Looking back at my own education, it is sometimes difficult for me to remember that technology was not always a part of it. I still remember the first time a computer appeared in my classroom. I was in fifth grade, and this strange and giant device took up an entire corner of our classroom. Whenever our teacher was setting up our activities for the day, we all held our breath, hoping that she would hand us the coveted "Oregon Trail" floppy disc, allowing us to type the .exe command into DOS. Now, I take for granted the level of tech skills my students possess as they effortlessly switch between Google apps, juggling a dozen websites during research on their individual iPads. I am only in my sixth year of teaching, and new technology has already drastically altered the way I teach at least a half-dozen times. Who knows what the tech-ed component will look like when it is time for my retirement?
Two different articles sparked this trip down
memory lane. In his article, "How Does the Introduction of Technology Affect Children's Education?", Benjamin Jesse cautions that the use of technology in the classroom should not be considered a way to revolutionize education, in itself. Technology, Jesse asserts, "should be used to ‘compliment existing teaching methods’ and can ‘enhance but not replace’ them" (2018, para. 6). Using technology in the classroom should enhance the current curriculum in ways that would be impossible to do without it. More importantly, "it is essential to learning that children are taught the ways in which
technology aids us with modern life, while also being capable of
understanding how and why it works" (Jesse, 2018, para. 7). Thinking back to the technology in my own classrooms growing up, I was fortunate enough to own a laptop at home. I was able to explore DOS, and even experimented with some programming of my own. This would have been an excellent use for the technology in my middle school and high school classrooms, as my classmates and I would have seen these devices as more than just tickets to the Oregon Trail. We would have understood how they functioned, how to command them, and how to create. Who knows how many computer programmers could have come from central Maine, if only our educators had taken the technology use in our classroom a few steps farther?
This thinking tied directly to Nacho de Marco's article, "The Growing Role of Latin America in the Technology Industry." de Marco points out that Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, while once considered too dangerous or underdeveloped for corporate investment, are now seeing a boom in the computer service field. "Through
government initiatives, private investments and the drive of local
citizens, these countries got involved in the technology race and now
produce IT talent that matches the level of those in first-world
countries" (de Marco, 2018, para. 3). These governments recognized an opportunity in computer programming and service, and their citizens are benefiting because of it. If we use technology in our ELL classrooms as more than simply translation tools or for paperless essays, we will be teaching them more than English language skills. If we teach our students skills like programming and innovation, we will be giving them lifelong skills that will provide them with tools to compete and be successful in a rapidly growing and evolving technological world.
Monday, November 5, 2018
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Ed-Tech needs to be more than "For Profit"
This week's offering of Google Alert articles made me see educational technology in a new light: it is very important that we, as educators, do not forget that private companies make a lot of money through the educational system, and the technological field is no exception. While technology can be an excellent tool that will enrich a classroom environment when used appropriately, we must always acknowledge that the companies advertising these new developments and proclaiming their benefits may have a profit in mind. While many companies do want the best for students, they are also concerned with the bottom line. This adds a new layer to the evaluation of new technology for the classroom setting, and it something that educators and administrators should keep in mind.
Jacob Wolinsky, the creator of the hedge-fund and investing website, ValueWalk.com, has a lot of faith in the future profits from the educational technology field. In his article, The Future of Education Technology, Wolinsky (2018) states, "In June 2018, education technology investors enjoyed a record-breaking $9.5 billion in returns. This was a 30-percent spike compared to the previous year, a testament to growth in the field" (para. 3). It is clear that there is a lot of money to be made in the field of educational technology. Based on the fact that thirty million primary and secondary school students use Google Education apps, Wolinsky posits that there will be $93.76 billion dollars in the global ed-tech market by 2020. This illustrates how much money can be made in this field, and in my mind, it shows that educators who make decisions about technology should be even more diligent in their evaluations of which tech to implement.
