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| (Schadler, 2013) |
In order to help my bilingual students, many of whom moved to our country and saw a computer for the first time this past September, I created a modified version of the form in print. This eliminated the additional steps of logging into the computer, signing onto gmail and trying to type a response. It also provided a more reasonable expectation in regards to reading of the images.
As I circulated, ensuring that all my bilingual students understood the expectations (picture: me using the most broken Spanish that you have ever heard pointing to the various pieces of the handout while asking a student translator for help) I was shocked to see that one of my students was already working on the Google Form! It turns out that he had translated the page into Spanish on his Chromebook and was answering the full questions right on the form--no modified handout needed.
This week I have been exploring assistive technologies; what I've come to realize is that I often think about this type of tech through the lens of helping my special education students. But in my class, my student was using an assistive technology to help him master the critical thinking skill of reading an image. He was no longer limited by vocabulary or language acquisition; his mind was free to analyze.
While our ultimate goal is to help our students become fluent in BOTH languages, allowing them to appropriately code switch, there are times when students should be able to use their native language to develop their thinking skills, independent of language ability.
When I was a language arts teacher, I was taught that if a student is reading, no matter the language, she was improving her ability to read. This would make her more successful when she finally mastered English. The same principle should apply to all subjects.
So why don't we see more students developing or practicing thinking skills in their native language while they learn English?
My guess: it's hard to set up as a teacher!
If you, as the teacher, do not speak the same language as your students, it can be incredibly challenging to create learning opportunities like these. However, we all know that teachers love to push boundaries. We love to learn. And, we hate accepting that something cannot be done.
So here are a few ideas and articles to get the ball rolling. Have more? Let us know below!
Using Technology to Assist ESL/ELL/Bilingual Students:
- Flip through NY State's DoE's "Technology--Enhanced Instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual Education" which emphasizes using these technologies to promote 21st century skills
- Check out these amazing iPod apps or iPad apps that were compiled by the Texas Computer Education Associationto help ESL students
- Teach students how to change the main language on their Chromebooks
- Use google translate to help students understand directions
Works Cited:
Schadler, E. (2013). Fun with text. Emily's Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.emilysclassroom.info/2013/09/15/word-clouds-in-the-classroom/
