ELL+&+Web+2.0

**ELL & Web 2.0**
When I was getting my undergrad, I really did not think it would prepare me for many of the difficulties that we as teachers would face today. One of these difficulties teachers face today are how to reach the ELL students in the classroom. At least in my school district, we are seeing an increase of ELL students in all our schools, especially in elementary. My class is no different. Every year I usually get any where from 2-4 students who are ELL. I have never had a problem having ELL students, but I will admit it is a struggle teaching them. Many of the issues I see are, of course, the language barriers (especially with parents), grammar and writing. As educators, we strive to teach everyone regardless of their disability. I feel there are some Web 2.0 challenges that ELL teachers, general education teachers, and students will face. One of the biggest difficulties I think the teachers might face is the keeping up with web 2.0 technologies. Before beginning this Master’s program, I did not even know half of the technologies that were out there for educators and students. However, technology will always be tied to funding. This is another one of the reasons why teachers have not been able to keep up the technologies.

I am not trying to stenotype ELL students, but for the most part ELL students come from economically disadvantage homes. Which means that they do not have internet access, or even worse, a computer for their own to use. I communicate a lot with my students and parents through our class web site. Yet every year, my ELL students are the ones who cannot benefit from it because they don’t have a computer. Hopefully someday, computer and internet use will be accessible for everyone. One idea of a web 2.0 tool helping ELL students is using voice thread. I really like the idea of students collaborating on a single platform like voice thread. To help my ELL students, I display a picture and attach an audio to it so they can hear me speak. It is important for ELL students to hear the correct pronunciations of words and letters correctly. I would then have them write or speak a response to the picture.

Overall, we as teachers have a way to go to reach our ELL student. Yet, I think Web 2.0 could provide the support they need, if the funding is there for the school.

Resources:

[|Wrtiting Project]

[|Ell 2.0: How to Make the Most of the web]

(Allison Sands) Students who are English language learners have two challenges facing them regarding the type of language they need to learn in order to be successful English speakers. The first type of language the ELL students learn is basic interpersonal communicative skills, or basically language that allows them to interact with people by asking questions, requesting things, expressing opinions and needs. This type of language is developed rather early in the process. The second and more difficult type of language is cognitive academic language proficiency. This is the type of language that helps students to read and respond to text, produce essays, decipher class lectures, etc. The use of Web 2.0 will help students develop both of these skills by allowing them to try things, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Using Web 2.0 with ELL students will also help them develop necessary skills such as crosscultural communication, critical thinking, and creativity and innovation. These skills are extremely important to young 21st century learners. Students appreciate the use of technology, and the usage is linked to higher motivation, and the use of writing resources like blogs have been linked to improvements in student writing. Many students are already coming to us with proficient computer and Internet skills, so we must tap into that love in order to help provide an education that is meaningful and useful.

[|Why Web 2.0 for ELL]?