Collaboration Tools
One of the best methods for teaching English Language Learners is through conversation and collaboration with peers – working together with other students to produce knowledge instead of merely receiving it (Hutchinson, 2009). One of the greatest challenges for ELL learners in engaging in the collaborative process is a fear of orally communicating with peers, and in their abilities when it comes to sharing their ideas (Nan , 2013). Technology can offer ELL students a number of options for collaboration in a much safer setting. Through technology, students can communicate with others online instead of face to face, potentially allowing them to engage in the collaborative process with a great deal more confidence, and in a much less intimidating setting (Hutchinson, 2009). The tools described below are just a few of the options which teachers can use to get ELL students talking with not only their peers, but other people throughout the world, and in so doing, improve their English language proficiency.
Blogs
One of the most powerful collaborative tools which have recently been adopted for ELL students is the blog. Originally, Blogs were journals people posted online, which utilized text, photos, and other media in order to share personal stories, ideas, and opinions (Hsu, 2007). They have since been adopted and adapted to suit a wide range of purposes, many of which are useful in teaching English Language Learners. Much like the original purpose of the blog, being almost an online diary, educational blogs are centered on student expression, and allow learners to communicate their ideas in a low pressure, yet open and collaborative setting (Hsu, 2007). Much like Word Processors, blogs provide students with a space to write their ideas without worrying about the overall appearance of the work, or how much time it takes to express their thoughts in English. In addition, blogs often utilize tools such as spell check in order to ensure their finished product is easily comprehensible to all readers, and students can use a range of internet resources such as online dictionaries and thesauruses in order to find the phrases they are looking for (Wu, 2005). The real collaborative power of blogs, however, comes from student’s ability to interact and comment on one another’s blog posts, thereby allowing them to take part in the process of building knowledge together (Singh, 2010). Such capabilities are especially important in allowing English Language Learners to actively participate in the classroom environment. Many ELL students may feel intimidated when sharing their ideas in a face to face setting. Blogs however, provide these students with a space in which they can get their ideas out in a much less stressful manner. Instead of worrying about pronunciation or proper word choice in the moment, language learners can take the time they need to express their ideas in a form they feel more comfortable in (Lacina, 2012). Such a process of carefully revising and editing work in order to share it with peers is another major benefit of the blog. Numerous studies have shown that students will put a great deal more effort into work read by all of their classmates as opposed to that read by just the teacher, which overall encourages students to engage a great deal more in the writing process than they might have done otherwise (Wu, 2005). Additionally, blogs have proven to be very useful in allowing students to edit and make corrections to each other’s work, and “promote meaning negotiation among learners [to] facilitate their language development” (Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, 2013). As seen in the following conversation in the study done by Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, students used a blog to work together to determine the best way to phrase the ideas of the student, thereby working together and building upon one another’s knowledge (Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, 2013)
One of the most powerful collaborative tools which have recently been adopted for ELL students is the blog. Originally, Blogs were journals people posted online, which utilized text, photos, and other media in order to share personal stories, ideas, and opinions (Hsu, 2007). They have since been adopted and adapted to suit a wide range of purposes, many of which are useful in teaching English Language Learners. Much like the original purpose of the blog, being almost an online diary, educational blogs are centered on student expression, and allow learners to communicate their ideas in a low pressure, yet open and collaborative setting (Hsu, 2007). Much like Word Processors, blogs provide students with a space to write their ideas without worrying about the overall appearance of the work, or how much time it takes to express their thoughts in English. In addition, blogs often utilize tools such as spell check in order to ensure their finished product is easily comprehensible to all readers, and students can use a range of internet resources such as online dictionaries and thesauruses in order to find the phrases they are looking for (Wu, 2005). The real collaborative power of blogs, however, comes from student’s ability to interact and comment on one another’s blog posts, thereby allowing them to take part in the process of building knowledge together (Singh, 2010). Such capabilities are especially important in allowing English Language Learners to actively participate in the classroom environment. Many ELL students may feel intimidated when sharing their ideas in a face to face setting. Blogs however, provide these students with a space in which they can get their ideas out in a much less stressful manner. Instead of worrying about pronunciation or proper word choice in the moment, language learners can take the time they need to express their ideas in a form they feel more comfortable in (Lacina, 2012). Such a process of carefully revising and editing work in order to share it with peers is another major benefit of the blog. Numerous studies have shown that students will put a great deal more effort into work read by all of their classmates as opposed to that read by just the teacher, which overall encourages students to engage a great deal more in the writing process than they might have done otherwise (Wu, 2005). Additionally, blogs have proven to be very useful in allowing students to edit and make corrections to each other’s work, and “promote meaning negotiation among learners [to] facilitate their language development” (Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, 2013). As seen in the following conversation in the study done by Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, students used a blog to work together to determine the best way to phrase the ideas of the student, thereby working together and building upon one another’s knowledge (Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, 2013)
In this way, students worked together collaboratively to negotiate the proper meaning and structure of the sentence, creating a meaningful learning situation, which could greatly aid in student la. acquisition. Students were given the opportunity to play with different arrangements and words, and ultimately create a sentence which all of them could agree on, overall enhancing the writing skills of everyone involved in the process (Razak, Murad, & Zykjufu, 2013). Some components which need to be in place, however, before teachers can implement blogs in the classroom are rules regarding appropriate use of the blog in interacting with fellow students and other users, as well as a strong classroom community in which students can feel safe posting their work, and confident in allowing other classmates to make corrections and post feedback on it (Hutchinson, 2009). If student’s work is responded to in an overly negative way by other students, the collaborative potential of the blog will be diminished as ELL students will thereafter be afraid to post their ideas and contribute to class discussions. Overall blogs are an intriguing tool which can allow for a great deal of cooperation and collaboration in the classroom, on the whole improving learning opportunities for English Language Learners.
