I’ve always believed that ESL classes need technology when teaching. It could be with any subject at all! I think that it would be very useful to add technology within the classroom.
Today, I’ll be describing why having hardware products in the classroom would be considered beneficial to ELL students. In particular, why I think it’s useful and what the advantages/disadvantages could be. I’d also like to touch base on how it could foster student engagement, promote universal design, assist in assessment, develop innovative programs for ELL students, and to integrate ELLs into the regular classroom.
First off, having Chromebooks, Smartboards, and translators in the classroom is highly suggested, as it provides that extra support the child needs. As every ELL student learns on a different Level, it’s important that each child has their own laptop so that the ESL teacher can support them with different programs that are helpful to them. There are a lot of things where ELL students need visuals and it’s the computer that can help them with that. There are a lot of websites that provide games and even audiobooks that will support the students in their learning.
Some advantages of having technology within an ESL classroom is that if fosters engagement. For example, playing games like ‘Kahoot’ for ESL students would be considered exciting and something for them to look forward to. As well, it’s a great learning strategy to keep students engaged in their classroom learning. Another advantage would be listening, as there are many videos/audio clips that allow students to listen to stories in order to further engage their learning as the internet has a huge library that some schools don’t have.
However, there are a few disadvantages with technology. In particular, technology can be fickle, as Chromebooks are not always reliable. Therefore, there may be times where laptops may not work, or there may be a problem with the SmartBoard because of technological issues. Another disadvantage may be the fact that the child may find him/herself too distracted with the technology and may end up taking advantage of using a computer. Even so, it does comes down to classroom management, to see if that child can handle using a computer during the lesson.
I feel like all classroom have technology and this does lead to a ‘universal design’ of sorts, as it has become a norm. It provides the support that it needs, a learning space for the student to learn in, a straight forward presentation when needed, and of course, it is assessable and fair. It is easy to integrate technology into a regular classroom and into assessments. Considering that homeroom classrooms should have technology within the classroom already, students who are ELL and who have their own laptops, can integrate into their homeroom classrooms with some help. There are many sites that also provide assistance with assessments, as the teacher just needs to log in to see where the child’s progress is.
Overall, I do hope you see my point in promoting hardware products within the classroom, as they are very beneficial towards the student’s educational growth.
a million dreams 