Final Blog: Course Reflection

Part One: Course Reflection

What I Have Learned

Although this course has taught me a great deal of technology integration methodology, the most significant takeaway for me has been the idea of the relative advantage of technology. This is most significant for me because I’ve always been skeptical about using technology in my classroom. This skepticism stems from the fact that technology use in the classroom sometimes simply seems like a “bells-and-whistles” type distraction for both students and teachers rather than relevant, pedagogical tools. The concept of relative advantage has made it clear for me that, in fact, not all technology is pertinent in the classroom and that my skepticism was warranted in some ways. The ideas that a technological tool has to clearly solve a problem in the classroom or curriculum and that the benefits of its implementation have to outweigh the cost of not implementing it seem to be common sense but were codified for me during the course of this class.

Theory

One of the major reasons why I was initially skeptical about technology integration was what seemed to me the lack of any clear theories underlying the use of technology in the classroom. This presumption was obviously erroneous since both objectivist and constructivist learning theories have informed the development and implementation of technology for education. For each of my course projects, I made an attempt to create each lesson with either objectivist or constructivist theories or both in mind. I also tried to apply current theories of second language acquisition so that each activity was firmly grounded in both general learning theories and theories that are specifically relevant to the ESL courses that I teach.

AECT Standards Mastery as Demonstrated by Coursework

The projects produced during this course targeted five of the standards adopted by the AECT. These standards include 1.2 Using Content Knowledge, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating Content Knowledge, 2.1 Creating Content Pedagogy, 2.2 Using Content Pedagogy, and 5.1 Theoretical Foundation in Research.

Standard 1.2, Using Content Knowledge, focuses on the ability of the candidate to effectively select and use technology that will support learning and enhance pedagogy (AECT Standards, 2012). For each of the projects that I developed for my ESL courses I had to choose relevant technology, and I had to develop a lesson plan that could be implemented in an actual learning environment.

Standard 1.3, Assessing/Evaluating Content Knowledge, emphasizes the candidate’s ability to assess effective technology and instructional material integration (AECT Standards, 2012). For each project, I first had to determine the relative advantage of the technology that I was planning to utilize. After determining that the use of the technology was worth the time and effort needed for implementation, I developed a lesson plan that effectively leveraged its features. For example, for the Social Networking and Community Building project, I chose Voice Thread as a tool to facilitate peer editing in an online learning environment. I determined that Voice Thread would allow students to collaborate even though face-to-face meetings were not possible.

Standard 2.1, Creating Content Pedagogy, focuses on the candidate’s ability to apply technology which will improve learning and performance outcomes and which is informed by content pedagogy (AECT Standards, 2012). Since my content area is ESL, all of my coursework demonstrates the application of technology in the context of college-level ESL writing courses. All of my lessons were informed by ESL pedagogy, and all of the technology was selected based on the needs of the ESL student population. For example, currently, content-based language learning is the favored mode of teaching/learning in ESL. For my video integration project, I selected videos that presented gerunds/infinitives (the language aspect) and videos about non-human primates (the content aspect). In this way, I selected the technology (Youtube videos) based on one of the currently accepted ESL pedagogical methods.

Standard 2.2, Using Content Pedagogy, focuses on the ability of the candidate to “implement appropriate educational technologies based on appropriate content pedagogy” (AECT Standards, 2012). Although all of my projects were geared toward the ESL writing course, the English Language Lesson content project allowed me to select educational technology that was specifically created for English learners.

Standard 5.1, Theoretical Foundations in Research, is concerned with the candidate having “functional knowledge” of the research that has informed educational technologies (AECT Standards, 2012). All of the lesson activities created for the course projects were informed by either objectivist or constructivist learning theories.

Professional Growth

Before enrolling in this course, I was using some technology in the classroom (Kahoo! and PollEv for example), but I didn’t even have a cursory knowledge of general learning theories that supported the use of technology. During this course, I began to see that technology integration did indeed  have a theoretical basis. Knowing this has made it clear that there are many ways to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. In addition, I have also had the chance to share some of the activities that I have created during this semester with colleagues. I shared these materials with the confidence knowing that they were backed by sound learning theory.

