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USING TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVELY TO TRANSFORM THE EFL CLASSROOM
- Increases student engagement and motivation: the first, and perhaps most obvious perk, is that technology can dramatically – and oftentimes instantly – increase student engagement. Today’s learners are functioning in an age where technology drives almost every aspect of their lives. Technology is exciting, fascinating and ever-evolving, and when used thoughtfully, it can transform even the most mundane lesson into one that is powerful and thought-provoking. For English language learners, increasing motivation is especially significant. Teachers of ELLs understand the major role that motivation plays in the success of language acquisition and are continuously seeking ways to increase student engagement and excitement. Technology is one great way to motivate learners while simultaneously offering a host of other benefits. - Offers mobility: technology is in education as mobility to technology. As consumers, it isn’t enough to have access to unlimited information, entertainment and communication tools if we are limited to where we can access these tools. The idea of on-the-go access can be a great thing for ELLs, especially considering that for most EFL students, the most authentic experiences with the language often happens outside of the classroom. Additionally, this focus on mobility has eliminated the rule of course materials being confined to a textbook and/or classroom. Now, teachers can incorporate tools into their lessons that allow materials to be accessed on smartphones, laptops and tablets. Alerts, notifications and online communication tools keep students thinking about the material long after class if over. - Teaches students valuable tools for the future: it is clear that technology age has not only arrived, but it’s here to stay. In the future, the most basic tasks will require a high-level of technological skill. With that understanding, it is important to make sure that our students are well-versed in technological tools, skills and language. The best way to make sure that students can keep up with the fast-paced advancements in technology is to give them continual experiences with the tools and programs available today. After all, the goal of teaching EFL is to give students what they need to function in a global environment by teaching a global language. With that goal in mind, it is also important to consider that besides actually learning the English language, one of most important prerequisites to success in an English-speaking workplace or learning environment is the ability to navigate technology efficiently. - Can be a time saver for teachers: when advantages of incorporating technology in the classroom are examined, the advantages for educators are often overlooked or undermined. However, technological tools for teachers is a hot market all by itself and for good reason. Technology can be a huge time saver for teachers and can make some of the most difficult tasks quick and easy. So, instead of viewing technology integration as one more thing to add to your fast-growing to-do list, look at it as a beneficial tool. Make the technology work for you! - Promotes learner independence: one of the greatest benefits of technology integration in education is the ability it offers for independent learning. Although technology can and does not replace an effective teacher, it does give students access to some of the supports that a teacher would provide. - Provides students access to target culture: when learning a language, experience with the target culture helps to develop context and makes learning the language more meaningful. Thanks to technology, students can benefit from experiences to which they otherwise may not have access. Whether they are visiting social media sites, reading or listening to the news or participating in online discussions, these experiences are rich and meaningful. Here I would like to highlight useful technology tools for the EFL classroom which help to get started with – or to further – teacher’s technology integration; here is a selection of valuable and convenient tools to use in EFL classroom. Learn Mode lets to keep track of the progress that individual students, and class as a whole, are making with each video and its unique set of vocabulary and grammar. Story bird is another cool app that allows students to build stories using pictures and images. What an enjoyable way to motivate students of all ages to practice their reading and writing skills! Star tracker is a content area EFL teachers can look for tools that promote excitement about concepts and topics. Startracker is an augmented reality app that allows students to see what planets or constellations are visible from their homes. It’s an exciting app, even for non-educators! News ELA is a fantastic tool to increase reading comprehension with current events. Each article is available in five different levels, so your entire class can read the same content, but at a level that’s best for each individual. News in Levels is designed specifically for English learners, and it includes relevant videos with each article. It is also great in that readers can comment via Facebook on the articles for some insightful dialogue. Digital Textbooks and e-Readers are almost always less expensive than traditional textbooks, and since they can be accessed on smartphones, they are amazingly mobile. Many digital textbooks have built-in features that allow students to digitally interact with the text, find out more information about a topic, or even virtually explore key places. Kindle Reader is a popular e-Reader that allows readers to highlight a particular word, hear it pronounced and see/hear a definition. These features give learners a great deal of independence and allow them to access texts about their interests, texts that could be above their reading level. Presentation Tools at some point during course to give students the opportunity to practice age-appropriate skills in editing, word-processing and internet research. Prezi- older students can be given the opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned through Powerpoint or Prezi presentations. Prezi is an easy-to-use tool that creates stunning and engaging presentations. Windows Movie Maker - students could also make and upload videos using a camera or movie-making software like Windows Movie Maker. Edmodo-looking for a way to stay connected with students. Edmodo allows teachers and students to easily share files, links and media, and allows for seamless two-way communication. Engrade -tools like Engrade transform traditional paper gradebooks and offer a host of features that would not be possible with your traditional gradebook. Virtual Field Trips are both fun and informative, and many provide such an interactive experience that students get the feeling of actually being present. Despite all its benefits, technology can be misused – even in the educational arena. However, as educators, we shouldn’t limit our students’ experiences simply due to this fear. Rather than avoid technology integration, there are actions we can take up front to equip our students with the tools they need to be both productive and responsible. One place to start is by reviewing your responsible use policy in detail with your students. If you have a school-wide policy, feel free to include any additional guidelines that you deem fit, and make them a part of your classroom policy. Talk as much as possible about why it is important to use technology responsibly and discuss some potential repercussions for failing to do so. If you teach minors, be sure to provide parents and students a copy of the policy in their native language, and don’t forget to have them sign a responsible use agreement that signifies their understanding and agreement to the terms. It’s also wise to let parents know about at-home assignments that will require technology use, and share ideas and tips on ways they can monitor their children. One of the biggest reported barriers to technology integration is a lack of resources within the school or among the students. Although this can greatly limit what tools and activities you can incorporate in your class, it certainly doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. You can have a tech lending library where students can check out materials and return them daily, or you can direct students to the school or community technology center. There are also several organizations that provide technology resources free or at low cost to educators and educational institutions. You can also focus on integration activities that don’t require devices for every student. For instance, online manipulatives like these can be accessed on a single laptop, and a simple projector makes the laptop screen viewable by the entire class! The key to successful technology integration in EFL class is to first understand how it will benefit for students, and to then find resources that support learning. Just adopting a few ideas or instructional practices at a time can go a long way. There’s no doubt about it, when done correctly, technology can certainly work for you and your students, enrich learning and make your life much easier in the process! Bibliography 1. S. Bax, The effective use of technology in language education, 2011. 2. C.K. Cheung, R.E. Slavin., How features of educational technology, 2012. 3. Applications affect student reading outcomes: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review 7/3: 198 –215. 4. R. Kern, and M. Warschauer, Network-based language teaching: concepts and practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. | |
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