Learning Technologies for
Second Language Learning
Presentation for Second Language and
Intercultural Conference
October 29, 2010, Edmonton, Alberta
Elizabeth Hanlis, B.Ed., M.Ed.
Director
eHanlis Inc.
elizabeth@ehanlis.com
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Objectives



Discuss the benefits of using technology in
the classroom
Define key terms and learning technologies
Showcase practical and easy to use learning
technologies for the classroom
1.
2.
3.
Brief description of each and screen shot
Supporting literature (if available)
Example activities for second language
learning
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Why use technology in the
classroom?



You have 1 minute
Write why YOU should use technology in the
classroom
Share with the group
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Net Generation
- Born 1977-1997
(Discussed in
Oxford & Oxford, 2009)
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YouTube - Pay Attention Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why Use Technology for
Second Language Instruction?







Shown to increase motivation for learning
Enhanced student achievement
Access to authentic reading material any time
and any place
More interaction
More objective information is available
Global understanding
Life-long learning skills – more competitive
Oxford & Oxford 2009
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Definitions

Learning Technologies is the broad
range of communication, information and
related technologies that can be used to
support learning, teaching, and
assessment
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Activity
1.
2.
3.
Work in groups 3-4
Look at Activity and Note Taking Sheet
For EACH technology complete the
following TWO columns


4.
5.
What is it?
Possible Uses in Classroom
Time: About 7 minutes
You will share this information with the
group as the presentation progresses
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Uses of Technology in SL Class



Curriculum management
Teaching enhancement tools
Independent learning tools





Prepare for class or review
Collaborative learning
Communication
Assessment purposes
Professional Development
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Asynchronous Learning
Technologies



Is an application that allows for learning
independent of time or place
It can be used for self-paced or selfdirected learning
Students learn at their own time
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
What is a Blog?
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Blogs Defined



An online journal that is automatically
published on the Web
Others may comment on postings –
makes it interactive in nature
May post text, images, videos, links
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Polling Questions
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq1

Have you used a Blog for personal use?
a)
b)
c)

Yes
No
Not Sure
Have you used a Blog for teaching?
a)
b)
c)
Yes
No
Not Sure
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why Use a Blog?





Students are often not able to express themselves
fluently about daily events or how they feel
Written fluency develops as students write about the
world as they experience it
Use blogs as a learning project to develop language of
the lived experience
(Douglas, 2006)
May expand vocabulary and cultural awareness
Enhances reading comprehension
(Oxford & Oxford, 2009)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Possible Uses of Blogs in the
Classroom
From handout share possible uses of Blogs
in the classroom…
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Blog – Teacher Share Resources
Assignments, Websites, Docs
Grade 9-12 Spanish, USA
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Blog Sample – Teacher
Communicating with parents
Grade 3-5 Spanish, USA
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Blog – Student Discussion and
Reflections
Grade 5 – ESL Class in Turkey
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Blog – Communication b/w
students in Japan & Australia
Grades 11-12
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Blog – View video of Italian Sites
and Respond to Questions
http://learn-italian.blogspot.com/
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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How could you Use a Blog?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use Blogger.com (Free blogging software
https://www.blogger.com/start )
Set-up your own blog
Organize an initial lab session (60 minutes)
to teach students how to set up their blog
Request that students post one entry a week
about 100-150 words on any topic they want
(Douglas, 2006)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Blog – Students Communicate
with other students verbally
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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For More Great Ideas

Top 100 Language Teaching Blogs for
2009:


http://www.lexiophiles.com/language-blogtoplist/top-100-language-blogs-2009-nominatedblogs-language-teaching
Free Technology for Teachers – Blog

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
(voted best blog by Edublog for 2009)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Blogging Software
Blogger (owned by Google)
http://www.blogger.com
 Edubolgs
http://edublogs.org/

© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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What is a Wiki?
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Wikis Defined


A Website that lets visitor become participant
Anyone can create a wiki, edit or add text




Click the Edit button and start typing
Tracks changes – provides a history of revisions
May contribute text, images, and/or video
Popular wiki Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/

Available in multiple languages
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Wiki Example
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Polling Questions
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
> Polling Questions > Questions 2 OR
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq2

Have you used a Wiki for personal use?
a)
b)

Yes
No
Have you used a Wiki for teaching?
a)
b)
Yes
No
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why Use a Wiki?

