Podcasting Potential

For the purpose of this entry I explored various podcasts to consider the value they hold for classroom use. I particularly enjoyed Absolutely Intercultural which included a podcast from a woman who went to a meeting with the Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research (SIETAR). She shared her experiences as well as clips from various presenters from the conference.

Podcasts such as this one are incredibly useful in the classroom because they allow students to access resources outside of the school environment. They can experience an abridged version of conferences, such as the SIETAR one, from their own computer. This is also the case for teachers looking for professional development opportunities. These podcasts contribute to a wealth of resources for teachers who want to learn more within their field. Because they are often highly specified they offer a great deal of insight into particular topics from a variety of perspectives. Utilizing this tool in the classroom is beneficial to students and teachers alike!

Using ePals to bridge classrooms around the world

     The website ePals is an excellent online resource for teachers looking to broaden the scope of their classroom instruction and connect with students across the globe. The primary goal of ePals is to help teachers find a classroom abroad with whom their own class can exchange messages, like pen pals. The site offers a very easy to navigate search engine that can be altered based on language, country, age, etc. It is also a wealth of information on other relevant materials, such as connecting the Common Core Learning Standards to support teaching and learning and offering numerous forums on anything from technology to mentoring.

     One resource I found to be particularly interesting is the online field trip option offered through the Smithsonian on ePals site. There are many topics from the museum that are covered in depth through a virtual "field trip" for students. The multimedia aspect of this resource is excellent for helping students build context through the use of visuals while simultaneously exercising aural comprehension skills. I know I will certainly be taking advantage of this website's wide array of invaluable information for use in my future classroom!

Comic Strip Strategies for Education

My comic strip, entitled Knock Knock, depicts two characters on a deserted island. Within this simple dialogue students are given a glimpse into the humor of something that is unique to English humor, known as the knock knock joke. Although, small and seemingly trivial, it is a part of our culture that assumes and expected response that is unknown to an English language learner. This comic puts the joke into context and helps learners understand its purpose as a communicative device. Comics in general can be used in the classroom for clips like this to promote sociocultural competence through linguistic play. This is highly beneficial for ELLs who must not only understand the content of language but also its value within context.

Photo Stories as Classroom Tools

When first asked to create a photo story for my classroom, I was concerned that my lack of technological skill would leave me struggling to create something I could use with students. As it turns out, this was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in this course so far.

I chose to create a first day of school video about classroom rules using photos from my preschool class last year. Of course with this age group it would be important to read the captions aloud, but this is just meant to serve as an example of how this could be used as a fun introduction to school. It was simple to navigate the production process by using Stupeflix and allows for anyone to make a video either for instructional purposes or as a learning tool. This could be used for vocabulary review with visuals to add context or an end of year graduation type video. 

The Impact of Digital Storytelling

In the modern age we are given the opportunity to share ourselves with the world through many different mediums. We can Instagram our lunches, Tweet at celebrities, video ourselves for Vine, update our status on Facebook, promote our professionalism on LinkedIn and so on and so forth. The list goes on with so many pieces of our social media puzzle it can be hard to keep track. One method that streamlines all these resources into one powerful medium is through digital storytelling. Educause defines this term as “the practice of combining narrative with digi­tal content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component.” In other words, we can create a “story” to define ourselves using a multimedia source of output.

Within a classroom of culturally and linguistically diverse students defining one’s own identity in the classroom is an integral part of the learning process. It can be challenging for a student who is not yet proficient in English when the teacher asks them to write a personal narrative and expect that the student will feel capable of accurately sharing him or herself within the constraints of a limited language ability. Digital storytelling offers a fresh perspective on learning about how our students define themselves. A student may not yet be able to share stories from their home country but instead could post simple captions over photos that speak a thousand words. They may also feel more comfortable with an oral narration rather than a written assignment which focuses heavily on mechanics and can be quite daunting. One example is taken from a list provided by the Center for Digital Storytelling of a series of stories by refugees, the first told by Iftin Iftin about his experience as a refugee from Somalia in the United States. His powerful story is enhanced by his use of maps and images that all evoke an emotional response from the viewer. Providing ESL students with this outlet for their stories is both empowering and engaging and builds classroom community by giving them the opportunity to share their identity with their teacher and peers.