Impact on My Pedagogy

The greatest impact this course has had on my own teaching is that now I use technology in the classroom knowing that it is based in sound educational theory. As an ESL teacher, theories of second language acquisition (SLA) have always informed my teaching and materials creation. However, when it came to technology, although I could apply SLA theories when developing technology based lessons,  I wasn’t sure if the delivery method (technology) was actually effective, and with this uncertainty came skepticism. Now, although the skepticism isn’t completely gone, I know that with the wider variety of theories that clearly support technology use and the concept of relative advantage as a method to weed out irrelevant technology, my own technology integration is more pedagogically sound.

Part II: Assess Your Performance

Criteria	Comments	Numerical Grade
Content (70 points)	I think that the content of my blogs met the criteria for at least a proficient rating. In each post I tried to make connections between both new and previous content and real life teaching situations. I think that most of my blogs gave specific examples relevant to the topic as well.	60/70
Reading and  Resources (20 points)	I used both the course textbook and peer-reviewed articles relevant to both educational technology and applied linguistics/teaching English as a second language. I made sure to cite and reference using the current APA format guidelines from the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual.	20/20
Timeliness (20 points)	For the most part, I submitted my blogs early in the week to allow for my peers to comment on them. I did, however, turn in a few blogs (ie.the video blog) on the due date.	17/20
Responses  to Other Students  (30 points)	I did reply to two of my peer’s blogs for all but one weekly blog assignment. I gave in-depth responses on the blog topics that interested me, but I know I could have been more thoughtful about some of the other blog topics.	22/30
Total (140 points)	Overall, although I think I gave complete and thoughtful answers to most of the blog prompts, I was not as invested in certain topics as I should have/could have been, and this clearly shows in both my own blog responses and in the responses to my peers.	119/140

Assistive Technology

Ease of access on PCs and laptops is essential for learners with both sensory and cognitive disabilities. Assistive technology facilitates ease of access, and as Edyburn and Robyler (2016) explain, allows disabled individuals “to complete tasks more efficiently, effectively, and independently than otherwise possible” (p. 408). All operating systems on the market today offer built-in ease of access features. The Microsoft Windows 10 operating system includes a wide array of options that can be enabled to make the use of the Windows interface possible for disabled learners.

Most of the features that function to increase accessibility on the Windows OS are aimed at assisting learners with sensory impairments. The following features are available for learners who are partially sighted:

• Audio Description - An on-screen narrator describes the action that is occurring in a video. (Not available for all videos.)
• Background Image Removal - This feature removes unnecessary images and any overlapping content to increase readability.
• High Contrast - This feature increases contrast to make text and images easier to read and see.
• Keyboard Shortcuts - This feature allows the user to navigate through windows using alt key and ctrl key command combinations rather than using a mouse.
• Mouse Cursor Enlargement - The mouse cursor can be enlarged to make navigating through menus and multiple windows easier.
• Narrator - This feature can be turned on so that all onscreen text is narrated.
• Screen Magnifier - This allows any part of the screen to be enlarged, making text and images easier to read.
• Speech Recognition - This allows the user to control the PC using only voice commands.

The following features are available for learners who are blind:

• Audio Description - An on-screen narrator describes the action that is occurring in a video. (Not available for all videos.)
• Narrator - This feature can be turned on so that all onscreen text is narrated.
• Speech Recognition - This allows the user to control the PC using only voice commands.

The following features available for learners who are hearing impaired or deaf:

• Replace Sound with Visuals - This feature replaces sounds with visual cues. Visual cues include a flashing active caption bar, flashing active window, and flashing desktop. Also, spoken dialogue is text captioned.

The following features are available for learners who are physically impaired:

• Keyboard Shortcuts - This feature allows the user to navigate through windows using alt key and ctrl key command combinations rather than using a mouse.
• Mouse Keys - This feature allows the user to navigate the screen using the number keypad rather than a mouse.
• On-screen Keyboard - This feature replaces the traditional keyboard with a visual keyboard which is manipulated using the mouse cursor. No touchscreen is needed.
• Speech Recognition - This allows the user to control the PC using only voice commands.

