Global Collaboration

The newest wave of educational services includes connecting with people on a global basis. The site ePals offers a safe, school friendly method of collaboration. "ePals Clubhouse is a safe place for kids to connect with one another; share and read their favorite books; write and publish their own stories; play fun and educative games; and create their own art...School administrators can rest easy knowing that ePals SchoolMail365™ is a safe and protected space for student interactions. Educators can manage and monitor what students see, whom they communicate with and how they interact." It has tools that a teacher could bring into their classroom, enriching the learning experience for the students. "Teachers use the free ePals Global Classroom to create real world, culturally- enriching learning experiences for their students." Their tools can be used to enhance the curriculum. There are a few key tools that caught my eye when looking through the site:


-Cricket /Cobblestone - Both of these publishers are an online book, eBook, toy, and magazine ordering tool. They have theme packs for varying ages and grades that teachers can use. If the school or an individual has wishes to go digital, there are "interactive games, music, and more" that can be used with such a subscription.


-in2books- "In2Books brings the Common Core Standards to life with a safe motivating online curriculum that matches students with adult eMentors. Students get authentic experience purposefully reading books with eMentors and sharing ideas about important issues via online letters." This program is only available in the States currently. It is a nice enhancement to the lessons occurring in the classroom.


-Junior Folklorist Challenge- This is a project/competition that aligns with the Common Core and allows for creativity. Students will need to research, document, interpret, and present information about the folklore that they have identified within their community.

This website seems to be a valuable resource to reinforce and/or enhance lessons for students. I could see myself using the ePals clubhouse and the SchoolMail365. Working with middle-schoolers, not a lot of them have emails outside of school. This would be a safe alternative to a generic email address. I would use it to communicate updates, reminders, etc. outside of school time. As far as the ePals clubhouse, it's an area for students to have fun with. Without some fun, lessons become boring and repetitive. If the school district was willing to pay for a subscription, Cricket and Cobblestone could be extremely useful at multiple levels.

The modern classroom: Utilizing technology in an increasingly technological world

As the picture on the left depicts, many classrooms are moving towards using the various forms of technology available; from Ipads and other tablet devices, to smart boards and other interactive boards. So, why are the various forms of social media so important to use in classrooms? How can devices such as cell phones be utilized for learning instead of hidden away? The following videos examine these increasingly important questions.


The video Social Media Revolution (2011) gives a variety of statistics about social media that may be shocking to some. Essentially, it shows the role that social media plays in our lives, from keeping connected with friends to making/breaking relationships, and beyond. One such statistic is that "If Facebook were its own country, it'd be the world's 3rd largest." If teachers are able to harness the fact that social media plays such an important role in students' lives, it can be another outlet for growth and presentation of materials for a classroom setting.

Another video is Classroom of Tomorrow (2012). This video demonstrates some of the ways that various devices can be utilized. Everything from personal smart phones to tablets, they are utilized to perform different functions like helping with a presentation, finding out information, and recording different activities. Since most students, not all, have smart phones or some smart device, why not utilize that students love to use in a classroom setting?  I think that this video also shows the lack of human interaction that can result from an overuse of technology as well. A careful balance has to be set-up, and the teacher would be responsible for maintaining that balance.

Ultimately, technology is the wave of the now, future, and beyond. If teachers of any discipline can tap into the learning potential that these devices provide, the impact in learning could be great. The jobs that current and future students will have will require extensive use of technology, so exposing students early not only can benefit them in the immediate classroom, but also help their futures. Word to the wise though, make sure to maintain a healthy balance between technological and human interactions.


Here are some more ways that technology can be used in a classroom setting:

Blogging as a classroom tool

Part of teaching is coming up with creative ways to engage students in the lessons that you are teaching, while at the same time upholding the learning standards. Technology is moving to the forefront of the educational experience, so it is important to keep up-to-date and utilize it in the classroom when available. I will focus on how blogging can meet the LOTE NYS standards, but these concepts can also be applied in an ESL classroom.

The power of having a voice in one's own learning is irreplaceable experience. This is why blogging is such a valuable tool. It is a creative outlet regardless of the content required, and allows for a certain amount of freedom. It can be used to create or reflect on certain lessons. In an L2 classroom, it can be used in a variety of ways to meet a variety of checkpoints under Standards 1 and 2 based on the NYSED:LOTE Standards. The standards of reading and writing and effective communication  are easily met if a blog lesson is correctly set up. 

One way that blogging can be utilized in the upper levels can be in regards to reflecting on readings that are done. This gives students the chance to articulate their thoughts, add graphics, and other information to back up their thoughts. This is also a great opportunity for those students who hold back on sharing their thoughts in class for whatever reason. It’s an alternate outlet for them to express said opinions, providing an area for their thoughts to be heard. This can be done for individual reading assignments, so students are continually producing language and finding their voice. It allows creativity in the fact that it is the students’ opinions on a certain topic. Expressing an opinion definitely falls under Standard 1:

·       READING & WRITING are used in languages other than English for the purposes of socializing, providing and acquiring information, expressing personal feelings and opinions, and getting others to adopt a course of action.

Another way that blogging can be utilized, is when learning about a specific cultural phenomenon, reflective blogging occurs. Even in an L2 classroom at the lower levels, students are constantly learning about various cultural elements of the language that they are learning. For example, the differences between schooling systems. Even in the beginning L2 levels, a reflective blog can be started. If your students don’t possess the language abilities to blog in the L2, they can still reflect in English. Without the understanding of the culture they are learning, the language becomes almost meaningless. This falls under Standard 2:

·         EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION involves meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, and family and community dynamics. All of these elements can affect whether and how well a message is received.