ESL Podcast-1st Day of School

First Day of School
By Joleen J., Rosario K., and Max T.
Suggested ELL level: intermediate-advanced students, ages high school to adult

Our ESL podcast introduces the typical schedule in a U.S. High
School. We present this information in the format of a one-on-one interview
(talk-show style), with informative or humorous narration throughout.
Rosario, Max, and I filmed this based on the Kidspiration® graphic
organizer and storyboard that Rosario created, shown here. We wanted to
present a mini cultural lesson by talking about how many U.S. high schools
are organized.

The interviewer, Joleen, introduces Rosario and asks her about the
upcoming school year. We find out about “A schedules” and “B
schedules,” where high school students have different classes on
alternating days, as well as some typical classes a high school student may have,
such as Art, Science, Math (Algebra II), and Study Hall. We find out
what Rosario is interested in and what she is looking forward to in her
classes this year.

High School Senior played by: Rosario, Interviewer played by: Joleen, Narrator: Max


Follow-up activities:


1) Using the graphic organizer that supports this interview (above), have students compare and contrast the classes and activities from the interview. Then have students use the graphic organizer and the podcast as a model for them to write and perform their own, similar interviews in pairs or small groups. Students should present them to the whole class in person, or as an audio podcast on http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (if technology is readily available).

2) Have students research to find more information on some of the cultural icons and references from the "Where are they now?" section at the end of the podcast and throughout the narration of the podcast.

You may even have recognized the immortal words of one of our favorite muses, Homer J. Simpson (created by Matt Groening), when Max said "Mmmmm...Algebra II...Doh!!" "Mmmmm..." is what Homer says when something sounds delicious to him, and "Doh!" is what he says when he makes a mistake. See more on the Simpsons and our other cultural references here, or you might try searching for them on www.google.com:

http://www.thesimpsons.com/characters/home.htm

http://web.mit.edu/aboutmit/

http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml

http://www.history.com/

http://www.lonesailor.org/about.php

And last, but not least: http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=search&m=search/knet_search_main&u1=search&u2=cheese%20whiz%20

Kidspiration Activity

This is an activity that I created by using one of the many different concept maps available through Kidspiration 2. This activity will work well in an ESL English

Software Evaluation # 3

Leapfrog SchoolHouse by Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc., 2001-2002
This software is a multisensory program for English language learners. There are 36 theme-based books in 4 different English language levels. The books that I looked at are targeted for grades PreK-2. I would say that this program is especially helpful for beginners and intermediate level learners. The goal of this program is to develop early literacy skills by focusing on phonological awareness, vocabulary acquisition, listening and reading skills. The way it works is by inserting a cartridge and a book in a "laptop" that has an electronic LeapPad pen attached to it. To begin, use the pen and touch the GO button in the page. You continue by following the instructions that you hear. These instructions come in 6 different languages, which is a very nice feature for the beginning level students. There is a lot of interaction going on as you start hearing the story. Each book that you insert has a vocabualy list at the end. These are the words being taught throughout the story. I use the word taught to describe the function of this program because that is what is nice it. It doesn't only read you a story. Each page includes vocabulary words with illustrations. Using the LeapPad pen, the instructions guide you to point at the illustrations or the words as you hear its pronunciation. The books are divided into several parts.Each part has more vocabulary, sentences, or it's a whole different story in itself. The last part of the books also includes an assessment activity. It checks for understanding by asking you questions that you answer by pointing at the picture. The books that aimed for intermediate or more advanced learners also give more complicated instructions. If you choose the instructions in English, this also helps in the development of the language. What I like about this software is that it gives you immediate feedback. It repeats the instructions if you are not doing it correctly. It also praises for good performance or asks you to try again if you make a mistake. Some additional accessories available are a battery charger and earphones. This is good if you want a student to use it while teaching others and with a battery charger, you can take use it anywhere like on a road trip if you are parent and own one of these, which I think is a great idea. This product is designed for one-to-one interaction, and having one of these at home could really help as a tutor. A potential drawback is that it doesn't give the teachers any feedback on student progress, but you can observe the students' interaction because you don't have to use the earphones. You can also buy the teacher manuals, which might include more ideas for assessment. I feel that this software is most appropriate for students who strugle the most because of the repetition and illustration that this software provides. For classroom usage, I can see another minor drawback of this software. That is the cost because ideally you want to have enough for all your students to use in the classroom. The good news is that this product meets the requirements for federal funding resources. If you would like more information, here is the website.
www.LeapFrogSchoolHouse.com

This is an interesting video that I found in YouTube. It's a song composed of many different languages. If you get a chance, read the comments added to the video. Everyone has an opinion in regards to what language is the best. It's pretty funny.

