Hello TESL call spot! Let’s get our discussion on shall we?
First, think about all the people, including yourself, that own a mobile device. This mobile device can be a personal laptop, cell phone, e-Reader, iPad, iTouch, smart/iPhone etc. Nowadays and coupled with seemingly easy and free access to the internet via these mobile devices, it’s possible for anyone to receive, send, view, and process information from almost anywhere and anytime (even on airplanes!). This has many implications for language learning. Please share any opinions, experiences, or insight you have on using mobile devices for language learning. Feel free to also connect your postings to last week and this week’s readings (e.g. pros and cons of mobile devices, possible design and evaluation issues related to a language course utilizing mobile devices).
For those interested, this discussion question was inspired by an article featured by Apple online: Use of iTouches to teach fourth grade English Language Learners (ELLs) at Central Elementary school in Escondido, CA increases reading fluency and comprehension.
This article for the Elementary school is very compelling evidence to support the use of technology using those ipods or itouch pads to build vocabulary. Having technology in the classroom can be a beautiful thing if it's clear that both the instructor and the students are comfortable with the equipment and how to use it without misusing it. In this weeks' readings, there were specific reports about how technology was either wasted (p.218 Levy & Stockwell)due to lack of teacher input, or that true communication opportunities were missed due to student misunderstandings (p.199 Kern). Another item that was mentioned in both articles was the point that tech savvy learners could figure out how to cheat on quiz makers such as hot potatoes. My current use of technology is still limited to textbook companion sites and other internet programs that provide reinforcement of student classwork. I must admit that I'm hesitant about using cell phones but do know that one of my current students is using a voice recording app to have native speakers repeat pronunciation so that he can listen to the sounds for practice.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Sharon
I truly enjoyed watching the video link and the article posted about the elementary school in Escondido.I would say that in this case, the use of an ipod touch works brilliantly to motivate the students, and help them engage in learning through a fun and creative manner. The people in the video clearly evaluated their ideas through the questions given in our readings such as practical outcomes and did this method work and why? (p.42 Levy and Stockwell).
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching this cased of an ipod touch working in the classroom, but I would feel hesitant in using it myself (as well as hesitant with cell phone usage). These tools can serve functions in the classroom, as well as provide a different and unique method of practicing concepts. I do see that if not used correctly, they could cause difficulties. The teachers definitely need training in how to best utilize hand-held devices for the best outcome of educational purposes. I could see some teachers and educators feeling frustrated with the items, or students in certain cases abusing the privilege of using such tools.
At this point, I feel evaluation of tools for language learning should still seek to reach as many students as possible. These days, most educational facilities have computers, rather than these newer technological items. It seems that until ipod touches, and ipads, etc., are made more available, it would be difficult to utilize them effectively for limited income places.(As p. 217 of Levy and Stockwell mentioned using technology and considering funding).
Our reading (Levy and Stockwell) talked highly of considering overall functionality of an item when utilized for CALL purposes- I still feel that mobile devices and ipods are functional, but need to be considered with caution. These devices hold much power, but are still in certain experimental processes. (That is not to say computers are not still being experimented with). That considered, mobile and ipod style devices do allow for new paths and flexibility, but should be considered with caution, and evaluated accordingly if implemented in whatever learning situation.
Wow! I think that the idea of add technology is great! At first I was skeptical and didn't see how effective it could be. I am becoming more and more convinced that the technology that we have available to us should be used! I quote the end of the video. "The ipod is revolutionizing teaching and learning." I agree with that statement whole heartedly after seeing the video. The children are enjoying learning. They want to come to school to learn because they can use the ipod and have fun. But they are also learning so much! Its brilliant!
ReplyDeleteLevy and Stockwell say that we need to consider many things though. One thing that was mentioned on the video that ties in with this is that they were buying all sorts of supplemental materials like maps, globes, calculators and other such items. These things cost money. If you buy the ipod for the students, they will be able to use those instead. I think we need to remember, though, that the ipod or other such technology should be used as a supplementary activity to the teaching.
Can mobile devices be use with language learning though? Absolutely. It cannot be your only way of language learning, but can definitely help and aid in the process. The students in the video were able to record themselves reading. Then they would play it back and realize they said this word or that word wrong. I think that is a great way to aid in teaching language.
But there are things to be considered. Our reading said that sometimes technology can be wasted. If we are to bring technology into the schools, we need to have a tech team that is very familiar with the technology and knows how to teach the teachers. They also need to know how to help troubleshoot the technology too. It is very important to know how to use the technology, or it is going to get wasted.
But, overall, my reaction to this post is that, technology can definitely be used to help aid in teaching language. I think the classroom needs to advance with the times. There are so many tools that can be used to help.
I, too, found the video very encouraging for teachers who are not scared to implement new technology into the classroom. Teachers are under so much pressure on a daily basis that sometimes we forget that there are some awesome things happening around the globe that need to be celebrated!
ReplyDeleteLast year, my school was lucky enough to have 2 classroom sets of ipods to use for a three week period. We were told to use them in creative ways, so I had my ESL students use they for their sight word (high frequency word) recognition. Every morning, we sit as a whole group and sing our word wall songs while a student points to them on the word wall. We also sing songs about long vowels, short vowels, rhyming words, etc. Since the songs were very familiar to my students, I loaded them on the iPods and had them practice their words during their independent centers time. My students loved them, and they were so easy to implement. Most of them already knew how to use them. I really enjoyed how my students were working independently and could pick and choose the songs they liked the best. Since then, I've been letting them use my own iPod since unfortunately we don't have the funding to get a class set. I posted a few pictures of my students using the iPods on my blog-- http://marykrider.blogspot.com
Since starting this course, I've been trying to think of ways to use my iPad in the classroom, and now thanks to this video, I think I'm going to try and use it during guided reading. My ESL students this year are strong readers, but could definitely use practice with fluency. I'm going to have them do somewhat of a repeated reading exercise and record themselves using my iPad. Of course, I would love to have more than one iPad in the classroom, but one is better than none, right?
