Mobile Environments + ESL = ?

This is my baby, I have definitely joined the crowd “if you can’t beat them join them’ so to speak.  No doubt there are satisfactory pros and cons to using such devices and their applications in any learning setting however for good or bad my students come attached to them.  In fact the statistics show just here in the US, 59% of American adults now go online wirelessly using either a laptop or cell phone, an increase over the 51% of Americans who did so at a similar point in 2009 (Smith, 2010).  So within the setting I teach they become part of the conversation. The list of conversation topics can be quite extensive, and all of it creates a broader language base, and to a certain extent deeper understanding of each other cultures.  Chinnery (2006) points out that even with all the questions about the pedagogical validity of using mobile devices, they can be instrumental in language instruction.  They are instructional tools and effective use of these tools requires thoughtful, and sometimes imaginative, application of second language pedagogy.

That's the bonus for my students.  The winning point for me is being able to carry around all of my printed resources (books, worksheets, manuals. etc) in the form of one small light weight electronic device.  My chiropractor is so happy as that plethora of material is not longer in a bag throwing out my back every week.  On the administrative side all of my planning and reporting can be done paper free and as Thatcher’s (2012) blog comments and links show there are numerous effective and simple to use apps to manage the profusion of paperwork educators administer on a daily basis.  Meanwhile in the classroom I have the coolest tools to engage the intensely diverse crowd that is my student base.


Two applications for consideration:

iLingo Translator Pro - Speech Translator
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ilingo-translator-pro-speech/id492160704?mt=8
Description:  You can translate words and sentences between 53 languages for iPhone/iPod. It has voice recognition and text-to-speech are supported for most languages.  You can research the free version with "iLingo Translator - Speech Translator".  The  ease of use of this app and that is caters for so many languages makes it ideal for use in an ESL classroom that comprises of more than one native language.  Each student can learn to use this app very quickly and it becomes the mobile teacher as they move about their daily enterprises.


Duolingo
http://duolingo.com/
Description:  A free language learning site (and apps for devices) where you can learn a second language and help translate the web.  It has a progression of lessons utilising voice recognition, text-to-speech, and basic grammar rules.  This is a really fun app to work with as it’s lessons utilize game theory as well as good pedagogy.  The student progresses through lessons at their own pace and can at any time go back and review previous lessons. Thus student has homework that is mobile, at their level, and fun.  The app incorporates


Something to think about when choosing a mobile technology ...
Source: http://www.developria.com/2010/05/the-how-what-why-framework-for.html


Something to think about for the future ...

Preps try learning the hi-tech way with iPads
http://www.news.com.au/technology/tablets/preps-try-learning-the-hi-tech-way-with-ipads/story-fn5knrwy-1226562551443


References

Chinnery, G. M. (2006).  Going to the MALL: Mobile assisted language learning.  Language Learning and Technology, (10,1), 9-16.  Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/vol10num1/emerging/default.html

Owen, R.J., (2110, May 31).  The "How, What, Why" framework for Experience Design.  [Web blog posting].  Retrieved from http://www.developria.com/2010/05/the-how-what-why-framework-for.html

Smith, A. (2010). Pew Internet & American Life Project: Mobile access 2010. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Mobile_Access_2010.pdf

Thatcher, M.  (2012, May 7).  Apps for Adult Ed Administrators.  [Blog message].  Retrieved from http://marianthacher.blogspot.com/

Social Networking Technology + ESL = ?

The thing my students always want to know is ... how and where they can practice their new English conversation skills outside of the classroom.  Social networks give them that opportunity.

Ning
This social networking gem allows you to create your own free social networking site. As educators it gives us the advantage of being totally self contained ... teachers have administrative control over who has access and to some extent their participation.  

For my students they can be part of a social networking site that they have helped to create.  The discussion process alone about setting up their member pages/blogs, commenting and sharing, and acceptable and responsible use (ethics) provide invaluable lessons in English usage.  The technology now allows for use on iPads, iPhones etc making the network accessible for students wherever their travels take them, and helping to ensure the connections they create in class are continued past the time frame of their course.

As a teacher I can search for a Ning that will provide me information and support for teaching in an ESL classroom such as EFL Classroom 2.0 ( http://eflclassroom.ning.com/directory.html).


Or for an example of a paid social network for ESL learners that is gaining in popularity try -
English Baby!
http://www.englishbaby.com

This is a  learning website and social website combined allowing ESL students opportunities to practice their conversational English skills  and learn slang with teachers and students. There is more than 1.6 million users with students from China, Turkey, Brazil and Taiwan to name a few.  The site has options for social networking through chat rooms and forums, learning English through practicing using audio files and self managed vocabulary lists and quizzes.  It also offers a unique feature where celebrities teach a term or phrase and discuss how they learned English if it was not their first language.

These kinds of sites do give students the opportunity to converse with others and build on their conversation skills in English.   The lessons range from English lessons through TOEFL tests to real conversations about popular culture.