Quick Share

www.languageguide.org
This website is great for learning not just English but 10 other languages. There are over 20 choices to choose from as your native language and over 10 languages to learn. The wesite provides a pictorial vocabulary guide, which also includes the pronunciation of each word or phrase. The vocabulary is also sorted into different themes, such as animals, jobs, plants, and so on. Depending on the language you are learning, there are also grammar explanations and activities to read and do. Some even include readings at different levels that you can listen to and read at the same time. Overall it is pretty easy to use. I've had my students use this site before, and they love it. They even enjoy learning the vocabulary in the other languages not just in Spanish.

Maroma Hotel from the beach

Maroma Hotel from the beach
Originally uploaded by Opelika Album.

I found some pictures of Playa Maroma! This is where I went on my honeymoon nearly two years ago. It is a private resort near Cancun, Mexico. I can't wait to go back. It is one of the most relaxing and romantic places I have ever been. I guess I should post and share my photos too. I can't wait to go back.

Reading Post #10

I have used the Internet before to get lesson plan ideas, websites for webquests, to create rubrics, and to make worksheets such as puzzles.I have also found some articles of relevance to share with my students, such as why learning a second language is important.Egbert mentions a few interesting websites. I would like to use the "computer-assisted language learning" journal site and the "software reviews" site, since I plan on applying for a grant next year.The "free-esl materials" + teachers website sounds pretty cool too for lesson plan ideas on vocabulary acquisition.In our school we have to now have a working, up-to-date website where we must enter announcements, post assignents, weblinks, and so on.They are really trying to incorporate technology district-wide. Flickr as stated by Richardson can help learners interact, share and learn from each other in creative and interesting ways like capturing the daily lives of a community or a classroom. Classroom projects, student work, pictures of field trips, or presentations can be captured live and posted to share with others.It sounds like a fun idea to use Flickr. We just have to know the details, its potential, risks, check for appropriateness and quality of the content before bringing it into the classroom.

Software Evaluation #2-Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone Language learning Success by Fairfield Language Technologies
This software is designed for beginners, intermediate and advanced level learners. The goal of the program is to teach a second language, over twenty available, in the same manner we learned our first language. That is in context and not through translation. It consists of three units with up to twelve lessons in each.The lessons use real life pictures and videos in written and spoken text.It allows the learner to develop reading, listening, comprehension, writing, and speaking skills. It also has curriculum management and record-keeping capabilities of learner progress. Aside from the test section, the activities allow for the learner to make as many errors through a guided activity where it prompts you the correct answer if you make a mistake. This software is for one-to-one interaction with the computer. It helps the learner achieve his or her personal goal while learning language skills in a naturalistic approach. It also allows the learner to practice pronunciation since the voice activated feature allows them to compare their pronunciation to that of a native speaker. When practicing the writing skills, it looks for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and syntax. It also highlights where the error is made when necessary. The narrative section found in unit 3 is clearly advanced. The stories are longer and you can even read or listen to history or grammar lessons. My favorite thing about this program is that the learning is done through context and that it guides you the correct answer. The photos are good examples too because they are real-life pictures. If I could change something about it, it would be to add a unit of culture, since you can't learn a new language without leaving the cultural perspective out. I also like that the the first unit or beginning level is manageable. I have found that the beginning level in other programs is pretty difficult or advanced for a new learner. I am also wondering if there are any teacher tools available, but I think that overall its a great software to use for ESL or EFL students.

Reading Post # 9

Out of all the limitations, caveats and challenges mentioned with regards to computer assisted language learning, the ones that apply to me the most would have to be time and the legal uses of technology use. I'm very lucky to have access to language labs at least twice a week in my school. This means that I need to or want to plan out or create activities for my students to use those days. I want to provide them with meaningful and interactive activities and of course that takes time. For example to create an interactive worksheet or research different websites to find appropriate ones to use for a webquest. I guess the more I work at it, the better and faster I become in creating such activities. Plus I wish I had access to different software at school. For instance, the ones we are learning to use in this class like Kidspiration. The way to overcome that would probably have to be by applying for a grant. I'll take a shot at it next year. The legal uses of technology use also present a challenge in probably all schools I imagine. We have to monitor the students very carefully and provide them and the parents with the appropriate permission slips as well as rules and regulations in regards to computer and online usage.Student safe use and avoiding palgiarism must also be explained explicitly to our students. In my experience teaching high school students, there are many who still don't understand the importance of this. WE also need to make sure that nothing is damaged in our labs every time we use it. Even though we keep records of the lab conditions evry time we use it, we end up with missing or damaged equipment every year.

