Teaching Technology: Rich Internet Applications

Here is another great resources from Michigan State's Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR), the federally-funded Language Resource Center:

http://fltmag.com/rich-internet-applications-3/

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Technology: What teachers want from digital tools

From eslschoolnews:
"Standards gaps" exist where digital resources are unavailable or do not meet the needs of teachers, according to a report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Regarding what they are looking for, the 3,100 educators surveyed reported a desire for digital tools that deliver instruction, diagnose student learning, increase engagement, support collaboration and foster independent practice.

You can find the full article here.

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Ed-Tech: How technology is driving education

From Smart Brief:

A number of shifts taking place in education, including a change in the role of the teacher, are being driven at least in part by technology, according to a report released this week by the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking. A midrange shift identified in the report is the use of open content, or open educational resources, which has policy implications. A longer-range shift is rethinking how schools as a whole are working, the report states.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/05/21/6-shifts-in-education-driven-by-technology.aspx


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Technology Trend: Budget cuts for some schools to cut back

From SmartBrief:

Some schools in the U.S. are making bold investments in classroom technology, while others are scaling back, according to a survey by the Consortium for School Networking. Data show that more than two-thirds of districts have reduced spending on regular maintenance and replacement of equipment because of budget shortfalls. And, even if schools did invest heavily in new devices for the classroom, many teachers report that their school's Internet is inadequate to meet their needs.

You can view the full article here.

Have budget issues, particularly the potential adoption of technology impacted your language courses at all? 

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Technology: Visual Technology to help students retain information

From SmartBrief. A good overview of how to usual visual technology to help maintain interest and to help students retain information.

Visual technology can keep students engaged and ultimately help them retain information, according to Alice Keeler, teacher and technology coach at California State University at Fresno. "A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when someone is frustrated and struggling, because an image of what they should be looking at is invaluable," said Keller, who uses screen captures in her classroom to show, rather than tell.

You can view the full article here.

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Technology: Word Lens Translation App

Check out the latest translation app, Word Lens. Word Lens can translate the words and language it sees in real time, and is free to download today! This is due to the fact that Google bought the parent company, Quest Visual, and made both the app and within app language packs free.

Word Lens| iTunes App Store P

Word Lens | Google Play Store

You might think that a translation app would be counter productive when it comes to language learning. However, you could actually get a great deal of quality usage out of this in the classroom. This could be used for translation assignments. You could also push the limits of the app and try to find target language content that is normally difficult to translate. This could be used to emphasize the difficult task of balancing literal translation and translating for meaning. What other uses could you see both in and out of the classroom?


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Technology: Implementing One-to-One Computer Programs

From SmartBrief:

Schools implementing one-to-one computer programs should look beyond the technology to set goals in areas such as student engagement, explains Barry Bachenheimer, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for one New Jersey district. In this article, Bachenheimer and other school leaders share the lessons they have learned while implementing such programs, including how best to train teachers, students and parents on new technology.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/04/14/9-lessons-from-1-to-1-pioneers.aspx

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News: Teachers Can Use Technology to Curb Cheating

From SmartBrief, a topic all teachers need to deal with:

Some students today are using the same technology they use to access their electronic textbooks to cheat on tests and other assignments in the classroom. Dorothy Mikuska, a former high-school English teacher and founder of PaperToolsPro, suggests teachers help prevent classroom cheating by creating an "atmosphere of learning and work," rather than testing and scores; teach students how to learn; and help students realize that failure can be a learning opportunity. "Left to their own devices without training wheels, they can fall," she writes.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/04/15/avoiding-classroom-cheating-375/

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Technology: Connected Learning and Today's Classroom

From SmartBrief:

Technology has opened the door to a vast world of information access for students and teachers, high-school teacher and EdTechTeacher instructor Shawn McCusker writes in this blog post. Students in today's connected classrooms can quickly access primary sources online, such as scientific notes, he writes. "In an economy of abundant information, connected students neither need to sit still to access information nor slow themselves to the pace of the teacher or their classmates," McCusker writes. "They are often free to explore and discover -- often at their own pace and on topics of their own choosing."

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/03/how-are-students-roles-changing-in-the-new-economy-of-information/

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Technology: Using Chromebooks to Enhance Instruction

From SmartBrief:

Technology-integration specialist Molly Schroeder and learning specialist Jennifer Baumgarten describe how Chromebooks support collaboration and build trust between students and teachers. Besides encouraging students to complete assignments together using Google Docs, Schroeder and Baumgarten also suggest instructors and pupils explore Google's vast selection of applications and extensions.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/04/make-chromebooks-work-smarter-classroom

While we may not necessarily use Chromebooks in language classrooms there are nevertheless some useful tips applicable to all technology use in the classroom worth checking out here.

