Running head: TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Technology that Empowers English Language Learners

Esmeralda M. Collazo

EDUC 5333 Todays Classroom Technology

Professor Dr. Kristy Duckworth

East Texas Baptist University

July 4, 2017

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TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Introduction
Technology has become a crucial part of our daily lives. It is one of our most important

means of communication, how we produce most of our work, and the way we collaborate with

external parties. Many of us would even say that more than a luxury it is a necessity. Technology

has become imbedded in many schools throughout the United States, and the benefits of using it

as a learning tool are great for all, but my focus in this article is technology that aids English

Language Learners and the benefits it has for them.

Time is of the essence for ELLs, they must learn a new language while simultaneously

learning new content (Ramirez, 2010). Simultaneous with the shift to content-based language

instruction, the role of reading in the English language classroom has shifted from learning to

read and learning the English language through reading to reading to learn content from the first

day the ELL steps into the classroom (Rance-Roney, 2010, p. 388). They cant just learn basic

intrapersonal communicative skills they must also develop their cognitive academic language

proficiency which research states takes between five to seven years to acquire (Ramirez, 2010).

Thankfully, with the use of technology we can ensure that they acquire English as well as

a maximize learning for our students beyond the school day. By providing students

opportunities through technology to actively engage in the manipulation of relationships using

the target vocabulary, the breadth and depth of understanding may be improved (Rivas, 2012, p.

87). We will explore many technological tools available to help assist ELLs and allow them to be

successful academically.

Web 2.0 and English Language Learners

According to Google, Web 2.0 is defined as the second stage of development of the

World Wide Web, characterized especially by the change from static web pages to dynamic or

user-generated content and the growth of social media. This basically means that the web went
TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

from being a tool to access information to an instrument to create and share those creations with

others. These Web 2.0 tools not only have the potential to revolutionize our classrooms, they

have particularly valuable uses in the teaching of English language learners (Ramirez, 2010).

The underlying question is how can Web 2.0 support our ELLs? Since the majority of students

can access the web from almost anywhere, they have extra opportunities to do meaningful

language task (Ramirez, 2010). Web 2.0 offers them the opportunity to be somewhat

anonymous. They are able to express themselves on platforms where they may feel it is safe to

practice English and since the tools on here are editable, they can make mistakes and fix them.

Another pro is that the students become creators and are able to work at the higher levels of

Blooms, creating, developing and sharing to actually publish. Basically, they are not only

working on attaining the language, they are also working on the content. It is in this way that

they are active learners, negotiating meaning and creating media for a worldwide audience

(Ramirez, 2010).

Web 2.0 is very expansive and there are many programs and applications in it to use

when helping English Language Learners both with their BICS and CALP. Programs that we

might already be familiar with and are great tools in helping ELLs be successful both in the ESL

classroom as well as the main stream classroom are digital stories, social-networking tools, and

programs that allow them collaborate in virtual spaces.

Social networking tools can be used to accelerate the language acquisition process

(Ramirez, 2010). In these online spaces, ELLs are provided with platforms that provide them

with authentic listening resources that can help them to better understand the content they are

studying. These platform are especially useful for the construction and distribution of the content

they create. They are also great for assessment according to the Article Interactive Technology
TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Strategies, For the ELL student challenged by oral language proficiency, the opportunity to

demonstrate understanding and content mastery in a novel format provides a new avenue for

authentic assessment (Rivas, 2012, p. 86). In these platforms, ELLs feel less apprehensive

because they can rerecord and edit their work prior to sharing it. They can collaborate with

others and seek assistance when needed. Commonly used social networking tools are twitter,

Facebook, and podcast. Podcast can help ELLs better understand the subject they are studying

because they are authentic listening resources. According to Lori Langer de Ramirez, a podcast

is like a radio show on your computer. It can consist of one episode or a series of shows

connected by a common theme (2010). ELLs can learn at their own pace and in the privacy of

their home. They can even create their own podcast which allows them to practice their English

speaking skills. Facebook and Twitter also allow them a platform to collaborate, share ideas, and

interests. However, these forms of social networking due require internet accessibility and a

device such as an iPad. Without these, the student will not be able to access the podcast after

school. Other downfalls of using these is that others can be rude when commenting and feelings

can be hurt.

Another great form of technology that not only helps with listening and speaking but also

with reading and writing is digital storytelling. Digital storytelling is the practice of using

computer-based tools to tell stories (Robin, 2016, para 1). It enables ELLs with the support to

understand the cultural background, literacy skill, and language development needed to access

challenging academic text (Rance-Roney, 2010, p. 386). This type of Web 2.0 scaffolds

learning for the view, enhances the viewers schema and can be used to simply preview

vocabulary. Voice Thread is a great application that makes digital storytelling easier. A

limitation to using this form of media is that it requires the user to have some computer skills.
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Users will need to upload images, transfer electronic data files, and so forth to create their stories

and it might not be as simple to explain to an English Language Learner.

A collaboration cloud based tool that I recently learned about in a webinar is the Span

System. The Span system is a cloud-based software that enables you to use the devices you

already have and work collaboratively with others, create your own masterpieces, and/or provide

a visual panorama (Rodrigues, 2017). If you already have digital devices in your classroom you

can use the systems with those. However, an amazing feature you could use if your school is

willing to provide it for you is their interactive display. It offers a wide working space and as

many as 40 simultaneous touch points. Students can work on this interactive wall or on their own

devices, all at the same time. The presenter of the webinar, Della Rodriguez mentioned the

following. The Span system is a visual feast. It provides a panorama of problems, pictures,

drawings, websites and sticky notes, all at the same time (Rodriguez, 2017). This system allows

teachers to individualize instruction for each student and assign specific task to each, which is

great for ELL students.

As great as these forms of technology are to help English Language Learners be

successful, the reality is that many classrooms are still unable to use them. Many teachers who

are not tech savvy are apprehensive to allow students to use them in the classroom or just dont

know how to integrate them in the curriculum. Another downside is that many schools do not

offer one to one technology in their classroom or only have a limited number of devices available

in the classroom. Many students do not have the technology to continue fine tuning their learning

outside of the school day.

TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Conclusion

Every teacher can use these tools to better help all their students be successful. Every

teacher, not just the ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) teacher, must be a teacher of

language (Rance-Roney, 2010, p. 388). We must learn more about these platforms and obtain

the necessary media literacy to integrate technology into our curriculum. The ELL students

need visuals presented in a variety of contexts through diverse means to increase their visual

literacy, which will further encourage their connection with the content (Rivas, 2012). We want

to inspire them to be lifelong learners and provide them the tools and opportunities necessary to

do so.
TECHNOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

References

Campbell, L., & Rivas, B. (2012). Methods & Strategies: Interactive Technology Strategies.

Science and Children, 50(3), 82-87. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43176290

Langer de Ramirez, L. (2010). Empower English Language Learners With Tools From the Web.

Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin.

Rance-Roney, J. (2010). Jump-Starting Language and Schema for English-Language Learners:

Teacher-Composed Digital Jumpstarts for Academic Reading. Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy, 53(5), 386-395. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25614572

Robin, B. (2016). About Digital Storytelling. (University of Houston College of Education)

Retrieved from Educational uses of Digital Storytelling: Retrieved from

http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/page.cfm?id=27&cid=27

Smythe, S., & Neufeld, P. (2010). "Podcast Time": Negotiating Digital Literacies and

Communities of Learning in a Middle Years ELL Classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy, 53(6), 488-496. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25614593