Stephanie

My personal primary focus of ELL technological integration has been on researching the answers to three essential questions:
 * //**What technology is being used in my school to help support ELL students?**//
 * //**What technology would teachers use if it was available?**//
 * //**What free on-line resources are available to use via the Internet and what work well for the students?**//

At Farrell B. Howell we currently have 5 ELA-S instructional core classes as well as multiple ESL Resource and Reading Interventionists. After speaking with these instructors it became very clear that they either "have not been using ESL language programs..." or using what very little software they could find via CD software purchasing.

When Megan and I spoke to these instructors about what technology was used and what they would like to have it was not very clear that they knew what was available to them that worked. I got responses such as If I had a student computer, "I can use it for math based games/activities that are on CD," "various library resources," or "editing students writing."

This lead to the final and possibly the most essential question: //**What free on-line resources are available to use via the Internet and what works well for the students?**//

__**Phase I:**__ Research different on-line resources available via the Internet for free. Listed below are some of my students favorites: ECE - [] Kindergarten - [] &[| www.starfall.com] & [|www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing] 1st Grade - [] & [] 2nd Grade - http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.html & [] 3rd grade - [|www.freetypinggame.net]

__**Phase II:**__ Use these resources with a lesson in the classroom: 2nd Grade: With in second grade curriculum there is a lesson in synonyms or similar meaning words. I found many ESL websites claiming to help [|ESL students learn about synonyms]. Eighty percent of what I found the students did not find interesting or could not understand. However, I did manage to find one synonym game that the students loved at http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/gooey.html.

After the students and I discussed synonyms and what they are they visited this website where they got to practice their synonym skills. Once this was complete we visited Thesaurus.com together and I showed the students how to read and understand how it works. Finally the students accessed a teacher created worksheet via the shared network and used the Thesaurus to complete the worksheet. This project lead us to using Google to research and find multiple pieces of information such as The State Flowers.

__**Phase III:**__ Integrate these on-line resources with in the classroom or ESL Intervention class time. I am currently working with in this phase. Back in January I scheduled an after school PD where I would introduce these resources to the class room teachers and interventionists. Not one person showed up for the class.