Effective strategies for assessing and instructing ESL true beginners and high beginners who need basic digital literacy skills.

Submitted by David Rosen on Thu, 07/08/2021 - 10:16
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Hello LINCS colleagues,

I'm interested in learning about effective strategies for assessing and instructing ESL true beginners and high beginners who need basic digital literacy skills.

If you've had success in doing this, what software or other digital tools have you found helpful, and how do you use these with your students?

Do you do this entirely in-person? Do you use a blended (integrated online and in-person) or other hybrid approach? Do you do this entirely remotely? By telephone?

What have you found most challenging in trying to do this?

What strategies, assessments, or curricula have you found particularly suitable and/or effective?

Thanks!

David J. Rosen

djrosen123@gmail.com

Comments

David, Thanks for adding this. It is a good idea to have an understanding of the students skills and use of various online devices.

At this time I would say that most adults have smart phones and know how to use them well. I am not sure if the same holds for the use of computers, mainly because so much can be done without them.

Years ago I used a flip phone which could send 2 minutes of audio. So I sent the members of a class an audio lesson for "homework", and when I went to class they asked me why I sent an audio instead of a video! I showed them my flip phone and they showed me their....smart phones which looked very big and sophisticated. I was embarrassed and so bought a smart phone the next week. 

I have found WhatsApp and Facebook Groups to be excellent ways to send lessons and communicate. 

One aspect of remote learning is that the student can learn at her or his pace, and can even investigate various sites to complement a lesson. There are many YouTube lessons that are very good.

Anyway, I am curious to know if and to what extent people are using "remote" learning for Beginning adult ESL classes. 

 

I have been able to use Google forms virtually over Zoom and face to face with lower level ESL learners. You can use pictures in questions which is helpful. Not only does it collect formative assessment data through the form for the teacher, but learners practice clicking on a link, answering questions, and pressing "submit". This helps them practice skills they may need in the future for other online forms they may need to complete for medical reasons, work, school, letters to congressman, etc...

I also like to add send me a copy of my answers to help them practice getting information sent to their email and making sure they know how to type their email correctly. 

Microsoft forms works well, too, but not quite as easy to use as many photos. HOWEVER, MS Forms integrates the immersive reader tool which is helpful for English language learners. 

Hello Chrissie and others,

Thanks for mentioning Google Forms. I use this tool all the time, but had not thought about it for adult beginner ESL/ESOL learners. I wonder if you would be willing to share a couple of links to either instruction or assessment Google forms that you have designed for beginner or high beginner ESL/ESOL students that has pictures in questions. If so, thanks!

David J. Rosen

 

Here is a Google form I had created related to food that has photos and was used with English language learners. Another form I created might be able to be used with higher level ESL and was designed to practice some additional digital literacy skills since it had checkboxes, multiple choice, and open-ended. 

The Google form with photos is great, Chrissie. Thanks for sharing this. 

My favorite site for creating various activities and assessments this past year has been Flippity.net. Here are a few activities I created for low level English learners. I love that teachers only need to share the link. There is no registration needed.

It's been a lot of fun to create activities/assessments such as these. Thanks for the question, David!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, English Language Acquisition CoP

Dear Colleagues,

First, I would like to thank you for sharing the excellent resources in this group! My name is Jeff Adam, and I am from Arizona, working as an ESL instructor with adult refugees. 


I want to share the App that I use with my students to send some activities as homework. I agree with Paul that at this time, most of our students have smartphones which have an outstanding feature to make virtual learning easy. Socrative is a fantastic website and App that can be reached from any device: computer, smartphone, tablet, and connects the students with teachers through practical and fun activities. I will leave its link below: 

https://www.socrative.com