Using ICT to Enhance Language Learning and Raise Standards

Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School, Oldham

icpjones@yahoo.co.uk http://isabellejones.blogspot.com

Twitter: icpjones

2

AIMs

Using ICT to Enhance Language Learning and Raise Standards

•Why and When use ICT

•Finding tools to enhance students’ experience

•Promoting creativity with the support of ICT

•Using tools to share good practice with your Faculty colleagues and beyond

Why and When use ICT?

• Core skill

• Life skill

• Part of students’ lives

• Cross-curricular skill

• Uneven distribution of students’ skills

• Develop students’ awareness of how appropriate tools are

• When NOT to use ICT

How can we use ICT?

• For lessons

• In lessons: student use/ teacher use

• Out of lessons

• How does it enhance students’ experience?

• How can it help raising standards?

Barriers to using ICT for Lessons

• Facilities: own/school computer?

home broadband?

• Staff: Confidence

Lack of training/ideas

Time management

Resistance to change:

the “OHP syndrome”

Barriers to using ICT in Lessons

• Facilities: Enough computers?

Good working order?

Easy to get sites unblocked?

Specialist support available?

Timetabled? Bookable? Shared?• Staff: Confidence

Lack of training/ideas

Worries over behaviour

“Soft option”?

Advantages of using ICT in Lessons

• Students: Engagement

Motivation (set period of time)

Feel good factor/self-image as linguists

Differentiation

Developing independent learning

Tutoring time/personal touch

• Staff: Building confidence/skills

New ideas/ Find out what works

Relationships

Assessing the situation

• Get a feel to see how ICT is integrated in your Faculty: ICT audit

• Consider student use of ICT and staff training needs

• Present audit and discuss an Action Plan

• Observe changes through snapshots and “invitations”/Positive call-outs

• TRUST is key

Assessing The Situation: Students

Assessing The Situation: TeachersICT SKILLS AUDIT

NAME OF TEACHER: ……………………………….. SUBJECT: …Please circle your level of confidence along a scale of 1-5 (1 = not confident, 5 = highly confident)Description Level of Confidence• Load a programme 1 2 3 4 5• Connect up the computer & peripherals 1 2 3 4 5• Organise your electronic files 1 2 3 4 5• Understand how a word processor can be used 1 2 3 4 5• Use simple editing, e.g. bold, centre, etc. 1 2 3 4 5• Use a spellchecker 1 2 3 4 5• Import text & images into word processed documents 1 2 3 4 5• Lay out text and pictures 1 2 3 4 5• Publish work using multimedia 1 2 3 4 5• Understand how a spreadsheet can be used 1 2 3 4 5• Set up a spreadsheet 1 2 3 4 5• Use a spreadsheet to produce charts 1 2 3 4 5• Input formulae 1 2 3 4 5• Use a spreadsheet to make predictions 1 2 3 4 5• Use simulations, e.g. “Flying over Paris” to explore key landmarks 1 2 3 4 5• Understand how a painting package can be used 1 2 3 4 5• Use a range of tools e.g. brush, colour chart etc. 1 2 3 4 5• Understand how a drawing package can help you 1 2 3 4 5• Understand the differences between drawing and painting packages 1 2 3 4 5• Export images and text between drawing and painting 1 2 3 4 5• Use a scanner for importing images 1 2 3 4 5• Use a CD-ROM 1 2 3 4 5• Use search engines to find information 1 2 3 4 5• Use Bookmarks 1 2 3 4 5• Download information from the Internet 1 2 3 4 5• Publish work on the Internet 1 2 3 4 5• Understand how e-mail can be used 1 2 3 4 5• Send and receive e-mail 1 2 3 4 5• Attach files to outgoing e-mails 1 2 3 4 5• Save files attached to incoming e-mails 1 2 3 4 5

7 top tools to use for/with students

• Powerpoint

• Audacity

• Voki (fotobabble, blabberize)

• You Tube

• Google search engines

• Wallwisher (linoit)

• Classtool.net (triptico)

Tools, NOT language sites!

7 top tools to use for/with students

Powerpoint

• Non-threatening, familiar tool

• Pictures/ Animated characters

• Animations/shapes: slow reveal activities

• Easy to link to sound and video

• Good tool to “frame” a lesson

• Teach students how to insert sound: evidence

of pronunciation, afl or revision material

7 top tools to use for/with students

Audacity • Great to devise own listening material/podcasts (or

get FLA to record them)• Good to get students to practise pronunciation at text

level• Versatile tool that can allow students to take sound

with them (mp3)• Students can make their own podcasts and practise

their writing and speaking skills through

scripting and recording

7 top tools to use for/with students

Voki http://www.voki.com/ • Design a speaking avatar• Students script what the avatar is going to say in the target

language• Students type the script up and listen to the pronunciation • Students record themselves using headsets• Students email their creation to their teacher• http://blabberize.com http://www.fotobabble.com (photo and

audio)

7 top tools to use for/with students

Google http://www.google.fr • Parallel texts: Teach students how to search for

documents and pictures in the target language or documents translated in both language. Student collect specific or new language

• Webquests: Get students to use google in the target language to find out about cultural items like places and food.

7 top tools to use for/with studentsYou Tube http://www.youtube.com/ • Advertisements, Cartoons, extracts of TV programmes: soaps, keep fit,

cooking, Music videos, Documentaries & Travel videos, Language tutorials...