The following feature is available for learners who have reading difficulties

• Narrator - This feature can be turned on so that all onscreen text is narrated.

References

Robyler, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle 
River, NJ: Pearson.

Obstacles and Suggested Solutions for Integrating Technology into ESL Instruction

“Just shoot me.” This was my response just the other day to the news that next semester the ESL department I teach for is going to be adopting a new textbook for the level I teach even though we’ve used our current textbook for just one semester.

One of the aspects of teaching that is not my favorite even though I know it’s necessary is just this, the thought of adopting a new course textbook. For a teacher it’s either a fantastic chance to be creative with new material or something short of a major life crisis. Sitting and contemplating for hours about how to make a new textbook work is, as we all  know, simply a part of the teaching profession. Once a plan for implementing the new textbook is laid out, it’s only a matter of piloting it in an actual class. While piloting the text, kinks are worked out, and post-pilot, the decision of whether to treasure it or trash it has to be made. This is no different for educational technology. When new technology is introduced, instructors may want to integrate it into their instruction, but a multitude of complications can arise.

Problem 1. Finding Level-Appropriate Videos Lectures

One of the most significant issues in regards to finding and integrating technology into the academic ESL classroom is the availability of accurate and level appropriate grammar and writing instruction videos. In advanced level ESL composition courses, grammar and writing instruction usually needs to focus on making writers aware of the more subtle elements of academic writing such as pronoun clarity, the use of cleft sentences, cohesion, and the known-new contract. If an instructor looks to Youtube as a source for freely available videos the information provided is sometimes inaccurate. If the instructor persuses Teachertube, the videos are often professionally produced and accurate but not level appropriate for the college level ESL student.

One source that an instructor can find video sources to meet the needs of college ESL writing students is Khan Academy. Khan academy provides a wide array of videos for ESL instruction including materials for lower level and advanced, academic level ESL. In addition to the already-made videos of Khan Academy, instructors may opt to create their own instructional videos designed for the specific needs of their student population. Video creation tools such as Camtasia, Screencast-O-Matic, and Snagit allow instructors to create their own videos and publish them to Youtube or simply send their students their video lessons.

Problem 2. Addressing Plagiarism from Online Sources

Plagiarism is a challenge that faces colleges and universities across globe. In the United States and other countries where there has been an influx of international students entering the higher education system, this problem is most noticeable. In an article discussing the ever-growing problem of plagiarism in the U.K., Brendan O’Malley (2016) reports that at Staffordshire University, international students who constitute only five percent of the total student population comprised over half of the reported incidences of academic dishonesty. This is not to say that international students are the only perpetrators of academic dishonesty; however, it is most noticeable in this student population. This phenomena has been attributed to many factors but most particularly the idea that notions of intellectual property vary from culture to culture. That being said, this issue is exacerbated by the ease of access to the Internet and other advances in digital technology. The Internet along with other programs and devices including text messaging and online essay writing services have play major roles in many cases of academic dishonesty.

Vigilance on the part of instructors, student peers, and academic departments is probably still the best defense against academic dishonesty that is facilitated by technology. However, technology itself can be used to prevent and identify instances of plagiarism and cheating. For example, online resources such as ESL blogger, Larry Ferlazzo’s, The Best Online Resources to Teach about Plagiarism provide extensive lesson materials for teaching students how to avoid plagiarism. Most colleges and universities also have their own plagiarism resource pages for their students. Lycoming University has even created a free online plagiarism identification game in which students try to find and dispatch plagiarism goblins. As for the identification of plagiarism, instructors can use a simple Google search by typing a piece of text thought to have been plagiarized in the search field with quotation marks around it. If in fact the text has been lifted from an online source, the Google search is frequently successful in finding it. In addition, most instructors can utilize Turn-It-In.com for a more thorough originality check. Many institutions have accounts for all faculty so this is a convenient way to address suspected plagiarism.