Serious games bring serious results to the classroom

For this exercise I chose to play 3rd World Farmer, a game that simulates the harsh realities and poor conditions of many farmers around the world. I played this game three times and each time ended abruptly due to external circumstances such as a corrupt government or environmental disasters. My family kept leaving to make a meager living elsewhere and eventually my farm always fell apart.

If I were to use this in a classroom I would only use it with advanced English Language Learners as the vocabulary is elevated and complex, while the task is intricate and multifaceted. My objective would be to analyze strategies that worked best and for students to provide cause and effect scenarios. They must play at least three times and each time provide their strategy, intended outcome and rationale, followed by the results and cause of failure or success. After these analyses they must reflect on how this game portrays the greater issue of survival for many individuals in the world. This would challenge students to approach the topic using the scientific method but then round it out to establish relativity to their own lives. Assessment of their writing and analysis would be sufficient for demonstrating comprehension. However, I would be very cautious in the group I chose to use this so as not to trivialize their own experiences in their home country. I recognize that this game could mirror their home life before Buffalo and I think would thus be inappropriate to use with some students. This game certainly has a valuable place in the classroom but as the case is with many activities, teachers must be aware of their students and tailor instruction to their individual needs and circumstances.

Gamification for Real-Life Skill Development

    Gamification is a teaching technique used to develop real-life skills  through the implementation of classroom games that mimic relevant situations. Games are engaging for students particularly in a language learning environment because they are stimulating and utilize a multimedia approach to education. Students are provided a visual stimulus, often supported by sound, in which they must read, write, analyze, and navigate their way through a game’s simulation of reality. This exercises the brain in an authentic manner that develops critical thinking skills while reinforcing the basics at a pace that is appropriate for each individual.

        For my own gaming introduction I chose to play Phantasy Quest. I only played twice, however both rounds took me a very long time because I had to adjust to the simulated world and try and understand my ultimate goal in this “escape the room” game. The goal of the game is to use the resources on an island you've been shipwrecked on to survive and find the girl you supposedly lost. Both times I was deemed a “Fledgling Moron” but I did advance a bit the second time around. If I were playing this game with a class my language learning objective would be to use directional descriptions and exploration for the purpose of creating a map of the island with descriptive language of the available resources at each area. Hopefully this would help students to develop spatial awareness of their virtual surroundings which practicing descriptive words based on their observations. As the teacher, I would give them a word bank that they must include in their drawing and have students present in groups to compare and contrast each concept of the Phantasy Island. I don’t feel that a walkthrough is necessary for this game because it is more about exploration than the ultimate goal of winning or defeating the surroundings. Instead of using images from the game, students would be creating their own mental images and producing them on paper to demonstrate their idea of what the entire gameworld looks like. Their presentation would be an assessment of their understanding because it would affirm their exploration of the game and the level of detail would variably demonstrate their level of understanding.

#EdChat makes the tweets go 'round: The intricacies of a Twitterchat (Mod 6.1)

Welcome to Twitter!

After boldly joining the social networking site which is familiar to many of my students but somehow foreign to me, I began to discover the use of hashtags and how to follow a Twitterchat. I will admit, this was no easy task at first but I slowly became comfortable with the 100 messages a minute scrolling by my eyes. It is a bit overwhelming and once I finally found a place to jump in, I felt that my topic was already antiquated in the tweeting world. So I stuck to the broader question of incorporating technology into the ESL classroom. To my surprise, I got a number of responses and one user who was very active in the chat forwarded me to a bunch of other users who would be able to help me best. I was given multiple usernames and linked to their many different sites across the web. I felt welcomed into the chat and the world of educational technology. I even got a private message from another teacher who was interested in the same topic and shared his findings thus far.