I believe that one consideration educators should make when evaluating technology for use in a classroom is the intention of the creator. Leah Skerry and Julia Dexter created an educational application called Squiggle Park, which is described in the article Canadian ed-tech startup Squiggle Park improves literacy through play. Skerry and Dexter initially had the idea to develop the game in order to promote literacy in Canadian pre-kindergarten to grade 2 students. The developers had no idea that their game would become globally popular; "Students as far as Oman, China, India, Vietnam, Brazil and soon Barbados use it to improve their English reading" (2018, para. 5). The game took on new life when it was shown to assist students of all ages and nationalities with their English acquisition. This is clearly an example of technology that was designed to assist students, and that would be beneficial in an ELL classroom. While the creators of Squiggle Park are showing an excellent financial return on their creation, their primary goal in its creation was to educate. It is vital that educators evaluate technological developments with our students in mind, while also remembering that this may not have been the focus of some of the creators. There are many educators out there creating new technologies and using them in innovative ways with the main goal of helping students, and those selecting what types of technology to implement in the classroom setting should mirror this goal.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Technology: The Ultimate Educational Fix?
This week, my Google alerts sent me another substantial set of articles related to technology and teaching English as a second language. Two of the articles stood out to me, both opinion pieces, both about technology. One blog, entitled "Innovation Week a good model for education-technology integration" was written by Patrick Tchakounte, a junior at Texas State University. The other, entitled "Why Technology Won't Fix Education" was written by Matthew Glotzbach, a former Google employee who is now serving as the CEO for Quizlet, an educational technology company. These articles made me carefully consider the role that technology is already playing in our classrooms, and what role it will continue to evolve into in the future.
Tchakounte (2018) makes some excellent points about the importance of technological integration, particularly at the university level. When I read his statements about technology building communities, I immediately thought out our ESL students and their families. "Technology can help build a community...Technology can help contribute to improving social relations around the community by increasing connectivity and creating a sense of purpose. The contribution of technology to humanity is revolutionary and forms an ecological atmosphere that assists in reducing cultural barriers and fostering social cooperation" (para. 2). When used appropriately, technology can be an excellent way to include families, make students feel a part of a larger school community, and assist ESL students and families by ensuring that they are included as much as they desire.
Glotzbach (2018) tempers his excitement for technology integration into education with the understanding that educators are still a vital resource. "Edtech should, and does, enhance traditional classroom teaching...Investing in technological innovation is great, but we need to similarly invest in human capital—educators in schools. Without focusing on supporting teachers on the front lines in the classroom every day, it doesn’t matter how many billions are invested in edtech. The learning environment won’t succeed. People have to come first" (para. 13). It can certainly not be said that Glotzbach is against technology integration; after working for Google for twelve years, he moved on to serve as the CEO for Quizlet, a company that incorporates technology into the classroom in innovative ways. The points that Glotzbach are making are key to proper technology integration; our focus must always be on the people. The educators must be trained and confident, and the choices we make in our ESL classrooms for technology use must be planned and beneficial for our students. Technology has the power to revolution the classroom setting, but only if it is implemented in an innovating, beneficial way.
Tchakounte (2018) makes some excellent points about the importance of technological integration, particularly at the university level. When I read his statements about technology building communities, I immediately thought out our ESL students and their families. "Technology can help build a community...Technology can help contribute to improving social relations around the community by increasing connectivity and creating a sense of purpose. The contribution of technology to humanity is revolutionary and forms an ecological atmosphere that assists in reducing cultural barriers and fostering social cooperation" (para. 2). When used appropriately, technology can be an excellent way to include families, make students feel a part of a larger school community, and assist ESL students and families by ensuring that they are included as much as they desire.
Glotzbach (2018) tempers his excitement for technology integration into education with the understanding that educators are still a vital resource. "Edtech should, and does, enhance traditional classroom teaching...Investing in technological innovation is great, but we need to similarly invest in human capital—educators in schools. Without focusing on supporting teachers on the front lines in the classroom every day, it doesn’t matter how many billions are invested in edtech. The learning environment won’t succeed. People have to come first" (para. 13). It can certainly not be said that Glotzbach is against technology integration; after working for Google for twelve years, he moved on to serve as the CEO for Quizlet, a company that incorporates technology into the classroom in innovative ways. The points that Glotzbach are making are key to proper technology integration; our focus must always be on the people. The educators must be trained and confident, and the choices we make in our ESL classrooms for technology use must be planned and beneficial for our students. Technology has the power to revolution the classroom setting, but only if it is implemented in an innovating, beneficial way.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Technology as Translators
As my Google alerts continue to send me articles, and I continue to refine my search criteria (for some reason I keep getting articles about Sears going bankrupt...), I am finding a wealth of relevant material.
