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Snap&Read, Co:Writer, Translator, MS Teams, KCLS access to online books.

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Digital Tools / Digital Learning Toolkit

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Kent School District (KSD) uses a wide variety of digital learning tools in the classroom and while students are learning from home.

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Available for websites, pdf's and google drive. Must have for chrome or Edge Extension to translate in over 100 languages

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Snap&Read offers the most complete reading toolkit available to meet the different ways students learn today.

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This article recommends Immersive Reader When used in OneNote or Word 10, it shows a picture dictionary for vocab and translates over 60 languages!

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Imagine an instructional partner who could act as:

Such a partner is Microsoft EDU's Immersive Reader, a growingly popular tool that presents scalable, friendly, flexible, stigma-free solutions to improve literacy schoolwide.

And librarians can lead in its implementation and integration.

Launched in January 2016 as a bold Microsoft Hackathon idea, Immersive Reader, incorporates current reading research and inclusive design principles. It can be a game-changer for so many of the learners we serve: emerging readers, English language learners or readers of other languages, students with such learning differences as dyslexia, dysgraphia, perceptual processing disorders (like Irlen Syndrome), students with ADHD, and students with visual impairments.

I chatted with Microsoft EDU's Mike Tholfsen, Principal Product Manager, who gave me a tour of Immersive Reader and discussed its value to the work of classroom teachers and librarians.

As a part of Microsoft's suite of Learning Tools, Immersive Reader offers readers the ability to :

translate over 60 languages for either individual word or by document

read text aloud with simultaneous highlighting in a choice of two voices to support decoding, comprehension, focus, and attention.

adjust font spacing to address the needs of readers with visual crowding issues.

show syllabic breaks to enhance word recognition and decoding and support instruction

identify parts of speech-uses choices of color codes to distinguish among verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs with the option of displaying labels in the text to support instruction and improves writing

present text using line focus to reduce distraction

choose among three fonts-Calibri, Sitka, and Comic Sans

choose from a variety of Page Color choices

access a Picture Dictionary and audio definitions

read the text in images- optical character recognition. Take a picture of a page from a book or a sign using Office Lens and the features of Translator and optical character recognition (OCR) will launch automatically in Immersive Reader, offering the ability to read aloud, translate, and more, including the ability to read math equations dictate to improve authoring

These screenshots offer a feel for the supportive interface features:

Syllables & Parts of Speech

Line Focus

Reading Preferences

Translation

Picture Dictionary & audio support

Text Preferences (and page color)

Because of its recent opening to third parties for development as an Azure Cognitive Service, Immersive Reader can now be discovered as a friendly icon on a number of our favorite learning platforms, including Flipgrid.

Here's a (rather incomplete) list of some of Immersive Reader's current partners:

Immersive Reader will be available for additional Microsoft apps including Forms, Whiteboard, and Minecraft: Education Edition-to support the reading of game text, dialogue, chalkboards and more.

in Minecraft Education Edition

Acknowledging Google Education's popularity in schools, teachers & students will be also able to login and use free @Office365 apps with Google EDU accounts.

Ever since the ISTE Conference at the end of June, Mike has been generating a list of apps and platforms that would be made even better with the support of an Immersive Reader icon.

Make sure your favorite tool gets immersive by tweetingto Mike at @mtholfsen

Mike also shared some very handy resources and references that should facilitate professional development and integration:

Research:

Leveling the Playing Field with Microsoft Learning Tools. Katherine McKnight, Ph.D., Center for Evaluation & Study of Educational Equity, RTI International

Microsoft Accessibility And Assistive Technologies For Education: A Total Economic Impact™ Analysis. Forrester Total Economic Impact Study. (Commissioned By Microsoft) February 2019. I

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Immersive Reader: A powerful tool to support schoolwide literacy

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Imagine an instructional partner who could act as: Such a partner is Microsoft EDU's Immersive Reader, a growingly popular tool that presents scalable, friendly, flexible, stigma-free solutions to improve literacy schoolwide. And librarians can lead in its implementation and integration. Launched in January 2016 as a bold Microsoft Hackathon idea, Immersive Reader, incorporates current reading research and inclusive design principles.