• Introduction to a topic LES METIERS Le Boulanger [SaveYouTube.com].flv

• Listening for gist and spotting cultural clues

• Listening for detail with a transcript

• Using videos subtitled in English and in the TL• Using videos without sound Oktapodi [SaveYouTube.com].flv

• Using sound and transcript-students re-make the video! (using Windows Movie Maker)

7 top tools to use for/with students

Wallwisher http://www.wallwisher.com

• http://www.diigo.com/user/isabellejones/wallwisher

“yellow stickies” walls

opinion poll reading exercise

homework/extension reading/writing

discuss the result of a feedback exercise

mysteries-student post their choice & the reason for their choice

http://en.linoit.com

7 top tools to use for/with students

7 top tools to use for/with students

Classtool.net http://classtools.net/

• Site with templates for resources to be printed or put on a blog or a VLE.

http://www.triptico.co.uk/

Promote Creativity

• What is Creativity anyway?

CREATIVITY CAN COMMUNICATEshort.pptx

Divergent Thinking

Promote Creativity and Raise Standards• ICT as a vehicle to share resources and ideas• Find out what works• There is no such thing as an outstanding ready-made

lesson

How can Social Media Support The Development of Creativity in The Languages Classroom?

Stronger impact on students’ achievement

Avoid teething problem

Wider repertoire of activities

Share own activities and resources

Read about a range of activities and resources

Activities and resources get adapted by others

Share outcomes of adapted activities

More ideas to adapt activities and resources

The Virtuous Circle of Sharing Ideas and Resources

Promote Creativity

What can you do promote creativity?• Encourage/ be aware of/share strengths• Find out about and share innovative practice • Sharing from within the Faculty, with other Faculties

and ... The rest of the world• “Lesson experience”: reflect on how practical subjects

connect with languages

Le masque/ la máscara

7 top tools to share good practice

• VLE/Shared Faculty area

• Faculty Bulletin

• Faculty blog

• Slideshare

• Diigo

• NING

• Twitter

7 top tools to share good practice Template for a Faculty Bulletin

• Thank you• Meeting dates/ Agenda (L&T slot)• Staff out (and why)• SoW focus/ PLTS and SEAL focus• Deadlines for reporting and assessment• Resources links: Direct and Diigo• Recent courses attended (blog link)• CPD opportunities• Languages in the News

7 top tools to share good practice Faculty Blog/Blog for the Faculty

• Decide whether it is personal or just for school• Post own useful resources and ideas• Use as an evaluation tool• Post about language-related news• Write about the training events you have been to/ you have lead• Post links to other people’s useful blogs and resources• Encourage use as a reference document

http://isabellejones.blogspot.com

7 top tools to share good practice Faculty Blog/Blog for the Faculty

•

http://isabellejones.blogspot.com

7 top tools to share good practice Slideshare

• Site where you can upload your own presentations and documents• Open sharing or view only• Complements free blog platforms like Blogger• Useful back up • Comments can be added• Get followed/Follow other language teachers • Search for other language teachers/ languages-related groups• http://www.slideshare.net/icpj

7 top tools to share good practice Diigo

• Social bookmarking: ability to save web addresses and share them with other people;• Bookmarks are accessible from any computer from your Diigo account http://www.diigo.com/user/isabellejones

• They can be “tagged” and called up as a list of bookmarks on the same topic or “tag”• The lists that can be created can be referred to by a URL http://www.diigo.com/user/isabellejones/video

• The lists are automatically updated when new bookmarks are saved and tagged

7 top tools to share good practice Diigo

7 top tools to share good practice Diigo

Diigo: http://www.diigo.com

7 top tools to share good practice NING

• Platforms to set up online groups (paying)• Each member has a profile and can post documents, photos and videos• Members that are accepted as “friends” can contact you direct• Some group also have chatting facilities • All members of the group can be contacted by the creator of the group

http://primarymfl.ning.com/

http://horslesmurs.ning.com/

7 top tools to share good practice Twitter

http://twitter.com/icpjones

7 top tools to share good practice Twitter

• Good to connect with other language teachers• Exchange ideas and resource as well as get moral and professional support• Create an account and follow language-related

lists http://twitter.com/icpjones

http://twitter.com/#!/joedale/mfl-twitterers

http://twitter.com/#!/icpjones/worldlanguagesteachers • Versatile tool-can be accessed from mobile

Strategies to enhance learning by bringing the World into your classroom

• Use Pictures... of real places, food, cover of magazines, of real people, of real cultural events- “Thoughts For The Day”;

• Use Sound... news headlines/ podcasts, music videos;

• Use the Moving Image... target language country TV programmes, film trailers;

• Use Real People... videoconference, Skype, webcams, Twitter, Wallwisher ;

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AIMs

Using ICT to Enhance Language Learning and Raise Standards

•Why and When use ICT

•Finding tools to enhance students’ experience

•Promoting creativity with the support of ICT

•Using tools to share good practice with your Faculty colleagues and beyond

38

AIMs

What Next?s

1. step to develop my own use of ICT for teaching

2. step to develop my students use of ICT in lessons

3. step to increase the amount of sharing I do

Using ICT to Enhance Language Learning and Raise Standards

Isabelle Jones, The Radclyffe School, Oldham

icpjones@yahoo.co.uk http://isabellejones.blogspot.com

Twitter: icpjones