I have been thinking about how I move my students into using technology outside the classroom. Students don't naturally just use all the apps that I present. There is a process that we go through that encourages students to try using apps at home. First I create an online activity and show it to the students during class. Then I have the students try it out in class. I encourage them to use the tool at home, but that generally does not happen right away. I keep bringing the tool back to class until the students finally see its value.
Let me give you a concrete example. Quizlet is one of the tools. I create Quizlet sets and get the students enrolled. Next I have students study a set in class. I send them home ans ask them to review it. Very few students would use it at this point. So then I bring it in again and play Quizlet live. The first time we do this, they have a hard time. I review the set with them afterwards, replay the game and then they see the value of reviewing the set. But then again, they at this point they rarely go back to the tool and use it on their own. So then I introduce the different components of Quizlet. With Quizlet I start off showing off Match. My students like the competition and seeing that there is a competitive component helps them to use the tool at home. To encourage them, I will play the match and challenge them to beat the teacher. This often gets them using the tool more. Last night I decided to show them the spelling feature. They were astounded that they could learn how to spell better by using Quizlet. They had no idea that this was part of the tool. So this is what I learned last night. The students need to be exposed over and over and over and over again to the same tool in order to see its benefit. Once they feel that they have control over how to use the tool, they are more likely to use it outside the class. Using the tool outside the class is the best indicator of whether the tool is successful or not.
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Susan Gaer
A veteran teacher tackling the lowest levels of ESL instruction. Archives
August 2017
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