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See recommendations for ELA Products for more ideas.

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Education Week - Vander Ark on Innovation

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" Two Strategies for Empowering Teacher Leaders | Main | Shift To Digital: Classroom 'Look Fors' "

Globalization means more interaction between native speakers of different languages. Continued immigration to the U.S. means more people that need to learn English. Both are served by the expansion of mobile access, the explosion of EdApps, and the rise of machine learning. EdTech investments of $3 billion last year resulted in improvements to hundreds of reading and wiring apps well we as products specifically for English Language Learners (ELL).

We spent the last month reviewing about a hundred programs and apps in 17 categories. The first eight categories reflect the general trend toward personalized learning, an extremely important benefit to ELL and all students with learning differences (i.e., most of them).

Adaptive reading

Elementary supplement with ELL supports

i-Ready, Istation, Imagine Learning, Achieve3000

More content and subjects

Leveled readers

Intermediate/middle grade supplement

More titles including open content, better recommendations

ELA & math courses with ELL supports

Core secondary curriculum with supports

Personalized supports

ELA lessons with ELL supports

Open curriculum resources with ELL adaptations

Platform integration with learner profiles, teacher coaching

Literacy tools with ELL supports

Digital reading and writing tools

OneNote Learning Tools

Vocabulary & content videos

K-12 ELA & subject supplement

BrainPOP, Flocabulary, Study Island, Khan Academy

Personalized adaptive playlists

Writing feedback

Core secondary curriculum support

Text-to-Speech, feedback translation, better UX

Reading Intervention

Secondary double block

Personalized supports

The next six categories are tools specifically focused on ELL teachers and students. Example and remaining innovation opportunities are summarized below.

ELL management

Program management, communication, reporting

Include/link to all other categories; mobile progress monitoring

ELL courseware

Secondary double block

ELLoquence, Learning Upgrade, Lingual Learning, Rosetta Stone, Middlebury, HMH

Adaptive assessment and supports

ELL listening

Informal, supplemental

EnglishPodcast, Listen & Speak, Learn English Elementary (Android apps)

Full text and support

ELL assessments

Track progress

Instruction embedded

ELL conversations

Speak with native speakers

K-12 use with vetted mentors

ELL PD

Technical assistance, coaching, PD, PLC

Links to resources, micro-credentials

This blog is part of the Supporting English Language Learners Series with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more, stay tuned for the culminating podcast, infographic and publication.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

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As globalization and immigration to the U.S. continue to grow, so do English Language Learner (ELL) needs. Here are EdTech programs and apps we've reviewed that can help.

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#4 MS Teams, a Lifeline for ELLs during Remote Learning - 4/20

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#4 MS Teams, a Lifeline for ELLs during Remote Learning - 4/20

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MS Teams using Classroom NoteBook, OneNote & Immersive Reader together which is recommended.

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From time to time, we feature stories about Changemakers, educators who are making a difference in the lives of students around the world. Today's Changemaker blog was written by Luis Oliveira, Director of Unified Arts and ELL Teacher at Middletown High School in Middletown, Rhode Island.
We were sent home on Friday, March 13, because of the coronavirus and were told that we had a week to revamp how we deliver curriculum. Many teachers were apprehensive, but I felt comfortable since my English Language Learners had been using technology tools all year long. But boy, was I wrong in thinking the transition would be relatively easy.

Many of my students didn't have internet or had poor connections, which made the first week of remote learning extremely difficult. My days consisted of multiple phone calls, emails, home visits and of course, communication through Microsoft Teams with the students I could reach. Those students were able to pass on information to their classmates who didn't have access. Little by little, thankfully, everyone came online. However, this took almost two full weeks. Once all the students were online, our reality got so much better. We were back to using our usual tools and being able to connect daily.

