Using Blogs in an ESL Classroom

       Isn't it funny how we have all of these New York State Learning Standards that we absolutely must take into account while we as educators are planning and implementing our lessons and very few of these state standards and performance indicators actually focus on technology specifically? It's a puzzling thought since so much of what we do today, inside and outside of the classroom, relies heavily upon technology. This is when we educators must "think outside the box." Sure, the standards and performance indicators don't outwardly say "Students will use technology to...," however, this does not mean that you cannot use any of these standards and performance indicators when introducing technology into a lesson. Let's face it, when we use technology in the classroom, students are taking away a lot more than simply learning how to use that technology.
       I am not a current educator, however; I am currently attending graduate school. I have a BS in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and I am studying to obtain a Master's Degree in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages.) At the end of my Master's program I will be a professionally certified ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher, grades K-12. As a future educator I am always trying to discover new and innovative ways to teach, and what could be more new and innovative than technology? One of the biggest technologies that has entered our world is blogging. I have presented myself with this question: "What are some ways in which I could include the use of blogs in my own teaching and what state standards (in the field of ESL) would my students be meeting as a result?"





       Since I will be a certified teacher of grades K-12, I will give three examples of how I would include the use of blogs in my classroom; one at the elementary level, one at the middle school level, and one at the high school level. I will then provide the ESL New York State Learning Standards for each level that this student blogging would meet.

1. Elementary School Level (Grades K-4) 

          In this type of classroom I would use a blog to post class-related information so that students and their parents would have access to this information outside of the classroom. This class-related information is not limited by any means and could include a great number of different things. One such example might include posting classroom calendars which might mark important events or might include due dates for assignments, tests/quizzes, NYSESLAT (New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test) date, ELA (English Language Arts) exam date, and Math exam date. Another example would be posting homework assignments and worksheets because some students either tend to "forget" their assignments or have simply "misplaced" them. Another example would be to include practice exams for the NYSESLAT, ELA, and Math state tests, however, the ELA and Math wouldn't be considered until 3rd grade because that's when they begin taking them. This could also be very beneficial to the parents of the students because it will help them to understand what their children are learning and what is expected of them. It may even be helpful to include translated texts because not all of the parents of these ELLs (English Language Learners) can understand English.

•   State Standards Addressed:

            * Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding
            *Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for classroom and social interaction

     2. Middle School Level (Grades 5-8)
         In this type of classroom I could use a blog to post prompts for writing. This could serve as a good practice for them in communicating effectively to both myself and their peers through writing, and even reading. I could post a question that all of the students must answer and after they have answered this question I could in turn have them each ask a question of their peers. I could pick one of these questions to ask in the following writing prompt and continue this process until all of the questions have been answered. I would invite the use of comments on other students' responses so that they may take their peers' advice and improve upon their writing skills. I could use a process similar to a peer review.

• State Standards Addressed:

         * Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding
        * Standard 2: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for literary response, enjoyment, and expression
        * Standard 3: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for critical analysis and evaluation
        * Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for classroom and social interaction

      3. High School Level (Grades 9-12)
          In this type of classroom I could use a blog to link our classroom with another class somewhere else in the world, which could include the U.S. It could be relating to the students' native countries or somewhere completely different. Through this blog the students could learn a lot from the other students and could also gain great practice through communicating. This type of blogging could be used for a project where they try to find similarities and differences between themselves and the other students, especially if they come from different backgrounds and cultures. We could then showcase these discoveries through this blog and what they have learned in the process.

• State Standards Addressed:

         *Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for information and understanding
         *Standard 3: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for critical analysis and evaluation
         *Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for classroom and social interaction
         *Standard 5: Students will demonstrate cross-cultural knowledge and understanding