Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy]

So,

The Very Large Company Indeed that I work for has installed/is installing The Mother Of All Computer systems. Our school alone has over 100 brand-spanking new computers - and that's just our London branch. Worldwide, this must be costing billions. (Funny, then, that we still keep out 15-year old photocopier in the staff room...)

All the books that we used to teach from (Cutting Edge, Headway, Inside Out, blah blah...) are being abolished - now everyone is using the company books - which are linked to the vast swarthes of online computer material that have been created (so in week 49, we do book 49, and the "unit 49" bit on the computers). 3 classes a week are now IT classes, where (I am ecstatic to add) the teacher sits on their arse in the computer room while his/her students obediently tap away on their keyboards and listen to things on their headphones. It's a great way to earn money, and apparently the students love it. The computer stuff isn't bad, actually... It's got videos, listenings, readings, grammar, vocab, you name it... And as the teacher we can even log on to check which students have done which activities - and how well they've done! Feedback from all corners has been positive - a rare occurrence in this industry...

So I'm eagerly awaiting this (starting at my level for next week) - finally it seems (to me) that ELT and IT are coming closer together.

Back in the old days, you see (I seem to be doing a lot of this recently), in Indonesia this is, we had these awful Apple things. You could book the computer room once a week for 40 minutes - the students liked it because they could relax (none of them really cared about learning English - they just came to the school to meet members of the opposite sex), and the teachers liked it because they could relax (none of them really cared about teaching English, they just...etc..). No learning ever took place, even if motivation had been present, the computers sucked so badly that the whole thing would have been deemed a waste of time and everyone would have plodded back to the class room anyway.

I'd never really thought of computers as a valuable classroom resource - no-one I knew did. Computer Aided Language Learning was like a quaint oxymoron - something faintly ironic that, if muttered in the staff room, might elicit a few knowing giggles.

But now..computers in the class room? This might just work, you know...

So hands up people!

Do you have computers in your school? Ever use them in your classes to any effect? How? And, perhaps more to the point, will our jobs be threatened by these evil little machines....?

[Tamara]

Actually, we've been using computers and computer programs in our program for a while. At some point and time, they made me the ESL Computer Lab Manager , and so I'm very closely involved with how our students are using technology in their quest for Engish acquisition.

At this point, I should emphasize that I'm teaching ESL in an American community college.

The most extensive program we use is NovaNET, and it offers access to all areas of our Adult Literacy department, ESL, GED, Adult Basic Skills, Compensatory Education, and Adult High School. I really like it for ESL as extra grammar and reading practice. However, it doesn't offer listening or speaking practice.

Other programs we use include the following:
English Discoveries
Focus on Grammar
New Oxford Picture Dictionary
Language Explorer
TOEFL
and a new addition not yet installed--EASY

Our students seem to love the computer lab, and we've started offering open lab during non-class hours. We keep a steady stream, although not a full lab, during that time. (Our lab will host 30 students at one time.) Most teachers enjoy bringing their students to lab, although there are a few in our program who opt out. Our teachers don't have paid planning time, and the hour or two a week in the computer lab gives them a chance to sit down and look through the materials to map out lessons. On the other hand, the classroom teacher and I are always available to answer students questions when they come up.


We have even started a distance class using NovaNET (because it's internet-based), and I have more than 20 students on the roll for that. Others would love to do it, but they either don't have a computer or they don't have internet access.

One thing I sincerely believe about using computers in the ESL classroom (or any other for that matter) is that it is merely a tool, and not a replacement for positive interaction from a real, live teacher. Especially in ESL/EFL, which requires students to actually hear the language spoken by competent users. Tapes, CDs, and computer programs might be useful for pronunciation practice, but they will never replace the benefits of actual conversations in authentic environments.

I've actually been wondering about computer use in EFL classrooms, and I haven't anticipated finding much. It's very encouraging to hear that your program is building in that component.

edited for spelling

[valley_girl]

All students and instructors have Dell laptops where I work. It's a wonderful tool in the classroom, actually. I'm just getting used to mine (new job and all) but I can really see the value of students using CALL in every class, not just the computer lab. I can also project anything from my computer onto the big screen at the front of the class...no need for overheads! Technology is bliss.

[leeroy]

Wow. Where do you work?

[valley_girl]

PM me and I'll tell you.

[ls650]

[Phil_b]

The college I was working at is being used as a government guinea pig for ICT in Education...

We also ended up teaching a lot of basic computer skills as well as using EFL materials... In ESOL classes in the UK a large proportion of students had NEVER used a computer before, so we would show students the basics as well. Also we would adapt material to be done on computers... especially "project" exercises.

