Little Tech for Big Results

Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto@barbsaka

Tech tools should enhance language lessons…

…not be the main course.

A little bit of tech can:

expand classroom boundariesextend

create

connect

reinforcedeepen

contact time with English

performance & publication opportunities

students with the world

language practiceunderstanding

Expand a lesson beyond classroom boundaries

Page from Let’s Begin (OUP)

Learn and practice in low tech ways, too.

Make an alphabet word book.

Voicethread.com

Ask for help

Connect students with the world

Build on the basic language in a lesson

Page from Let’s Go 1 (OUP)

Start with low tech practice to build accuracy & fluency

Tools like Jing can help you get more mileage from worksheet art

www.wordle.net

Paste results from a class survey into Wordle to create a word cloud

Frequency determines the size of words

Extend the amount of contact time with English and personalize the language.

Create something that can be shared with family and friends.

glogster.com

Use the Internet to find resources for lessons.

www.morguefile.com

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Cut the sections apart to encourage expansion.

1

2

3

4

Add one additional sentence to each section.

Transfer pictures and text to slides and add narration to create a digital picture book

A little tech can deepen understanding of language

Students choose five objects and build a mystery story incorporating them.

1st lesson:AnswerWho?What?Where?When?How?

Focus on meaning and organization first (save grammar & spelling for last)

Organize the story into beginning, middle and end, and expand with details as necessary.

Finally, focus on the grammar and spelling.

After a LOT of writing and working with a story … the reward!

toondoo.com

Listening becomes a model to personalize a conversation

Xtranormal characters say EXACTLY what students type

www.xtranormal.comDownload “State” version to work in classes

without an Internet connection.

It’s easy to practice introductions, but it’s hard to find a “real” context with a class of students who already know

each other.

Self introductions as performance

For a copy of this presentation, and links to the online tools and projects, go to:

http://teachingvillage.wikispaces.com/