Migrant ESL

What: I chose to read the article, Migrant ESL: High School Students Succeed Using Networked Laptops, by Carolyn Knox and Lynne Anderson-Inman. Both of the authors have interests in technology and have researched classroom diversity or ESL students. This article discusses how ESL students can use technology as extra help in the classroom. ESL students may need to use extra tools to understand content they are learning in the classroom.

So What: This article is very important because there are so many ESL students that may need this extra help to learn in the classroom. These students are able to have other students be note takers for them, and help their learning abilities. I learned that there is a significant increase in learning and understand when an ESL student has a note taker. I feel that this is great for ESL students because everyone deserves equal opportunities in learning.

Now What: This article definitely applies to me because I want to be a teacher in Southern California. This area in particular has a lot of ESL students, and I will need to know how to approach teaching them. It is important that all of my future students receive the same opportunities to learn. I like the idea of having a note taker present to help these ESL students and to be a positive role model in their lives. I will definitely take this article into account when I am a teacher someday.

Knox, C., & Anderson-Inman, L. (2001). Migrant esl: High school students succeed using networked laptops. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(5), 18-53.

Digital Video Goes to School

What:  This article, Digital Video Goes to School,  was written by Helen Hoffenberg and Marianne Handler. The main purpose of this article is to explain the many ways video can be used in a classroom setting. The authors want to show readers how helpful using video can be. Both of the authors have an interest in technology. Handler is a professor of Technology in Education and Hoffenberg is an Education Development Executive for Apple Computer, Inc. 

So What: This article is very important because technology is expanding so much in today's society. Students are surrounded by technology, and it is best to try and incorporate technology into some classroom lessons. From reading this article, I learned more about the different ways students can use technology to bring out their own creativity in assignments. I like how they listed some sample projects, such as the one about Monarch butterflies. This project shows exactly how teachers could use technology for an assignment.

Now What: After reading this article, I have gained insight on exactly how to incorporate technology in the classroom. I think that creating a video project for students is a great way to expand their knowledge of technology and to let them be creative. It is best to teach students about technology because technology will continue to expand in the future.

Hoffenberg, H., & Handler, M. (2001). Digital video goes to school. Learning & Leading with Technology, 29(2), 10-15.

Digital Storytelling

The article I read was Digital Storytelling in Language Arts, by Glen Bull and Sara Kajder. This article explains what digital storytelling is and helps readers understand each step of digital storytelling. There is also a list of classroom strategies that can be used for students to follow and be able to stay on task. 

I feel that this article is very important because it fully explains digital storytelling, which is good for someone who has no previous knowledge of this subject. As a teacher, this article would be good to read because it gives guidelines of how to approach lessons. I had very little knowledge about digital storytelling before I read this article, and I learned many new things about digital storytelling that I did not know about before. I would like to see how this digital storytelling is applied to an actual lesson that is being taught. 

This article taught me some strategies of digital storytelling that I can use in my future classroom someday. It seems to make for great lesson plans, and I like how the steps for the lessons are thoroughly explained. Technology is something that students should be introduced to in today's society. Using digital storytelling is a good lesson that could get students involved in using technology.



Bull, G., & Kajder, S. (n.d.). Digital storyteller. Retrieved from http://www.digitalstoryteller.org/docs/languagearts.htm

Video Project

Hello! This is my video project for teaching the American Sign Language Alphabet. I hope you like it!