Clearly, Twitter is incredibly beneficial for professional development because it provides access to resources and users relating to any subject matter needed. Rather than weeding through a Google search of poorly designed websites and irrelevant forums, my fellow Twitter users performed an informed search on exactly what I asked them for. For example, one website which I found helpful included a visual dictionary for ESL students, just one resource that I don't think I would have found as easily or as quickly on my own. I will certainly continue to use Twitter, even if only once in awhile to answer pertinent questions that I stumble upon throughout teaching. I know I can rest assured that no matter my challenge, my followers will be there to offer advice and make suggestions to collectively advance as fellow professionals.

What's in a tweet? (Mod 6.2)

Before attempting to link myself in to the world of technological communication, I lumped together social media sites and assumed they were just another way for people to overexpress themselves and detail the minutia of their fairly average lives. I could not have been more wrong. These sites, particularly Twitter in particular offer uses a plethora of options for meeting, greeting, and tweeting their way into a complex network of social interaction. For many, Twitter is a tool that surpasses the basics of a social network sites and launches professionals into a network of like-minded members with whom they can compare techniques and resources.

I particularly like the way this site has mapped out how Twitter is effective as a Personal Learning Network:







As we can see, it is a cycle of giving and receiving information to promote personal and professional growth within one's field. This is incredibly helpful, particularly for teachers who can take what they learn in education classes and share with a community of fellow professionals to move forward and promote the advancement of education as a whole.

However there are some things of which Twitter uses must be aware, lest they fall into the trap of being seen the way I had previously assumed them to be. In this article on Twitter tips we see how easy it is to overtweet or overshare and potentially ruin the online image of ourselves we are hoping to convey. This reaffirms the "publicness" of Twitter and how detrimental it can be if we are not familiar with the perceptions of our followers.

Overall, I feel that Twitter is helpful for professional development in the sense that it is concise, yet contains invaluable information in those 160 characters. I find that I am able to scroll through hundreds of tweets and immediately know if they are relevant or not. This is not only efficient, but effective and that is exactly the qualities I look for in using online resources to further my goals as a professional and improve myself as an educator.

Social Networking for Success!

Through joining the social networking site "Teacher 2.0" I was introduced to a group for their members called "Professional Developers." I thought this group was very relevant because it promotes the idea that education is a constantly changing field and as teachers we must stay up to date on our professional knowledge. In many ways this also related to the idea of connectivism because we are part of a network, in this case through education, and we must utilizes the technology we have as a resource for discovering new ideas and improving our teaching styles. This group is incredibly helpful for any subject area and I highly recommend taking a look at it to see all that it has to offer!

Connectivism in Learning

            A learner is like an iPhone. When you finally understand all the features it has to offer it can be highly beneficial to your life but until that point it is difficult to maximize its potential. As a teacher, we must get to know how our students perform best. We have to put in the time and effort to see what they have to offer and how we can best utilize these skills to help them be successful. They are also ever-changing like the iPhone. They must adapt to the world around them and create new “apps” to accommodate the expectations of their surroundings. In the video The Changing Nature of Knowledge, the author discusses how computers used to be a hindrance then explains that, “We are now at a point where an individual can do significantly more with the aid of a computer than was ever possible in the past.” In many ways, learners must be “updated” to meet new system requirements. At first the iPhone was simply large and bulky but as it became more advanced, the camera and other features began to replace other pieces of technology, making it useful and relevant. Learners need to shift their operating systems so that they are up to date with the latest information.

            In another respect, learners possess the ability to understand when it is time to shift their perspective and adjust to new learning circumstances. In his article on connectivism, Siemens states that, “The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical.” This reinforces the concept that learners must assess what is expected of them and how they fit into the greater picture of things to best adapt themselves. In this world of technology that changes on a daily basis, learners must understand how to connect themselves with those around them to find their niche and meet their personal needs.

