English Language Learners Tech Tools

I was once in a PD for sheltered instruction, and a discussion started about technology in the classroom.  Many of those in attendance did not see a need for technology in the classroom.  This is what inspired me to write my first post.  I figured start off with tools that could be used for the ESL student.  Here is a quick list of tools that I have found useful in my classroom.

Photo Credit: USAID Asia on Flikr

Google Translate - I find this best place to start. If your school is BYOD, 1:1, none of the above.  If a student doesn't understand what you are asking of them, why not give them a tool to succeed.

Voki - According to what I have learned, an English language learner is able to write and read, before they will want to or even can speak English.  Why not give them a tool to give a voice to what they are writing?

Educreations  / Explain Everything / ShowMe - All of these are not the same, but I group them together.  This tools give the student the ability to practice reading, writing, and speaking.  A assignment could be done as a reflective piece explaining what was learned in class.  If a student doesn't know a word that they are trying to explain about, they could always say the word in their native language and just input a picture of the word.  I like Educreations because not only is it free but it can also be web-based instead of an app.

Socrative/Polleverywhere - I know these are different ideas behind them, but they can both serve the same purpose.  I like to put up a free response question up, and allow students to answer at their will.  I have found that many of my ESL students are hesitant to talk, but giving them an anonymous voice breaks down that affective factor.  A recent update will even let you embed Polleverywhere polls in to Google Slides Other options that could be used are places like Today's Meet or Chatzy(from Wes Fryer).  Both of those are back channels, and I haven't in a specific classroom setting only during PD times.

Aurasma - This app I haven't specifically used in my classes, but I am excited to try this year.  I first learned of this app from the great Erin Klein from a blog post concerning Augmented Reality (AR).  AR is a new type of technology that delivers a more interactive experience from normally not interactive materials.  The idea I want to try is from Erin's blog post that suggest using the word wall cards, and making them interactive.  The students, using the app, could make videos, images, or animations that explain each of the words in a more fun and engaging manner.  Say for instance the word was photosynthesis, a student could add an "aura" to the word that was a quick video.  Or the word was DNA, the "aura" could be an interactive image of DNA could be turned, manipulated, and possible taken apart.  Another thought I had, was for my ESL students to create "auras" in their native language.  This could benefit both the ESL student, but also the native English speaker helping them learn a new language.   That could inspire a conversation on cognates.  Like I said I have not had a chance to use this in my class, but am excited of the possibilities.
*As a side note I heard about Erin's blog and Aurasma on the Techlandia Podcast, so thanks guys and gals.


So there it is.  A quick list of some of the offerings of technology tools for the ESL learner.  There are probably another 5 days worth of reading on ESL tech tools.  There is a lot out there, I want to learn more.  So that being said, technology is  not something we should be trying to get out of our schools.  It is something that we should embrace.  Our students have embraced, even more so engulfed themselves within it.  Why are we trying to take this from them.  The average student is walking around with an amazing resources gathering, brainstorming, content creator, data processing tool and we tell them to never take it out.  This does not sound like good education.  I support my students when they want to use their phones or tablets.  I try to teach and instill proper use skills as well.  How will they ever know when and when not is a good time to use their phones if we never teach or let them experience?  Our students want to learn, are we destroying that desire?

*Note: I had previously posted this in another blog.  I thought it was worth repeating here.

Advice Your Dad Would Give on Education

My dad was always one to give out vague, but strong advice.  He was the one that told me “Look them in the eyes and speak with conviction; they will never doubt you.”  I use this many times in class.  By the end of the year, student’s would never know if my stories were the truth or just a story to make a point.  I have been thinking about this and how common advice can translate to education very easily.  See if you agree with me.

