This session will explore computer-based activities that appeal to all learners, but that use language that is simple enough for beginning or intermediate English as a Second Language (ESL) learners to enjoy or to create. Activities are designed to teach both English language and computer skills. We will cover skills developed through (1) accessible Web 2.0 tools, (2) serious gaming, and (3) computer applications, such as Word, Excel and Power Point. Read the rest of this entry »

Title: Empowering Language Students to Share the Arts Through Technology

Purpose: This presentation will describe how technology-medium art projects helped ESL students in an intensive English language program to practice their listening and speaking skills. The use of simple, but exciting, technology-based art projects motivated students to collaborate and apply advanced content and language.

The use of technology in this course was designed to accomplish the language and content objectives of a Humanities English for Academic Purposes course. Language goals were accomplished through group collaboration in which students were required to plan, apply, and critique art and artistic ideas. Students were assigned to work in small, mixed language-background teams that required them to problem solve and defend their opinions in English.

Students also applied content objectives as they interacted with authentic content (through the campus art museum) and current technologies (including podcasting and digital film making). As a result, in addition to practicing their language skills, they also engaged with artistic content and materials and they learned how to use relevant communications software including Apple Garageband and iMovie. Projects for this course included audio tours of campus art exhibits and short films for a campus film festival.

Objectives: This presentation will give an overview of the course objectives, how the technology projects related to course objectives, and how students reacted to the projects.

Applications: Suggestions are offered for educators, of both content and language courses, who wish to integrate similar technology projects into their classrooms.

Thematic Relation: This presentation demonstrates not only how teachers can integrate technology into theirt classroom, but also how they can show their students how to use multimedia technology to communicate their appreciation of the Arts.

Information: This presentation will make use of student made projects (with appropriate approval) to support the ideas being shared.

2nd-Day Hands On: Empowering Students to Share the Arts Through Audio Podcast Tours
This workshop will encourage attendees to create their own audio podcast tour right on the Utah Valley campus. Attendees will go through the same process that classroom students do: plan the tour, take photos, write the script, record the audio, edit the tour, and then publish the podcast.

Biography
Robb is a language educator and teacher trainer with the English Language Center at Brigham Young University. He is also pursuing a PhD in instructional psychology and technology with an emphasis in language assessment.