ESL/EFL and Web 2.0
No digo el español muy bien. Pero tengo a muchos estudiantes Latinos que no dicen el inglés. ¿Cómo puedo ayudarles a vencer su barrera de los idiomas? Creo que la Web 2.0 puede ayudar, y aquí está un vídeo por Sr. Graham Stanley que muestra como.
I don’t speak Spanish very well (or write it well, as you can see above!). But I have many Latino students who do not speak English. How am I to help them overcome their language barrier? I think Web 2.0 can help, and the video below, created by Mr. Graham Stanley got me thinking about it.
Ok, so that’s about the best I can do with Spanish
(be kind, Miguel!), even after four years of it in school and three years teaching at a middle school with a Latino ESL population averaging roughly 40 percent of the school’s population. Most likely, you have all heard the phrase:
“All teachers are reading and language teachers.” While I have seen this statement generate eye-rolls and head shakes, I take it to heart. The power of communication is undeniable, and if we are not relaying this concept to our students, then we are failing as educators.Many who are reading this post already know the power Web 2.0 applications when coupled with a teaching philosophy that encourages student-led thinking, creative effort, and collaboration. However, the purpose of this blog is to relay my coming to understand this concept so that my process of discovery may one day help those new to it grasp it as well. In doing so, I wanted to highlight an October 2007 video created by Mr. Graham Stanley, an English teacher in Barcelona, Spain.
Download Video: Posted by bcgstanley at
TeacherTube.com.Watching this video really got my morning off to a great start, and it started me thinking about how useful Web 2.0 technology – specifically blogs and podcasts – could be to our many ESL students striving to gain a solid working knowledge of English. Mr. Stanley’s Slideshare presentation (below) convinced me of this fact:[slideshare id=54399&doc=t-e-s-o-l-2007-student-publishing-final-7983&w=425]While no means a finite solution to ensuring their success, I do believe that Web 2.0 technologies can really help these students improve their communication skills. As always, I welcome feedback and input from those of you who have used these tools successfully to instruct and support limited English speakers in your classrooms.More on ESL and Web 2.0 after I wrangle in opinions and feedback … from the wise ones: Miguel, Chris, Jose, and Carla…
Drupal, blogs, wikis, podcasting to enhance the learner experience. But are we doing enough?
David Warlick’s July 26th article detailing his findings regarding first year teachers and their familiarity with Web 2.0 technology painted a picture that seemed less optimistic than it was in all actuality. After stating that only two in attendance were bloggers, RSS was a mystery, and virtually no one knew what a wiki was, he followed up by saying that:
“It’s not a bad thing that these beginning teachers hadn’t heard of Web 2.0. They’re certainly doing it. Most of them IM, and have MySpace or Facebook (etc.) sites. They communicate online with individuals and groups, and they’ve used these conversations to teach and learn, though they probably haven’t thought of it that way.”
This leaves me with a feeling of hope. But hey, I’m a pretty optimistic guy! I guess I just believe that one by one, as the collaborative online learning and networking mechanism powers up in more and more classrooms, we’ll keep heading in the right direction – towards all things Web 2.0 settling into the realm of tried and true versus novel and experimental. Like many of the educators I have come to call friends and colleagues over the past couple of months, I will be starting and maintaining a consistent grass roots effort on my school campus. If I can encourage five teachers at Boone Middle School in Haines City, Florida to reach out to the world via even one community authored blog and a shared wiki (heck, throw in a podcast .. who knows!?), then that’ll be my little success story for the year. For if they in turn do the same, I think we might find ourselves making progress after all.
Technorati Tags: ESOL collaborative learning education
Gonna Have to Face it… I’m Addicted to Blog….
August 9, 2007, 1:45 pm
Filed under:
blogs So, how addicted? Well, thanks to Russ Lauber, I found my way to a nifty rate your blogging habit site where my candid answers to 14 questions put me in at 77%!
Go ahead… give it a try! If nothing else, it will amuse you… or sober you up…. but definitely one of the two! (Thanks for the diversion, Russ!)