To say that Microsoft Teams has been a life saver is an understatement. Even with everyone connected, we've had to adapt and adjust. No longer can I run into a student in the hallway or during Advisory and remind them to turn in an assignment. Everything now must be done online through digital communication tools. This is where the amazing features of Teams have come in handy.

We meet daily for class using Teams Meetings. This gives us the chance to connect face to face in a safe environment. The students can turn on captions to see the text of what is being said, play back a recording of the lesson or conversation as needed, and use the private channels option in Teams for small group work. I can assign students to groups, and different groups can meet and collaborate simultaneously. I monitor their progress by moving from group to group and joining their conversations.

I also send the students assignments in Teams. In the Assignments area, the students have the full power of the Immersive Reader and all its amazing features at their fingertips. This includes the Picture Dictionary, line focus, read aloud, and the ability to translate their work into more than 60 languages. I can send the assignment in English, and each student can translate the assignment into their first language. The students can translate the prompts and questions without needing to open a translation tool. Understanding what they are being asked to do enables students to show what they know.

The Immersive Reader is also available in OneNote Class Notebook, which is integrated into Teams. My English Learners are using the translation and read-back features to complete my assignments as well as their work in other classes. The Immersive Reader has also helped me connect with our international families. I have used it to translate documents to send to parents, such as the grab-and-go food pickup instructions, the form for requesting laptops and hotspots, and the instructions for activating the hotspots. Having these translated documents has given families access to resources that might have otherwise been unattainable. The developers of the translation tools probably never thought that their creations would be used in the ways we're using them now, given our current situation.

Microsoft Teams has been my preferred tool for all my remote teaching and trainings. When I'm working with teachers, I make sure they are aware of the amazing features found in Teams. These include collaboration tools, communication tools, and translation tools. The accessibility features in Teams are second to none. Furthermore, I can add Flipgrid topics, Wakelet collections, Forms, and Newsela articles, among others, directly into Teams. This makes it easier for my students because it requires only one sign in instead of a different one for each program. The Immersive Reader can be used with all these resources within Teams.

Teams is an all-encompassing tool that evens the playing field for my English Language Learners. It was my go-to tool when my students were in front of me, and now it has become my lifeline to make sure that they have full access and opportunity. They deserve nothing less.

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Microsoft Teams, a lifeline for English Language Learners during remote learning | | Microsoft EDU

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From time to time, we feature stories about Changemakers, educators who are making a difference in the lives of students around the world. Today's Changemaker blog was written by Luis Oliveira, Director of Unified Arts and ELL Teacher at Middletown High School in Middletown, Rhode Island.

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Recommended to set up your class so teacher can differentiate and students can use immersive reader for documents put it the folders.

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OneNote Class Notebook and Microsoft Teams: Two's company

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See this link to get free chrome extension on computers for access to this amazing tech tool.

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Discover great apps, games, extensions and themes for Google Chrome.

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See this link to get this free Chrome extension. Translates web sites to over 100 languages.

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Highlight or right-click on a section of text and click on Translate icon next to it to translate it to your language. Or, to translate the entire page you're visiting, click the translate icon on the browser toolbar.

Learn more about Google Translate at https://support.google.com/translate.

By installing this extension, you agree to the Google Terms of Service and Privacy Policy at https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies.

UPDATE (v.2.0): Now you can highlight or right-click a text and translate it vs. translate the entire page. You can also change extension options to automatically show translation every time you highlight text.

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View translations easily as you browse the web. By the Google Translate team.

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It integrates with the Edge browser for word prediction just about anywhere you write online including Microsoft Word, Google Drive™, blogs, Learning Management Systems, testing, social networks, and email.

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Word prediction that is grammar smart and inventive spelling aware. Speech recognition allows you to speak it, and we'll write it.

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Helpful for newcomers or parent communication. Over 60 languages.

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Create a more inclusive classroom for both students and parents with live translation and captions

ABOUT

What is Translator for Education?

The Translator for Education site provides free resources, tools, and how-to guides for live captioning and translation in the classroom. Schools are increasingly diverse. Teachers manage many types of learners, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) who require assistive technology, and language learners (and their parents) who may not speak or understand the language of the classroom well. Microsoft Translator helps bridge these communication gaps, supporting accessible classroom learning with live captioning, cross-language understanding, and even multilingual casual conversations to help with student integration.

