CATESOL+2012

= San Diego Regional CATESOL Conference, October 2012 = = Enhance Grammar Teaching and Learning with Technology =

ESL teachers have a plethora of technology options, from hardware and software to Web-based resources, for use at all stages of a grammar lesson. Actively participate in this session of tech integration possibilities that engage students and help them better retain what they learn, thus enhancing grammar teaching and learning.

= Annual CATESOL Conference, Spring 2012 = = CATESOL Institute: Technology in the Classroom = =Presenters: Blythe Musteric, Kristi Reyes, Branka Marceta=

=Student Video: Innovative Projects for Skills Integration= Student-produced video projects are a student-centered, cooperative learning technique and a means of giving students control over their learning. Video projects can be used as a way for students to apply what they have learned using creativity and originality and for teachers to assess students’ attainment of vocabulary, grammar structures, and/or pronunciation. Students work cooperatively, or even in competition with other groups, in tasks that integrate the productive skills of writing and speaking. Working on teams, students communicate to write scripts, make storyboards, and assign and carry out roles and duties, thus engaging in meaningful communication for a shared purpose. The presenters will share samples of student video projects from intermediate, advanced, and Vocational ESL adult classes, video clips, and useful resources to consult for student-produced video assignments.

Using Narratives for the Development of All Skills
Dictocomp or dictogloss is a listening and writing lesson activity by which students listen to a text that is about a familiar topic or that has a previously-learned grammar structure or set of vocabulary words and recreate the text from memory, this practicing aural/oral and paraphrasing skills. The benefits are that there is a focus not only on accuracy and meaning but also on meaningful communication in the retelling of the text through writing. Dictocomp tasks are a helpful way for teachers to gauge students’ attainment of course learning outcomes in listening and writing. However, by including visual clues through a variety of media, teachers can transform a dictocomp activity into a practice exercise whereby all skills -- including speaking, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary – are integrated. The technique of dictocomp can be transformed from a listen-remember-write dictation activity to an engaging communicative task by using narratives from movie clips, online video, and slideshows. An appropriate end/evaluation activity is writing a summary, whereby students use words and structures they have studied and know, as well as target vocabulary, and paraphrasing skills.

Checking In: Using Tech for Formative Assessment
Ongoing formative assessment is necessary in ESL instruction for checking students' comprehension of course content and attainment of learning outcomes. The results can inform instructors' lesson planning by revealing the need for either further instruction that includes additional reinforcement and review or students' readiness for summative assessment. Traditional classroom assessment techniques for formative assessment range from nonverbal responses (e.g., thumbs-up/thumbs-down and Total Physical Response) to questioning techniques, think-pair-share and other cooperative learning activities. Transform these traditional methods of formative assessment and bring 21st Century techniques and fun into your classroom by integrating technology: interactive PowerPoint presentations, online quiz and polling tools, and audience response systems.