Using Technology To Help ELL Students

In the article, Our Semi-Literate Youth? Not so Fast written by Andrea A. Lunsford, Lunsford tells about how youth today are perceived to be less intelligent and too dependant upon technology. She goes on to show that she doesn’t agree with that assumption, she states that she has been working with college writes for over thirty years and has conducted studies showing the opposite. Lunsford thinks that with the advances in technology students are actually gaining more of a range of writing technique and greater adaptability to the changing audiences that students encounter. Through the exposure to different social medias and excess to people across the world, students have become more well rounded writers and show no decrease from the writing

Additionally, having social media and the internet, texting, email etc., also creates more chances of writing. Most parents and teachers think that this is causing a downfall in school and literacy capabilities but in reality its actually helping. According to Thompson (Source G), she believes we are in the middle of a literacy revolution. This generation writes more than any other generation before. Most peoples’ writing happens outside the classroom. It

One Misconception regarding ELL students is that immersion into an English-speaking classroom is enough for students to learn English.

People claim that new developments have caused kids to be so dependent on their devices, that they can't think for themselves. This claim can also be turned around by saying that technology has given kids more opportunities and chances to learn, and in particular, more opportunities to write (Source 7, Clive Thompson). An example of this is a study done at Stanford University, where it was discovered that Stanford students did a stunning 38 percent of their writing outside of the classroom (Source 7, Clive Thompson). With the developments of E-mail, texting, and social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, younger people are constantly writing in their every day lives. In the past, people would, for the most part, stop writing once the finishes their education. Now however, people are more comfortable, and more used to, writing. And while the argument that technology has decreased level of the vocabulary and vernacular of young people is true in some cases, the increase in writing shown by young people has led to a greater ability to convey information to other people, and a greater comfort in talking to people they don't know (Source 7, Clive Thompson). As Andrea Lunsford says, "I think we're in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven't seen since Greek Civilization" (Source 7, Clive

The second theme that emerged was the use of literacy practices as a social tool. Findings from the analysis of the literature on the adolescent learner and the social, emotional influences that may affect learning support the many instances I witnessed literacy being practiced as a social activity. Several students engaged in writing practices on a social media web page, others created written texts on their mobile devices, while others created visuals which they uploaded to social media sites (i.e. Facebook, Instagram). Updating posts, responding to a

Technology helps students who have reading troubles when it comes to reading standard books. There are also many benefits of digital enhancement such as changing colors and fonts. Entrenching learning supports in content helps comprehension and building background examples; definitions, summaries, and key questions can be directly embedded to help with guide reading. Technology allows students to manipulate the text by copy and pasting.

A real audience forces most students to reconsider how they word their ideas. To avoid looking illiterate, most students will consult their teacher or a grammar and usage book to make sure they are adhering to good grammar guidelines. By writing online students feel motivated to do their best. For example, George Mayo, a Maryland middle school 8th grade teacher, found this to be the case. According to Morgan,“Mayo remarked that the level of motivation in his class soared when his students found out that pupils as far away as China were participating.” Therefore, social media can writing by motivating students to do their best.

Learning methods have also been transformed by technology. Before technology was incorporated in schools, essay writing was hand written, regardless of how long the essay was. Mathematical problems were solved mentally or calculated on paper until the solution was found. Handwriting skills in children was good, because of the amount of practice they had using it everyday in their school work. Furthermore, children developed a vast amount of book knowledge by using library resources from actual books. However, today it is not the norm. Almost every school issues students with devices like iPads or tablets from as early as kindergarten. It is important to realize that with the use of technological devices, children would prefer the quick action of iPads and tablets in contrast to handwriting or reading a book to find reference points. To put it another way, children will end up using mobile devices both in and out of school, leaving no room for outdoor forms of recreation. A Northlines article, “Information Technology and Children”, mentions that the availability of Internet connection on mobile devices is harmful, because they can use it negatively, giving children an uncontrolled source of entertainment and connectivity. Similarly, the availability of

Technology offers children an additional tool to learn and to develop learning skills. Computers can reveal hidden strengths about a child. For example some children have difficulty developing their fine motor skill,

In Phuoc Tran and Kaveri Subrahmanyam (2013) journal article it explains and gives us evidence on how digital tools are and have become an important tool when it comes to children’s learning and development. They mention Vygotsky’s theory, on how cognitive development happens with the use of computers because it is a tool that is part of our culture. These tools are important because it helps the children develop many different skills (Tran and Subrahmanyam, 2013). They mention different pathways that help toward cognitive development. The first pathway is the amount of time that they spend using the computers. Children shouldn’t spend a long time using the computers they should limit their use of computers for a certain amount of time per day. They mention how kids that come from a low-income family and struggle with reading get many beneficial in learning from using the computers. It enhances their school readiness. The second pathway is the way kids interpret the language of the computer. For example, how to navigate a computer. Tran and Subrahmanyam mention, “Research has suggested that playing an electronic game can have positive effects on cognitive

It is crucial that students are not just being educated in only one way. Each child is different; as a result, learning styles should be versatile and open to new strategies. By learning to use technology correctly, teachers are preparing themselves, and the students for the future by developing certain skills that will be essential in the 21st century. Besides developing the students’ technology skills, students will

This article attempts to enlighten educators to allow computers in the classroom as a workshop to help improve literacy. The computer allows for students to have both a visual and a verbal reference to a topic, thus, solidifying a concrete comprehension of the text, allowing the student to be further engaged and stimulated with the assignment. Over the years, educators have seen such a vast change in technology, especially in the classroom. It is time now, that educators embrace the change and use it to their advantage. “If students can be motivated and engaged when using technology, teachers should continue to support this type of learning when appropriate.”

Central Idea: The three ways social media is changing education has affected how the students express themselves, behave, and interact with each other.

much simpler for the students to publish their own work on the internet. When it comes to learning how to improve reading skills, many programs exist, one of the better being Reader Rabbit, which uses games to disguise drill-and-practice routines to help students improve reading ability. All of these are examples of how technology has positively affected Language Arts education.

Education has found its way into the loop of technology. Teachers are using ipads and laptops during class time to help conduct experiments, or share a presentation. This is allowing the students to gain instant access to the information they are seeking. Students also receive the opportunity to complete their homework online and print off their assignments instead of just using paper and pencil. Another pro for Technology in Education, there are countless sources out there which help enhance learning. In one research conducted, they compared the performance of teaching kids how to read a clock. One group was coached by an online app, another was shown by a toy clock, and the last group was trained by a drawing example. The results revealed that the children that were taught by the toy and app exceeded the paper drawing group (Galetzka).