FOR PARENTS

Parent Resources

Learn about the Translator app's conversation feature and how you can have live, translated parent-teacher conferences in your chosen language.
PARENT RESOURCES PAGE

FOR STUDENTS

Student Resources

Use the Translator app in school, on campus, for study groups, and other situations where captions and translations are needed. Share the app with friends to start a live conversation and break communication barriers.
STUDENT RESOURCES PAGE

SEE IT IN ACTION

Case Studies

Read how Translator can help students pass their final exams, break language barriers during parent-teacher conferences, and create inclusive environments for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
CASE STUDIES PAGE

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Microsoft Translator for Education - Microsoft Translator

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Microsoft Translator for Education tools creates a more inclusive classroom for both students and parents with live translation and captions.

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Language, culture, resources, access, cost, different levels of experience, school infrastructure, training, time to model and work into the lessons, and lack of human interaction.

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A colleague of mine was recently asked to observe a media technology class for English language learners (ELLs). The teacher of the class had been struggling a great deal to help the students "get" the lessons, and so he asked my colleague for her observations and input.

The lesson objective was to create a PowerPoint presentation. A number of the students were beginning-level ELL students, and so they already had one barrier to overcome before even touching the computer: language. As the lesson unfolded, one ELL student sitting in the back of the class tried to keep up with the directions as students were guided to open the application, choose a design, and type in a basic sentence.

As the student in the back fell further and further behind, he showed signs of obvious frustration and eventually ignored the teacher while sitting at his keyboard and holding down the "j" key to create a complete screen of "j's." While other students were able to keep up with the instructions, the teacher felt ill-equipped to help all of the students who weren't able to keep up and to show them how to master the content and skills being demonstrated successfully.

Challenges for ELL Teachers

There is no doubt that having (or not having) excellent technological skills will make a major difference in the lives and futures of our students. Their careers will increasingly rely on the ability to maneuver easily in technological environments, and to learn new technology quickly. Yet there are a number of challenges that educators face when trying to help ELLs get up to speed:

Language: In order to make the most of instructional technology, ELLs need to have the language skills and vocabulary necessary to understand how to use the technology.

Limited access: Many ELLs may not have access to a computer or the Internet in their home. They also may not know about the services available through the school or library, or they may be unable to get to the library on a regular basis. This digital divide is explored in a story published by The Washington Post, "Without ready access to computers, students struggle".

Different levels of experience: In one classroom, a teacher may have a student who learned to use the computer as a toddler, and another who is sitting in front of a computer for the first time. This requires that teachers develop their own ability to differentiate technology instruction for their students. The good news is that technology often can help teachers differentiate instruction, as is the case in Toniann Jeffery's classroom.

School infrastructure: While many schools around the country have invested heavily in technical infrastructure and equipment, many have not - including numerous schools serving ELLs.

Keeping up: It's hard for teachers to keep up with new jargon, information overload, and the latest technical tools and trends - not to mention the ways these things all relate to the the classroom!

Despite these challenges, however, there are a number of instructional strategies that teachers (even with limited technical experience) can use to help students' build technical skills and digital literacy. For ELL students learning technology, it is especially important to focus on effective teaching strategies that are commonly used in other content areas, such as academic language development and meaningful interaction with the content. Below, I outline some of these strategies as they relate to teaching technology.

Before introducing those strategies, though, I would like to provide a little bit of background information about the ELL technology field. It is difficult to find academic research specific to best practices for ELL students learning technology, but a summary of some of the research done offers some useful insights.

Research: ELLs and Technology

Visilearn Findings and Results

In a survey of 117 teachers in 2002 regarding Special Education and ELL student technology learning, Visilearn Company found that:

None of the teachers interviewed or surveyed were satisfied with current computer tutorials. They found them too wordy and complicated.

