Kim Gates: What’s new and exciting in the world of online technologies?

Posted on November 17, 2011 by kgates1

The Internet is home to millions & millions of sites: some with educational value and some without it. Some sites purport to have everything from ways to connect to old friends and colleagues, to ways to find the secret of youth! How do you know what’s valuable & what’s not? How do you stay up-to-date with emerging sites, and is ‘newer’ always ‘better?’

While not necessarily “new,” Twitter is a great way to stay connected to reputable organizations like Florida Literacy Coalition, ACE of Florida, FL TechNet, GED Testing Service, and more! (Not quite sure what Twitter is or what a “tweet” means? Check out this short Common Craft video explanation!) While you don’t need to be a member to view various tweats, membership is free & allows you to select who you want to “follow” (which means those organizations’ messages come directly to you & you don’t need to go searching for them). Twitter is also a great way to connect to your colleagues (both in & out of the state), your current students, and even potential students! Think of it as allowing you to see & be seen all within 140 characters at a pop!

What would you (or your students) prefer: reading about how to do something or seeing & hearing about how to do it via video? Khan Academy is amazing! Their website boasts “With a library of over 2,700 videos covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and 238 practice exercises, we’re on a mission to help you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace.” My favorite part is the math! Everything from arithmetic to developmental math to pre-algebra and more can be found there for free! (In case you’re wondering, Khan Academy has received donations from The Gates Foundation and won Google’s Project 10¹⁰⁰ of ideas to change the world.)

Do you ever wish you could participate in professional development without actually having to go somewhere to do it? To borrow part of the Florida Virtual School’s motto, what if professional development could be “any time, any place?” The good news is that it can be! Florida TechNet’s Moodle site has free one hour modules. There’s something for everyone: administrators and instructors! Topics include ABE, GED, ESOL, LD, Learning Technologies, Corrections, Literacy, and more!

While these sites may not be ‘new’ to the Internet, hopefully they are ‘new’ to you! Explore them and enjoy them!!

English Language Learners and Technology

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Florida Literacy Coalition

Technology has significantly aided in the advancement of English language learners. From interfaces and tools to help in the learning process, to resources for teachers, to communication, technology has made it easier for language learners to better integrate into their new country. In today’s world, technology is instrumental in teaching and learning English, and adapting to the demands of the culture.

Translation sites and tools have made it easier for learners to understand words or phrases found on the internet. In Google translate, users can input any text and get a fairly accurate translation for what it means. Although at times it might be off in the meaning, since its assuming context, the definition provided is fairly close to the translation. Several websites also have the option to translate the page. While this doesn’t exactly help with learning, it helps those not familiar with the language to find locations for ESL classes or other places in the case of an emergency.

The internet is also filled with resources for ESL teachers and activities for students. Interactive games help students learn English because it is using a different method of learning. Students can find activities to practice in their spare time and the computer is able to correct things they got wrong (instead of memorizing the wrong thing). Teachers are also able to find lesson plans, brainstorm with other teachers, and download additional resources with the wide assortment of ESL websites. It is one of the best tools teachers can use when trying to find additional curriculum since learning English is a very popular subject. Here are some good websites for teacher/student resources:

FLC ESOL Tutor Help Center

Center for Adult Education Language Acquisition

English Page.com

Thirteen EdOnline

Using technology has become increasingly necessary to advance in economically in the United States. The GED will be computer based in a couple of years, most jobs only seek applicants online or through a computer, and several jobs require basic computer skills. Technology is also becoming the dominant mode of communication. Hundreds of millions of people use social media to find jobs, keep in touch with friends, and stay up to date with current events. If you are working with someone who is new to the country, incorporating digital literacy in your curriculum will help your student on multiple levels. Try different word activities using the computer. Teach your student how they can hear how words sound using a computer. There are many ways you can do this and it is becoming increasingly important that you try.

