Exploring and Exploiting the Internet:
Concepts and Practices for Teaching ESOL

Michael Krauss
Institute for the Study of American Language and Culture,(ISALC)
Lewis & Clark College

http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/pccworkshopfall2000/home.html

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Presentation Outline

This workshop is designed to present important concepts and effective practices for integrating the Internet into the ESOL classroom. The question/answer format is included to help guide you to areas of the site which are most relevant to your particular teaching situation.

The Questions:

• Question 1: What holds you back from making more use of the Internet in your teaching?
  
  
• Question 2: Does it really matter if I incorporate the Internet into my teaching?
  
  
• Question 3: How can the Internet make English teaching and learning more effective?
  
  
• Question 4: What can I do in order to feel more confident using the Internet with my students?
  
  
• Question 5: ESOL programs have a wide variety of curriculum models and students with varying language abilities. Where can I find Web resources to fit all these needs?
  
  
• Question 6: My courses usually follow the format and sequence of the textbooks we are using. Are there textbooks which have Web sites or Web activities to accompany them?
  
  
• Question 7: My class is generally organized around topics or themes. Is there a "low-tech" way to incorporate Web-based lessons to supplement the textbook and other traditional materials we are using now?
  
  
• Question 8: We offer content-based courses as a vehicle for learning language. What Internet resources are available to support this teaching model and how can I develop my own Web-based materials?
  
  
• Question 9: With the Internet becoming more affordable and broadband access becoming more prevalent, how will this change CALL pedagogy in the new millennium?
  
  
• Question 10: What literacy skills will I need to teach my students so that they can successfully participate in the information technology society?
  
  
• Next Steps: Homework!
  
  
• Workshop Evaluation

There was a doctor, a civil engineer, and a computer scientist sitting around late one evening, and they got to discussing which was the oldest profession. The doctor pointed out that according to Biblical tradition, God created Eve from Adam's rib. This obviously required surgery, so therefore that was the oldest profession in the world. The engineer countered with an earlier passage in the Bible that stated that God created order from the chaos, and that was most certainly the biggest and best civil engineering example ever, and also proved that his profession was the oldest profession. The computer scientist leaned back in her chair, and with a sly smile responded, "Yes, but who do you think created the chaos?"

-Author unidentified. Posted at the Wall of Jokes: http://wallofjokes.te-c.net/Computer/ComHumor.shtml

**Your turn now!** Discussion: This joke implies that computers cause chaos. Do you view the Internet this way?

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Consider this information gleaned from Millennialism and Media: Language, Literacy, and Technology in the 21st Century by Mark Warschauer (keynote address delivered at the World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Tokyo, August, 1999.)

• The Internet is changing the concept of literacy. It has taken the World Wide Web only 4 years to achieve an audience of 50 million users. Compare to radio (38 years), personal computers (16 years), television (13 years)
  
• There are likely to be 700 million Internet users in the world within the next 3 years. That is over 10% of the world's population.
  
• In 1998, in the U.S. alone, the total number of EMail messages sent equaled 10,000 for every man, woman and child in the country.
  
• The majority of business documents in the world are no longer printed.
  
• The growth of the Web is a world-wide phenomenon. The fastest growth is outside the U.S. in countries like China, Egypt and Indonesia. China will have more Internet users than Japan, Germany, France, or any other country but the U.S. by 2005.

Based on these facts, it is clear that in an extremely brief time, there has been a transition from a literacy based on paper to a literacy based on the screen. Consider the skills required for effective reading from the screen:

• Being able to find information to read (searching the Internet, on-line databases, etc.)
  
• Being able to evaluate the worthiness of the materials once it is located
  
• Being able to decide whether or not to pursue links, when to return to the original page, and whether to seek out additional sources
  
• Deciding if certain information needs to be saved or catalogued, and in electronic or printed form.

The Internet has also transformed the notion of writing. Consider the skills that are being required of writers in the Internet age:

• Being able to combine text, graphics, audio and video into multimedia documents
  
• Being able to create and to communicate effectively using hypertext (Web pages)
  
• Being able to write for a heterogeneous audience of readers on the World Wide Web
  
• Using effective communication strategies (discourse and pragmatic) in a variety of on-line contexts (individual Email, Email lists, Bulletin Boards, Chat, etc.).

**Your turn now!** Discussion: Should this information affect the way you approach teaching English to your students? If so, how?

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Treat this as a survey. Based on your experience teaching ESL, write "Agree" or "Disagree" or "No opinion." next to each of these statements.

1. Motivation is the single most important ingredient for successful learning.
2. Students will learn English more effectively when they study materials which are intellectually stimulating, relevant to their lives, and within or just beyond their current level of linguistic competence.
3. Collaboration among students will increase the effectiveness and relevancy of the learning process.
4. Giving students the opportunity for increased meaningful practice will facilitate their acquisition of the target language.
5. Students learn English most effectively when they use it as a vehicle for studying content.
6. ESL students prefer to use materials which are up to date and rich in multimedia content.
7. Teachers can be more effective if they are able to present materials/activities to learners which appeal to a variety of learning styles.
8. Students are more motivated to learn when they have some stake in the materials they will study and the projects they will undertake.
9. Students will be more motivated to write if they have a real and varied audience.
10. The learning environment will be enhanced if there is a rough balance in participation among class members.