References

English Baby!  (n.d.). Home page.  Retrieved from http://www.englishbaby.com/

Ning.  (n.d.) Home page.  Retrieved from http://www.ning.com/

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Applications and Adult ESL

I teach in the Adult ESL environment to travelers wishing to experience the American culture and improve their English through immersion in the language.  In the classroom the students come attached to handheld devices, either smartphones or iPads.  

Over the past year I have noticed an increase in the number (and effectiveness) of translation apps.  I tend to let my students choose their own (suitability for their device and technological skill level, recommendations from friends, and so on) app to use.  However the following is a very simple explanation of several apps that are effective.

Scale down your phone bill with these five apps that are quick, simple and get to the point, so you're spending less time on your phone and more time exploring the foreign terrain and getting work done. These apps offer translation by voice, text or photo, while also filling you in on the dos and don’ts of local culture so you can mingle without being the town fool.Source: http://mashable.com/2012/07/16/translation-apps/

As the teacher I have found a wonderfully simple tool to advance understanding and conversation flow ... Google images.  The student or teacher types in the word causing confusion, in their own language, Google finds an image, the confusion is cleared, and the conversation continues.  So simple.



References
http://images.google.com/

http://mashable.com/2012/07/16/translation-apps/

What emerging technologies should educators focus on in 2013?

What emerging technologies should educators focus on in 2013?
My choice is the use of mobile devices and tablets in the Adult ESL classroom.  The Horizon Report shows that mobile devices and their apps are the emerging technologies most likely to be effective in the classroom within the next year.  I have found myself using both of these technologies on a daily basis over the past year, and would like to officially incorporate their use as part the curriculum I teach.

Horizon Report > 2012 Higher Education Edition
NMC (New Media Consortium)
http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2012-horizon-report-HE.pdf
Report on the emerging technologies for education in the next one - five years.  Compiled by a collaboration from New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI), an EDUCAUSE Program consisting of educators from around the world.
Three Year Horizon Report Comparison

Time to adoption	2012 Topics	2011 Topics	2010 Topics
One year or less	Mobile devices & apps	Cloud computing	Cloud computing
One year or less	Tablet computing	Mobiles	Social computing
Two to three years	Game-based learning	Game-based learning	Educational gaming
Two to three years	Personal learning environments	Open content	Mobiles
Four to five years	Augmented reality	Learning analytics	Augmented reality
Four to five years	Natural user interfaces	Personal learning environments	Thin screens and flexible interfaces

Source: http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/6-Emerging-Technologies-2012-K-12-Horizon-Report.html

The rationale for choosing technologies in 2013.
Each of these articles point to use of handheld devices and ubiquitous, or personalised IT, approaches to education.  Students already come to the classroom holding some kind of device usually in the form of a smartphone or iPad.  These devices give students immediate access to translators, dictionaries, thesaurus, esl texts, esl websites, youTube, and so many learning tools that have previously needed to be provided by the institution or the educator.  There is enormous savings to be made by utilising a resource that students are familiar with, love to use, and are going to use regardless of the teachers personal preference.

Edudemic
“Personalized IT-based approaches to education are emerging that allow learner-centerd education, critical thinking development and creativity. Rapid developments in social media, open courseware and ubiquitous access to the Internet are facilitating outside classroom and continuous education.”
Source:  http://edudemic.com/2012/09/10-emerging-education-technologies/

Examples of use of these technologies in 2013.
As the teacher using an iPad gives me access to the plethora of websites and free apps while in the ESL classroom.  This means that in real time I am able to provide learners with resources that fit their personal and academic needs.
Examples
Dictionary.com gives students the meaning of the word, its use as an adjective, noun, verb. Examples of how to use the word in a sentence. If there is a slang use for that word. The origin of the word.  Synonyms for the word and links for those words.

Google Images helps move understanding along simply typing the concept into google images and allowing students to view the pictures.

Google Play - allows me to store and have access to any number of teaching texts that I have purchased.  I can take these resources into the classroom via the iPad connect to a larger screen and everyone has visual access to the resource.

My students are using smart phones and iPads during class time, allowing them access to the internet throughout the lesson.  They have a tool that can be adapted for their personal and academic needs.
Examples
Online translator apps that are constantly being improved and updated.  There are some now that are able to deal with slang, colloquialisms, and so on with surprising accuracy.  

Note taking apps that allow them to jot down questions about English ‘curiosities’ as they find them and bring the questions to class.

Cameras to take pictures of things that are confusing (signs, menu items, pages in books) and again bring these into class for clarification.

EmergingEdTech
http://www.emergingedtech.com/category/future-of-education-technology/
Online education journal for technology use, collection of articles that are relevant to making technology decisions for the classroom.

Envisioning Tech
http://envisioningtech.com/
http://envisioningtech.com/envisioning-the-future-of-education.pdf
graphic/visual aid for emerging technologies