Technology for English Language Learners

Technology for English Language Learners 

  ISTE 2

In working with students of diverse backgrounds, I have found it a blessing and a curse to have the opportunity to work with these students. It is a blessing in that these English language learners add to the culture that we create in the classroom. The other side is these students are expected to learn perform at the same rate as native English speakers. I believe technology in the classroom will allow me to differentiate my instruction and my assessments to track growth. The ISTE Standard states that I should design and develop digital-age learning experience and assessment for my students. Fluentu.com provided some apps that will allow me to differentiate the learning for all my kids. More importantly, it touches on how the application helps “ESL” students.

The website states, “By working with technology, using some of these apps will effectively help you add a new dimension to your teaching. It’ll also give students a break from the traditional classroom, all while still reinforcing the skills they are learning” (syondavis, 2016).  I this can be said for most kids. I have already seen the engagement and commitment from students when I have them use sites like Mobymax.com or Ixl.com. Giving them all time in the classroom to use these apps have been key to the success of my student learning. I feel that they keeps them engaged and invested in their learning.

To answer my trigger question on how I can use technology to design an assessment for my ELL students, I can use technology to design an assessment from the website. With some backward lesson designing, the evaluation becomes more tailored and differentiated for my students learning English. 

Bibilography

Syondavis. (2016). 10 best, shockingly good Apps for ESL teachers. Retrieved October 24, 2016, from http://www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/best-apps-for-esl-teachers/

Equitable Technology

Equitable Technology

Accessing the ISTE Standard I

There is an inspiring quote that I use in my 4^th grade classroom from Disney’s Meet the Robinsons. The quote is taken from Walt Disney himself. “Around here, we don’t look backward very long…we keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” This resonates with me as I try to answer my trigger question on “How can I integrate more use of web-based products that can be more equitable for all children.” I am quickly learning that some kids have to no choice but to keep looking backward because those new doors don’t open for them.  In my head, I have a vivid image of students on one side of a window with access to technology and on the other side I see students looking though while only being allowed to be a spectator in a quickly evolving culture of technology.

Though I didn’t find the answers I was looking for in my article, I did come up with a possible solution; an Integration of technology within our curriculum. We do such things when we, as teachers, try to integrate art education with our students. It is the only way students will be able to experience visual arts while learning how to read and write. This same concept can be done with technology. In my learning circle, a teacher had a wonderful idea of integrating the My Story application to give her English Language Learners an access point to reaching the target. Her article that she shared shows how it is possible to integrate technology. In the article is says that “By using multi-media technology toincorporate pictures or video in the lesson, the teacher can provide studentswith the necessary contextual cues to understand new concepts” (Brozek andDuckworth).  In this, another classmate suggested the use of a mind map application that gives students access to brainstorming in a virtual world. All this can be done within an instructional block of reading, writing, or even math.

The International Society of Technology in Education Standard 1 is clear in the facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity. Currently, I devote less than 1-2 hours a week to technology integration in the classroom. I need to find more time to integrate the use of technology so that equity is accessed for all kids.

References

Brozek, E. and Duckworth, D. Supporting English Language Learning Through technology Retrieved from https://www.nysut.org/~/media/Files/NYSUT/Resources/2011/March/Educators%20Voice%204%20Technology/edvoiceIV_ch2.pdf

**My Journey Begins* *

 Initial Reflection

In my classroom, I am constantly searching for meaningful and equitable practices that will allow every student to gain access to the learning. My core instructional practice is the fully guided instructional framework. I found this this to be the most effective way to deliver core content in the shortest period of time. The segment that I would like to improve on within this framework is the independent practice. During independent practice segment, students are given practice problems, worksheets, and/or homework to demonstrate their proficiency in the skill I just taught in the lesson. However, I have noticed that my students reach the target skill at different access points. The segment becomes more of a differentiated in which I begin meeting the students at their access points and guide them toward reaching the standards. I would like to be intentional in the how I design this segment in my lesson plan so my instruction becomes more meaningful and equitable.

            The basic lesson design framework of fully guided instruction is a strength of mine. It’s the primary focus in how I design each lesson. I always seem to focus more on the guided practice and even more so on the independent practice. I view the independent practice as the most important time as I actually provide the most intervention for my students who are struggling to meet the target. This is a challenge for me as each lesson poses different interventions. I find independent practices to be more fluid in nature and takes on the shape that fits each student needs. In this, my goal is to be more educated in the different types of instructional strategies that focuses on differentiation methods.

            Though my PLC’s, I have learned many different strategies though the expertise of my fellow colleagues. In these meetings, we discuss results and strategies that are the most effective within each lesson. We also collaborate on determining the needs based on the needs. However, this is also an area, I would like to grow in as an individual and as a team. As an individual, I would like to be deliberate in what I contribute to the group. I always struggle to contribute valuable data for a variety of reasons. I am a little inconsistent with my team on terms of being where they are on the pacing guide. This causes me to either be behind, so I don’t have my data ready. Or, I will be ahead where the data I have data ready, but not ready to provide to the group. This causes us to not be succinct in our data analysis. My goal is to be more on pace with my team so our PLC discussions become more powerful and concise.