Erika Greene and FLC’s Online Tutor Training Course

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Florida Literacy Coalition

Erika Greene

How did you get involved with this project?

I was very pleased to be invited by Greg Smith, Director, FLC, to join an Online Study Committee established to explore the viability of developing and offering on-line training for potential tutors and teachers. The team worked together and launched the pilot online training in July 2010. As the Literacy Coordinator for the Lake County Library System Adult Literacy Program I am constantly recruiting and training volunteer tutors and I was immediately sold on the opportunity to incorporate an online tutor training component into our program.

Why were you interested in facilitating the course?

Being part of the study committee, a program coordinator, and volunteer tutor trainer it was a natural transition to facilitate the pilot course! I was extremely excited to be able to participate in the online training – not only would I be able to see how it worked but I would be able to provide feedback, input, and guide the new volunteer tutors from Lake County as they traversed this new territory!

What was your interaction with course participants?

I was involved with the new volunteer tutors from the very beginning – recruiting, preparing and educating them on the online training program, providing support and guidance as they worked through the course content, participating in the discussion board topics, and transitioning them to our required face-to-face follow up meeting.

What would you suggest for other facilitators?

It is so very important to be engaged with the volunteer tutors throughout the process. For some individuals the ‘technology’ can be overwhelming and, at times, discouraging for them. If you are planning on facilitating your own online training be prepared to be busy! But the rewards far outweigh the work. You learn so much about your new potential volunteer tutors and they develop a strong relationship with you as they learn they can trust and depend on you to offer them assistance and support throughout the process.

How do you recruit course participants?

Recruiting volunteer tutors for the online training is similar to the traditional way I recruited tutors. The only difference is that I stress the need for new volunteers to be comfortable with technology – or at least willing to try and learn! As the LCLS Adult Literacy Program moves further into the 21^st Century we, as a program, need tutors who use and/or are willing to be trained to use technology – hardware, software, the cloud, mobile aps, web-based learning, etc... The FLC online training is the first step in this process.

For more information on how you can be involved with FLC’s free online training course, please contact schmidta@floridaliteracy.org.

Apps for Education

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Florida Literacy Coalition

Smart phones are becoming increasingly popular. Now that they are becoming more affordable, it is not that uncommon to see people in every economic bracket with one. The PEW Research Center has completed surveys about the demographics of smart phone users.

I heard about using cell phones as a tool during tutor training at the Adult Literacy League. But after the trainer explained how she came to it, it made complete sense. Her student wanted to practice the new words he was learning, but didn’t want to be embarrassed as a grown man using flash cards. After many trail and error experiments, they found an application that would work well for both of them. I decided to compile a list of 4-5 applications for the most popular smart phones. I suggest that you try out a couple and see what works for your student. The gFlash allows you as the tutor to upload a list of words for your student to use, or you can download a list already made by someone else. All of the Dictionary.com applications include audio so users can see how the word is spelled and hear how it is pronounced. Is there anything else you would add?

IPHONE

Flash cards + $0.99 English Voice download- FREE
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flashcards/id408490162?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

Dictionary.com (includes pronunciation button) – FREE
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dictionary.com-flashcards/id446342262?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

Math games- FREE
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-math-flash-cards-app/id412496588?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

World Lens (Translates street signs) – FREE
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/01/07/10-of-the-best-apps-for-education/2/?

Top 50 iPhone apps for Educators
http://oedb.org/library/features/top_50_iphones_for_educators

ANDROID

Spanish-English Dictionary ColorDict Dictionary- FREE
http://tech4world.net/the-best-android-applications-for-education.html

Math Wizard- FREE
http://www.appsnews.org/2010/06/mathwizard-android-app-review/

gFlash (create your own flashcards)- FREE
http://www.androidapp101.com/gflash-android-app-1381.html

Dictionary.com(includes pronunciation button)- FREE
http://www.androidapp101.com/dictionary-com-flashcards-android-app-2161.html

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