Final Blog Post

Final Blog Post

After evaluating my game plan I came to the conclusion that I really need to consider what I want my students to be able to do when they complete their cycle of learning English. For instance, in my school the focus is completely on English and what it means to be able to read and comprehend the language in their country. This is a skill that is competitive as they grow older and prepare to enter college. These students need to understand that English is now an integral secondary language in their country. English is a universal language. English is also one of the most studied language all across the world, most of the countries teach it as a second language from primary school. As per the statistics, it said that the English language is one of the easiest languages to learn, if we compare it with languages like Chinese, German, French and even Spanish. Worldwide we see that most of the communication sources, information and material sold or given to us are in English, for example: films, TV shows, music, documentaries, popular brands, etc. (Why English has become the universal language of the world, n.d.).

One of the eye-openers for me was the collaboration of social networking in the classroom. I guess my thinking was antiquated and agreed with the assessment that it should be kept separate from the classroom. Now I see how completely wrong I am. A good example is how teachers are engaging students who are shy about participating in traditional classroom discussions, but who enjoy communicating online. They are encouraged to participate in classroom learning using platforms like Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. In addition, teachers can include multimedia presentations in their online curriculum, and solicit immediate feedback from students who also can engage with other students, teachers and even experts in their study field. Instead of dismissing social media as distracting or destructive, schools should embrace it as an essential part of the curriculum. Not only does this limit the potential for students to abuse the technology, but it opens a new set of valuable educational tools (Ali, 2010). One thing I am going to look into doing more is using social media. Perhaps I could use it as an attendance/introduction tool, which I can enhance as the class progresses. Another key component that I picked up on is Digital Storytelling. In today's digitized world, visual storytelling is a favorite classroom tool, and the affordability and accessibility of technology such as iMovie provides opportunities not imagined twenty years ago. My ESL classroom could certainly benefit from new ways of communicating rather than the tired old workbooks and worksheets we seem to rely on.

Reference

Ali, T. (2010, May 12). 4 Tips for Integrating Social Media Into the Classroom. Mashable. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://mashable.com/2010/05/11/social-media-school/

Why English has become the universal language of the world (n.d.). World Choice Education. Retrieved October 11, 2014, from http://marketingworldchoice.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/why-english-has-become-the-universal-language-of-the-world/