• The Web-based Education Commission completed its year long study, which culminated in a report issued December 19, 2000, The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice. This report is available for download in text or .pdf format. There is also a RealAudio broadcast of its findings. Recognizing the promise of Web-based learning in all educational environments, the report emphasizes that teacher training is crucial in determining its ultimate educational value.
  
  
• For recent articles discussing the effectiveness of using computers and the Internet in teaching, see The Secretary's Conference on Educational Technology Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology, Washington, D.C., July 12-13, 1999 at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/TechConf/1999/index.html
  
  
• For an article discussing the motivational aspects of computer use, see Motivational Aspects of Using Computers for Writing and Communication, Warschauer, 1996, Second Language Teaching & Curriculum Center at http://www.lll.hawaii.edu/nflrc/NetWorks/NW1/NW01.html

**Your turn now!** Discussion: Will incorporating technology into your teaching help you to achieve the objectives represented by the "Agree" statements above?

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• Keep basic principles in mind when helping your students use computers. Very down to earth suggestions by Phil Agre, Department of Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.
  
  
• Improve your basic technology skills and knowledge of Internet resources.
  • If you can, take an intensive course such as "Integrating the Internet into the Classroom" (this is a plug for the 3-week online course I teach). You'll be able to cover in depth, with an instructor and fellow teachers, the concepts and practices touched on in this workshop (end of bald self - promotion <smile>)
    
    
  • Excellent and up-to-date tutorials covering Basic Internet (including use of various browsers), Research Guides, Search Engines and Subject Directories from the University at Albany Library.
    
    
  • Deborah Healey's "Technology Tips" - not only covers many basic technology "how to" questions, but focuses on direct application to ESL teaching. A real treasure!
    
    
  • Get a handle on the content of the Internet. Breaking the Internet into "chunks" can make it more manageable. Tom March categorizes the Web into References, Resources, Lessons, Tools, Projects, and Activities in his article, "Working the Web for Education." Here's an online quiz you can take to check your understanding of the concepts in the articles. (Answer key: Don't peek yet!)
    
    
  • Have access to a "stockpile" of Internet resources for both content-based instruction and skills practice. You may want to check these out first before going to your favorite search engine.
    • Education Information Centers - "Human-picked" directories of annotated and graded resources
      
      
    • Content-rich Sites - High quality, interactive sites that are fertile ground for content-based activities
      
      
    • ESL-Specific Collections - Lists of links specifically for ESL students doing content-based work.
      
      
    • ESL Independent Study Lab - Over 150 links to high-quality sites, annotated and categorized by language level, for Listening, Reading, Writing, Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, TOEFL, and Fun&Games.
      
      
    • Tower Tipsheet Archives - How about a "grab bag" of Web sites with ideas for activities suitable for use with second language learners? Here is the Tower Tip that came just before Thanksgiving (send an electronic postcard to a friend saying what you have to be thankful for). To receive a daily Tower Tip in your Email, go to the Tower Tipsheet Home Page and enter your EMail address. That's it!
      
      
    • English-to-Go Instant Lesson - Every week there is a new newspaper story, complete with language exercises and an answer key. (difficulty varies weekly from elementary to upper intermediate). You can print these off to use in class or have students access them online, print them, and complete them for homework. This is a free service. There is an extensive archive that can be accessed for $30 for a four month subscription. Enter your EMail address at the site and be notified of the content of the free weekly lesson.
      
      
  • You will also want to devise the best methods for collecting and sharing Web sites within your program, both with your colleagues and with your students. A system of folders containing bookmarks, accessible from a campus server, has worked very well for the ISALC at Lewis & Clark College. Other options are covered in this 1999 Tech Tip, "Preserving What You've Found Online."
    
    
  • "Designing Lesson Plans That Incorporate Technology" - from Deb Healey. Have a look at a template for designing technology-based lessons as well as a sample lesson. Download this template, open it in a word processor, modify it to your liking and use it for your lesson planning.
    
    
  • Develop the ability to quickly find things on the Internet. My biased opinion on search engines: Google is the best, hands down! Google also now contains a directory, for those who prefer looking at sites by category, selected by real people. First, spend a few minutes to read and practice the few simple rules for using Google. (Basic rules are in your handout).
    • If you have specialized searching needs and Google doesn't help, check out this nifty grid listing different search engines especially suited to specific search tasks.

    **Your turn now!** Try out your search skills on this Scavenger Hunt. (Here's the answer key--don't peek!)
    
    

  • Evaluation of Web sites is an important (and challenging) issue which takes two forms:
    • Choosing sites to use with students: Once you find sites, it is helpful to have a tool (rubric) for evaluating whether this site will fit your teaching objectives. This "Site Evaluation Form" is from the Oregon Public Education Network (OPEN). It is not designed specifically for ESL students, so you'll want to mentally add a component for linguistic/cultural suitability.
      