This week I came across two articles that deal with using various technology and applications as translating tools so that students learning English as a second language (ELL) can be understood in the general educational setting.
The company Verizon has a program entitled "Dare to Dream," in which they provide technology to students in their Verizon Innovative Learning (VIL) schools. This technology allows students to communicate with their peers, and includes translation and learning apps such as iTranslate, Google Translate, FluentU and Duolingo. I feel that each of these applications are worth looking into, and that they can be a valuable resource in the classroom, when used appropriately. Like any tool in education, it should be fully understood and concisely implemented. The article goes on to tell a number of stories of students using technology in a way to communicate about their incredible classroom projects, reasoning, and problem solving. (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/atrevete-sonar-or-dare-dream)
A second article that I was alerted to this week, entitled "Language learners use Chromebooks to write, speak, hear themselves and others," tells about a school district that received a grant to purchase Chromebooks for use in their foreign language and ELL classrooms. The Chromebooks come with a variety of applications, saving work directly to the cloud. While none of the applications listed in the article (Google Classroom, TextHelp, and Twisted Wave) are direct translators, each can be utilized with translating programs in order to provide students with a more efficient way to communicate in the language they are learning. (https://rochellenews-leader.com/article/language-learners-use-chromebooks-to-write-speak-hear-themselves-and-others)
When considering technological translators, we must be aware of what we are using. I feel that it is important to point out that, while translating applications can be useful in the classroom, they also come with some drawbacks. Because different languages have different grammatical rules, translation can often be unclear and confusing, particularly for younger students. Figurative language can also be incredibly difficult to understand, even when translated perfectly. Idioms for example, have deep cultural context that may be difficult to translate or understand for a second language learner. Translation tools can be useful, but they need to be carefully implemented with these drawbacks taken into consideration.
This week I came across two articles that deal with using various technology and applications as translating tools so that students learning English as a second language (ELL) can be understood in the general educational setting.
The company Verizon has a program entitled "Dare to Dream," in which they provide technology to students in their Verizon Innovative Learning (VIL) schools. This technology allows students to communicate with their peers, and includes translation and learning apps such as iTranslate, Google Translate, FluentU and Duolingo. I feel that each of these applications are worth looking into, and that they can be a valuable resource in the classroom, when used appropriately. Like any tool in education, it should be fully understood and concisely implemented. The article goes on to tell a number of stories of students using technology in a way to communicate about their incredible classroom projects, reasoning, and problem solving. (https://www.verizon.com/about/news/atrevete-sonar-or-dare-dream)
A second article that I was alerted to this week, entitled "Language learners use Chromebooks to write, speak, hear themselves and others," tells about a school district that received a grant to purchase Chromebooks for use in their foreign language and ELL classrooms. The Chromebooks come with a variety of applications, saving work directly to the cloud. While none of the applications listed in the article (Google Classroom, TextHelp, and Twisted Wave) are direct translators, each can be utilized with translating programs in order to provide students with a more efficient way to communicate in the language they are learning. (https://rochellenews-leader.com/article/language-learners-use-chromebooks-to-write-speak-hear-themselves-and-others)
When considering technological translators, we must be aware of what we are using. I feel that it is important to point out that, while translating applications can be useful in the classroom, they also come with some drawbacks. Because different languages have different grammatical rules, translation can often be unclear and confusing, particularly for younger students. Figurative language can also be incredibly difficult to understand, even when translated perfectly. Idioms for example, have deep cultural context that may be difficult to translate or understand for a second language learner. Translation tools can be useful, but they need to be carefully implemented with these drawbacks taken into consideration.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Technology in Education...There are Still Some "Holdouts"
As I continue through my Master's Course, I am constantly finding new and innovative ways to streamline instruction, practice, and assessment using technology. For instance, this week, I learned about the term wreading, which is the clear interaction between reading and writing that strengthens each skill. While I learned about this term as is applies to blogging, wreading can be applied to any number of technological applications. Technology, when planned for and implemented in a strong way, can truly impact our students' learning in a positive way. When students respond to what they read in a written format, they are strengthening both skills.
