Reading Prompt #3
CUMMINS Ch. 4. TechnologyEGBERT Ch. 3. Developing and Practicing Listening and Speaking Skills
Cummins et al. discussed the pedagocial divide that separates instruction for low-income and for more affluent students. Discuss some of the technology-supported strategies from their chapter. Also comment on one of the examples from Egbert's chapter and describe how computers can assist ELLs with learing and practicing listening and speaking in English.
(Due 2/6/07 before class -- Post answer on own blog, and respond to another students' answer on their blog).
Cummins et al. discussed the clash between transmission-based orientation and inquiry-based orientations to pedagogy. The transmission-based orientation promotes the internalization of curriculum, while the inquiry-based orientations to pedagagogy are aimed at constructing knowledge. As Cummins et al. pointed out, this conflict between these pedagogical practices translates into literacy in the following way: ELLs and low-income students have greater difficulty in reading to learn than in learning to read. I think it sums up the situation really well.
Research suggesst that literacy development lays in combining extensive reading with effective comprehensive strategies. What follows as far as strategies is really nothing more or less than what I have learned about in my reading-writing class (ESL 5053 ?) adding technology to it: engaging prior knowledge, cognitive challenge, creative thinking, reading strategies, and extensive engaged reading. See, again - technology is not an end, but a tool.
That takes me back to the first part of the chapter. What really matters is to use technonolgy wisely. We need to learn how to benefit from what it has to offer.
My favorite example from the Egbert chapter is when the Japanese students are planning to visit the US and they worry that they will not be able to understand spoken English. The teacher uses technology to model the language - situations that students may come across in the US. It is like sampling the language. I can see how it gives support for students and motivate them. Of course, students should never rely too much on such samples. I mean memorizing e.g. dialogues or routines is unlikely to work in real-life situatons.
I feel I have learned a lot from these chapters.
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3 comments:
Hello, Rita
I think both of us got the same idea from Cummins’s chapter that technology is a great tool facilitating learning processes if it is used in the proper ways. It makes me think about how important it is that we as educators know how to evaluate and identify good/bad technology-supported instructions for our learners. I also agree with you that second language learners should not rely too much on sample conversations, but I think the conversations can be used as supplementary materials. In order to get more authentic experiences, the students could get on voice chat or use other alternatives technologies offer.
Rita, that's so very well put! The strategies we have studied in our content and literacy classes are important to keep in mind. For listening practice, students need loads of activities, but practicing with all of one type of input or the other (computer audio examples vs. a social chat)is not sufficient. Having said that, I had a student who was in classes for months and he made steady progress all along, but when he bought a closed-captioning program in English for his T.V., his listening and speaking improved so much! Perhaps that's something this type of technology can offer--simultaneous spoken and written stimuli that enables visual learners to participate more fully. More and more interactive capabilities are popping up every day, and while you and I may see them as something of artificial communication, there is a good chance that our children won't, nor will the next generation of ELLs (the old digital native--digital immigrant reference again). It is so interesting, and I'm glad we are learning to keep up with things, and that we are all so excited to integrate new media into our classes.
Rita, thank you for your response. I also agree with you if you use technology in the proper ways then it is a good tool. It does engage the students in their learning and holds them accountable for their work and you are right motivation a a key component when teaching children they are so easily distracted so keeping them focus is a hard task to do. I think technology is a good tool to keep them busy, there are so many things they can do and find in the web.
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