      
    • Helping students learn to evaluate sites for worthiness and appropriateness for their purpose. This includes determining what kind of site it is (informational, business, advocacy, etc.) and whether the site meets basic criteria in the areas of authority, accuracy, currency, etc. Here are materials/activities you can use (and modify for use with students) to develop critical evaluation skills.
      
      
  • Learn from those who regularly use technology in their teaching. Two discussion lists to join are TESLCA-L and Neteach-L. After signing up, send a message to the list asking to receive your messages in "digest" form. All daily messages will be compiled into one Email message sent to you daily. Click here for instructions on subscribing to either of these lists.
    
    • Neteach-L Moo Sessions - Join upcoming real-time online discussions, moderated by Greg Younger, focusing on using the Internet in ESL teaching. You'll learn to use an Internet tool (SchMOOze) as you communicate with experienced Net teachers. Next session will be January 3 & 4, 2001. See future topics. There is also a "Tech Tip" with suggestions for using SchMOOze with ESL students.
      
      
  • To get a sense of the types of discussions that have occurred on TESLCA-L and to read an interesting discussion by ESOL practitioners regarding the usefulness of using the Internet in the classroom see the TESL-EJ article, "Taking Stock: Assessing Five Years of Internet in the EFL/ESL Classroom." (This compilation is based on practice as it existed in 1996 and is very interesting to read in light of the changes that have occurred--what has changed and what has not!)
    
    
  • Take advantage of the huge number of resources already published on the Web dealing with teaching ESOL. These online resources deal both with traditional and computer-based ESOL teaching. An excellent place to begin is the ERIC/CLL Resource Guides Online -"Internet Resources for Teachers of English as a Second Language" by Rennie and Marcos, June 1999.

**Your turn now!** Peruse the above section and investigate the links that are most useful for you. Then come back together and share any "gems" you found with the large group.

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The Internet can be used to supplement what teachers do in the classroom, regardless of curriculum model. Rather than thinking of revamping a curriculum in order to use the Internet, think of ways the Internet can be used to enhance what you are already doing with your students, within your particular curricular framework.

As mentioned previously, it's very helpful to have access to a "stockpile" of Web resources. One very helpful resource, the ESL Independent Study Lab (ESL-ISL) is a "links page" that contains over 150 links to high-quality sites and is organized by skill area. Within each skill area, sites are ranked from 100-400 with 100 being a "false beginner" and 400 being advanced. You will notice that some of the Web sites in the ESL-ISL are purely skills-based exercises/quizzes, etc. and are of short duration. Others link to Web-based activities and lend themselves to use with theme-based or content-based curricular models and may be of longer duration. The ESL-ISL can be used in class or by the students independently, either in a computer lab or from home.

• Note: At the ESL-ISL, look for these arrows to point out sites we'll be focusing on.
• Note: Activities with a (green ball "Interact") invite students to answer follow-up writing activities; their writing is then posted to the Lab. Feel free to try out any of those activities.
• Note: When you access the ESL-ISL, open a second browser window by choosing "New Navigator" from the "File" menu. Switch back and forth between the ESL-ISL and this page by using the "Communicator" menu.
  

Before you begin your exploration, look at Greg Kaminski's presentation at the League for Innovation Conference. This will give you some brief examples showing how Web resources can be turned into creative, pedagogically sound activities in ESOL classes. Many of the Web sites in his sample activities can be found in the ESL-ISL. This should help get you going! An excellent source of lesson plans that integrate technology into a variety of curriculum areas is NETS (National Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and Technology) published by ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)

**Your turn now!** Let's have a look at one of the sites from Greg's presentation: ExploreScience.com Multimedia Activities and we'll look at the activity: The Density Lab. You have a copy of a teacher's handout to look at. Would this be an interesting activity for your students? Would it teach them any computing skills? Would it teach them any language skills? Can you think of a follow-up activity to facilitate additional language learning? What preparation or additional handouts would you make to get students ready to do this assignment?

**Your turn now!** Explore the sites listed below (or choose others if you like) with a colleague with whom you share similar teaching objectives and similar student populations. As you look at sites together, brainstorm ways that the resources could be integrated into your classroom. Each of you should find one site you could use with your students. Enter you ideas into the Idea Center. If you look at sites with a (green ball "Interact"), go ahead and complete the activity. Would that activity be of interest to your students?

As you discuss, keep these considerations in mind: 

• What skills (computer and classroom management) do I need in order to use this Web resource?
  
  
• What language skills do my students need to effectively use this Web resource?
  
  
• What computing skills (keyboarding, browsing, finding, evaluating) do my students need to effectively use this Web resource?
  
  
• What computer equipment do my students need to effectively use this resource? (e.g. computer lab, single computer, projection system, laptop v. desktop computer, speakers, headphones, discussion space away from computers, etc.)
  