Photo Credit: Thinking ... please wait by Karola Riegler


“Fake it till you make it” - #KidsDeserveIt

A few weeks ago, a blog post was put out at KidsDeserveIt.com about the power of being positive.  I am an avid follower of this blog, and as such shared with the my Twitter followers this post.  I retweeted the original share, adding my own two cents of “Fake it till you make it, stay positive”.  It was a real eye opener for me.  I know I forget this sometimes.  Kids are here to learn, not to deal with your own personal issues.  I know many days I have had a rough night and morning because of my own kids are sick, or just don’t want to get their hair done or their shoes on.  This is not your student’s fault, and they shouldn’t be privy of it.  Dave Burgess’s writes in Teach Like A Pirate when speaking of enthusiasm, “Even if you are only acting at first, an amazing thing happens along the way.  You actually start to really feel and become enthusiastic.”  I think this can be transferred into being positive.  If you are having a rough day, try to see the positive.  Find the small positives, even if it is you got a little extra bacon in your salad.  Take those small wins, and you will start seeing larger ones.  If you can’t find any small ones, then find the positive teacher and hang with them.  Get them to work on a project with you, and then you both win.  It is not your student’s responsibility to make you positive, but it is your responsibility to not let them know you are not.

“Life if what happens, when you are busy making plans” - John Lennon

I don’t know if I cited this to right original speaker, but John Lennon was singing this when I was thinking about this blog post.  I was watching Mr. Holland’s Opus, he was struggling with the death of John Lennon, his relationship with his son, and his teaching career.  I think this idea can expand to our lessons.  Many times it is worth stop focusing on the objective of that day and let your student’s interests lead the discussion.   My students knew they could this, and these were some of the most engaging conversations and lessons that were ever in my class.  Student’s want to learn, if it something they want to learn.  Let them lead the direction of the discussion.  If the discussion is close to on topic, let them lead it.  Many times it seems like this is not possible with district and state tests bearing down on you.  But if you truly listen to what they are asking and saying it will relate.  If it doesn’t, then make a Google Board.  Put up a bulletin board, with abstract questions and let students find the answer.  Require that they supply their citations and rationale behind their finding.  Develop a sense of inquiry and discovery in your classroom, and there will be more learning.  

“Relationships are the air they breathe” - Dr. Mack Brown

Teaching the African American Male by Dr. Mack Brown, was probably one of the best professional developments about classroom management I have been to.  It was obviously about teaching these men, but it developed to more than that.  After leaving this I made a commitment to use this one piece of advice to develop my classroom.  A classroom is a team, it is a living organism, it will live or die based on one student.  Many times I refer to a student that is not following expectations or procedures as a "virus".  If they continually do not do what is expected, this behavior will spread to the entire class.  Unlike human viruses, this "virus" can be shut down.  Purposefully developing relationship, finding what and how this student ticks, will bring you a great distance with eradicating the "virus".  If a student feels that you care about them, the will work work for you if they won’t work for themselves.  Let them know that you are the one thing in their life that is stable, the one thing that will be there when you tell them that you will be.  Understand first, then try to help.  If you don’t feel like you can help them, just being an adult that acts like an adult will be a great start.  You can probably agree with me, that it is the student’s that you had to work the hardest to love, is the one will always say hello in the hallway in their own unique way.  As it has been said many times before “Students do not care what you know, until they know you care.”

“Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog” - John Sursa

John Sursa was former Physics teacher colleague of mine.  He knew his physics, and he knew his kids.  One day after school we were having our non-scheduled PLCs, and he made this comment. I forgot what he was speaking about, but the point was made.  Many times I can be so focused on getting the objective done, or find the perfect tech tool to use for a lesson.  I would scrounge around Youtube looking for the best video, find the best online simulator, and search through shelves of physics supplies to teach acceleration due to gravity.  After all these examples and videos, simply grabbing a textbook and a piece of paper and having them both land at the same time recorded on an iPad is all that is necessary.  Tech is a tool, not the objective.  If a technology needs to be removed to make it less complicated, then do it.  Do not forget though, that tech can open many doors that used to be shut.  If you are so focused on what you have done the past 10 years of teaching, and not what you want the students to learn then it is time to adjust your plans.

Do any of these ring a bell to you?  What advice would you give?  Any of the ones I listed that you disagree with?  Let me know.