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Technology: Using Pinterest to Improve Teaching

From SmartBrief:

An educator in England describes in this blog post five ways teachers can use Pinterest to improve their teaching. Suggestions include using the social network to cultivate lesson plan ideas and teaching resources, implement organization tips and classroom displays, find tools to help manage classroom behavior, create boards to inspire students' work, and network with fellow educators.

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/mar/13/top-tips-pinterest-primary-school-teachers

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Technology: Using Social Media to Create Hands On Experiences

From SmartBrief:

Social media tools, such as Pinterest, can help math students improve their skills, writes Chicago-area middle-school math teacher Pauline Zdonek. In this blog, she outlines how she "pinned" sites to her page for a hands-on project for her students to create math notebooks to store their supplies and resources. To be effective, she suggests using social media for a specific, targeted project and be selective about which content to post, to keep from becoming overwhelmed.

http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/03/14/social-media-as-a-solution/?utm_source=brief

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Technology: Integrating Technology Into The Classroom

From SmartBrief:

The key to developing a technology-based classroom is to do it seamlessly and with a focus on creating an engaging, student-centered learning environment, advises Kristi Martin, a teacher at the University of Texas at Tyler Innovation Academy. Martin in this commentary also writes about the behavioral expectations that should be in place when adopting a technology-based classroom. She offers an example from her school in which students put their devices in the "polite position" when it is time to begin working.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/03/13/technology-classroom-education-411/

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Technology: Media Specialists as Teacher Resources

From SmartBrief:

Media specialists should be the "go to" person for incorporating technology and research skills aligned with the Common Core State Standards into classroom lessons, Maryland middle-school teacher Josh Work writes. In this blog post, he describes how he has collaborated with media specialists on blending technology and offers ideas, such as forming professional learning communities with the media specialist, for sharing ideas. "Media specialists are an amazing building-level resource for anyone that takes the time to collaborate with them," he writes.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/media-specialists-and-common-core-josh-work

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Technology: Using Smartphones in the Classroom

From SmartBrief:

Students in some schools in California are finding more leniency when it comes to using their smartphones in the classroom. In some cases, educators use mobile applications to remind students about assignments, and students use their phones to take photos of lecture notes and reading passages. "There are so many whiz-bang things they can do on their phone, but I want them to realize that they can use this computer in their pocket to do their schoolwork," teacher Louise Colbert said. 

http://www.insidebayarea.com/education/ci_25396070/cell-phones-proving-their-usefulness-classrooms

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Technology: Using Blogs to Enhance Learning

From SmartBrief:
Denise Howell, an Indiana high-school teacher, is using blogs to enhance learning and test preparedness in her English and speech classes. In some cases, students use blogs as a type of journal, she recently explained to school board members, and to share assignments. Students also connect and discuss classwork online. 

http://www.gcdailyworld.com/story/2063514.html

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News: Integrating Technology

From Smart Brief

Technology integration can be a difficult task for some teachers who may be apprehensive, suggests Dutch Tessier, a high-school English and media-literacy teacher, who recently became a technology coach. In this blog post, Tessier suggests teachers approach the process as if they were new to teaching, understand their limitations, acknowledge they will rarely be ahead of the learning curve, make a plan and adapt when necessary.

http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/02/05/tips-on-technology-integration-for-apprehensive-educators/

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News: How will technology affect higher education?

From SmartBrief:

Integration of social media and blended learning are among the top technologies that are expected to transform higher education in the next five years, according to a report released by the New Media Consortium and the Educause Learning Initiative. A panel of 56 experts convened by the two groups concluded that teachers and administrators must learn how to leverage social media across disciplines; find the right mix of online, hybrid and collaborative learning; and expect a shift toward "learning by making and creating rather than from the simple consumption of content."

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/6-technologies-will-change-colleges-in-coming-years-experts-say/50053

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Technology: Top 100 Tools for Learning - 7th Annual Survey

This is a very interesting compilation of tools to use with our students. They provide a guide for using each tool at the end so we can learn to use what we like.

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 from Jane Hart

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Technology: Speaking Activities & Using Technology to Develop Oracy

Hello everyone,
This is a very useful presentation I came across for ideas for speaking activities.
You can use them for any language and adapt them for your level.

Speaking session mmu 25th October 2013 from Isabelle Jones

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