Web 2.

0 4 ESOL Version - Sun 23 Sept 88 Heyscroft

subject the use of Web technologies in education.

analytical and evaluative

Background
teahing English uses a variety of technologies
my role involves teaching using computers

not teaching IT, but using the computer to promote language learning.

ILT Information and learning Technologies

college is equipped with high speed broadband Internet.

we have classes in classrooms with computers in.

We have integrated this into the curriculum

educational software
I have used Internet based materials
Web sites
etc

this is now termed Web 1.0

recently there has been emergence of new technologies which is causing a rethink of how tech is used
in FE and the implications for teaching and learning in FE

This essay looks at some of the current trends and considers their application to an ESOL setting.

the shift has occurred through simultaneous increase in hardware (cameras, mp3 players and software
especially Web applications (commonly referred to as Web 2.0 applications).

Web 2.0
Web 2.0 Make your Mark on the New Web (PC Pro Magazine (Feb 2007)
Web 2.0 technologies - PC Mag lists six key technologies Blogging, Social Networking, Podcasting,
Democratic News, Modern Website Building and Content sharing

Wikipedia Quote
“The phrase Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second-generation of web-based communities and hosted
services …which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users.”
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2

It is this idea of collaboration and sharing which makes Web 2.0 so interesting for educationalists.

There is no doubt that the term Web 2.0 is largely marketing hype however the debate about it does
highlight the shift that has occurred from passive information consumption towards a more
participatory platform.

The definition itself is the result of Web users collaborating, critiquing, discussing and revising.
blog, Skype, Wikis

Previously you had to master html to make your presence felt on the Web. Now it is easy to generate.
Now the focus is on the content. Producing content that people are going to want to read and come
back to. This is great for language teachers. In the past enthusiasts used to have to train their ELT)
students in computer skills before they could get to focus on the real issue - the langue and
communication possibilities of the medium.. This is now not the case. The technological barrier is very
much lower and attention and focus can be put on style and presentation communicative aspects of
language.

In this essay I am going to examine what is meant by Web 2.0, and assess whether or not it is useful to
consider bringing Web 2.0 technologies into the classroom, or if they are suitable for inclusion in an
educational syllabus. the relevance of these technologies for an ESOL practitioner.

I have used email and I have tried instant messaging. Both of these mediums suffer from drawbacks.
Email exchanges are hard to set up and run. Instant messaging is confusing and lacks critical reflection
the pressure is to act in the heat of the moment and so language skills actually

digital native characterised by multi-tasking ability

content publication

increased communication

Web 1 reading and listening Web 2.0 adds writing and speaking - for the masses.

revolution in publishing freedom of the presses

Constraints that act against using Web 2.0 - access to hardware and software

teacher resistance - what’s the point?

what is different about writing and posting something on a blog and writing and posting something on
the classroom wall? Authorship - audience. When a student writes the audience is nearly always the
teacher. In some cases work may be put up on display or shared in the classroom. But here it ends there
is no feedback to the student. Feedback from a teacher comes in the form of a grade or mark the text is
treated as the text is a objectified - no intrinsic value it is not the content or the expression of the work
but whether it fits certain criteria.

publishing on the Web forces focus on style and veracity of content. the thrill of publishing is
accompanied by the fear of rejection or ridicule. Critical evaluation

‘today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors’
Prensky (2001: 1)
ff

Web 2.0 storage

I can also see great benefits in Web 2.0 storage. Previously in ESOL we have used floppy disks. These
were cheap and we could give them out to students. Students used to lose them, the data would corrupt
students would overwrite files and now the machines we use at college don’t even have sfloppy drives.
We rae encouraged now to use flash memory stick - but these too have their associated problems. Web
2.0 provides a way round this. Students can store documents online using Scribd, which not only
allows for the storage of files but also encourages public sharing of the documents.

Questions thrown up by emerging new technology trends.

is it useful?

Is it necessary?
How could I incorporate it into my teaching?

use it in my classroom? display on the dataprojector? get students to work outside the classroom make
it homework
teach it in computer room based lessons
collaborate with colleagues

so what am i going to use - i will look at different possibilities and assess what others have done

Blogs
Blogs are probably the most popular of the Web 2.0 mediums. It is very easy to set up, access and
update a blog.

In addition to the written word the concept of blogging can be extended to include video, still images
or mobile phone video or images - moblog

A blog is not just a personal website it is easier to use and update requiring no programming
knowledge because it is not static and needs to be updated and friends or family can be added as co-
authors easily because there is no need to know about website design or programming.

“This, quite rightly, moves the focus away from the technology being used to the quality of the
content.” (PC Pro Feb 2007; 143)

reporting - A good example of the power of a blog comes from Salem Pax
www.dear_raed.blogspot.com

Approaches to using a blog with an ESOL class

I have been unable to find any accounts of teachers using blogging with their ELT students.

I think I would start with receptive and analytical skills - students find out what a blog is, does and
looks like. Once familiar (if not already) with blogs from what I can gather I would have two choices -
let them post on my site or get them to set up their own blogs .

Using with students.

creating an online identity.Need a user name. Need a photo. Have to write about yourself. Define
yourself, state interests and activities.
issues of privacy
lots of form filling
lots of reading to understand what applications are and how to do things
conflab of audio visual and text

BUT SO WHAT?!? HOw does it help my students achieve learning aims? Is it really going to help
them?

Hw has this impaced on me? I have thrown myself into the Web 2.0 world v d lle nc hdlklkjmn and
consider how to use this stuff
what I have learned:
new skills acquired:
attitude changes: I thought it was a fad I now see I was wrong. I have had to face my own insecurities
about going online - about publishing my voice.

Learning Curve
One of the biggest barriers to participation in all this is the learning curve which can be quite steep. For
the purposes of research on this paper I have joined several online communities and experimented with
a lot of different applications.

For example Google docs lets me store my document online so I can easily retrieve it and work on it
from any computer. I don’t have to carry it around with me.
Bibliography
Anderson P (2007) What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education (TSW0701)

Prensky M (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

From On the Horizon (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001)
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-
%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

http://blog-efl.blogspot.com/

Language Learners/ Teachers & Computer games http://kylemawer.wikispaces.com/

This space is dedicated to adapting online (free to play) computer games for use in the English
language learning classroom. As well as covering skills work the aim is to target grammar and
vocabulary areas.

EFL and Web 2.0

The aim of this site is to provide EFL or ESL students with enough technical knowledge to use the
internet independently to study. It covers a range of skills from basic file management to producing
podcasts.
http://eflcourse.wikispaces.com/

Johnson A (2004) Creating a Writing Course Utilizing Class and Student Blogs, The Internet TESL
Journal, Vol. X, No. 8, August 2004
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Johnson-Blogs/

“Web publication gives students a real audience to write to and, when optimized, a collaborative
environment where they can give and receive feedback”
KennedyK (2003) Writing With Web Logs, Technology & Learning Magazine
online http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/02/blogs.php

Blogs in Education
This page is designed to provide you some resources if you want to get started using blogs for yourself
or with your students. “The use of blogs in instructional settings is limited only by your imagination.”
http://awd.cl.uh.edu/blog/

Blog Services
http://wordpress.org/
http://www.blogger.com/
http://edublogs.org/

List of Links to School Bloggers

Blogs on Educational Blogging
http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+Bloggers

IATEFL ESOL SIG The Special Interest Group for ESOL professionals worldwide
http://www.esol-sig.org.uk/

Good blogs
Using ICT in FE by Patricia Donaghy
http://pdonaghy.edublogs.org/
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites Of The Day For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/

English Teaching Lab

http://englishteachinglab.blogspot.com/