Podcasting

                                                                                          

Podcasts can be an extremely effective tool for ESL classrooms.  Specifically, they can be utilized for listening activities.  One particular podcast I came across is ESL Pod.  ESL Pod offers a wide array of podcasts for English language learners.  The podcasts are spoken clearly and slowly, making them helpful for learners at an intermediate level.  I listened to the podcast English Café 322.  The central topic was a discussion about no tuition colleges in the United States.  Most of the topics, like this one, are more advanced subject levels making them geared towards older students and adult learners.  These podcasts could be enhanced if the topic was announced at the beginning instead of 2 minutes into it.  Regardless, they can serve as a excellent teaching tool for listening.     

ePals

 

Epals is an online tool that allows students to find and blog with other students from all over the world.  This learning resource provides a safe way for schools all over the world to connect and develop collaborative projects.  Classrooms can connect with each other by location using a map, or by area of study through searching relevant topics.  Teachers can easily translate text, monitor email, and utilize tutorials and manuals.  Epals incorporates the use of multiple tools such as movie maker, blogger, National Geographic, Google Earth, and email to support project creation.  The interactive games and tutorials look educational and should be considered for the classroom.  Of course, the tool’s ability to connect with students’ peers all over the world would be beneficial in and ESL classroom.  A class could be split into small groups, and each group could vote on a topic of interest to explore.  Each group could then develop their project with students from almost anywhere in the world.  Students can have access to funds of knowledge that are limitless, and acquire knowledge that would be otherwise unattainable.         

Digital Slide with Slideroll

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Slideroll, Animoto, and Stupeflix can all be used to create a digital story.  I used Slideroll as an example of a product that these tools produce.  The story gives a quick preview to some remarkable sights of the west coast that I’ve visited.  While this is a very simple story, one could use much more creativity to make a story.  This could be a great tool in the classroom, especially for ESL classes.  A teacher could utilize this to illustrate specific ideas, and present information and an interesting and engaging manner.  Of course, students could also use this to make their own creative stories relating to a lesson topic.        

Micro-blogging with Twitter

Twitter is a great tool for micro-blogging, and integrating technology in the classroom.  Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, points out a few advantages of twitter for educational purposes.  These include:

• ·         Communicating with parents and others in the community

• ·         Links to student work, live presentations, and relevant articles

• ·         Learning-on-demand for students

Particularly in ESL classrooms, I imagine twitter as a powerful communication tool between parents and teachers.  Communication is not only instant, but parents would have the means to translate the message if they are not speakers of English.  Steve Wheeler also points out further twitter uses in the classroom in his blog, including:

• ·         Notifying students of changes to course material and schedules

• ·         Summing up an article in 140 characters or less

• ·         Discussion boards

• ·         Modern language learning: sending a tweet in a foreign language and asking students to translate or respond in foreign language

• ·         Following a famous person and documenting their progress

Furthermore, I see the greatest benefit of twitter for academic purposes is the potential to engage students in the coursework, as pointed out in the video, Twitter in the classroom.