EQUELLA: Getting Started with a Digital Repository

The ESL program at my college has expanded to a second campus within the district, and with additional faculty and additional sections of classes, we are finding that our current method of sharing materials and storing documents is problematic. Therefore, when I recently came across EQUELLA, my interest was instantaneously peaked. Here's the pitch from Pearson:

According to the website, there's a new version (6.0) that's now out, and it has even won awards this year.

Seems great, right? Yet, as with any product, actually trying it out in real-world/real-work situations is the only way to know for sure if it meets one's expectations.

My questions:

• Do you use EQUELLA? Or, have you had any experience with it (a trial, a webinar etc)? Or, have you heard (even through the grapevine) anything about it that might be useful?
• Do you know of alternatives to EQUELLA that I should look into? 
• What tips do you have for sharing and storage across multiple campuses?

SLEP Alternatives

For many years, we've used the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test from ETS for the Listening and Reading sections of the placement testing in our college ESL program, which is geared at ELLs who are learning English for Academic Purposes (EAP). We've been (mostly) satisfied with the results of using the SLEP in conjunction with the Writing and Speaking tests we developed ourselves. We've had very few students that have been incorrectly placed over the last 5+ years. In addition, we've been using the SLEP as one part of the exit criteria. Again, this standardized test has offered a point of reference that seemed less likely to be influenced by subjective ("human") factors. This is important not only for the instructors but  also for students, who may doubt the validity of the holistic evaluation approach we apply to the Writing and Speaking tests.

It seems, however, that ETS SLEP test materials will no longer be distributed as of this year. Therefore, we are searching for and discussing alternatives. On the one hand, the transition would be easier if we could find something that would simply replace the Listening and Reading tests of the SLEP.  On the other, we are open to more comprehensive tests ... if they meet our needs ... and would consider trying something entirely new. We'd also be very interested in tests that have been aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). One final factor is cost, of course. Even soft money programs have to be frugal in times like these, so we're looking to keep the price down and to avoid passing any additional costs on to students.  

Possible Alternatives:

• TOEFL ITP 
• ESL Compass
• Michigan Test
• PTE
• CAE
• LEA
• Others???

If you have any advice for us or would be willing to share your experiences, it would be greatly appreciated. (Thanks!)

Blogging for ELT

On TESOL Connections (April 2012), I found an interesting article "Using Blogs for English Language Teaching" by Kristina Scholz. I have not tried this out myself, but it seems to me that it would be a very interesting form of collaborative writing that could be beneficial at various proficiency levels. The suggested writing activities look enticing to me. However, I wonder how many students actually find this form of writing, blogging, "authentic." My students (upper-intermediate/advanced students in an EAP program from all over the world)  spend a great deal of time using various forms of social media, in particular Facebook, and they are compulsive "texters." Yet, they do not read or write blogs on their own, of their own initiative. So, would they see this as yet another "artificial" form of writing, one that is possibly even less related to their academic goals than paragraph and essay writing. Or, would they see this as a fun and/or effective endeavor? 

[http://geekandpoke.typepad.com]

Textbook Series: Academic Connections

Academic Connections by Betsy Cassriel, Marit ter-Mate Martinsen, David Hill, Julia Williams (Pearson Longman in conjunction with ETS) is an integrated skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) textbook series that recently caught my eye. I've reviewed it fairly thoroughly and have read a lot about it online (e.g. this press release gives a pretty good overview -- note the "guided tour" link in the middle of the page). It has an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) focus, which seems to fit the curriculum of my program. It also seems to have a great online resource called the "MyAcademicConnectionsLab." However, I have not yet taught from it, so I'd love to hear from anyone who has used this book in the past. 

• What was your impression? 
• What did you find to be the pros and cons? 
• Did your students seem to like the book and/or the online lab? 
• What experiences did you make with the online assessment tools?
• Do you feel that this series helped prepare your students for college/university classes? for the TOEFL test? 
• Any advice? 

Online Journaling in the ESL Classroom

At the Spokane ESL Regional Conference 2012, I was able to present on the kind of journaling I am having my upper-intermediate/advanced level students engage in. The title of my presentation was “Online Journaling: An Integrated Skills Approach to Independence” (view my prezi).

Summary:

A traditional journaling assignment is a wonderful means to get students to write more or more freely. An instructor may connect some reading or a discussion of some sort. In dialogue journaling, the instructor carries on a written conversation with the student, encouraging students to find their voices, again with the possibility of connecting reading or speaking in a later step. Yet, in these forms of journaling, the instructor functions either as the primary target audience and/or as some sort of referee/mediator/editor. I’d like to expand the skills horizon of journaling and free it from the looming oversight of the instructor. Therefore, I have been developing an approach to journaling that integrates listening, reading, writing, and speaking, not to mention intercultural awareness, on an online platform. In fact, it facilitates student acquaintance with and development of a variety of listening, reading, writing, and speaking forms and formats. Furthermore, the instructor steps out of the picture almost entirely, a move that fosters student autonomy, which in turns allows the connections and conversations between students to grow organically over the course of the quarter. 

Brief description of the actual online journaling process:

I use pbWorks as the platform, which enables me to give each of my students his/her own journal page that he/she can write on and that all others in the class can view and comment on. 

Students listen to reports/podcasts/lectures from a selection of websites (VoA, On Point with Tom Ashbrook, and TED). They choose their listenings themselves. The expectation is that they listen at least once without reading along. If a transcript or text is available, they read and listen at least once. Then they journal in two parts: a brief summary and a response (including, of course, the URL). This is due every Monday. During the week (by Friday), each student reads the journals of two others and comments on each. They are encouraged to respond in an academically-appropriate manner and even to keep the “conversation” going by commenting on the comments on their own pages. 

Later, students choose one of the topics they have encountered during the quarter for a presentation. 

Assessment:

Once this project is underway, it takes on a life of its own. I step into the background, and students interact with each not for the grade but because they enjoy it. I’m always impressed by the level of energy, interaction, and professionalism that develops throughout the quarter. 

I feel that this integrated skills style of journaling is quite successful. My students, although they grumble a bit at the beginning of the quarter, seem to appreciate both the skills development and the independence. 

Adaptations:

I’m fairly certain this approach would work well for students at all levels (except perhaps absolute beginners). For the more advanced, it could be made a bit more challenging; for lower proficiency levels, less difficult listening opportunities could be used and instead of a two-part journal, one with leading questions could be used.

Questions:

• What have been your experiences with journaling? With online journaling?
• Can you suggest other websites that would be good for listening (listening and reading)?
• Any suggestions/comments?

[picture from http://www.soulschoolonline.com/toolbox/journaling/]

Dialogue and Reflection

Like so many ESL instructors, I continuously explore all that the internet has to offer in terms of Web 2.0 applications, social media, and references to offline resources. It's a wonderful time to be an instructor, especially a language instructor!

Delicious allows me to bookmark websites in a cloud-like manner. pbWorks functions as my class platform (as an alternative to Angel). Google Docs facilitates file-sharing. Prezi lets my students and I be sure that our presentations will indeed be as mobile as we are. Facebook connects me with students and colleagues. Heck, I'm even Linkedin. 

Yet, I'd like more dialogue and reflection on the tools and techniques I'm learning about, applying, and developing. Thus, I'm creating this blog. I hope you will share your insights with me ("Comment") and be part of an ongoing exchange of ideas. -- Thanks!