Technorati Tags: blogging
TechTips from the Ridge: Top Educational Blog Sites
One of the main goals of this blog is to share the information I collect with other educators who may just now be starting to use Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom. By now, my love of gadgets and the many technology tools out there should be clear. However, as many well-established educators within the Web 2.0 niche will tell you, tools will only get you so far. To gain insight into how I can best apply these tools to better serve my students, I turn to the following top educational blog sites. Please note that this list is by no means exhaustive, and it is always expanding. It is my hope that you will read and subscribe to these blogs and from them, begin to locate others. As you do, please do not hesitate to contact me so that I can help spread the word!
Top Educational Blog Sites for August 2007
Classroom 2.0: Get here and join…. now! This is the social networking site for those interested in using computer technology (especially Web 2.0) in the classroom. This was the first online teaching community I joined, and I firmly believe it to be one of the most comfortable and effective networking sites for those to to this subject. How often have you felt alone in your struggles to improve education through technology and innovative teaching practices? Well, stop it! Get over to the Classroom 2.0 site now and join. When you get there, add me as a friend so that we can start planning that joint classroom blogging or podcast project!
Education/Technology: Tim Lauer is the principal at Lewis Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. I enjoy his site because I can see what he and those in his circle are doing with technology and reflect on ways I can incorporate similar practices into my classroom.
Teaching Generation Z: Graham Wegner, author of this blog, is an Australian educator who uses Web 2.0 technologies to teach technology leadership. This blog never fails to provide updates on breaking news in our field. I have really come to value this blog. Graham provides consistent insight into what it means to ‘look over the shoulder’ of teachers who are well-versed and expert in using collaborative technology to instruct and excite their students.
Durff’s Blog: Lisa Durff is an avid podcaster and webcaster. I first met her through Classroom 2.0, and it is through her that I first became aware of the Webcast Academy project – a hands on, collaborative training center for anyone interested in learning about how to create and produce webcasts. Lisa is also an active member of the EdTechTalk information portal, and her blog is definitely one to watch.
Kevin Honeycutt’s ESSDACK Site Central: Kevin Honeycutt is perhaps one of the most energized people I have come across in the Web 2.0 education world. His Driving Questions in Education video podcasts never fail to get my mind going, and I look forward to listening to them regularly. Very good stuff.
Speed of Creativity: Wes Fryer offers up thought provoking and meaningful topics for discussion that really give you something to mull over. Do your self a favor, get over to his site and subscribe to the article and podcast feeds. You won’t be sorry.
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Vicki Davis is a very well-established educator, blog author, and webcast talk show host. She is a founding member of Women of Web 2.0 and a contributor to the Tech Learning blog. Please be sure to subscribe to the Cool Cat Teacher feed to learn more about creating improved student performance and excitement through the use of such cutting edge tools as blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital storytelling (video making), and other Web 2.0 tools.
Thoughts from a Technospud: Author Jennifer Wagner works with Pre K through 6th grade teachers – providing ways for them to effectively use technology in the classroom. Her tips for teachers and stories of what it is like to be the go to educational technology resource contact are fantastic. Along with Lisa Durff, Jennifer is also an active member of the EdTechTalk information portal.
Jason Hando’s Clever Learning Blog: Jason is a head teacher in the technology faculty at an independent school in Sydney, Australia. His blog provides a collection of thoughts, resources, and ramblings on the topic of clever learning from the perspective of students, teachers, administrators, and parents.
TipLine – Gates’ Computer Tips: Last but most certainly not least we have Mr. Jim Gates’ TipLine Computer Tips blog. I met Jim through a Moodle class I took through GlobalClassrooms, and he never fails to provide insights into issues I find perplexing. His jovial demeanor, caring spirit, and knowledge regarding the use of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom are unmatched in the field.
Keep an eye on future postings like this one, as I would like to make them a regular part of this blog. Again, please provide comments as you come across other useful blogs dealing with the use of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom. I look forward to hearing from you… Technorati Tags:
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