ESL Teacher lists "My Tech Essentials"

The website eSchool News has a new monthly feature called “My Tech Essentials.”  This month’s “My Tech Essentials” featured an English as a Second Language (ESL) specialist and administrator from Oregon.  This article caught my eye for several reasons: it is very relevant to this course, it is relevant to my job, and it provides great resources.

I was shocked to read how many ESL students attended this school district in Oregon (over 5,000 ELs speaking approximately 95 different languages).  In order to help these English Learners (ELs), the district relies heavily on technology.  “As a Future Ready district, we use technology to engage students in every lesson, while providing resources to bridge the gap between their native language and English,” (Maurizio, 2017).  

The three tech essentials that Maurizio lists are:

1. Lightspeed Redcat Audio Systems:  This is a system I had never heard.  This Oregon school district has a Lightspeed Redcat Audio System in every ESL classroom across the district.  “ The system amplifies educators’ natural voices so they don’t have to shout and do not experience vocal exhaustion at the end of the day. Hearing the teacher clearly is critical during the language-learning process,” (Maurizio, 2017).  
2. Laptops:  It states that “Laptops are an educator’s lifeline,” (Maurizio, 2017) and every ESL teacher in the district receives a laptop.  The laptop helps with lesson planning, grading, monitoring progress, presentations, and, most importantly, providing visuals to help bridge connections to the home language.  
3. ipads:  Each EL has access to an ipad to use Google Translate.  Additional keyboards can be added so that students can type and translate words to and from their native language.  

Out of the three tech essentials mentioned, I would have to say that the laptop would be my number one technology essential, with ipads coming in as a close second.  It mentions using the ipads for Google Translate, however there are endless other apps and activities that they can be used for.  Technology has had such an impact on learning a new language.  Maurizio mentions that the advances in technologies from when she began teaching have changed the language learning world very much.  These tech essentials (as well as other technologies), have made language learning and teaching more efficient for teachers and students.   

"ELL Specialist: These Are “My Tech Essentials”." ESchool News. 19 July 2017. Web. 24 July 2017.