Notes from the Ridge

Mac Books and Podcasting Close Latino Digital Divide

Caught this article on my Google Reader account, and it hit home with me. I’ve been working diligently over the past two years as an advisor for my school’s Technology Student Association (TSA) chapter to get more Latino students interested in technology careers.

I love what the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Migrant Education Program has done here. The picture is getting brighter here in Haines City, as many more of our Latino students coming into Boone Middle School are children of parents who have decided to remain here in the city rather than continue their migrant work. These students are becoming more digitally aware through computer usage at home and through “take home PC” programs offered by our school. However, we still have students who miss a great deal of school due to having to relocate with their migrant parents. Programs like the one at CCIU are surely worth replicating at schools like mine, and I am now in the process of trying to secure grant money for a one to one laptop program that will allow students to sign out laptops for use at home as well as in the classroom.

Technorati Tags: digital divide, migrant students

Native Spanish Speaking Students Use Video Conferencing to Teach Peers in Hagerstown, MD!

Just a note to let everyone know that the following students were STELLAR in their first ever Skype (www.skype.com) video conference for Spanish Language Aquisition! Vivian R., Maria J., Lupita P., Joann M., and Luis P. each took turns exchanging biographical information in Spanish and then in English with student’s in Ms. Lisa Durff’s beginning Spanish class at Broadfording Christian Academy in Hagerstown, MD. Students from both schools took a turn in the “hot seat” where they could see and hear each other as they traded info about where they live, their ages, and favorite colors.

 

I especially loved the fact that the Boone Students – each of whom speaks fluent Spanish and English – acted as “teachers” modeling proper pronunciation and word usage for the beginning Spanish students at BCA. The girls and Luis were ALL SMILES at the end and are rarin’ for another go around – perhaps as part of a regular Skype chat w/ the BCA students! Ms. Durff reported after the conference that her kids were really buzzing about the experience and can’t wait to do it again!

A special note: Many schools block Skype – a FREE video conferencing, voice, and chat tool – and I am thankful that my county has kept it available for our use. This amazing opportunity would never have been possible without it!

Technorati Tags: spanish esl

¿Quisiera usted el español con su café?

Thanks to Ewan McIntosh’s link to John and David’s Podcast Directory, I was provided with an overview of the Spanish language learning site: Coffee Break Spanish “Language Learning with your Latte.” The site allows users to learn the Spanish language at their own pace, providing all the tools necessary to develop confidence in one’s ability to listen to, speak, read and write it.

Podcasts are free to listen to, while paid members receive bonus support materials like .pdf language guides and additional podcasts containing practice quizzes, musical reviews, and relaxation techniques. Hmmmm…. I’m a middle school teacher. Yes, I’ll have some relaxation, please! You can hear a sample of the bonus materials via the following link:

Lastly, members receive .jpeg flash cards as well as the ability to add iPod Notes to their downloads. Payment options for these extra features break out as follows: Monthly ($16) or Quarterly ($44) via Paypal subscription.

An extra cool aspect of this service is the fact that the show’s hosts, Mark and Kara, are Scottish! I don’t know why that’s extra cool, other than the fact that it’s one more accent my ears get to listen to… I like the setup, though. Mark is an experienced Language teacher with more than 10 years experience delivering online lessons, while Kara is a beginning Spanish student – someone we can learn with – who also knows a bit of French, Japanese, Mandarin, and Norwegian!

Forget Netflix, I’m Sticking with Coffee!

In an earlier post about the PodcastPeople, I mentioned my on again, off again relationship with Netflix. Coffee Break Spanish might delay me from re-igniting that love affair for a while.

I teach at a middle school with a Latino population hovering around 65%. I would venture to say that 20% of these 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are enrolled in the ESOL program, and I can count on at least three to five Spanish only speaking students in my classes – leaving about 20 or so who speak English, but are still working on its Standard academic uses. These numbers fluctuate throughout the year, but you get the picture.
As you can see, I have a functional need to learn the Spanish language. Sure, I could take Mike Gallagher’s “This is America, please speak English” approach, but the simple fact of it is that learning Spanish makes me a better educator, because I am able to forge relationships with my Spanish-speaking Technology students as they see me floundering about making mistakes that quite literally crack them up!

You see, by putting my self out there and being willing to make what can be some fairly embarrassing mistakes, I am modeling the type of academic behavior I want to see in my ESOL students. Trust me, as a man, when you are trying to say “I am embarrassed,” and it comes out “Yo soy embarasada,” you turn a deep shade of red once you realize that you have just explained to your students that you are pregnant! Woah, Nelly!

Risk taking is a huge part of learning. I can challenge my ESOL students to be bolder with their English language skills, but by modeling it, I can show them.

Technorati Tags: Coffee Break Spanish, EFL, ESOL, language acquisition

EFL Connextions: Ongoing Explorations and Conversations on K-12 EFL

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!

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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