Wow, thanks for all of your insightful comments, ladies!
ReplyDelete@Sharon, Elizabeth and JoyLynn, all three of you mentioned how important it is to use technology (to not just let it sit there and waste away) and with caution (taking into account the proper support networks needed for teachers and students) as well as properly evaluating devices (especially of cell phones) to make sure the devices can maximize language learning. These are all fantastic points to consider when thinking about using mobile devices for language learning.
@Mary - thank you for sharing your experiences with mobile devices and language learning. It's great to hear another positive story from one of our classmates and good for you to take the initiative to continue to use technology even when your school couldn't afford to keep the ipod class set. Since watching the video, have you been able to implement any new uses for your iPad in your class?
@Jean, so far, I've make a slideshow in Prezi (www.prezi.com) of their sight words for the week that my students can view. It shows the word, and then a real picture that describes the meaning of the word. I've also made a Keynote presentation that they can flip through to practice their sight words as well. Basically, it's digital flashcards that help students read and memorize the words. Not too exciting, but I'm just trying to get them used to using the iPad first.
ReplyDeleteWow! I'm always a bit jealous when the elementary kids are able to surpass my level of technology. I only have an iphone 3G and I'm already feeling a bit left in the dust!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, whenever I read these sorts of articles, I always worry about the haves versus the have nots. What about the school districts who might not be able to afford these kinds of technologies? Are any programs in place to donate technology to lower income school districts? Are these kids being placed at even more of a disadvantage by not engaging in technology that might be useful in other contexts?
@JeanCALL, great kick off post with a link to a relevant online example of a technology application.
ReplyDelete@Mary, I'm excited to hear about your uses of mobile devices for your students and am looking forward to hearing more about your experiment with this particular activity.
@Dr. Sauro, thank you!
ReplyDelete@Mary, hey whatever works! You've taken a traditional yet effective learning strategy and augmented it with technology - plus I'm sure your kids find it more appealing (as I do) to learn from their iPod/touch/pad than from regular index cards.
@Melanie - thank you for brining up a good and recurring point about technology and it's availability especially for those that "have not". This makes me think back to the several connotations of a "digital divide" and how there are definitely schools/children out there that can't afford new technology like the one referenced above. I personally don't know of any programs that offer technologies for lower socioeconomic schools/children - perhaps someone else in our CALL class?
I am not in an ESl classroom, but I have used my iPad and iPhone already for language learning. I am obsessed with the mobility and availability that these devices provide. There are many applications that are available for language learning that provide visual and audio components. Although I am not in the classroom, I can see the great use of these devices for language learners.
ReplyDeleteSomething I considered to do on my own, when I was learning French, was to record my voice when I was pronouncing the words and compare it to the pronunciation in the application I was using. This way I could hear the difference in my accent and the accent of the native speaker.
Also, there are applications that students can use for spelling, whether they use the touch pad for typing or tracing of site words, the possibilities are vast. I think this was a great choice to post. In the video the teacher says that the students think they are having fun when they are using the iPods. It is always great when kids have fun in learning, good motivation for them to work harder.
I think mobile devices are a great tool for language learning, or in education in general. But, as a teacher, I would have to ask three questions to know whether or not they are a good tool for my class. #1. How many of my students have access to or use mobile devices regularly? This is critically important because if the answer is that most of my students use or have access to high tech mobile devices, then YES, it's a great tool. If not, therein lies my first limitation. #2. Can the school afford to provide mobil devices to my students who do not have access to them. To me, this is a fairness issue. Also, does my school already have the tech available without purchasing mobile devices. In the article, students were engaging in langauge learning by creating podcasts and morning reports that they broadcast. Mobile devices are great to do this...but so are existing techs like video cameras, etc. Mac makes great products, but their trendiness makes them pricey. At the high school I taught at, we had older multimedia equipment, including VHS video cameras and free software we downloaded from the internet (i.e. Moviemaker, Audacity, etc) that we did the exact same thing for. #3. Is my use of the tool based on sound pedagogy? Not everything that is "engaging" is good, particularly if it does not help students advance their abilities, language learning or otherwise. I think Mobile devices are great to use...I've seen them used as tools for direct assessment (students would log their answers into an online program) which was great for engaging students who might not be comfortable speaking outloud in class. It can diminish one's affective filter if this is an issue.
ReplyDeleteI believe that using technology in the classroom is really useful and there is no double that it will help learners to learn and interact with each other. To achieve the teachable goal, we need good instructors who really know how to use it without it misusing and make it easy to learners.
ReplyDeleteNow days, technology has been moving from computer to cell phone. There are thousands of applications help learners to acquire a language. Apps help them to improve their vocabulary, pronunciation without any difficulties.
Regards
Sarerone
I am so ashamed of myself. I have had three mobil-phones in my country, because I was in need for mobile life and communications. Here I don't have one. My family have decided to play game of surviving. The name of this game "How long one family of three can survive with no mobile device pocket size?" We have decided to go ahead the wind. Now that? I have news for you, my friends. We are doing ok. It is still possible to have active lifestyle, communicate and be in touch with your friends and family with no mobile device...I will keep details in secret and attack this Wednesday contributor with opposit question: Do you think it is possible to have usual lifestyle in modern society with no pocket device? Ups.....I already have given the answer)
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