  
• What is the most effective technique for presenting this resource to the class? (e.g. teacher-fronted presentation, students working at individual computers, students gathered around one computer with large monitor, students working in pairs, students working in small groups, etc.)
  

Internet use by skill area: 

• Reading - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Reading" link.)
  • Reading 100-200 
    • Current News and Lessons (low intermediate to intermediate) 
    • Imagination Voyages (low intermediate to advanced)
    • Reading Exercises Using ISALC Student Compositions (beginner to advanced) 
    • Castaway (intermediate to upper intermediate)
      
  • Reading 300-400 
    • Educational Web Adventures - Build-A-Prairie or Watershed Game (upper intermediate to advanced) 
    • Who's Who and What's What? - NY Times Quiz (upper intermediate to advanced)
      
      
• Listening - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Listening" link.) 
  • Randall's Cyber Listening Lab (All levels)
  • CNN Learning Resources (first click the link for "instructions" and follow those steps when reviewing the site). (intermediate to advanced)
  • Stirling University's EFL Listening Pages
    
    
• Vocabulary - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Vocabulary" link.) 
  • Interesting Things for ESL Students (beginner to advanced)
  • Interactive ESL Practice (PCC) - (low intermediate to intermediate)
  • Little Explorer's Picture Dictionary (low intermediate to advanced - depending on level of site explored)
    
    
• Grammar - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Grammar" link.)
  • Eye on Grammar (beginner to very advanced)
  • Guide to Grammar and Writing (Darling)(beginner to advanced) 
  • English Language Centre Study Zone (beginner to advanced) 
  • Grammar Tutorials (Monash University) (upper intermediate to advanced) 
  • Web Concordancer (upper intermediate to advanced)
    
    
• Pronunciation - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Pronunciation" link.) 
  • An ESL Pronunciation Page 1 and 2 (Richard Williams) (beginner to advanced)
  • English Pronunciation (Okanagan University)
    
    
• TOEFL - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "TOEFL" link.) 
  • Online Testing Center.com - Free practice TOEFL tests, but must sign up (intermediate to advanced)
  • English Test Prep - Sample questions are free. Reasonable fee for program access to 700+ questions (intermediate to advanced)
    
    
• Fun & Games - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Fun & Games" link.)
  • Changing Illusions (beginner to advanced)
  • Conjurer Magic Tricks (low intermediate to advanced
  • I Can Guess Your Age. . . (beginner to advanced)
  • Quia (beginner to advanced)
  • Sprocketworks (beginner to advanced)
  • Who Wants To Win A Million Dollars? (low intermediate - if done in a small group - to advanced ).
  • Tests, Tests, Tests! (intermediate to advanced)
    
    
• Writing - ESL Independent Study Lab (Click on the "Writing" link.)
  • Dave's ESL Cafe Discussion Center (All levels)
  • Electronic Postcards (All levels)

Additional resources to support Writing - "Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum: Internet/Computer Writing Resources for a Content-Based Curriculum." is an extensive resource for using computers in writing (desktop and Internet resources) from my 1998 TESOL presentation.

• Email - Given the ubiquitous nature of EMail, students cannot be considered literate if they don't have a command of the mechanics of sending, receiving, and archiving EMail. Using Email to correspond with students regarding program requirements, classroom assignments, and events on and off campus gives them real-life practice using this medium. Email can also be used to support excellent language learning activities.
  
   
• Computer Conferencing - Computer conferencing encourages more egalitarian participation among students. Teachers can also set up their own individualized Discussion Boards or Email lists as learning tools for their classes. There are a variety of free services now available.
  • Here are some examples showing how I have used computer conferencing (usually asynchronously - not in real-time) in my classes at Lewis & Clark College.
    
     
  • WebCT conference (Click here). Then click "Log on to My WebCT" Then enter "esl1" and "esl2" respectively for your login and password. Click on ESL 211 to see a lower level ESL session. Click on ESL 412 to see a higher level ESL session. **Your turn now!** Try a short computer conference yourself.
    
    
• Creative Writing - There are excellent materials online to encourage second language learners to write creatively. Leslie Opp-Beckman's PIZAZZ -"People Interested in Zippy and ZAny Zcribbling" has excellent materials which can be printed out and are ready to use! Here are some sample "Diamante" (Diamond) poems my students produced using these materials. (Beginning Level) (Advanced Level)

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Question 6: My courses usually follow the format and sequence of the textbooks we are using. Are there textbooks which have Web sites or Web activities to accompany them?

Publishers are beginning to ask textbook authors to include "companion Web sites." Currently, the quality and scope of those companion Web sites vary greatly. Here are a few examples:

• Dave Sperling's, Internet Activity Workbook has a companion Web site, which is an integral part of the text, incorporating "keypals" as a critical component. The workbook is especially designed to include themes which are covered in many ESOL textbooks, making it useful as a supplementary text. Have a look at Chapter 10 (you have a handout for it).
  