Reading Post # 8

Authentic assessment takes place id different contexts, assess both process and outcomes, are spread over time, fit the content and method of what is taught, and it should not be tested out of context. It is very important for the students to know the expectations and be familiar with the manner in which their teacher assesses their work. Computers can be used to perform the assessment for you or the teacher can use the computer to assess the product and process of the student's work. Ideally we want to use both ways as an assessment tool. I've actually only used the computer to create rubrics or to carry out the assessment, where the students print out their score after a grammar exercise or tool. The software that comes with our textbook actually includes a reference section and other resources for the student to use while working on an activity. The reference section is the actual grammar explanation found in the textbook, therefore the students are quite familiar with it. Brain Cogs sound like a pretty good resource for students to develop cognitive strategies and metacognitive skills.Even though you can always implement the 5 cogs mentioned in the classroom with pencil & paper, it would be a fun way for the students to apply these clogs through the usage of a computer. Plus the teacher can also track down the students' progress easier as the students are working on a student-centered project where the students are applying 13 cognitive strategies where they can use graphics, sound, and text. Sounds like a good assessment tool!!

Kidspiration Story Map

This story map will be used to create a podcast for our group activity. The story map should serve as a guide to tell a story about the ESL student's first day of school. The story will be based on a High School block schedule where they would describe their classes, tell what they wore, time, and what they had for lunch. This story map could also serve as a model for the student to create their own story map using Kidspiration.

Reading Post # 7

Egbert mentions two important techniques for designing content instruction that support both language and content learning. These are to teach content in a culturally responsive manner and to adapt materials so that they're appropriate for learners, but do not substitute academic content. As a teacher who follows the district policies and curricultum, it's almost impossible to split language and content learning. All the projects that I assign to my students are content-based. With the use of technology, we can make the content come to life, making it more meaningful. For example I'm planning on giving the students an Internet project, perhaps a Webquest, where they find out what school life is like for students their age in Mexico City and compare it to theirs. The unit is about school life, such as schedules, classes, objects, materials, the culture in general, and so forth. I'm sure I'll find some websites from some schools in Mexico for the students to explore. -Rosario

Reading Post #6

A good activity mentioned in this articles is the one about "researching your comunity", such as the weather, geographical location, physical description, population, time zone, points of interest, and you can add much more. The students can use technology tools such as the Internet, local newscast, and a software program such as Kidzpiration to gather and organize their findings. This would be a great group project. For inquiry and proble solving, the students would pretty much be learning English as they learned their fisrt language. That is by trial and error, making comparisons, making obserbations while using metacogniytive skills. These activities support language learning in so many ways. First of all, they can apply the strategies to every day situations outside the classroom where they make important questions, recognize patterns, reflect, and make conclusions. Podcasting could be used within the inquiry and problem solving process because this multimedia tool allows for recording and publishing their research findings, such as interviews,oral history projects, storytelling,and so much more. This offers the opportunity for students to hear other students' native-like voices all around the world. -Rosario

Reading Post #6

A good activity mentioned in this articles is the one about "researching your comunity", such as the weather, geographical location, physical description, population, time zone, points of interest, and you can add much more. The students can use technology tools such as the Internet, local newscast, and a software program such as Kidzpiration to gather and organize their findings. This would be a great group project. For inquiry and proble solving, the students would pretty much be learning English as they learned their fisrt language. That is by trial and error, making comparisons, making obserbations while using metacogniytive skills. These activities support language learning in so many ways. First of all, they can apply the strategies to every day situations outside the classroom where they make important questions, recognize patterns, reflect, and make conclusions. Podcasting could be used within the inquiry and problem solving process because this multimedia tool allows for recording and publishing their research findings, such as interviews,oral history projects, storytelling,and so much more. This offers the opportunity for students to hear other students' native-like voices all around the world. -Rosario