Not everyone agrees with my feelings about technology.
In higher ed, tech's now a 'must-have,' not a 'nice-to-have'," the educational company Pearson (2010) argues that technology is becoming more and more vital in a classroom setting. Pearson points to results from multiple studies that indicate it is important that education does not ignore the role that technology plays in our students' everyday lives. While Pearson is a company that has motives for making these statements, their assertions are backed with research and data. I agree with their claims; if we ignore technology in our classrooms, we are ignoring a vast number of ways to enrich, intensify, and support our students as they learn.
Not everyone agrees with my feelings about technology.
In higher ed, tech's now a 'must-have,' not a 'nice-to-have'," the educational company Pearson (2010) argues that technology is becoming more and more vital in a classroom setting. Pearson points to results from multiple studies that indicate it is important that education does not ignore the role that technology plays in our students' everyday lives. While Pearson is a company that has motives for making these statements, their assertions are backed with research and data. I agree with their claims; if we ignore technology in our classrooms, we are ignoring a vast number of ways to enrich, intensify, and support our students as they learn.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Hello! My name is Shawn Foster, and I am a graduate student working toward my Master's Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). I am a fourth grade teacher, and I have found that my training in TESOL is providing a wealth of useful tools and strategies for working with all of my students, both native English speakers and my English Learners (ELs).
For this ongoing project, I set up a number of various Google alerts that included different elements of TESOL instruction, technology, and second language acquisition. I have been getting a large volume of results, and I plan on sorting them into my LiveBinder site so that they will be organized and readily available. I have found that I had to refine some of my Google alerts: for instance, "ESL" tagged an article on "Electronic Shelf Label." I am very excited about the new technology we will be exploring, but there will certainly be a learning curve!
One article that struck me this week was an opinion piece written by Shannon Butler entitled "Connecting Families and Schools is Key to Academic Success" (https://www.ocala.com/opinion/20180930/shannon-butler-connecting-families-and-schools-is-key-to-academic-success). While the article covered education as a whole, Shannon mentioned an outreach program that works to provide bilingual communication to families of ELs. The article stood out to me because I started to realize how perfect many of the applications and programs we are exploring can be for connecting school and home. The benefits for parent involvement are numerous, and if we can find ways to engage the families of our ELs in their learning, it will provide the teachers with more information on their students, support for student learning, and additional opportunities for practice of L2 skills. While technology can have a great impact within the walls of the classroom, it is also important to remember that it can be used an efficient and highly effective outreach as well.
For this ongoing project, I set up a number of various Google alerts that included different elements of TESOL instruction, technology, and second language acquisition. I have been getting a large volume of results, and I plan on sorting them into my LiveBinder site so that they will be organized and readily available. I have found that I had to refine some of my Google alerts: for instance, "ESL" tagged an article on "Electronic Shelf Label." I am very excited about the new technology we will be exploring, but there will certainly be a learning curve!
One article that struck me this week was an opinion piece written by Shannon Butler entitled "Connecting Families and Schools is Key to Academic Success" (https://www.ocala.com/opinion/20180930/shannon-butler-connecting-families-and-schools-is-key-to-academic-success). While the article covered education as a whole, Shannon mentioned an outreach program that works to provide bilingual communication to families of ELs. The article stood out to me because I started to realize how perfect many of the applications and programs we are exploring can be for connecting school and home. The benefits for parent involvement are numerous, and if we can find ways to engage the families of our ELs in their learning, it will provide the teachers with more information on their students, support for student learning, and additional opportunities for practice of L2 skills. While technology can have a great impact within the walls of the classroom, it is also important to remember that it can be used an efficient and highly effective outreach as well.
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