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was to establish a forum for communication that would be easily accessible for my students outside of class. I teach Intermediate-Advanced Adult ESOL students at QUESTAR III, a BOCES organization. As we have recently obtained a new class set of computers, it was fortuitous that I have been able to apply some of the technological skills learned from the TALL Summer Institute in my ESOL classroom. Many of my students are spouses of RPI students, and are already familiar with basic computer skills such as using a mouse, communicating using email and navigating the World Wide Web.
My website does not include a detailed lesson plan, but rather a WebQuest, which I used in class as a lesson. The students could therefore complete the lesson at their own leisure, make up the lesson (if they were absent) or repeat the lesson outside of class for further practice. The WebQuest used listening activities gathered from several different websites. The audio activities were screened in advance to make sure that they required easily downloadable plug-ins (e.g. Winamp or QuickTime), so that it would not be difficult to access the audio files. The intent of this WebQuest is multi-faceted. First and foremost, I wanted to begin to familiarize students unfamiliar with technology by using a structured activity with which they would have success. Second, I wanted to allow students already familiar with technology to be able to use their skills as a part of their language-learning process. Third, this activity provides a respite from the traditional classroom arrangement, which may not motivate all English Language Learners. Lastly, my intention was to focus on needed sound recognition skills crucial for discerning the difference between many English words.
My website will be frequently updated during the year. It will serve as a point of origin for all Internet-based activity in my class. For example, after studying about longevity and speaking with an 80 year-old guest speaker in class, my Advanced ESOL students posted their reactions via NiceNet.org’s Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) program, which has a direct link from my website to the ICA.
My students could log on to NiceNet promptly, but needed my careful assistance. When registering, some of the students did not enter their first and last name because it was "optional." I found, however, that if they did not enter their name, it became confusing for the students to respond to other students’ comments. I really enjoy the structure of NiceNet. Students can clearly see the questions that I post for them to answer on their reply screen. I also could print the discussion easily and then share with the class at a later date in a traditional setting.
I think my website and subsequent activities were helpful in expanding on and reinforcing the topic or unit of study. The freedom and accessibility of lesson material both inside and outside of the classroom were made possible by technology. I think that it is important for the instructor to clearly structure each activity when using technology so that students can navigate as well as they can on their own. Students participation and involvement will guide future activities using the Internet.