  
• _Springboard_ by Oxford University Press is a two volume, topics-based conversation and listening textbook authored by Jack Richards. The companion Web site is fully developed and contains reading passages (very short) and Web activities for each chapter topic. The Web site materials (some authorized for printing) are open to all, whether or not you have purchased the textbook.
  
  
• The _Oxford Picture Dictionary_ has a companion Web site and Unit 1 (Weather) contains excellent Web-based support activities. The author, Susan Gaer, is hopeful that additional units will be published soon.
  
  
• The Tapestry series by Heinle and Heinle has a Web site. This consists mainly of online quizzes and CNN video transcripts to accompany the texts.

**Your turn now!** - With a partner, look at the handout for Chapter 10 of Dave Sperling's Internet Activity Workbook. Have a look at the resources in the "companion Web site" that support this chapter. Could this text be used in any of the classes you are teaching? Does it trigger any ideas for using Web resources in your classes? If you have an idea, be sure and submit it to the "Idea Center".

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Even if the textbook you are using does not have a "companion Web site," you can collect sources from the Internet and integrate them into Web-based lessons which fit the themes you are studying in your classes. One way to do this, without authoring pages yourself for the Web, is to use templates created with a word processor.

In your handout: take a look at "ThemesPlus", an M.S. Word-based template and a lesson, "Food-One of Life's Pleasures", which I created using the template. You may also download the "ThemesPlus" template and the "Food-One of Life's Pleasures" lesson.
Note: Open them by opening M.S. Word first. Then choose "Open. . ." from the "File" menu.

I designed these templates to give students practice in all the language skill areas as they study a particular theme and, at the same time, to get experience exploring the Web, looking at sites that will help them in their everyday lives. I've created these templates for you to use. Please modify them to meet your needs! I would also appreciate your feedback after you've field tested these templates. Thanks!

**Your turn now!** Click here to download the "Food-One of Life's Pleasures" lesson. Open the lesson in MSWord and work on it for fifteen to twenty minutes. Discuss any questions or comments you have with the class or post them to the Q&A Center.

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The Internet is an extremely valuable resource for supporting content-based teaching. By it's nature, the Internet is one of the best sources for current information, often presented in an interactive format, and perhaps unavailable from a traditional textbook.

• As mentioned previously, it is very helpful to have an efficient system so faculty can save and categorize Internet resources when they find them and make them easily accessible to students. Also, having a repository of content-rich Web sites at hand is a plus. Seeing a detailed example of a content course which relies heavily on Internet resources may give you some ideas you can use. See Diversity and Civil Rights in the U.S.
  
  
• One of the best ways to integrate Web resources into content courses is to use the "Activity Formats" described by Tom March and Bernie Dodge, which include Hotlists, Subject Samplers Multimedia Scrapbooks, Treasure Hunts, and WebQuests. These "Activity Formats" can be created with "click 'n build" Websites. The teacher collects the Web resources, then fills in blanks at the "click 'n build" site of her choice. The result is a Web-based activity, posted to a Web server (no need for a server at the teacher's institution). For a complete discussion of where to find these resources and how to create them yourself, see "Let's Create Web-based Learning Activities", a presentation at ORTESOL 2000.
  • **Your turn now!** Take a quiz now if you want to learn a little more about the Web-based "Activity Formats" and experience a quiz created at a "click 'n build" site. Click here and then type, "Workshop Quiz". The results of this little test will be sent to me--pressure's on! (This quiz was created with Quia --see below).
    
    
• Click 'n Build Web sites - There are a growing number of these available, and they can be used to generate a variety of games and puzzles, as well as quizzes. How about having students use "click 'n build" Web sites to create their own quizzes (great practice with question formation!) or puzzles and games covering content materials you are studying in class.
  • Quia - A very easy to use, free service that allows you to create online games and quizzes as well as your own home page. You must register to use the tools, but it is a one minute process. You can create games (matching, flashcard, concentration and/or word search, pop-ups, jumbled words, hangman, challenge board, rags to riches, ordered list, picture perfect, or scavenger hunt). The formats are quite easy to follow. The Scavenger Hunt is like a Treasure Hunt, though there is no facility for entering a comprehensive, wrap-up question (but you could provide that separately, of course). Multiple choice quizzes are *very* easy to create. You can also create a "quiz session" in which students log into your quiz, complete the questions, and Quia automatically grades the quizzes and tracks students' progress.
    
    
  • **Your turn now!** Look at these Quia-created ESOL activities by Doug Jones. Here is a quick jumble exercise I created in five minutes on "The Parts of a Computer." Try out Quia --just create an account and build a quick quiz or puzzle! Report your progress to the group or post a note to the Idea Center or Q&A Center.
    