The following instructional techniques and methods were identified as the most effective for teaching computer skills to LD and ELL students:

Hands-on labs

Simple, step-by-step instructions

Lots of large graphics

Information presented in small chunks

Real-world exercises

Survey results suggested the following guidelines for organizing and presenting class materials:

Tasks: Computer tutorials should be organized by tasks: the things most students want to do with the program.

Steps: For each task, concise, step-by-step instructions should be provided.

Illustration: Each step should be illustrated with a computer screen shot that shows exactly what to do. The bigger the illustration, the better.

Reinforcement: At the end of each important task, stand-alone exercises should be included to give students an opportunity to practice the tasks. Including multiple exercises will ensure that students who work quickly will remain occupied.

The following guidelines were suggested for textbooks:

Pages should be numbered clearly and should include only a small amount of color. Students tend to be confused by full-color pages.

Binding should be spiral, so the book lies flat on the desk.

Optimal instruction requires supplemental materials, but not multimedia demonstrations.

O'Brien Study

Another researcher, David O'Brien from the University of Minnesota, has compelling research on the achievement abilities of adolescents who have disengaged from developing literacy in print, yet excel when given the opportunity to engage in digital media with a project focusing on an area of their own interest, such as a topic in popular culture. The ability to capitalize on choice and interest prove to be a powerful motivator in engaging the students.

Teaching Strategies for Using Technology in the ELL Classroom

So now that we have some background, the question we need to look at is: How do we make technology more accessible to ELL students? Here are some practical ways to get started in your classroom.

Build vocabulary

There are so many words specific to technology, and since they have become increasingly common in daily use, it is easy to overlook the basics. For example, an ELL student may know that a mouse is an animal, but may not know that "mouse" also refers to the tool we use to move a computer's cursor. Here are some tips for teaching technical vocabulary:

Find out what students know: Put students into small groups and give them a list of new words. (This may be an appropriate time to put students into groups with peers who speak the same native language.) Ask them to talk about which words they know, and to write down multiple meanings so that you can help clarify appropriate usage. After students have had a chance to discuss the list, ask the groups to share their ideas with the whole group.

Review the basics: Offer a very basic introduction to technological vocabulary words that students are likely to encounter, including parts of the computer (mouse and screen), items that students may see on their screen (cursor and menu), and verbs referring to what they will be doing when they use the computer (click, double-click, scroll, cut, paste, highlight, etc.) Many district educational technology departments have basic vocabulary or glossary lists that can be used in the classroom. (See websites below in Hot Links.)

Use props and demonstrations: For ELL students, be sure to demonstrate the meaning of the vocabulary word with a visual prop or an action.

Check comprehension: Ask students to demonstrate the meaning of new words for you as well so you know they understand. You can also have them quiz each other in pairs, and write definitions in their own language or use drawings to demonstrate comprehension.

Use handouts

One of the difficulties students face in any technology course is the challenge of trying to follow along on their own computers while the teacher demonstrates the steps on a computer screen projected in the front of the class. If a student falls behind he/she may get lost and must ask for more assistance to get "caught up."

Try giving ELLs handouts with visuals of the computer screen so that they can follow along. Many school technology departments may have these available. A basic lesson plan is offered at Eduplace entitled "Getting to Know Your Computer" if you are looking for a good place to start!

If a teacher wants to create his/her own specific handouts, it is possible to "take a picture" of the screen and paste it into a Word document. I learned this trick recently, and it has been very useful. On most PCs you hold down either the function key or the control key (down to the left) while pressing the "print screen" key (on the upper right-hand side). This copies whatever is showing on your screen. Then you open a Word document, right-click and hit "paste," and a picture of the screen is pasted into your document. It is possible to do this on Macs as well by "grabbing" a picture off the screen.

Create simple assignments for beginners

When learning a new skill, it is best to work with known information. For example, students learning how to use the Word program to create documents should write about something with which they are familiar, rather than having to research a new topic while learning how to use the program. This may be a description of their family or school, or perhaps a summary of a story they've read.

