Unit Two: Current ELA Programs, Software and Assistive Technologies
Lesson One: Available Assistive Technologies, Programs or Software to Improve ELA Instruction
Using technology in the language arts classroom opens a new world of educational possibilities for both teachers and students. This portion of the mini-course will help you to create new possibilities for language arts instruction by offering various ways that technology can be utilized for student learning in language arts.
Examples of Technologies to Integrate:
The following list contains strategies that can be used to integrate technology into the classroom. These strategies have been organized for the typical modern day classroom and reflects the average accessibility to computers, internet, projectors, etc. within the school setting.
Word Processing
Google Docs and Google Classroom can be used as a great venue for students to share, edit, and complete all writing tasks. Students can interact with each other as they complete any type of writing piece.
Video Digital video is a great way to teach students specific skills within the classroom. Within the digital world, people now use video for many purposes besides entertainment. Students can use video as a multi-modal approach to learn how to write a narrative essay.
Digital Presentations Google Slideshow, or the infamous PowerPoint slideshow is a great way to incorporate presentation skills into a curriculum. These venues provide for students the opportunity to complete a presentation of their research project, and share it digitally to other students within the classroom.
Audio Books
For students with reading difficulties, having a collection of audiobooks downloaded onto an iPad is a great way to meet their needs. Listening to a book being read aloud is also engaging for many students and promotes reading completion. Finding a quiet nook in the room for them to listen to these with headphones is also a great stress reliever!
E-Mail Using email to promote collaboration between students is a great way to prepare students for the real world workforce. Learning how to write an email should be part of every student's curriculum prior to graduating. Teaching the specific literacy skills needed to write a quality email is crucial.
Web-quest
A Webquest is a great way to engage learners and provide a learning experience that allows for the technology to provide the differentiation. Most webquest allow the students to work at their own pace to complete a series of investigative tasks. At the end of one of these, the learner may be required to complete a culminating task. These webquest can be teacher created within a short period of time using the internet as a resource.
Lesson 2: Integrate Technology to Create an ELA lesson
After learning about several ways to integrate technology within your classroom, the time has come to create and improve your own ELA curriculum. More than likely, you are responsible to teach to the district adopted curriculum,however technology may help improve student engagement while teaching required material. Take on the challenge of modifying one lesson from your current ELA curriculum, and integrate some form of technology to make the material more engaging for your students.
Examples of how to Integrate Technology into an ELA Lesson:
Completing a "Book Report" using Thing Link can be a fun way to teach students the different parts of a story (Characters, Setting, Plot, Etc). By finding a picture of the book online, the students can add tabs to the picture making the picture come to life with interactive ways to describe the story.
Assistive Technologies, Software, and Programs to Improve ELA Instruction