Overview

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This course is designed for early career teachers to learn about evaluating and incorporating technology into the classroom to engage students, especially English learners (ELs). Teachers face the challenging expectation of helping ELs achieve grade-level standards and to develop additional 21st century skills, including citizenship, collaboration, creativity, communication, character, and critical thinking. Selecting and utilizing appropriate, high-quality educational technology as part of the learning process can motivate students and facilitate academic success. Throughout the course, we will raise awareness of special linguistic, cultural, and pedagogical considerations for using educational technology with English learners. Teachers will apply best practices to select and use educational technology effectively, and evaluate online educational tools and resources for classroom adoption. Course participants will watch interviews with highly-experienced English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers who will share their personal experiences of utilizing technology to teach 21st century skills to English learners. Teachers will interact with peers in the educational field to discuss how to apply course concepts in their own teaching environment. Finally, course participants will receive practical, classroom-ready recommendations for helping ELs develop 21st century skills using technology. By participating in this course, teachers will increase their own digital literacy skills and be better prepared to serve the English learners in their classrooms through educational technology.

Syllabus

21st Century Skills and Facilitating with Technology

In Module 1, you will learn about the importance of digital literacy and facilitating other 21st century skills with technology in the classroom. We'll briefly explore the history of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and discover how you can implement CALL components to engage English learners. Wrap up the module and prepare for the rest of the course by reflecting on your experience and comfort level incorporating technology into meaningful learning activities.

Technology for Collaboration and Culture/Citizenship

In module 2, you'll learn about citizenship (or culture skills) and collaboration as crucial 21st century skills. We'll introduce some practical classroom activities and projects that incorporate educational technology to help English learners develop these skills. You'll hear from a highly-experienced teacher about considerations for assessing collaborative projects that involve technology. We will introduce need-to-know information about principles of universal design (UDL) that may impact your selection of educational technology in the classroom. Finally, we end the module by demonstrating how to evaluate educational technology for use with English learners. After becoming familiar with this week's evaluation rubric, we'll ask you to do the same.

Technology for Design/Creativity and Communication

In module 3, you'll learn about creativity and communication as crucial 21st century skills. We'll introduce some practical classroom activities and projects that incorporate educational technology to help English learners develop these skills. You'll hear from a highly-experienced teacher and experts in the fields of communication studies and psychology about considerations for teaching and assessing creativity and communication using technology. We will introduce need-to-know information about accessibility guidelines that may impact your selection of educational technology in the classroom. Finally, we end the module by demonstrating how to evaluate educational technology for use with English learners. After becoming familiar with this week's evaluation rubric, we'll ask you to do the same.

Technology for Character Education/Connectivity and Critical Thinking

In module 4, you'll learn about character and critical thinking as crucial 21st century skills. We'll introduce some practical classroom activities and projects that incorporate educational technology to help English learners develop these skills. You'll hear from a highly-experienced teacher and experts in the fields of social policy and education about considerations for teaching and assessing character and critical thinking using technology. We will introduce need-to-know information about copyright law and open source media that may impact your selection of educational technology in the classroom. Finally, we end the module by demonstrating how to evaluate educational technology for use with English learners. After becoming familiar with this week's evaluation rubric, we'll ask you to do the same.