ELL,+Low-SES,+and+Podcasting

ELL, Low-SES, and Podcasting
by: Jeanelle Colling

While ensuring equity at and between schools is challenging when providing access to technology, it is yet more challenging to extend that equity to a student’s home. These barriers don’t just effect our English language learners, but those with a low socioeconomic status (SES). While the school where I teach has a low, 27% Free and Reduced lunch status, it jumps significantly among the ESL population, to 83%. Studies have consistently shown that low-SES households are far less likely to own a computer or have internet access. These studies although show positive growth in the narrowing of this gap, and with low cost cell phones proliferating the U.S., the use of internet across all households has also increased. (Carroll, Rivara, Ebel, Zimmerman, & Christakis, 2005). Even though a significant gap remains, there is progress.

An increase in awareness among web developers is helping as well. Many developers can easily create visually stimulating websites, but have failed to take into consideration users accessing their sites from small mobile devices in the past. Cell phones can limit the viewing area of a webpage. The arrangement and it’s links can hinder cell phone users. The Web Accessibility Initiative has set forth guidelines to aid in the development of websites that are more accessible to mobile devices (Yesilada, Chuter, & Lawton Henry, 2013). These guidelines are being used more widely today opening accessibility to more mobile users than ever before.

Our students are those mobile users, inside and outside the classroom. Every student in my classroom has access now to the internet from their home, whether it be on a computer, mobile device, or cell phone. This opens the doors for so much more interaction, starting learning with the class and extending it to their homes.

Podcasting can offer lessons that extend beyond the school’s confines. A familiar ELL lesson practicing vocabulary sits partners back to back with one describing and one drawing. Podcasting extends this to more engaging tasks that interest the students, such as cooking, cleaning, lego building, sewing, and more. This allows ample think time, incorporates writing a plan, and gives academic vocabulary development in a safe environment. Students plan and record a podcast giving explicit directions using academic vocabulary with the intent of letting their classmates listen, follow, and provide feedback. Students would then have the opportunity to make changes and improve on their podcast, giving their classmates a second try. This real world application builds skills in writing, speaking, and listening, from intrinsic motivation.

Sources: Carroll, A. E., Rivara, F. P., Ebel, B., Zimmerman, F. J., & Christakis, D. A. (2005). Household computer and Internet access: The digital divide in a pediatric clinic population. AMIA Annual Symposium, 2005, 111–115. Retrieved from [|__https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1560660/__]

Yesilada, Y., Chuter, A., & Lawton Henry, S. (Eds.). (2013, January 22). Shared web experiences: Barriers common to mobile device users and people with disabilities ◦ Web Accessibility Initiative ◦ W3C. Retrieved March 5, 2017, from Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), [|__https://www.w3.org/WAI/mobile/experiences__]