By using "easily understood" material, the students are able to more effectively concentrate on applying their new technology skills. Once students have some proficiency in the technology, they can be challenged by creating documents with newly learned information.

Extended practice time

If you have taught technology units to mainstream students and have an estimated amount of time for each unit, you will probably need to find ways to extend the practice time for ELLs. There are many basic skills that mainstream students start with that may take some ELL students more time to master, such as:

Guiding the mouse

Clicking

Double-clicking

Dragging

Scrolling

Using a search engine

In addition, ELL students are making meaning of the instructions given in a second language, while also figuring out how to use the technology. If there is not more class time available, an after-school technology class with tutoring may be helpful. This also may be an opportunity to pair a tech-savvy mainstream student with an ELL student who is developing computer skills.

Use pair and group work

Learning is reinforced when we use it to socially construct knowledge. If students are exposed to new information, vocabulary, and technology all at the same time, they will learn some of it and forget some of it. If students use the new information, vocabulary, and technology to build something together or to solve a problem, they will learn it and remember it as they discuss different approaches to a problem, activate their knowledge, and learn from each other.

For example, if a group of students has typed information for a brochure and now wants to move one paragraph to another area, one student may suggest they delete the paragraph and type it in the new space. Another student may suggest that it would be better to "cut" the paragraph and "move" it to the new area. By working together the students are learning from each other and making decisions as a group that will lead to a higher quality product. This type of interactive learning also helps ELLs develop their English language skills.

Establish meaningful goals

Most students are excited about using computers and technology. They are most motivated, however, when they are applying technology skills to content they are interested in. For example, if students are learning how to make a brochure, they may want to create it about their home country. Students making movies may want to create their own rock band and pretend they are going on tour.

For media projects, the same rules apply: it is important to introduce the technology with very basic, well-known information so all students can understand it. It is possible to give general guidelines to ensure the quality of the project while still allowing students some options for individuality. For example, you may require that a brochure project have one photo, a clear purpose and title, three paragraphs of text, and contact information. This sets the parameters for a successful project, but allows students to focus on an area of their own interest. David O'Brien's research supports this approach and also demonstrates that the literacy skills used in creating a media project reinforce students' literacy skills with print media.

Teach students to consider the source

This is a worthwhile conversation to have with all students. I heard a statistic recently that the average American receives more new information in one day than our great-grandparents did in a year at the end of the nineteenth century. We receive a tremendous amount of information to process, and it leads many people to just accept the information they are provided with because they don't have a lot of time to "check it out." ELL students may be particularly susceptible to believing information they receive electronically because they may come from a culture where very little information is printed, and so written information is usually considered reliable.

Talk to your librarian or school technology specialist to see if they have orientation sessions about search engines and popular research sites, how to best conduct a search, and how to evaluate information once they find it. The ReadWriteThink website also offers a lesson plan entitled Research Building Blocks: Examining Electronic Sources that may provide some valuable ideas.

Teachers can also help their students by leading them through a discussion and investigation as to the origin of news, and by teaching them how to determine if information is accurate and relevant to their needs. This also supports the development of good online research skills. When my ELL students were doing a project on the U.S. Civil War, they entered "U.S. Civil War" in the search engine. Millions of hits came up, but most of the sites were selling items to civil war buffs. My students didn't know how to refine the search to get information that was relevant to their project, and in a lot of cases the students couldn't tell the difference between a "sales" site and a "history" site. Ultimately teaching them to make the distinction caused them to spend a lot more time on research, and impacted the quality of their final project.