Software Evaluation #1- TELL ME MORE

TELL ME MORE by Auralog Inc.
This program is designed for beginners, intermediate, and advance learners by offering 4 levels: complete beginner, beginner, intermediate, and intermediate++.It is available in 9 different languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, hinese, Japanese, and Arabic.The software seems very innovative. It comes with a help feature or icon which is very friendly-user.This sofware is designed for one-to-one with the computer. It is interactive, though because it allows you to speak to it by responding to its questions. It also comes with a voice recognition tool, which allows the learner to practice their pronunciation. Each level has 6 different workshops to choose from. These include: vocabulary, culture, oral comprehension, speech recognition, phonetics ,and grammar. Within these workshops, you can find grammar explanations, a glossary, geographical maps, stories, dictations, cartoons, games, and illustrations.Everything is classified by themes, level, and categories. This sofware also comes with an Educational Path feature that allows the teacher to personalize, modify, and set limitations to any lesson. These can be done by individual students or by groups. The teacher is also able to track the students' work and progress because it has its own assessment tool. The main language approach being targeted is the communicative approach by addressing four important language skills: oral, written,expression, and comprehension.I would definitely use this tool as a complement to my lesson plans with ESL learners because it allows for the development of communicative competence and lesson extensions. The cultural workshop is great. It that has very good video clips and good audio files. However there are a few activities that are a little dull or even cultural-biased. The beginner level is also a little advanced in certain activities, but there are so many that you could easily avoid them and still take advantage of this great tool. I would also take advantage of the teacher guide to keep track of the students' performance and create my own lesson or assignment according to individual skill levels. Even though this sounds time-consuming, depending on how much modification is needed to be done, overall its worth giving it a try. -Rosario

Reading Post #5

Output is just as important as input because we want our ESL learners to be able to apply what is being learned in the classroom in different domains outside of school, in the real world. Computers are a great tool in helping us to elicit such output by allowing for creativity and production in many ways. Egbert gives us great ideas on how different projects can be done with the aid of technology. It is also important to give our students choices and allow them to take the initiative and control of their language production. For example, I like to give my students the freedom to choose a topic within limits of course, and I also allow them to use different software. For example, we did a unit on telecommunication and media. We looked at online newspapers in Spanish first, such as El nuevo Heraldo to get ideas and examples first. Their project was to create a headline or a front page of a newspaper or an article. Some of them used Publisher and others used Microsoft Word. All work had to be in Spanish and include illustrations. The work varied in terms of creativity and design, but I was pretty happy with the production. After i'm done with this class, I'm sure I'll be able to assign an even better project that will incorporate more technology. On the next project, I will try to implement the use of Wikis. I ahd no idea what a great tool these can be. I have never used a Wiki before. They too seem to be a great way to expand audience for students. This is important for there collaborationa nd communication of the language. These can also let them realize how many ESL learners there are, for example, if we create a Wiki just for language learning. This way they can write about their experiences and struggles with the language per se.

Reading Post #4

Communication and collaboration are related to one another in that here collaboration is thought of as a process in which learners interact socially to create shared understanding, which is what communication means. This defenition is aligned with TESOL and NETS standards. Students can benefit by interacting socially in many ways, such as by solving, receiving incomprehensible input, transfering info., gaining control of a situation, ans by using language appropriately as well as creatively.Teachers need to allow the students opportunity to successfully and actively interact with each other by assigning group work per se. Group work must be guided and well structured. Computers cannot provide social interaction, but they expand communication. It's important to remember here to develop an assignment based on the goalsof the curriculum and not based on the technology tools. I love the idea of the Reading Circles assignment. I don't remember using technology to learn English when I was in ESL classes. We are so lucky to have such useful tools now to facilitate language learning.

Reading Prompt #3

The pedagogical divide that separates instruction between ELL and affluent learners has to do with the teacher's expectations of the students. There is a tendency for teachers to teach lower level skills to ELL or lower-income learners. I don't understand why. Every learner needs to be taught with the assumption that they potential and ability to learn. The learning style or presentation is what needs to be adjusted accordingly in order for our leraners to achieve the three frameworks described in this chapter, which are engagement, generativity, and control. Just as we are learning in this class, technology is merely a tool to language teaching. It is the same for language learning in the classroom. Egbert explains the different ways in which computers can assist listening and speaking. The most important is that they are able to interact socially and receive input from other peers, I think. They have a wider audience too. Learners can speak around, through, as well as with the computer. Interactivity is the key here.

Reading Prompt # 2

Cummins describes multiliteracies as having skills in conversational fluency, discrete language, as well as academic language proficiency. As teachers we need to make sure that the students are learning beyond reading and writing. They must learn how to apply literacy skills in different domains outside of the school. For this it is important to use authentic materials in the classroom. Egbert is right when he questions what authentic materials are. We need to keep in mind that materials that we use need to be authentic from the learner's point of view. This way the teaching of reading and writing through authentic materials would be successful. One way that we can ensure we are using authentic materials is by simply asking the students what they like to read outside of class. Through a blog, we can post surveys or have the students choose from a list of materials posted by the teacher, or create literature circles. My experience creating a blogger was as I expected it to be. That is, I didn't really have much to add. I need to post some pictures, think about what I want to say on my profile, and links as well. Now I really need to get access to the Internet at home!!!!

Hi

You should probably know that it may take me some time to make additions to this blog, since I'm a first-time blogger. I hope you come back and contribute to this blog from time to time.