    
• Web editors - Although there are those who maintain that Web pages should be created from scratch and teachers should all be well versed in HTML, this has certainly become the minority view. The Web editor is the main tool for the teacher who wants flexibility and speed in creating Web-based materials. There are a variety of editors available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Netscape Composer is free. Claris Home Page can be downloaded free (30 day use). Dreamweaver has a free demo. MS Front Page has a 45 day free trial. If you have access to a Web editor and don't know how to use it, there are often tutorials available online (sometimes better than the documentation that comes with the software!). Here are tutorials for Netscape Composer 4.5, Claris Home Page v.3.0, Dreamweaver v.3.0, and MS FrontPage 2000.
  • 
    
    Gohtm.com - Do you have documents you've previously created that you'd like to automatically convert to HTML? Mac and PC users can now instantly convert documents into HTML for posting the the Web. File formats supported include: PDF (Portable Document Format), RTF (Rich Text Format), TXT (Simple Text Format), DOC (MSWord(R) Format), XLS (MSExcel(R) Format) and PPT (MSPowerPoint(R) Format). Once documents are converted, just upload them to your Web server. Subscription is free.

  
  

• Hot Potatoes (Half-baked Software, Inc. - Martin Holmes and Stewart Arneil) - If you have seen on-line quizzes with teacher feedback (multiple choice, short answer, scrambled sentences, crosswords, cloze passages, and matching activities), chances are they were authored with this excellent *free* software. You will need to have access to a server to upload the exercises. Here are samples of sites built with Hot Potatoes. Here are ESL Independent Study Lab activities I created with Hot Potatoes. Another interesting software tool by the same folks is Quandary. Here is an interesting Web activity created with Quandary.
  
  
• Scenarios (originated by Joan Berger) - Conducting research using Web sites and to preparing a written or oral report to the class are skills that all our students need. However, just sending students off to "surf the Net" won't provide satisfactory results. A Scenario presents a student (or group of students) with a hypothetical situation or problem which they are charged to investigate. The teacher provides one or two Web sites which have sufficient information for the students to complete the task. The final outcome could be written or oral, but the information is shared in some way with the class. Using Scenarios to further content instruction is a very effective technique. Joan Berger has a collection of twenty-two Scenarios (and more that her teacher trainers created) on the Web (designed for native speaker middle school students) which may work well with your more advanced students. Here are more Scenarios created by teachers in my online course. Some of these would work with lower level students.
  
  
  • Scenarios can be created in several ways. Joan Berger types up her Scenarios, laminates them, and leaves them in a box in her classroom. Students can pick a Scenario out any time, complete it, and receive credit for it. If you have a computer in your classroom, it's a solution for the student who always finishes first and is looking for "extra" work!
    
    
  • In your handout, you have a copy of a "Scenarios" template I created with MS Word and "The Golden Door", a Scenario I created using that template. You can download the "Scenarios template" and "The Golden Door". I've created this template for you to use. Please modify it to meet your needs! Your feedback would be appreciated after your "field-test" Scenarios with your students.
    
    
  • **Your turn now!** Click here to download "The Golden Door" lesson. Open the lesson in MSWord and work on it for fifteen to twenty minutes. Discuss any questions or comments you have with the class or post them to the Idea Center or Q&A Center.

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Kern and Warschauer, in "The Death of Cyberspace and the Rebirth of CALL," have identified three stages in CALL development illustrated by the chart below. It is not claimed that the movement through these stages has been linear or uninterrupted. However, there appears to be a trend away from "Communicative CALL" towards an "Integrative CALL". This Integrated form of CALL is likely to utilize the Internet in content-based frameworks to encourage real-life tasks. It will not be sufficient to utilize computers to simply encourage communication. Rather, teachers will engage students in utilizing technology to plan and carry out meaningful tasks and to solve problems which are relevant to the students' personal, academic and professional goals.

Stage	1970s-1980s: Structural CALL	1980s-1990s: Communicative CALL	21st Century: Integrative CALL
Technology	Mainframe	PCs	Multimedia and Internet
English-Teaching Paradigm	Grammar-Translation & Audio-Lingual	Communicate Language Teaching	Content-Based, ESP/EAP
View of Language	Structural (a formal structural system)	Cognitive (a mentally-constructed system)	Socio-cognitive (developed in social interaction)
Principal Use of Computers	Drill and Practice	Communicative Exercises	Authentic Discourse
Principal Objective	Accuracy	And Fluency	And Agency

One vehicle for making the transition to "Integrative CALL" is through Project-Based Learning. In an article appearing in Focus on Basics entitled, "Knowledge in Action: The Promise of Project-Based Learning, Heidi Spruck Wrigley states, "In its simplest form, project-based learning involves a group of learners taking on an issue close to their hearts, developing a response, and presenting the results to a wider audience. Projects might last from only a few days to several months." In practice, especially with groups of second language learners, the teacher might suggest or assign project topics based on her perception of student interest and learning goals. In the same article, Wrigley explains that all projects ". . . seem to progress through some common phases: identification of a problem or issue; preliminary investigations; planning and assigning tasks; researching the topic; implementing the project, drafting and developing a final product; disseminating; and evaluating what worked."