Students can collaborate


Inside and outside the classroom
Students improve their



Writing skills
Grammar
Reading comprehension
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Wikis as Information Sources
Interactive Question
Nature magazine compared Wikipedia to
Britannica:
 Among 42 entries tested, the average science
entry contained how many errors?
(Giles, 2005)
Errors In Britannica
a) 3
b) 4
c) 10
d) 12
Errors in Wikipedia
a) 3
b) 4
c) 10
d) 12
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Wikis as Information Sources
Nature magazine compared Wikipedia to
Britannica:
 Among 42 entries tested, the average science
entry contained how many errors?
(Giles, 2005)
Errors In Britannica
a) 3
b) 4
c) 10
d) 12
Errors in Wikipedia
a) 3
b) 4
c) 10
d) 12
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Wikis as Information Sources


University of Buffalo professor Alex
Havelis created 13 errors on various
posts of Wikipedia
All were fixed within a couple of hours
(Richardson, 2006)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Possible Uses of Wikis in the
Classroom
From handout share possible uses of Wikis in
the classroom…
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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How can you use Wikis for teaching?
For collaboration among students, teachers,
school boards, and schools
Possible Activities:
 Collaborative story creating
 Correcting samples of writing provided by teacher
 Peer editing
 Sharing pictures and stories from class field trip or event
 Brainstorming
 Group assignment
 Writing or reading portfolio
 Role playing activity
 New vocabulary list
Visit: Teaching Tips, Wikis in the Classroom
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001969.sht
ml
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Sample Wik – Spanish Class
Spanish Speaking Country Webquest
http://bishopblogs.wikispaces.com/
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Sample Wik – French Class
Flashcards, videos, exercises for practise
http://ah-bon-french.wikispaces.com/Greetings
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Wiki – Post Music Video in SL
Ask Students to Fill in Blanks of Song
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Wikibooks for Teachers
Open-content textbooks that anyone can edit
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Wikis By Teachers for FL
Teachers

Language Links
http://languagelinks2006.wikispaces.com/


Used by teachers, student teachers, first year
teachers, and their mentors to exchange ideas,
information, and materials regarding FLL
Collection of Websites for FL teachers
http://freetech4teachers.pbworks.com/Foreign+L
anguage+-+ESL
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Software
Wikispaces.com (Free – top pick)
http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers
 PB Wiki - Free
http://pbwiki.com/academic.wiki

© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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What are Comic Strip &
Animation Builders?


Digital software that allows you to easily
create a custom made comic strip or
animation
HMTL and programming skills are note
required
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Polling Questions
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
> Polling Questions > Questions 3 OR
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq3

Have you used a comic builder or animation
builder for personal use?
a)
b)

Yes
No
Have you used a comic builder or animation
builder for teaching?
a)
b)
Yes
No
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why Use Comic/Animation
Builders?



Easier to understand and remember a visual
graphic containing key information
Engages students through thinking, creating
and writing
Incites students with low interest in reading and
writing
(Combs, 2003)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why Use Comic/Animation
Builders? Cont’d




Helps organization through storytelling and
storyboarding
Develops creative and higher level thought
processes
Serves as an assessment and evaluation tool
Enhances language learning and computer
skills
(Combs, 2003)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Uses of Comic & Animation
Builders in the Classroom
From handout share possible uses of comic
and animation builders in the classroom…
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Possible Activities with Comic
Strips




Provide a comic strip to students with
cartoons and blank bubbles. Students fill out
the bubbles and create their own story
Ask students to summarize a difficult novel or
story they are reading in a page
Students continue a story or create their own
story
Practice new vocabulary and grammatical
structures creating dialogues
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Comic Builder
Make Beliefs Comix.com
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Comic Builder - Comic Life
http://comiclife.com/
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Xtra Normal –
Text to Animation
http://www.xtranormal.com/watchmovies/
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Course Management Systems

What do these systems do?