Teaching technology is challenging in any environment, but when teachers are trying to eliminate the gap between ELL and mainstream students, it is even more challenging. I hope these strategies will give you some ideas of where to start and what kind of support will be helpful to your students. While ELL students are often at a disadvantage when it comes to learning technology, they are also extremely motivated and enthusiastic about technology when they have meaningful access to the instruction. By taking a moment to observe and reflect on your ELL students' learning needs, you will be able to help them successfully transition to a "high-tech" society and a successful future.
SMART Notebook Lesson Activities
Browse lesson activities and materials for classrooms using SMART notebook software. Choose the country or region, and search by curriculum standards, subject and grade level.
Did You Know 2.0
YouTube video sharing information on how quickly our technological world has been changing and how it will continue to change.
Edutopia: Media Smarts
This story discusses how teachers are discovering the value of imparting media-literacy skills, from critical analysis of news programs, commercials, and films to basic design and video-production techniques.
Edutopia: Visual Acuity
From Consumers to Critics and Creators, critical thinking skills and fluency in multi-media production are integral to media literacy. This article from Edutopia discusses how media literacy is changing the classroom.
Education Week: To Triumph in This Country
ELL teacher Justin Minkel writes about using technology to help his ELL students succeed in the 21st century in this blog post.
PBS: A History of the Computer
A timeline of important events in the history of the computer.
ReadWriteThink: Paying Attention to Technology
Lesson plans designed to get students thinking about the technologies they may take for granted.
ReadWriteThink: Examining Electronic Sources
Lesson plans designed to teach students how to evaluate electronic sources.
Getting to Know Your Computer Lesson Plan
Basic computer diagram, activity, and lesson plan. Good introduction activity for beginners.

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Preparing ELLs to be 21st-Century Learners

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A colleague of mine was recently asked to observe a media technology class for English language learners (ELLs). The teacher of the class had been struggling a great deal to help the students "get" the lessons, and so he asked my colleague for her observations and input.

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Student can record a reading and send to the teacher for a check-in.

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Boost reading and writing confidence across all types of content and devices, in class, at work, and at home.

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Equitable accommodations: allow picture dictionaries, extra time, multi-modal learning, and translations in home language.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Extra Tools -  How to Use Tech to Support ELLs - 5/20

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Extra Tools -  How to Use Tech to Support ELLs - 5/20

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Misc - NewsELA, Duolingo, Google Translate, Simple English Wikipedia, MS OneNote, etc

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English-language learners (ELLs) come into our classrooms with a wide variety of specific and unique needs for language acquisition. It's hard to talk about them all as one group -- ELLs represent a diverse range of students in every sense. It's needless to say: Working with ELLs is often challenging and also highly rewarding.

Because there are so many apps and edtech tools available today, you might expect to find lots of them made specifically for English language development (ELD), bilingual, or dual-immersion classrooms. Unfortunately, this isn't the case: Tools designed specifically for English-language learners are few and far between (though there are definitely some out there).

There are, nevertheless, a lot of great edtech tools and strategies you can use with your ELLs, even if the tools themselves aren't ELL-specific. Some might even be tools you've already heard of or used -- with an ELL-specific use case that's been hiding in plain sight.

So, what's the best way to find and use great digital tools with your ELLs? A lot will depend on your students' specific needs, but here are a few things to think about when finding the best tools for your classroom.

1. Look for ELL-friendly supports in the tools you're already using.

Lots of online tools have built-in features to support differentiated instruction for a variety of learners. Newsela offers texts at five variable Lexile levels, many in both English and Spanish. ThinkCERCA offers leveled texts with scaffolding for students reading at different levels, including audio versions of texts. Though ELA-focused tools are most likely to have the best English-learning supports, plenty of other tools support ELLs' learning in other subject areas. Khan Academy is one popular example; the site offers a translated version of its curriculum in 12 languages. As you search, keep in mind that these tools are usually aimed at a more general student audience, so they may be better suited to intermediate or advanced ELLs, and beginning-level ELLs may need more robust support.

2. Build basic online resources and productivity tools into daily routines.

From basic translation to productivity tools for consumers, a lot of everyday apps and websites can be great for supporting ELL-centered learning activities. A note-taking tool with recording features like Microsoft OneNote offers opportunities for speaking and listening practice. Simple English Wikipedia is just like it sounds: an adapted version of the standard Wikipedia site but for ELLs, younger students, or anyone else who might struggle with reading. A translation tool is an obvious choice, and Google Translate is generally thought to be the most accessible free option around.

