learning classroom? What ideas did you gain from the Egbert chapter about how computers and technology can be used to facilitate greater communication and collaboration for students? Give any personal examples you have had using these or other ideas.

To me, collaboration and communication is important in the classroom because it allows students to do the very thing they are learning a language to do. To communicate and interact with other speakers of the language! these kind of activities allow the students to learn discourse pragmatics which to me is one of the most important aspects of language. I know from my personal language learning experience (a combination of grammar translation and audio linguistic learning) that I was really not prepared to interact with native speakers in their natural environment. When I was exposed to everyday language use I felt as though I had to learn the language all over again. Creating the collaborative classroom gets students started down the road to learning the language in meaningful contexts that they will actually use in everyday.
Of the examples of activities listed by Egbert I kind of like example number 3, the neighborhood map machine. I think this would be particularly useful in an adult language class to help learners negotiate their new world. I would probably have the students incorporate bus schedules and routes into this activity to help them learn not only where things of importance to them are located but how to get there.
I definitely agree with Egbert about assigning specific tasks to each student and being cognizant of proficiency levels. It has been my experience that if you don't the dominant students will take over and the activity will not be beneficial to every student in the group.

Reading Prompt #3

I cannot help but think that the technology itself is creating a divide. what I mean by that is that humans as general rule are creatures of habit and we get used to doing things certain way and are therefore slow if not reluctant to change. Technology on the other hand is the exact opposite. Systems, programs, technologies become obsolete almost over night. Having spent 20 years in a large government bureaucracy I can tell you that policy decisions certainly don't happen over night. So with that in mind, I think it is possible that technology simply outstrips reluctant humans and bureaucracies that are slow to adapt to new technologies and pedagogical theory that support its' use in the classroom will almost always lag behind the more fast paced technological changes. I wonder how many computer systems in the educational system have difficulties supporting the new technologies coming out because the hardware computing power doesn't keep pace with the software. I have to believe that that problem could be particularly accute in school systems with limited money for information technology solutions. Makes me wonder if Stephen Krashen might not be right about sustained silent reading with real live books that don't get outstripped by technology.
The audio-tips page looks interesting to me. It seems to allow actual conversation that allows students to engage with native speakers and expose them to variation in the English language. Again, provide real and authentic language use that the students may actually use outside the classroom. To site an example from an adult ESL class I taught students constantly remarked that how things are spoken and how they are written are two different things. For example, "I am going to the store." That is what the students were learning but this is what is spoken most of the time "I'm gonnago tatha store." To me, these audio programs will help ELLs adapt to these crucial differences between what we write and what we say. It also seems to have great potential for building vocabulary which is near and dear to my heart. I think I need to try it out to really get a feel for what it has to offer.

Reading Response #2

Cummins et al. suggests that students engage in a variety of literacy activities based on the world around them, especially socially that transcend their pursuit of "academic literacy" in the dominant language of the school environment. According to Bransford and colleagues the traditional teacher-student model limits the transmission of information and skills. their research suggests that deep understanding and cognitive engagement are far more likely by engaging students in contexts where instruction builds on their previous knowledge and their learning is supported by a community of learners. To me, there is no better place to build and/or activate a community of learners than in cyberspace. Cyberspace provides no end of opportunities for meaningful and authentic use of language proposed by Egbert. Students have the opportunity to engage in activities that engage them in ways that have meaning for them and expose them to a much broader range of information, facts, and perspectives than the traditional "book" model of learning. The Blogosphere enables them to interact and engage individuals who may be prime time players in any number of subjects and problems of the day. Additionally, the blogosphere ESL enables them to engage not only native speakers of English in their learning process but individuals from their own cultural background as well as individuals from other cultural backgrounds with much different worldview than their own. It certainly broadens the learning horizon, and the fact that everything is out there for all to see adds another dimension to the idea of being both factually and linguistically accurate.
My first baby steps into the blogosphere have been enjoyable, although at times frustrating as I learn to master a new technical skill. I must say it is not as hard as I first imagined, but it is new and there are some things I need repetition on to master. What I have noticed right away is that I am much more careful about what I say and how I say it. The idea of being "public" gives me a sense of care and responsibility about my thoughts and ideas I might not otherwise consider. I think for the moment it perhaps holds me back a little bit, but as I get accustomed to blogging that will change. Being a history and literature buff, I think my blog will include lots of things related to those subjects. Although, some things could be somewhat controversial. For example, the Holocaust, but I think that deserves discussion especially since we hear so much in the news there days about Holocaust deniers and the implications for the world we live in, particularly from leaders like the Iranian president. I have some pictures I took from the Dachau concentration camp that I will at some point post and write about my feelings as I wondered through the camp.