What technical and digital literacy skills do you think are important to integrate in adult ESL instruction?
Instructions: Type your name and comment in the box below. Click on the drop-down box Comment As and select "Anonymous." Then click on Post Comment.
To return to the Tech Explorations wiki, click here.
For starters, I think typing is the most important skill to have students practice.
ReplyDeleteUse of the mouse is a very important skill.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who teaches beginner, my objective for the cycle is that students will no longer fear the computer. My students often come in with true fear of the mouse, the monitor, etc. By the end of the cycle, I want them to feel comfortable manipulating the hardware of the computer. For more advanced classes, I think integrating e-mail and popular websites (i.e. Google, Wikipedia) are important.
ReplyDeleteKarli
Some tech skills include navigating the Internet; drafting and sending e-mail; and, learning how to know if a Web page is legit. Yvonne
ReplyDeleteAngie here.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a collaborative website where I can post exercises, and student-driven/centered activities that can measure progress.
I think it's important that students understand the basics like mousing and typing.
ReplyDeleteMatt
Suzanne: Yes, it is important to incorporate technology skills into adult ESL instruction. Adults need to be able to use technology in a variety of ways in different areas of their lives, e.g. to send and receive information, to help (or at least keep up with) their children, to pay bills, to stay in touch, etc, etc, etc.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is Emily. I think being able to use a mouse, click on "the blue e" to get to the internet, and be able to type. This might be impossible for many of my level 200 students this semester. But, I hope someday they can do it.
ReplyDeleteSending e-mail and typing are the 2 most important computer skills b/c they are so often used at work now and social communication.
ReplyDeletebob
At the very basic level, students need keyboard and scrolling skills. At an advanced level to read critically and to be able navigate websites. Donna
ReplyDeleteI agree that typing is important followed by using the mouse and learning how to navigate within different websites. Students need to learn the computer vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteTechnology instruction can include the use of cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, etc.
Hello. It's Tess. I think, how to turn on/off the computer properly is the very first thing students need to practice on. We tend to neglect this part most of the time. We always assume that students can do this easily but even my students at Level 250 can't shut off the computers properly.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is Barbara. This is a tougher question. Some of our students do go through life without much technology use, but once you do open up the can of worms of what using technology, what do you focus on first? Most rudimentary, of course, is typing and using a mouse. From then on, it depends on the student and what they want to do. The thing is, technology can be kind of self-taught, in a first language, and the skills readily transferred to a second language.
ReplyDeleteThe degree to which technology can be 'integrated' varies, depending on the objective. Skills for computer include: oral/written use of appropriate terminology (vocabulary) to communicate tech info; hardware use (on/off, volume, headphone, USB and other drives, keyboard, mouse, etc.); navigating (click, scroll, maximize/minimize, etc.); print/save/submit (including electronically, such as a job application), etc. screen information (online or other); communication and/or collaboration with others (email, listserv, wiki, blog, etc.); shopping.
ReplyDeleteElena:
ReplyDeleteKeyboarding, searching,editing, spell check.