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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Teaching English with Computers and Mobile Devices

Roles for Computers in Teaching the English Language Arts


www.google.com
Computers and other new information technologies  such as video, telecommunications, and speech synthesis, are playing increasingly  more significant roles  in  English and language arts classrooms.

Roles for the Computer
Computers are being used in classrooms for instruction in composition, literature, decoding, reading comprehension, spelling,  vocabulary, grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, brainstorming, planning, reasoning, outlining, reference use, study skills, rhetoric, handwriting, drama, and virtually every other area of language arts.

It  is  not possible to present a survey  of computer use within each of these  roles that  is both comprehensive and brief. Instead, this report presents some representative uses as a way of suggesting possible directions.  Because computer use is still rapidly evolving, the examples represent categories of applications, not necessarily formal research studies on classroom effectiveness.  There should be more such studies, for the few that exist highlight the diversity of the impact, positive and negative, that computers may have.

Computers as Tutors
An intelligent tutor should have the ability to perform the task being taught and to discuss it articulately. Thus, a spelling tutor should be able to correct misspellings and to identify them as instances  of general spelling rules.  A second important  requirement  is a representation  of the student's evolving knowledge, so that misconceptions can be diagnosed and addressed appropriately. Third, the system should have strategies for teaching.  It should know how to present material, how to pose problems, and how to achieve the appropriate balance between tutor-direction  and support forstudent-directed inquiry.

Computers as Tools
There are now hundreds of word processing program that allow writers to enter and revise text.  Some, like Bank Street Writer (Scholastic), present menus of functions from which the author chooses, thus making it easy to learn and to use the system, but with some sacrifice of flexibility.  More complex programs, such as Wordbench (Addison-Wesley) allow writers to control details of text format, permit access to indexed  notes, and have capabilities for tables of contents, lists, footnotes and endnotes, bibliographies, and indexes.

Assistance in reading
Hypertext systems, which allow the storage of multiple, linked texts, can provide further explanations, additional examples, or commentaries on the text at hand, as the section on Computers as Media illustrates.

Generating ideas and planning
It is in the area of writing that we find the widest range of tool-like uses of computers. Several software programs have been designed to help with the tasks of planning and generating ideas (see Pea & Kurland, 1986).  The computer suggests actions based on keywords it finds in the preceding text written by the student. Computers also offer the capability of moving text  around in various ways and of viewing it from different vantage points.

Finding information
Data bases of information  make it possible for students to browse text as a method of stimulating their reading and writing. There are now large data bases available on compact disk.

Viewing a text
Seeing a text in which each sentence starts at the left margin makes it easier for writers to discover for themselves problems with capitalization, punctuation, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, repetitions, beginnings of sentences, and other technical points.  The Electronic English Handbook (Technology Training Associates) provides a related sort of help:  It is an on-screen reference tool that allows the writer to access usage rules and examples during the composition process.

Viewing the writing process
One reason is that such processes occur in the writer's head, and external manifestations, such as pauses, backtracking, use of resources, oral interactions with others, and so on, are difficult to record and interpret. With text being produced and stored on the computer, there arise new possibilities for examining the writing process.  Some text editors offer a "replay" facility, which re-enacts an entire editing session, allowing student and teacher to see the process of text creation.

Computers as Ways to Explore Language
Computer-based microworlds have been developed in various areas of science and mathematics to allow students to explore new domains, test  hypotheses, construct models, and discover new phenomena (Papert, 1980).  The same technology can be used to create microworlds for language.  Investigations within these microworlds can be highly motivating for students.

Computers as Media
The computer has thus become a new communications medium, one that facilitates traditional paper-based writing, but allows other forms of writing as well.  There are now multimedia messaging and conferencing systems that allow users to send not just text, but images, graphics, spread sheets, voice and video. 
The computer can be used to create webs of related information (see Beeman, 1988). Explicit connections between texts allow readers to travel  from one document to another or from one place within a document to another.  The computer can help a reader to follow trails of cross-reference without losing the  original context.  Electronic document systems also facilitate co-authoring of text.

