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http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/osu2002/integrating.html |
I. Why is it important to integrate the Internet into classroom lessons?
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"Is technology a tool for language learning, or is language learning a tool so that people can access technology?" . . . "Both language and technology are tools for individual and societal development." A Developmental Perspective on Technology in Language Education, Mark Warschauer, Assistant Professor of Education and of Information & Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, TESOL Quarterly, 36(3), 453-475 (2002). "If we want to facilitate our students' developing new electronic literacies, we have to break away from the notion that computers and the Internet comprise an optional tool to use in the language class, like a tape recorder. . . if we want people to learn how to communicate, read, and write in online environments, we're going to have to take them there. . ." Millennialism and Media: Language, Literacy, and Technology in the 21st Century, Mark Warschauer, AILA Review 14, 49-59 (1999). |
II. Resources and activities to integrate the Internet into classroom lessons:
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1. Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab - Contains over 100 activities, ranging in difficulty from "easy" to "very difficult" and categorized into "General Listening Quizzes," "Listening Quizzes for Academic Purposes," "Long Conversations with Real Video," and "Short Listening Exercises." Most activities include pre-listening, listening and post listening exercises. Can be used for individualized or group instruction. Activities are also organized by theme in "Randall's Basic Self-Study Guide" and can be integrated into theme-based lessons. There are also "Listening Logs" that students can print out to keep track of progress.
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2. Castaway (an "Action Maze" created with shareware called Quandary) - You are shipwrecked on a desert island and have only a rescue flare, a pistol and three bullets. Can you escape? You must use your reading skills and also your problem solving skills in this branching adventure story. An Action Maze presents the user with a situation and a number of options from which to choose. Upon choosing one of the options, a new situation is then presented, again with a set of options. Working through this branching tree is like negotiating a maze, hence the name "Action Maze." Action mazes can be used for many purposes, including problem-solving, diagnosis, procedural training, surveys/questionnaires and creative writing.
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3. Enchanted Learning.com - A wealth of resources designed specifically for younger learners. There are timely resources depending on the season, for example, Christmas and Hanukkah activities. There is a Monthly Activity Calendar with a Web link for each day of the year. There is a Zoom School, which is an on-line elementary school classroom with lessons in geography, biology, language arts, and early childhood activities. The Language Arts section includes the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary, which is great for vocabulary development and controlled Internet research assignments. (Also available in Spanish). Use the Crafts Pages as a resource for writing "how to (process)" essays.
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4. Pizzaz - Provides simple, creative writing and oral storytelling activities with copyable handouts for students of all ages. Sections include Poetry, Fiction, Bag of Tricks, More Publishing Opportunities, and Other Teacher Resources. Try a Diamante poem, which can be used with all ages and language levels. Students link poem to a topic they are studying or use to encourage students to explore their feelings, share their interests, or explain their culture. A Chain Story gets students' creative juices flowing, allows for group collaboration, or provides an opportunity to teach useful email skills if done electronically.
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5. Quia - This excellently designed Web resource serves a dual purpose. First, teachers and students can access online educational puzzles and quizzes, written by Quia members, on a myriad of topics, free of charge. Second, teachers and students can use the "click 'n build" concept to create original customized games, quizzes, and surveys, accessible via the Web. Quia also offers assessment and analysis tools, and classroom management features, like class pages, calendars, and grade books. Here is one of my Quia class pages with a number of sample activities. Have students work in groups to create online activities. They will learn content as well as important new electronic literacy skills. More Web-based learning activities (Treasure Hunts, Samplers, WebQuests) |
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6. ExploreScience.com Multimedia Activities - According to Alistair B. Fraser, Prof. of Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, "The extent to which a student gains the same pedagogical benefit from a printout of your Web resources as from the resources themselves is the extent to which you have done nothing of pedagogical value by using the Web." Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol. 48, Page: B8, Aug. 8, 1999 (see article). ExploreScience.com provides examples of learning resources that harness the full potential of the Web.
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7. Marco Polo: Internet Content for the Classroom - An "education information center," Marco Polo is multidimensional. There are Web resources and lesson plans based on national content standards in the areas of economics, geography, humanities, mathematics, science and the arts (links on right side of page). There is also a flexible search engine (Marco Polo Search) at the top of the page, allowing searches by content and grade level. Marco Polo also offers training to teachers on incorporating the Internet into teaching, with extensive materials available for download.
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8. Culture Capsules - This 15-classroom-hour collaborative project pairs up ESL students to research the Web and jointly create Web pages that describe a person, place, activity or celebration in their respective countries. This project helps students learn to use Internet directories and search engines, evaluate and document Web-based sources, take and edit digital photos, and create Web pages that include short audio clips as well as links to Web sites and images.
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Additional Resources:
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Images on this page used with the permission of
Discoveryschool.com from
their ClipArt
Gallery.