The Great Technology Takeover

It's that time of year again when kids go back to school. Students and parents alike flock to the stores to buy their crayons, markers, notebooks, pens, trapper keeper (for those of us 90's kids) and a myriad of other supplies to gear up for a year of hard work.

But wait! In the age of what I like to call "The Great Technology Takeover," or #TGTT for those Twitter taggers, it looks like the lengthy back-to-school shopping list has been replaced by a shorter one of higher priced items such as the iPad, iPhone, Kindle, and MacBook Pro. Pick your poison but make sure its compatible with the necessary apps and requirements of your school so you don't miss an assignment. Those silly folders we all used to color coordinate with the books that we had to wrap? They are a thing of the past when you can simply access a drop box with the touch of a screen. No need for a pencil sharpener when you can adjust the size of your font by a simple adjustment on Microsoft Word. It seems that all these tools are becoming an antiquated nuisance in today's modern classroom.

The question is, should we be worried? As the video Classroom of Tomorrow demonstrates, we are rapidly entering a world that relies so heavily on technology that we must start preparing now. Watching this video certainly reminded me how unprepared I am because I was completely lost when they showed most of the items that students are using in their classrooms. A more inspirational approach is shown in Social Media Revolution 2011 which uses catchy music paralleled by highly relevant facts to prove to viewers that social media is an inevitable part of our lives and we have no choice but to join the revolution. I will admit I enjoyed their approach because it was fresh and concise, convincing me that perhaps it is time for me to take the Twitter jump or to get LinkedIn to employers internationally.

However, what both of these videos lacks is a balanced review of the detriment of this technological shift. One fact stuck out in my mind from the Social Media Revolution film: "Kindergartens are learning on iPads, not chalkboards." In many ways, I understand how this is helpful. Lessons can be more interactive and visually stimulating. On the other hand, there is a certain value to one central point of learning that brings all students together as a community. When young children are playing games on an iPad rather than with one another, no matter how educational, it lacks the social interaction and acquisition of fine motor skills that is so vital to their stage of development.

I don't mean to sound out of date but I think this loss is one worth questioning. There are countless benefits to a technologically advanced classroom, yet as teachers we must also assess what is given up in exchange for this shift. Our challenge is to develop a classroom that not only introduces students to the technologies that will prepare them to be more successful online, but also promotes the inherent value of offline skills and physical engagement with tools beyond the screen of a computer.

Using blogs to meet learning standards

Blogs are helpful resources to use as students and teachers because they provide access to a wide audience of readers as well as a diverse array of authors. They set a forum for written interaction on a global scale that supports a sharing of information and culture among users.

One way in which this is helpful for students is in that it allows them to access texts written from a global standpoint. As mentioned in the video Blogs in Plain English, websites like technorati.com and blogsearch.google.com give students a search engine to find blogs on topics of interest from a variety of multicultural perspectives. Put simply, blogging opens up new audiences for the writer and new authors for the reader. This can be used to help students explore these authentic texts to assess how they fit into a multifaceted and multilayered approach to a topic around the world.

Blogging can also be useful for professional development because it creates a community of learners online. More experienced teachers can share what has worked for them and give insight into effective strategies for ESL classrooms while new teachers are given a forum to reflect on their own practices and perhaps receive constructive feedback from their fellow professionals. This feedback can be useful in not only improving current techniques but for affirming positive ideas and providing support.

STANDARD 2: 
Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for literary response, enjoyment, and expression.
    Performance Indicator for Commencement Grades 9-12:
      1. Read, listen to, view, write about, and discuss a variety of texts from a wide range of authors, subjects, genres, cultures, and historical periods. Such sources include poems, stories, myths, fables, plays, novels, and other fiction and nonfiction texts, in authentic and modified forms including works of American popular culture. (L, S, R, W)

Based on the NYS English as a Second Language Learning Standards