Computers as Learning Environments
Computers can be used to foster social interaction and thereby contribute to language development and learning (Handa, 1990).  It is through  feedback from others, peer tutoring, and sharing ideas that reading and writing skills develop. Such an environment requires students to formulate their ideas as written text but allows faster response than traditional writing or even electronic mail. Many students find these environments more conducive to writing than traditional writing classes.

Conclusion
Technology can be used to change writing instruction in a variety of ways. Computers can aid at places where teacher time and attention are insufficient.  They can facilitate the processes of generating ideas and organizing text.  Unlike teachers, they can give feedback at any convenient moment. They can comment upon features of written texts. With the aid of a text editor, revision of text is more efficient and rewarding. Computers can increase the time-on-task and can help lessen the teaching load.  They can thus create time and opportunity for teacher involvement with essential aspects of writing processes that are beyond the reach of the computer. New technologies can also help to realize a more functional way of teaching writing. Ideals of writing across the curriculum may become more feasible with the support of computers.


Learning and Teaching English Explored Via Mobile

http://www.britishcouncil.org/
The British Council’s Learn English Mobile is a suite of products and content that is delivered across different types of mobile devices. The new mobile products include content from British Council websites adapted for mobile delivery as well as games, audio materials and learning tools. These applications focus on short, engaging and interactive content for mobile phones.
The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales and Scotland. Founded in 1934 as the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries, and granted a royal charter by King George VI in 1940, the British Council was inspired by Sir Reginald (Rex) Leeper's recognition of the importance of "cultural propaganda" in promoting British interests. Its "sponsoring department" within the United Kingdom Government is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, although it has day-to-day operational independence. Martin Davidson is its chief executive, appointed in April 2007.

Using Computer in Teaching English

If you are considering using computers in your lessons, there are a few things that should be noted:
  • Always have a backup plan. Or, preferably two backup plans: one for the case if the site you were planning to use is unavailable and one for the case if you lose all Internet connection. 
  • Accept the fact that everything will take longer than usual at the beginning. You will need more time to prepare your computer lesson because you have less experience. 
  • Make it very clear to your students that you are going into the computer classroom to learn English. A lot of students associate computers with games exclusively. While games are an important part of learning a foreign language, students must know that they have a clear task ahead of them in the computer classroom. 
  • At the beginning, be prepared to continuously monitor their work. Tell them explicitly that they are not to do anything else on the computer, only what you tell them to do. 
  • This might sound surprising, but in almost every group there will be at least one student who either hates computers or has problems using them. 
  • Always set a tight time limit on the tasks and stick to it rigorously. Some students have a tendency of taking forever answering questions on the computer. 
  • Some students take considerably longer to complete certain tasks, and these differences will be even bigger with computer-based tasks. You should always have something for students who finish early – a quick language game, a fun reading passage, or something similar. 
  • Similarly, some students might want to show off their Internet skills by suggesting alternative methods or sites for doing what you ask them to do.
  • Sharing links with your students during lessons can be made simple by setting up a profile at one of the websites listed in the “Useful links” section. Then you don’t have to worry about your students making a spelling mistake when entering the website address.
  • Explore the links provided in the “Useful links” section; they have been carefully selected to suit your needs for starting out with using computers in your teaching.

Mobile Devices and BYOD Possibilities

As teachers we now face a time when one of the main edtech issues is to make use of the current technology owned by the students or BYOD (which stands for Bring Your Own Device).
What are the main edtech bridges to be crossed then?
  • Teachers’ efforts to get to know the dynamics of using handheld devices in EFL environments as a tool to enhance the teaching and learning experience.
  • Picking and choosing from a variety of trustworthy apps available for the different purposes of an EFL class: Listening, Voice recognition, Pronunciation checking, Monolingual dictionaries, e-Vocabulary book (Lexical Book),qr code readers, e-flashcards…
  • Shifting from refraining to negotiating the use of the students’ handheld devices as a tool for their learning in the classroom.
  • Seeing the mobile device as a possible ally for out of classroom study routine.
  • Finding out how to use apps to enhance the accessibility of content for impaired students (a topic I intend to go deeper on a future post).
  • Considering students’ feedback on your app suggestions so that you can stick to what really works.

References:

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