Podcasting for English!

     These days "podcast" is a very common word, however I did not exactly know what it was until I watched Podcasting in Plain English. I can definitely understand why podcasting would be so incredibly useful not only to those who are learning English but for anyone learning a language. Podcasts are essentially mini lessons/lectures that one can download and listen to whenever they want and repeat it as often as they wish.

     After doing a little bit of podcast "snooping" on the world wide web. I found a short, but useful podcast called "Making Soups and Stews" which teachers could definitely use to help their students meet standards especially Standard-ESL.C.9-12.2 which states, "Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for literary response, enjoyment, and expression."

     The reason this podcast stood out to me than all of the others was because I absolutely love food and I really love cooking. If I were an ESL student this podcast would definitely help me to better my English so that I can use it for both enjoyment and expression.

Learning the Difference Between Count and Non-Count Nouns with Ted ED

Today I created my first TEDEd lesson and used a YouTube video depicting the differences between count and non-count nouns. The lesson creating process was easy to follow and different take hardly any time at all.

The main language learning object of this lesson is to help students understand what count and non-count nouns are as well as what the differences are between these two main categories.

In order to incorporate this lesson into my classroom and evaluate whether or not my student(s) have understood the concept. I would hand out a worksheet with two columns. One would be labeled "Count Nouns" and the other side would be "Non-Count Nouns" I would then give the students a minute and a half to write down as many nouns as they could think of while putting them in the correct columns. I would then write the same two columns on the board and have a basket full of slips of paper with different nouns written on them. One by one students would take a noun from the basket and write it on the board under the column they think it belongs under. 

Why Flip Your Classroom?

   By studying the given topic at home, flipping the classroom gives students more of an opportunity to collaborate with peers in the classroom. This gives students more opportunities to practice their language skills which helps to further the second language acquisition process. Rather than the class time being focused on a teacher delivering a lecture, the time is now more focused on student to student interaction and second language usage. 

     Flipping a classroom is a term I was unaware of until just recently. For those of you who have also not heard of it, according to "Flipping Your EL Classroom: A Primer" written by John Graney, classroom flipping is the idea of having students prepare for a lesson or topic before class rather than being instructed by the teacher in class. This instruction can take place by assigning videos, textbook readings, going through a slideshow, etc. The students then come to class with the material being learned and then practice applying their new knowledge in the classroom with the guidance of the instructor. This gives students who usually struggle on homework the opportunity to work more closely with the teacher in order to better understand the material and the practical application of it. If the instructor finds that students are struggling with a particular skill, a mini lesson or lecture can be given in class and long with a small homework assignment to further cement the students' knowledge of the topic.

     Besides helping students who generally struggle on homework, classroom flipping can be beneficial for ESL students in a few other ways. As mentioned in "Three Reasons to Flip Your Classroom" written by Helaine Marshall, three of the main reasons to flip your classroom include: comprehension, interaction, and critical thinking. With regards to comprehension, This learning method gives ESL students the opportunity to learn at their own pace rather than trying to follow along in a classroom. This in turn would definitely increase their comprehension. Providing students with various mediums to learn also gives them a structure for both new content and language. 

     The last reason mentioned in the article for flipping the classroom involves critical thinking. Once, a student has learned the material, and mastered and applied their new knowledge in class, students are then ready to take one step further and think more critically about what they have learned. By doing so, students can reach their full academic potential and the class can move on to more complex topics. As an end result, ESL students can then focus less on comprehending material in class but rather they can use the material they have learned and mastered at a much higher level of cognition. 

     Considering the multitude of ways that this method can be applied with regards to the distribution of learning materials and the options for classroom interaction and practice, flipping the classroom is a great way to help students learn better, master material, and do so in a more fun, engaging and personal way. This is teaching method that I am very happy to have discovered and will surely be using with my future ESL students!

Gamification and Language Learning

 

  Gamification is the usage of games in non game-like settings or contexts in order to engage students (in this case) in learning. According to "Technology - 'Just' Playing Games? A Look at the Use of Digital Games for Language Learning" there are five main components that make up a successful game. These include: goals, interaction, feedback, context, and motivation. As mentioned in the article, goals are best described as "goal orientation" due to the dynamic, ongoing, and continually negotiated process of task completion. Interaction is a component that can take place in numerous ways. It depends on the type of game, how other game is being used, and the players. Feedback is important so that learners is always aware of his or her abilities. Context according to the article is created and authenticated by both the game narrative and context of play. Motivation is usually considered one of the biggest reasons that digital games are used in the classroom.

     Another way of explaining what makes a game successful is discussed in the article "Sculpting Flow and Fiero" written by Zac Hill. Hill believes that solid game design includes two main factors: flow and fiero. Flow is the concept of "being in the zone." This is when the player is having fun. Fiero on the other hand is described as the feeling one gets when they have conquered or overcome something like a quest or a difficult level.

I think that it is a great idea to use digital language games in the classroom. Not only does it help students to learn, they are able to do so in a fun and motivational way. There are also benefits to using digital games that one may not be able to receive with traditional classroom instruction. According to "Games and Learning"  Games can be highly motivational  and engaging for students. They also have the ability to how that learning can be measured by more than just grades. Using games in the classroom is also an excellent way to build collaborative skills.

In the future, I will definitely use games in my ESL classroom as a way to promote motivational and engaging learning in a fun environment.

#Twitter in the Classroom

     After participating in the #ELLchat on Twitter this past Monday evening, I started thinking about how I would use Twitter in an educational setting. I saw firsthand how it has the ability to help educators from all over the world connect with each other and share ideas, but I wasn't exactly sure how I could use Twitter in a classroom setting with my future students. 

     A Must Have Guide on Using Twitter in Your Classroom is an article that is presented as a list of ideas for Twitter usage in the class except that each idea listed is highlighted and is actually a link to a full article on each particular idea. While I had kicked around a few ideas in my head as to how I could use Twitter, this list goes far beyond what I had thought of. One of the first ideas I had (which was also on the list) was to use Twitter for general class announcements, homework assignments, and office hours. One of the points that were mentioned in the resource category that I plan on doing is to encourage students to follow a foreign language in their news feed. This will allow them to not only follow the news in other countries, it will also help students practice their reading comprehension in the foreign language and to help them learn new vocabulary words. 

In the article Teaching With Twitter written by Lori Stokes, she discusses six ways to use Twitter in the classroom with students. I really enjoyed the second topic she discussed and plan on doing this with students in the future. She talks about using Twitter in real time for questions and feedback during student presentations. I think this is an excellent way to keep students engaged. Often times during a student presentation the audience of students sit there quietly and may seem to be paying attention, but I think often times they are more being talked to rather than being taught or involved with the presentation. Allow students to use Twitter with a hash tag of the name of the presentation allows students to both participate and help the presenter to include additional information or the help questions throughout the presentation.

While there are two or three ways that I will focus on using Twitter in my future classroom, it almost seems like the possibilities are endless!