Project-based Learning with CALL - To see examples of technology enhanced project-based language learning in adult education, intensive English, and EFL programs, see Perspectives on CALL for Project-Based Learning, a TESOL 2000 Colloquium (Heide Spruck Wrigley, Susan Gaer, Michael Krauss and Tom Robb.) The following are sample projects, all utilizing the Internet:

• Adult Ed. (Susan Gaer)
  • The Folktale Project - These students were experts and passed on some of their culture by telling folktales that they had learned as children to middle school children. The middle school children then wrote the folktales which were critiqued for authenticity by the adult storytellers.
    
    
  • Home Remedies - This project started out as a teacher initiated project with teachers having students write home remedies from their native countries. However, once published on the web, students globally started adding to the base making this a dynamic living project.
    
    
• Intensive English (Michael Krauss)
  • Culture Capsules - a project by ISALC students at Lewis & Clark which culminates in multimedia Web pages, produced by pairs of students, who have completed on-line research on a person, place, or process from their respective countries. At this site, in addition to students' Culture Capsules, you'll find detailed steps for carrying out the project.
    
    
  • Hatchet: A Student Survival Guide - ISALC students at Lewis & Clark designed and create a Web-based annotation to the novel _Hatchet_. Each student created at least three interconnected Web pages with links to graphics and Web sites. The Survival Guide includes definitions for difficult vocabulary from each chapter of the novel, and illustrations of selected vocabulary. Students researched the Web in order to author individual "Research" pages on their chosen topic from the novel. Students worked from templates prepared by the instructor (meet the students template, vocabulary items template, vocabulary content template, research template) You are welcome to use these so long as the source is mentioned.
    
    
• EFL (Tom Robb)
  • Famous Japanese Personages - These pages have been developed by the students of Kyoto Sangyo University for non-Japanese who would like to learn about famous personages in modern-day Japan.
    
    
  • Kyoto Restaurant Pages -A restaurant guide made by Sangyo University students for students, residents and visitors in the Kyoto area.
    
    
• Service Learning Projects - Service learning involves volunteering in the community combined with reflection upon the service experience. When combined with the project-based learning model, the community and students together would decide on a mutually beneficial volunteer project. Another advantage to using technology for service learning is to enhance the reflection process via real-time or asynchronous communications. See "Service Learning and Technology," Warschauer and Cook for additional insights into this mode of experiential education. Technology skills are a valuable commodity in today's society. Could your students provide technology training to a community group? Or perhaps students could interview members of a community organization and then use their multimedia skills to produce a flyer or newsletter incorporating the collected information.
  
  
  • The Community Connections Project at Lewis & Clark College is designed to bring ESL students in the ISALC together with their host families (Friendship Families) for work days at local community service agencies. While completing this volunteer work, students conduct interviews, take photos and, afterwards, write up their experiences. In the future, making the Web pages for this project may be incorporated into the Computer Applications course.
    
    
• More Resources on Project-Based Learning
  • From Tom Robb: some advice when creating projects and a "must-read" article for those contemplating technology enhanced student projects.
    
    
  • Challenge 2000 Project-Based Learning with Multimedia - (Silicon Valley Network and San Mateo County Office of Education) Very comprehensive and practical. PBL+MM page includes rationales for PBL, assessment of projects and student work, steps for planning and implementing projects, questions for student reflection and more. NOTE: There is a Project-Based Learning Web Ring, which includes a small number of high quality web sites that focus on aspects of PBL. You can access the Web Ring at the bottom of the Challenge 2000 page.
    
    
  • Project-Based Learning: What is it? (WWW4teachers) - Includes age-appropriate, customizable, project checklists for written reports, multimedia projects, and oral presentations.
    
    
• More resources on combining project-based learning with service to the community:
  • National Service Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) - Comprehensive, focuses on all dimensions of service-learning. Covers school-based (K-Higher Ed.) as well as community-based initiatives.
    
    
  • American Association of Community Colleges Service Learning (AACC) - Designed to strengthen the service-learning infrastructure among community colleges, including the training of faculty to develop effective service-learning opportunities.
    
    
  • CARES - Described by its authors as "a comprehensive course designed to enable teachers to implement community service learning projects, which will connect their students to each other and their communities, while they master important academic skills." CARES is an acronym for Community, Activities, Resources, Environment, and Service and is a ThinkQuest for Tomorrow's Teachers project.

Emerging Technologies

• Digital Photography - The price of digital cameras has come way down. Using Digital Photos in the Classroom provides tips on buying and using digital cameras, digital tours, and, best of all, lesson plan ideas on using digital cameras in the classroom.
  
  
• Desktop video conferencing - As desktop computers become more powerful and software for video conferencing readily available, video conferencing will become more prevalent in the language classroom. Pacific Bell's Education First Videoconferencing for Learning is an oft-updated website devoted to videoconferencing technology and its application to classroom teaching and training. It is a comprehensive site which includes how to's for videoconferencing in the classroom as well as a listserv dedicated to the topic, and links to research and projects. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) has a comprehensive site on videoconferencing in the K-12 classroom. Digital Bridges has sections on Uses & Examples, Planning Information, and Resources. The site has one track for teachers and another for administrators.
  
