5 Useful iPad Apps For ESL Students

ipads can be amazing resources to have in the classroom if you know how to use them appropriately to enhance your content.  Here are a 5 ipad apps that are useful for ESL students.

http://edudemic.com/2013/02/5-useful-ipad-apps-for-esl-students/

Challenging Higher-Level Learners

It can be quite a task to challenge those students who have innate higher critical thinking skills.  Below is a link to a few good resources and ideas to help you keep them on their toes.

http://languagemoments.wordpress.com/2013/02/02/challenging-higher-level-learners/

Language Games

Great Website that list some unique language games to use with CLD students.
http://community.eflclassroom.com/profiles/blogs/top-5-favorite-online-language-games?xg_source=activity

NPR STORY: Struggle For Smarts? How Eastern And Western Cultures Tackle Learning

I heard this story this morning on NPR.  I have linked the article and podcast.  It gives great examples on how different cultures celebrate success and set expectations for students.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/12/164793058/struggle-for-smarts-how-eastern-and-western-cultures-tackle-learning

Goanimate.com tutorial

 Use goanimate.com for ESL students to create their own cartoon videos.  It is so simple and they will be totally engaged.  They use their writing skills, creativity and they self assess by listening making sure everything sounds right.  It is very simple.  Give them the website and they will have it figured out in minutes. Here is a short tutorial for those of you who may find this resource intimidating. Don't be afraid just go for it!

World Series Champ makes a Statement about Sterotypes

I thought this article was a great example of a celebrity/professional athlete using their platform to raise awareness in a subtle way.  Go Romo!

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/sergio-romo-dons-thought-provoking-t-shirt-giants-003022090--mlb.html

Animation in the Classroom

     Today I gave my students the opportunity to choose how they wanted to accomplish showing me they mastered a certain learning target.  I gave them a list of resources to use such as prezi.com, sliderocket.com, symbaloo.com, goanimate.com, glogster.com and myhistro.com.  Nearly half of the boys in my class including both of my ESL students chose to make online animation cartoons.  They used goanimate.com and xtranormal.com to create online cartoons to show they knew all the aspects of a certain region of the 13 colonies.  They were totally engaged for two entire days and asked me if they could come in during their enrichment time to work on them.  I was completely amazed at how fast they learned how to use the websites and the level of creativity they showed while managing to include the necessary information.  

     I think this is a great option for ESL students because their are several ways to make your characters speak.  They can type in text, speak in microphone, call in with their cell phones and use their own voice.  This format can boost the confidence of an ESL student and would be useful to use in a transition stage.  Let your students give this a try, I think you will be amazed at what they come up with.

Websites/Resources

www.goanimate.com

www.xtranormal.com