3. Get creative and repurpose a digital-storytelling tool.

Storytelling is an excellent, interactive learning activity for ELLs and bilingual learners of all ages and language abilities. Even though these apps tend to be aimed at younger kids (and not specifically at ELLs), they still offer opportunities for kids to express themselves while they build new language skills. Don't be afraid to age these tools up; they're great even for older ELLs. And for beginning-level English-language learners, creative projects tend to offer opportunities for low-stakes (yet still high-concept) communication-based activities. Also, keep in mind that lots of other digital-creation mediums can offer fun language-building practice, from video production to podcasting and digital design. Find something that suits your students' ages, language abilities, and interests.

4. Find tools that specifically address your ELLs' needs.

As mentioned earlier, tools designed only for ELLs are somewhat scarce, but there are definitely some options. These ELL-centric tools run the gamut. BrainPOP ELL offers a comprehensive online curriculum aimed at improving kids' language skills from beginning to advanced levels. Read&Write is a helpful text-to-speech app for students with a variety of literacy needs, including English-language learners. On the flip side, a platform like Ellevation is designed for teachers and uses robust data to track and monitor students' progress and language growth. As time goes on, we're bound to see more edtech solutions specifically for ELLs. It will be interesting to see what the future holds in this space.

5. Supplement instruction with an online language-learning tool.

Language-learning tools for travelers and consumers are everywhere and easy to find. Although these tools should never replace quality classroom instruction, for some students they could be a helpful option for extra practice or out-of-class enrichment. Because they're often aimed at a general -- mostly adult -- audience, these won't all be the best choice for kids' learning. Nevertheless, in certain situations, some language-learning apps could be appropriate depending on your students' needs. If you do go this route, look for free options that offer adaptive features that challenge students as their language skills grow. If recommending out-of-class use, keep your students' devices and level of network access in mind.

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How to Use Technology to Support ELLs in Your Classroom | Common Sense Education

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Quality edtech for ELLs isn't easy to find, but great options do exist.

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This study shows that tech tools help ELLs become more proficient in English.

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The growing numbers of ELLs (English language learners) makes the search for new effective and efficient instructional methods a priority. While several teaching methods and tools are used to help ELLs succeed in becoming proficient English speakers, technology has gained substantial attention due to the abundance of new technology tools, which are helping us, achieve more in less time and also due to our increasingly connected world. Tablets and apps are changing the nature of English language instruction. The purpose of this study is to investigate how technology tools helped ELLs become more proficient in English. Studies reviews and summaries of research published on the topic of technology tools and English language acquisition, specially focusing on the efficiency and effectiveness of technology tools in helping ELLs acquire English language will be scrutinized. Theories of second language acquisition will be used to better understand how Krashen's (1982) comprehensive input theory delivered using new technology provides learners with comprehensible materials leading to acquiring faster the language. Overall, from the current review of literature, I conclude that technology is an effective and efficient tool in helping ELLs become proficient in English. While there are several benefits, of using technology to enhance ELLs learning skills, quantitative data from various studies shows that factors such as costs and trainings are of great importance in assessing how efficient technology tools are. Thus, I will also explore relevant challenges to using technology for English language instruction.

Descriptors: Educational Technology, English Language Learners, Technology Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Handheld Devices, Computer Oriented Programs, Language Proficiency, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Instructional Effectiveness, Literature Reviews, Statistical Analysis, Individualized Instruction

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ERIC - ED545461 - The Use of Technology to Enhance the Learning Experience of ESL Students, Online Submission, 2014

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The growing numbers of ELLs (English language learners) makes the search for new effective and efficient instructional methods a priority. While several teaching methods and tools are used to help ELLs succeed in becoming proficient English speakers, technology has gained substantial attention due to the abundance of new technology tools, which are helping us, achieve more in less time and also due to our increasingly connected world.

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This study shows that Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) helps ELLs in reading, writing and language development.

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Ybarra & Green- Using Technology to Help ESL/EFL Students Develop Language Skills
(TESL/TEFL)

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Discusses a variety
of research illustrating how teachers can help English language learners
develop their language skills through the use of technology.