There's a (bloomin') app for that …

Allan Carrington of the University of Adelaide explains how he built upon the work of others, who had built upon Bloom's taxonomy, to get The Pedagogy Wheel with iPad Apps.

Here is Allan's blog, which is a wealth of information. And, here's his youtube video explaining the iPad App-enhanced Pedagogy Wheel.

I can't wait to explore this a bit more. Since I don't own an iPad (although "I'm a MAC") and since many/most of my students don't have iPads, I'd like to explore what shareware and free websites might be added to each area, for I do believe the simplicity of this wheel is a powerful tool!

Using CANVAS in the ESL Classroom

I recently completed the Washington state CANVAS training, and I must admit that I was more than pleasantly surprised by the simplicity, quality, and versatility of this platform and its obvious superiority over Blackboard/Angel. My college is adopting it as of the next academic year, so I'll be able to really begin working with it in Summer 2013. I anticipate it being beneficial in so many ways, for students, for instructors (me), and for the ESL program. 

Possible benefits for students
I work primarily with students at the upper-intermediate/advanced level (CEFR: B1/B2). Currently, I ask them to use the pbWorks site I have designed specifically for our classes in order to participate in online journaling (and discussions), complete other work online, view homework assignments, and find documents/materials necessary for class. It works wonderfully but is limited. It also does not help students become familiar with the college platform, currently ANGEL. So, with the college's change to CANVAS, I'll be able to do everything I do with pbWorks (and so much more) AND students will get to know CANVAS before moving into regular college classes. -- Let me mention that some of the "so much more" that will be possible with CANVAS involves videos (perhaps using TEGRITY), exercises and quizzes, vocabulary practice, etc.

Possible benefits for instructors
As I mentioned above, CANVAS is very simple to master and offers so many options. It also makes communicating with students and monitoring progress very easy. One additional (major) advantage will be that instructors can link Course Learning Outcomes with assignments/quizzes/tests as well as grading rubrics/comments.

Possible benefits for ESL programs
Because it seems quite easy to transfer the CANVAS course from one quarter/semester to the next, I'm hoping it will be just as easy to copy a CANVAS course to another instructor if he/she is asked to teach the class. In addition, instructors in one program could view each other's CANVAS courses (at different or the same proficiency levels) and learn from each other. Finally, being able to link Course Learning Outcomes should make norming a breeze.

If you've had experience with CANVAS in the ESL classroom, please leave a comment below. 

Spokane Regional ESL Conference 2013

Attending the Spokane Regional ESL Conference 2013 today gave me the opportunity to hear several  stimulating presentations. I tweeted about them @ablizzard. However, I'd liked to share here the great online resources Eman Elturki (WSU) offered in her workshop on "The Internet: A Magic Box of Teaching Resources." As Elturki explained, she selected these resources because they met 3 criteria: (1) free, (2) easy to use, and (3) helpful for students and teachers. Here they are (hyperlinked - just click):

(1) Wordle
(2) Tagul
(3) Tools 4 Noobs: Online Summarize Tool
(4) Super Lame
(5) Story Jumper
(6) Glogster
(7) English Central
(8) Voxopop
(9) Voice Thread
(10) Guide to Grammar and Writing
(11) Planet PDF
(12) Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs
(13) Citation Machine
(14) Penzu
(15) Spelling City
(16) Crocodoc
(17) Weblist
(18) Wikispaces
(19) English Club
(20) RubiStar
(21) Voice of America - Learning English
(22) String Net
(23) Eggtimer

Some of these I am familiar with and have used or use in my ESL classes, for example, Wordle, English Central, Spelling City, VoA. Yet, I'm excited to try out many of the others. And, I'd love to hear about your experiences with them as well. 

Thanks again, Eman!

The Flipped ESL Classroom

Recently, my colleague Sheri Decker passed on to me the link to an article entitled "The Flipped Classroom Defined" on the Mind/Shift blog. What is especially noteworthy about this particular article is less the concept of the flipped (or inverted) classroom, which has been around for quite a few years now, and more that it is presented in a great visual format:  

Because ESL classes are primarily focused on skill building and only secondarily  on content, they tend to be "flipped" in the sense that the majority of class time is dedicated to "learning through activity." 

Yet, some of the elements mentioned in the article require adaptation for ESL classes. For instance, recording entire class-length lectures for students to view outside of class might be overwhelming and less beneficial for ELLs, but recording shorter mini-lectures (or explanations / demonstrations) of one concept  (at a time) would be an excellent way for students to prepare and review. 

Of course, when I do create my videos, I'll follow the beautifully simple and effect approach Salman Khan used in creating the Khan Academy. (I was first introduced to his vision in his Ted lecture "Let's use video to reinvent education.")

Yet, even without the mini-lectures I have yet to create, I have long been passionate about  the inverted teaching approach. I dedicate the majority of all class time to active learning. And, I assign listening from Ted.com (and other websites) as well as reading from various sources (our textbook, newspapers, magazines, websites) either as preparation or review. To state it more simply, I try to use the majority of class time for productive skills (writing and speaking) and the majority of homework time for receptive skills (reading and listening). 

So, what have your experiences been with the flipped ESL classroom?  

Technology in the Classroom

We instructors use and encourage the use of technology in the classroom. Or, do we? 

One of the first things I do when I come into my classroom each day is log in to the computer station located at the front of the room. I use the computer for innumerable aspects of my teaching. For example, I use it for everything from showing documents (class handouts, student work, models, etc) via the projector or document camera to demonstrating how students can use a web 2.0 tool when we go to the lab to providing visualizations (pictures, maps, video clips, etc) of the topic(s) at hand to listening to lectures (either online, from a CD, or from the ELL software connected with the textbook) to making a note on engrade.com of attendance or even looking things up. 

On my syllabus, I have clearly stated that the use of cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc is restricted, not banned, and  may be used depending on the task at hand. However, I have am ambivalent about my own "rule." The title of the article  "Digital Distraction or Helpful Classroom Tool?" articulates that ambivalence quite clearly. 

On the one hand, I am fairly certain that the ELLs in my upper-intermediate classes would be distracted by the free use of electronic devices, especially because (I fear) they would spend quite a bit of time translating and possibly even more time just chatting with friends in their native languages, which would likely lead to the proverbial "checking out." 

On the other hand, I can agree wholeheartedly with the author, Anthony Iton, when he explains that "if an instructor acts as a learning facilitator who empowers students to learn by showing them how to apply the wealth of information accessible through the web then classroom technology can be an integral part of the teaching process."

Do you feel this ambivalence? How is the multilingual language skills classroom different from a monolingual content classroom? What middle-ground can be found?