Reflection # 9

In my experience the biggest obstacle to computer use is access. the adult learners that make up the population that I have worked with (adult immigrant/community college) either do not have computers, regularly don't have the time to even do the homework that is assigned to them and given access and time, don't have the skills to make use of the opportunities that computers afford them.

One approach that has worked is to incorporate a computer lab component in the syllabus. Fortunately the settings that I have worked in do have computer labs that can be reserved. In the past I have had tutorials presented to the students so that they know the basics of word so they can begin to take advantage of the word processing capabilities of computers. I have also incorporated emailing as a way to give students an additional opportunity to practice both computer skills and writing skills. They can use the open labs on campus if they don't have a computer at home. It would be great that in addition to the four skills that are taught in ESL that computer literacy became an accepted fifth skill. According to Egbert, at the computer keyboard is where learning will take place

Quickshare

My technology quickshare is at www.podfeed.net. This is a sitethat collects all kinds of video and audio podcasts and breaks them up into categories. In the Education category there are several on ESL and other language Audio podcasts that are conversation practices etc. Kidcast.TV also has some good educational content as well. Check it out. I thought there might be some good ideas for our podcasts.

Reading reflection #7

I have mentioned this lesson/activity that I have used in the past in an advanced grammar class. Since I have taught only community college ESL classes recently I have not been able to integrate technology into the classroom very seamlessly. The students are older, don't have access to computers or computer skills. It would take a the better part of a semester just to bring them up to speed to give them a meaningful assignment.

The lesson I did give was for international students at Texas State University. International students are a different population that the immigrants I teach in community college and are much more techno-savvy. The lesson was to research a linguistic/grammar feature and to create a power point using examples of the feature to illustrate the meaning and use of the feature. It was an opportunity to explore the use of power point, interact in text rich environment, and to focus on a content area, grammar. Of course with the new knowledge from this class, this activity could be expanded to create a vocabulary/ grammar wiki, and the students could also create a podcast rather than what seems now a rather primitive technology, power point. This could all be part of a class blog in which we could focus on culturally relevant materials that would include specific language objectives which in this class would also be content objectives. For example, using photos or videos to narrate a tour of a specific cultural site, using the past tense.

RR # 5 continued

Wikis are useful because they encourage interaction in a communicative context with literacy skills the focus. One of the important tools for reading comprehension, especially in content areas, that I have used in the pass is a personal vocabulary log that each student keeps of words or concepts that they encounter in their classroom readings. A class wiki would be an obvious extension of it. Concepts could be defined, examples could be posted, links to extensions could be added, and more importantly, corrections to misconceptions could be negotiated.

Reading reflection #5

The notion of comprehensible output suggests that its benefit lies in the attempt to use the target language and possible failure which requires the learner to try again. The key to the successful use of comprehensible output is the negotiation of meaning and the repair work that the learner does in order to create a success interaction which leads to learning. Computer mediated language learning activities are almost always implemented in a communicative context. as a result it is necessary for the language learner to make herself understood.This requires linguistic competence in order to fashion a communicative act and strategic competence to initiate repair strategies if unsuccessful. Since computer mediated instruction (if appropriately interactive and meaningful) involves dyads or small groups, the opportunity for meaningful comprehensive output is increased. This is especially true if cooperative or collaborative interaction is the focus of the activities. Wikis, blogs, chats, IM, and discussion boards are the obvious applications. of course

Express News Article

An San Antonio Express News article in the Business Section on Monday February 12 goes right to the heart of thechnology in the classroom. Check it out. if it comes on line I will try to link it.

Reflection # 4

One of the cornerstones of helping an ELL acquire English is increased interaction, wheteher it is teacher to student or student to student. it follows one of vygotsky's premises that you provide new information in the zone of proximal development, the difference between what a learner can do by himself and what he can do through scaffolding with a more advanced learner either a peer or teacher. Group activites especially collaborative efforts require students to comminicate in order to accomplish a goal that they would not be able to do themselves. collaborative interaction especially is effective with ELLs because of the social as well as language skills necessary to accomplish an information gap activity.