  
• Desktop video production/editing/publishing - Desktop publishing and the Internet are applications that have changed the landscape of information technology during the past ten years. Desktop video is now available and affordable. It holds great promise as a tool for creating and publishing student projects. Apple computer is very involved in desktop movie creation with their iMovie® digital video editing software, which is coupled with their cross-platform QuickTime® software for publishing the movies via Email, CD-ROM or the Web. Microsoft is also moving towards desktop video with Windows Me (Millennium Edition) and MovieMaker®.
  
  
  • Here are examples of iMovies® put together by Apple, along the basic steps for creating a desktop movie. Have a look at the Butterfly Garden and Pond iMovie and the Web site the kids put together. (1st graders and 6th graders working collaboratively via videoconference). Want to see actual iMovie® projects created by students in a variety of subject areas? Conducting a service learning project with publishing done via online movies would be a powerful combination. Or perhaps students could create online movies which a service organization could use on their Web site. Can you envision using this technology to generate a project with second language students? You could incorporate the teaching strategies set out in the next section!
    
    
• Hand-Held (Palm) Devices - Some educators believe that a 1-1 ratio, ie one piece of computing hardware for every student, is the only way to make true advances in technology-based education. Here is an article describing how four schools have used hand-held computing devices to help kids learn

**Your turn now!** Have your students been involved in any Service Learning projects? What community organizations might want to establish a relationship with your classes? What are some possible projects that students might become vested in? Which of the technologies mentioned above could be used and how? Post your ideas to the "Idea Center" and your questions to the "Q&A Center."

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ESOL teachers will have to take an active role in helping their students acquire the skills they will need to be successful in the ever changing information technology age. Guidance can be found in these excerpts taken from Millennialism and Media: Language, Literacy, and Technology in the 21st Century by Mark Warschauer (keynote address delivered at the World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Tokyo, August, 1999.)

• ". . . we must ask not only 'What is the role of information technology in language teaching?' but more importantly, 'What is the role of language teaching in the information technology society?'
  
  
• . . . students will need to develop a whole new range of English language literacies, which involve emerging forms of communication, reading, and writing using online technologies. And this will in a sense be natural for the next generation, which, at least in the developed countries, will be as familiar with computers as we are with books and journals. But just as growing up around print does not necessarily make one a good reader and writer, so growing up around computers doe not ensure one can become an effective communicator in online realms."
  
  
• "What we need. . . is project-based learning, with students having the opportunity to engage in learner-centered collaborative projects, working together with their classmates and with others around the world, using a variety of technological means. These kinds of projects can nurture the kind of autonomous learning required for 21st century success."
  
  
• Warschauer goes on to list specific areas of focus for ESOL teachers. "I would suggest that such project-based learning incorporate the following elements:
  1. Immersion in situated practice: In other words, practice in authentic communicative situations which are similar to those learners will encounter outside the classroom
     
     
  2. Overt instruction. Sophisticated communication skills usually do not develop through immersion in practice alone. Students also need the opportunity to step back under the guidance of a teacher or mentor to critically analyze the content, coherence, organization, pragmatics, syntax, and lexis of communication. Linguistic elements are not ignored but are taught in context at the point of need.
     
     
  3. Critical framing: Effective cross-cultural communication and collaboration, including making effective use of information found in online networks, necessitates a high degree of critical interpretation. The instructor's overt role thus should extend beyond narrow language items to also help students learn to critically interpret information and communication in social context.
     
     
  4. Transformed practice: Based on overt instruction and critical framing, students can then raise their practice to a new level by working for a higher-quality outcome within a particular social context, or applying what they have learned in a new social and cultural context."
     

**Your turn now!** It may seem daunting to engage in the type of global, learner-centered, technology-rich activities mentioned above. However, many projects are already set up and looking for project participants on a regular basis. GeoGame is an example of a project involving technology, cross cultural learning and geography. Judi Harris, in her article, "Activity Structures for Curriculum-Based Telecollaboration" provides links to ongoing global telecommunication projects, many of which would be accessible to our students. Take a quick look at this article. Does it give you any ideas for activities or projects? Share these in the "Idea Center".

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Transitioning from "knowing about" to "doing" is perhaps the biggest challenge we all face when it comes to integrating technology into our teaching. Your homework assignment, should you choose to accept it (remember those "Mission Impossible" episodes?? or am I dating myself?!), is to submit at least one idea, in some detail, which you have for using the Internet in your teaching. As I receive your lessons, I will put a link to them from this page so that everyone can benefit from your work. You can complete your homework at any time by completing this brief form. Thanks!

*Answer key to Scavenger Hunt: 1) I think I'm gonna be sad; 2) apple pie recipe (your choice of recipe); 3) Volta (shoulda guessed this one, no?); 4) Emil Jannings; 5) Mt. Whitney; 6) 7 bridges

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