I have decided to start an ongoing post category on this blog called EFL Connections, which will be dedicated to collecting and sharing Web 2.0-enhanced EFL information and resources across the K-12 curriculum. I teach at a Central Florida middle school school that services a very large EFL/ESOL population, and I have to date felt that there was little I could do to help some of our mainstreamed EFL students succeed in my classes – save for pairing them with bilingual students, which is an option that is at times required, but one I hate – because it ends up providing both students with limited exposure to what’s going on in the class.
I believe the Web 2.0 collaborative learning philosophy can and should be applied in ways that are specifically designed to assist limited English speakers. It is my hope that by sharing our experiences with you here, and by relaying interactions we have with other EFL teachers and students across the nation and abroad, this ongoing post will serve as a point of information for those of you who want to do everything you can for your English language learners.
EFL Connections: 9-12-2007
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with José “The Coordinator” Rodriguez about how Web 2.0 technology can be used to better serve EFL students. We discussed the benefits of using blogs, podcasts, and presentation sharing software such as Bubbleshare. These tools encourage active engagement and interaction in English, and they provide creative outlets for students who may be shy about speaking in English as well as those who actively speak the language, but need to improve their grasp on its more Standardized characteristics. My mind is still buzzing with all the possibilities we discussed, and I’m still amazed at how open professionals like José are to helping those of us who are just now trying to learn more about the pedagogy behind Web 2.0. Thanks, José!
I will most definitely be keeping up with José’s efforts on his main blog and through his regular EFL Best Practices webcast, which he co-hosts with Rafael Murillo. Tune in and listen to their pilot episode on the Webcast Academy website.I am not an EFL teacher, but I teach EFL students. Just as we are all reading and writing teachers, I believe the same mantra applies to using Web 2.0 with students who are still working to acquire mastery of the English language. I know – this seems a bit redundant in that I’ve already committed to using Web 2.0 with all my students. However, there is a need for special focus, within my TechEd curriculum, on serving limited English speakers. Ans, as I referenced earlier in this post, I don’t think the results will stop with my EFL kids. By encouraging us all to work as a collaborative group, I hope to cultivate more compassion, empathy, and cultural awareness among my native English speakers as well.Technorati Tags: ESL ESOL EFL collaborations web2.0 best practices
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