Do you know any course management
systems?
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Course Management System
Components
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Polling Questions
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
> Polling Questions > Questions 4 OR
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq4

Have you used a CMS for personal use
(i.e. to complete a course)?
a)
b)

Yes
No
Have you used a CMS for teaching?
a)
b)
Yes
No
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Uses of CMS in the Classroom
From handout share possible uses of CMS
in the classroom…
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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How could you use a CMS?

Use to augment face-to-face learning







Prepare for lesson (access announcement,
calendar, class material, readings, and
exercises)
Review and practice exercises (self-study)
Assessment (quizzes graded and non-graded)
Continuation of class discussions
Collaboration
Use to deliver an online course
Teacher PD and Evaluation
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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CMS – Available Technologies



Over 200 commercially available CMS
Blackboard or WebCT Vista
http://www.blackboard.com/us/index.Bb
Moodle - Freeware available at:
http://moodle.org/

Multiple language interfaces available
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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CMS Example – Moodle
Only for
Administrators
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CMS Example – Moodle
Announcements & Search
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Online Discussion Boards
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
How could you use an online
discussion board?

Summaries, Abstracts, Reviews, Discussion





View a film and discuss online
View a video on YouTube, comic, or picture and discuss
online prior to the class
Read newspaper or short article and provide a summary
with some questions for the class
Brainstorming
Controversial topics work best
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Online Practice & Assessment
Online Multiple Choice or fill in the blank
questions within a CMS
 Separate Software (Not CMS):
Hot Potato
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/
 Create crossword
puzzles and
hang-man games

© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Why would you use Online
Quizzes?






Appropriate strategy to facilitate student
understanding
Provides immediate feedback for students
Students can complete on their own at home
Can repeat several times
Can include commentary in response
Can direct students to additional resources in
response
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
What is Synchronous Learning?
Synchronous
(time dependant)
Leader
CentraOne
Event
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Synchronous Technologies




Webconferencing
Chat
SMART Boards
Videoconferencing
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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What is Webconferencing?
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Webconferencing Defined




You only need a computer, headset with
microphone (or speakers and external microphone)
Personal computer acts like a telephone
Uses Voice over IP (Internet Protocol)
Webcam is optional for video
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Polling Questions
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
> Polling Questions > Questions 5 OR
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq5

Have you used Webconferencing for personal
use (i.e. to participate in a PD workshop)?
a)
b)

Yes
No
Have you used Webocnerencing for teaching?
a)
b)
Yes
No
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Why use Webconferencing?


Improves listening, speaking, and
communication skills
Provides a context with real meaning and
content to which they have an emotional
connection
(Curtain and Dahlberg, 2004;
Coverdale-Jones 2000)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Benefits of Webconferencing
Student Perceptions from German Study
 Provided immediate communication with a
real person in age group



Learning more authentic
Better able to respond to real-life situation
Enjoyed interactivity
(Coverdale-Jones 2000)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Uses of Webconferencing in
the Classroom
From handout share possible uses of
Webconferencing in the classroom…
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
69
How Can you Use
Webconferencing for teaching?

The students can connect live with other
students in another country and make
learning more authentic:



Deliver short presentations (2-5 minutes)
Interview students on a topic of interest
Interview an expert on a topic of interest
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Important Considerations



Students will need to prepare questions
beforehand and discuss vocabulary
Responses will need to be limited to 1-2
sentences
Take into consideration time delay when
using technology
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
71
Webconferencing Software
Skype (freeware) - for communication
http://www.skype.com





Supports audio and video for up to 24 users
Cannot share documents and whiteboard
DimDim (Opensource) (free up to 20 users)
http://www.dimdim.com
Other Tools – Dollars Needed

Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, Elluminate, Webex,
Horizon Live, Centra
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Skype – Initiate Webconference
3. Add Up to 24 More
People
2. Click on the Call button
1. Click on a Contact
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Skype – Add Contact
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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What is a SMART board?
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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SMART Boards defined



A SMART Board interactive whiteboard is
an interactive electronic white board
It is connected to a computer and to a
projector which displays the image seen on
the computer screen
Functions


Control all windows applications using a finger
Write notes or highlight items using pens
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Polling Question
http://slicconference2010.wikispaces.com/
> Polling Questions > Question 6 OR
http://www.surveymonkey.com/slicconferenceq6

Have you used a SMART board for
teaching?
a)
b)
Yes
No
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
77
Why use SMART boards?