One website I would recommend is www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise - it seems to have some good exercises/games on it.

I'm not sure if I quite cracked the "balance" of teaching in the Computer room - I just felt like I wasn't doing enough... anyone else felt that?

[dmb]

At the moment I teach only 1-1 and small groups(max 3). When I leave the house in the morning the most important thing I check my bag for is my laptop. I download loads of stuff and use it in class. ( I spend way too much time searching for stuff though.)

[Guy Courchesne]

Mexico seems a little behind in getting computers and the net into ELT. Slowly though, it's coming. Most language center computer labs I've seen in Mexico City are used for TOEFL prep, meaning, one student, one computer.

I'm trying to bring a webcam and open chat over the net not only into the TEFL classroom, but out to our host language center as well. I'm hoping to connect some students from other parts of Mexico or other countries to the English language students here. It's a work in progress. If anyone out there who has the net in their class and the ability to do live chat and video stream with students, PM me. Perhaps we can hook up an online meeting or competition of sorts.

[moonraven]

I have found computers to be an excellent option in the classroom. And the activities don't have to be "one student, one computer". When I have prepared students for the TOEFL exam, they have worked in teams to see which team can get the highest score in the grammar and vocabulary and reading comp sections--which means that within the team there is significant discussion about which answer is correct and causes them to actually THINK and TALK about grammar and about word formation.

I usually have students work in pairs for other activities in the computer. And that includes writing activities.

With a "ca��n" it's easy to do whole-class activities--checking Internet sites and discussing topics, or using CDRoms (yeah, most are bad--but you can make your own by dowloading parts of sites or videos from Internet).

Students also enjoy using the computer to give presentations in Power Point. (Usually in groups of 4 or 5.)

[Glenski]

Using computers to teach English has to be tempered with a huge grain of salt. My high school uses them, but there is no substitute for a human teacher.

I have taught a projects class 2 years now for seniors. They use computers for Internet, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. The biggest problem is having a class of 45 kids working on the Internet to research information, because many just loaf at it and look up stuff that they like instead of sticking to the project material. Deadlines don't help.

Another problem with computers is when students have to write a script or report/essay. They often find the translation software programs and rely on them to write things. Result? Horribly translated and nearly indecipherable material.

Use things like PowerPoint, and you STILL have to teach students how to make the presentation itself. Posture, voice volume (or microphone use), intonation and pronunciation, etc.

Students use computers for tests like CASEC, but someone still has to teach the grammar initially. And, just taking a computer test (written or listening based) is no measure of the students' SPEAKING or communicative ability, in my opinion.

Do I sound a bit like John Henry?

[thelmadatter]

My biggest gripe about my job is the lack of computer resources, and willingness to take the time to integrate what they do have. I would understand it if this was a public, liberal arts school (they seem to be notoriously technophobic no matter which country it seems) but rather a private TECH school! They hired me for my CALL background but I cant even get them to give me a laptop that reads CDs. Sigh.

I had to buy most of my own toys. Good thing there are some really great aspects of my job.

I agree that you dont need one computer/one student to integrate computer online resources. Internet access is cheap (in cafes), so online projects are one good way to go. Computer language labs could be really powerful IF they are well-designed and well-integrated with the curriculum in general. There seems to be a fallacy with many administrators (and propagated but software companies) that all a school needs to do is buy X software and the kids will improve 100 points on their next TOEFL!

With computer labs you can do so, so many things... thats the blessing and the curse. You have to decide what you want them to do and it should be something the students can't do or do as well any other way to justify the cost and all. We just hoped up a new prepa (high school) in town and they installed all these wonderful computers in a room calling it the new language lab... and it is sitting woefully unused!

[moonraven]

Computer labs/CALL centers will not be used unless someone takes the trouble to show students how to use them. A teacher can do that in the lab with an entire class group--which can be a little problematic with big groups, or by devoting some class time in the normal classroom with a computer and a "ca��n" allowing students to sample some of the resources that are available in the CALL center.

No matter how interactive programs are that should not be an excuse for a teacher to sit on his/her hands and just let the computer do the work.

[Stephen Jones]

I've yet to see a computer based course that is good enough to be used as the main course. You can pay anything from $20 to $1,000 a head but the only thing you appear to get for the extra money is the ability to plot how much the students aren't learning.

I've been in charge of CALL labs since 1999, but they have only ever been used as extra material.

Perhaps Leroy might let us know exactly what kind of materia he is using.

[shmooj]