Problem 3. Selecting Appropriate Apps to Support ESL Instruction

With the multitude of apps being developed for anything and everything, instructors have the monumental task of determining which apps are educationally sound and which apps are . . . “in-app-propriate”. ESL is no different. Apps created to support ELLs range in quality from “the new standard” to “uhhhhh . . . ”. In addition to the sometimes questionable quality of some apps, the issue of utilizing a selected app in a variety of ways in order to make implementation worthwhile is one that instructors should all consider.

One way to address these issues is for the instructor to vet a potentially useful app him or herself. This maybe the best way to ensure quality apps are selected and leveraged most effectively, but the amount of time that must be invested in a thorough vetting process is a resource that most educators lack. An alternative to self-vetting is using online references provided by other educators who have already successfully used a particular app. Robyler (2016) suggests language instructors refer to Top Ten Must-Have Apps lists or conduct Internet searches using “language learning X”, where X is the name of an app, to find links to novel ways to integrate the app into language instruction.

References

O’Malley, Brendan. (2016). Cheating by international students rampant at British 

universities, says newspaper. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 

from http://chronicle.com/article/Cheating-by-International/234904

Robyler, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle 
River, NJ: Pearson.

Relative Advantage of Integrating Technology in English Language Instruction

English as a second language is significantly different from other content areas in K-12 and higher education. The focus in the ESL classroom is the learning and application of skills rather than the learning of actual content. English language learners (ELLs) acquire skills to aid them in reading, writing, listening, and speaking which will help them succeed in actual content areas such as the natural and social sciences. Digital technology that supports learners in acquiring these basic skills can play a major role in the enhancement of English language instruction. ESL instructors can use technology designed specifically for ESL instruction as well as technology developed for content areas to engage ELLs, facilitate learner autonomy, and provide academic content in which learners can practice newly learned language skills.

Robyler (2015) explains that instructors can leverage new English language instructional technology to help them differentiate instruction and present learners with opportunities for individualized practice in all language skills. Technology geared toward the needs of ELLs has traditionally focused on tutorials and a seemingly unlimited amount of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank type practice exercises for grammar and vocabulary. However, developments in computer assisted language learning have resulted in more advanced programs such as Quill, which provides learners with editing practice to support writing instruction, Otterwave, which rates a learner’s pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, and Voice of America, which provides learners with graded news articles and listening practice. Programs such as these, both old and new, allow instructors to focus and individualize practice for each student, a previously gargantuan task.

Content-based ESL instruction, a commonly practiced pedagogical method in ESL, can also benefit from educational technology created for content areas seemingly unrelated to the skills learned in ESL courses. Content-based ESL pedagogy is based on the notion that language should be taught through authentic contexts and materials rather than the often arbitrary, disconnected contexts provided in traditional language textbooks. In a content-based ESL course, grammar, writing, reading, speaking, and listening would all be taught through academic content such as psychology, sociology, literature, biology, or business. The idea behind this is that sustained content allows the student to focus on one theme or topic and learn linguistic features that naturally arise from those topics. For example, a student might learn to identify and use unreal conditionals (grammar) in writing and speaking (language skills) after reading Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” (content). Or, a student might learn about the past time frame (discourse grammar) while studying American Indian history (content). This pedagogical framework easily allows for ESL instructors to draw from the pool of technology resources available for specific content areas.

An ESL instructor could supplement a unit on recent American History with authentic material in the form of primary source materials, documents, and interviews from online sources such as the National Archives or various museum archives. These materials could be used to teach the past tenses, discourse markers used for writing in the past time frame, reported speech (using interviews), and academic vocabulary that naturally arises from the written material in the field of history. Having these authentic materials would help to “set a scene” for language use and application, and allows ELLs to focus on the linguistic aspects of English rather than trying to connect random grammar points, lexical items, and writing skills that they have learned through arbitrary, contextually unrelated themes.

References

Robyler, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle 

River, NJ: Pearson.