Promotes interaction and conversation




With a wireless keyboard instructor can sit by
students and navigate site
Students can control board
Helps with the presentation of authentic learning
material and Websites
Promotes organizational skills of teacher
(Gerard & Widener,1999)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
78
Why use SMART boards?

Supports oral skills


Supports cognitive processes


Students are required to organize thoughts and
concepts in a non-linear way to include links
Improves language skills


Student presentations without worrying about
mouse
Collaboratively correcting a document in class
Increases student motivation
(Gerard & Widener,1999)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
79
SMART Board Activities in the
Classroom
From handout share possible uses of SMART
boards in the classroom…
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
80
SMART Boart Activities





Complete a Webquest
Play a jeopardy game
Correct a document as a class
Fill in the blanks of a song as class
Student presentations
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
81
SMART board Activities
Templates available at:
http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?sbj=fsl
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
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Other Important Considerations

What do we need to consider BEFORE using
technology in the classroom?
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
83
Other Considerations




Initial time investment by teacher is required
Don’t assume students know how to use
technology
Inform parents about technology you will be
using – consider getting consent
Provide detailed expectations and
assessment guidelines
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
84
Internet Safety Resources


Forbidding students to use tools is NOT the
answer
Consider benefits of private versus public
site


If public need to provide guidance to students
See handout: “Internet Safety Resources”
for more resources that you can use with
your students
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Fair Use and Plagiarism
A team of scholars in the US have been studying
fair use in the classroom and have developed a
policy statement that can be accessed at:
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publicat
ions/code_for_media_literacy_education
 Fair Use = Teacher is repurposing (transforming)
original work
 Students also need to demonstrate how original
material has been repurposed in whatever text they
are creating
(Kist, 2010)

© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
Consider using the following…






Social Networking (Facebook or Ning)
Podcasts
YOUTube
iPods
Cell phones
iPads
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
87
Conclusions



Technology can supplement and enhance language
learning and teaching
Technology can enable collaboration, sharing,
creation, and engagement in second language learning
Facilitator, coach, and mentors are emerging
descriptors for teachers engaging in web-based
environments
(Vazquez-Montilla, Elia; Zhu, Erping, 2000)
(Oxford & Oxford, 2009)
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
88
Questions
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
References
Combs, J., (2003). The key benefits for students using
Comics, summarised by Marilee Sarlitto), found in
"Creating Comics: Visual and Verbal Thinking in the
Ultimate Showand Tell", College of William and Mary
Coverdale-Jones, T. (2000) The of videoconferencing as a
communication tool for language learning: issues and
considerations> IALL Journal, 32(1), 27-40
Curtain, H., & Dahlberg, C., .2004. Languages and children –
Making the match
Douglas, S.R. (2006). Exploring the lived experience: blogs
as a tool for second language acquisition. The ATESL
newsletter
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.
References Cont’d
Eble, K.E. & McKeachie, W.J. (1985).Improving
undergraduate education through faculty development.
San Francisco : Jossey-Bass
Gerard, F., & Widener, J., (1999). A SMARTer Way to
Teach Foreign Language: The SMART Board™
Interactive Whiteboard as a Language Learning Tool.
White Paper.
Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., Smith, K.A. (1991). Active
Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Edina,
MN: Interaction Book Company
Khan, B.H. (1997). Web Based Instruction. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications
Kist, W. (2010). The Socially Networked Classroom.
91
Corwin: California © 2010, eHanlis Inc.
References Cont’d
McKeachie, W. (1986). Teaching Tips: A
Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher:
Boston: D.C. Heath
Oxford & Oxford (2009).Second Language
Teachers and Learning in the net generation.
National Foreign Language Resource Centre
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Richardson, W., (2006) Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts,
and other Powerful Web Tools for
Classrooms. Corwin Press: California.
© 2010, eHanlis Inc.