ELL EdTech PD Resources

After school yesterday at NU I ran a PD session on resources to help with teaching ELL populations. It was a good group of educators from different departments all looking to increasing their toolkit. As I will do with all of my PD sessions I passed along and previewed some tools and resources you can use in the classroom. Below are my materials from the session. I'll be offering the session again in the future as well as others in different areas. For now, poke around the Slidedeck and see if there is anything of interest to you.  If you have any questions, about the technology or want some help in incorporating it into your curriculum, feel free to contact me.

Don't forget to sign up for future PD sessions with me!! Google for Beginners and Formative Assessments this month at both NU & BR! Check out the calendar under the "EdTech Professional Development" tab above. 

Upcoming PD Offerings Through November!

You can always check the EdTech Professional Development Calendar on this site by clicking the tab up top. I update it weekly (these days)

Upcoming EdTech Playgrounds!!
Come join us for what some people are calling "the most amazing experience of my adult life..." Ok, I may have paid some to say that, but it's a Playground people!! Time to play!!

Wednesday 10/26 @NU 4pm Library Conference Room - Sign Up Here

Wednesday 11/2​ @ BR 4pm Career Center - Sign Up Here

ELL EdTech Resources
This will be a traditional PD Session where I will present EdTech resources to assist you in differentiating instruction for ELL populations. The resources I cover is also beneficial for other populations outside of just ELLs. There will be time embedded in the session for you to explore some or all of the products discussed. All are welcome to attend whether you have ELLs or not.

Wednesday 11/9 @ NU 4pm Venue TBD - Sign Up Here

Google For Beginners
This will be a traditional PD Session where I will present tips and tricks on a number of G Suite Apps (Docs, Slides, Forms, Drawing). There will be time in the sessions for you to develop products and explore the features covered. All skill levels welcomed.

Monday 11/14 @ NU 4pm Venue TBD - Sign Up Here

Wednesday 11/16 @ BR 4pm Venue TBD - Sign Up Here

Formative Assessments
This will be a traditional PD Session where I will present EDTech answers to assessing your students. Shoot some life into your assessments so you can get an authentic understanding where your students are in their development! There will be time in the session for you to build your own assessment to administer the next day if need be! All skill levels are welcome.

Monday 11/21 @ NU 4pm Venue TBD - Sign Up Here

Wednesday 11/30 @ BR 4pm Venue TBD - Sign Up Here

ELLs Needs: How EdTech Can Help

When I was in the classroom teaching Psychology, it wouldn't be uncommon weeks into the year to receive a new student in my class. These wouldn't be transfers from other classes. Those would typically take place around the first few days of school. These would be new students to the school. Foreign exchange students from Germany, Japan, Spain, China, Holland, France or anywhere else some lucky soul came from when they made the decision to get educated for a year in California. Often times these students had a basic skill set in the English language but it was always a challenge.  Especially since understanding Psychology is very difficult. We don't have as many ELLs in our area as other geographic locations in California, however we have a fair share. And their needs are very specific and need to be met if we are fulfilling our obligation of educating and preparing all students. But...its a challenge. One I found I struggled with often in my time in the classroom.

Below is a short clip to a 12-minute, short film called Immersion, from the WIDA Consortium that fictionalizes the struggles ELL learners face in the classroom. It captures very vividly the obstacles ELL students face in the classroom. But one thing that stuck out to me was the child in the clip had desire, drive, and thirst for participation in the lesson and success on a test to be taken in the future.

Although fictionalized, it's a good visual representation of how challenging the classroom can be for ELL students. It also demonstrates the need to differentiate instruction for our ELL populations.

Here is where EdTech can help....Below are some Web-based applications you can utilize in your curriculum to bridge this divide with our students. Now there are a ton of other products out there, and a lot of them can help with struggling learners...not just ELLs. Take a look and see what works for you! And if you use something that may be helpful to others, let me know and I'll spread the love!

What You Already Have:
Google Translate: Students can translate text ans whole web pages in their native language. Android and iOS apps too that allow you to use your camera to translate words in physical space (i.e. Stop sign), speak your native language to get the audio translation, and translate any app the student has; you could also ask the student to type up an assignment in their native language and use Google Translate to understand their ideas

YouTube: With their webcam, students can record (in Live Streaming Mode) their ideas, thoughts, processes, and practice their English language skills without the self-consciousness that comes with speaking in front of the classroom

Speech to Text in Docs: Great way to have students practice their English speaking skills without having to spend too long searching the proper way to spell

Extensions:
Read&Write for Google Docs & the Web- Great for ELL, students with dyslexia, and other learning needs; students can have words read aloud, see the meaning of them with text and images, get summaries of text on the website itself, annotation tools....this extension is a must-have
SpeakIt! - Simply highlight text on any site or document and the word will be spoken through the speakers

Web-Apps
Fotojet - Free online collages to allow students to express their ideas in visual form
Canva - Create beautiful web design graphics in many different formats
Clicker Docs - supports and develops writing skills for struggling students building their writing literacy
Newsela - Change the reading levels of current events and non-fiction text to meet your students' needs while building their reading comprehension. Real-time assessments are built into the articles as well.
BrainPop - Animated, synthesized content to help struggling learners comprehend complex material