On technology in the classroom

So far, all of my posts here have discussed how classes can be extended with technology outside of the classroom walls. But recently, my classmate Steven wrote a blog post about use of technology within the classroom, which got me thinking about how it makes its way into the midst of our classes.

In some ways, the integration of technology can be very positive for ESL writers. Translation tools and online dictionaries can be excellent support systems for writers who are struggling to compose an ambitious text. Resources on correct English grammar and usage are also plentiful online, and so for English L2 students, who have very individualized English needs which cannot be addressed in a whole-class lecture, being able to tap into those resources while working can be great. It can also allow that sort of work to exist in the classroom at all, when previously it may have been prohibitively difficult for students.

That can backfire, though. Students can rely on translation tools to cover up for their deficits, following instructions for correct usage online without fully understanding them. Students’ learning could also become lopsided, as they acquire the grammar they need to write but rely on dictionaries to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. And students can encounter the same issues with digital thesauruses which native speakers and English learners alike have always had with physical ones: they can use synonyms which are contextually inappropriate without fully understanding all of the layers of implicit meaning.

Those limitations are real, and they’re what concerns me about bringing computers and phones in as tools to help ESL writers. But my concern, I think, is based on my conception of language use as a one-time thing. Whereas intellectually I know that written language use can change and improve over time. The process of writing, properly taught, involves revisions and editing, and can allow for a greater understanding of your speech after you’ve made it. Students who misunderstand, or don’t understand, the language they’re using can better understand it as peers and teachers help them with it. And technological supports that give students a kickstart may be able to bootstrap them to success as they grow to understand the decisions they have made in English.