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