Chapter 7: Educational Technology for school leaders

Russ Cole
Chapter 7 Reflection
Dr. Cullen

            Learning any language is facilitated by exposure. While some years ago, it would have been hard to find a place to be immersed in another culture if you yourself were not a part of it, today it is largely as simple as going online and finding a forum. This chapter references Web2.0 as a tool that can be used by those who struggle with the English language to engage and learn from the English speaking world at their leisure.

            Beyond these functions, the internet offers the chance to partner with classmates in privacy, rather than require the demeaning appearance of a student or teacher aid to accompany the student. This undoubtedly fosters better bonds than dependence, while allowing the student supportive interactions with one another.  The book mentions that this gives the opportunity to make mistakes in private, and builds self confidence which allows the student to feel more comfortable contributing in the classroom.

            Our text does mention, however, that the internet is not always a safe place. However, it also recognizes the internet as far safer than it is made out to be, and calls for effective monitoring of time spent and location visited online. The chapter implores schools to make positive decisions which benefit students by allowing them to use the internet to communicate and learn effectively.

            I must admit at this point that the ELL student was not one that I had prepared for. This is unfortunate as the science classroom often has foreign, complicated and necessary terminology as a part of its curriculum which would only compound the problems as a student faced with such a limitation. As can be imagined, such a student would struggle without rescources specifically designed to facilitate their understanding.

            Fortunately, this section mentions Youtube videos and internet forums as supplemental resources that can help these students learn. These are the very same methods used by college professors to immerse struggling students in a refuge ripe with clarification and explanation that is graspable and comes in all varieties. All students in the classroom can benefit from outside resources that help them understand foreign concepts, and this is no different for the ELLS who may need to be exposed to the material several times in order to fully understand the concepts discussed. I have also seen instructors who benefit from creating their own online videos to help their class with homework and study for exams. This could also benefit anyone who is struggling to grasp the lesson from only singular encounters in the classroom.

            While this is certainly a viable option to consider for my classroom, I would also support any school system willing to try such a method to promote the growth and involvement of students with English as a second language.