Wikis
Another incredibly powerful collaborative resource which can be used in the classroom to benefit ELL learners is the Wiki. Wikis, which come from the Hawaiian word “wikiwiki”, meaning fast, are essentially simple websites based on a particular topic, which students work together collaboratively to build (Hsu, 2007). All of the content posted on the wiki is completely created by students, offering a fantastic opportunity to build knowledge instead of receive it. The instructor sets up the initial wiki page, and provide students with the topic. Students then have to research, or generate content related to that topic, and post it on the wiki (Hsu, 2007). Therefore, one of the greatest benefits of the wiki for ELL learners is that it provides them with an exciting, authentic, and engaging opportunity to participate, in a space where they can take the time to formulate their contributions without some of the fears present in face to face discussions such as mispronounced words (Hutchinson, 2009). In addition, the wiki allows students to take the time they need to look over their contributions to ensure they are something they feel confident in sharing publicly, encouraging them to participate to a greater degree in the drafting stages of writing (Hutchinson, 2009). What distinguishes wikis from other collaborative tools, however, is the capability for any classmate participating on the wiki to edit the work of any other member contributing to the site. As a result, wikis could be an incredibly valuable environment for peer editing, allowing students the opportunity to look over each other’s work and participate in the editing process (Hsu, 2007). An ELL student could edit their contribution with a peer and discuss the piece together, while also having the opportunity to read and interact with the work of others. The entire process of building a website as a class, and working together to create a finished product greatly increases the sense of community and involvement among participants, and can play a crucial role in establishing relationships among students (Hutchinson, 2009). The online, public format of the wiki will serve as greater motivation for students, both to participate in the assignment, and later to engage in this editing process, as they will want to ensure an acceptable finished piece for their peers, and the wider audience on the internet who might read the classes site (Linik, 2012). As with blogs however, instructors must ensure that they go over with students the rules for proper conduct on the blog, and ensure no one criticizes anyone’s contribution. A safe classroom community needs to be created to ensure ELL students feel secure and confident in sharing their ideas with others in such a public forum without the fear of ridicule over their contributions (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007). In addition, as wiki’s often involve a great deal of peer editing, teachers will need to ensure all students are instructed on how to appropriately edit and provide feedback on another’s work, once again to ensure students do not get discouraged with the writing process, but conversely learn from it and consequentially improve their writing (Hutchinson, 2009).
One of the oldest digital collaboration tools, emails can still be immensely valuable in assisting English Language Learners in developing language proficiency. Much like blogs and wikis, students can use email to create and edit drafts of writing with the intention of sharing these pieces with others (Waters, 2007). However, instead of having their postings viewed and shared by a large audience, email allows ELL students to send their work to a small number of individuals. A number of teachers have realized the potential for email through ePal or keyPal programs. Much like Pen Pals, students use email instead of pen and paper in order to communicate with other students in places ranging from their own classroom to different countries throughout the world. Such an activity greatly increases the interest and engagement of English Language Learners and other students as well, and like blogs and wikis, encourages students to engage in the revising an editing process in order to ensure a polished product (Nan , 2013). KeyPals can be a fantastic way to encourage English Language Learners to write, and it provides them with the opportunity to have conversations with fluent English speakers, or even students from other places in the world facing language challenges similar to theirs (Foulger & Jimenez-Silva, 2007). Through email, English Language Learners can be taught valuable life skills, are provided with an engaging opportunity to write, and encouraged to revise an edit their pieces, on the whole making it an immensely valuable collaborative technology for ELL instruction.