The DIESOL Podcast | EdTech in ESL

In our second episode of SUMMER OF SAMR we revisit the third level of the SAMR model: Modification. Modification takes us into the transformational phase of the model, but how is that different than Substitution and Augmentation ( Episode 43 )? What would assignments look like in Modification? Join us to find out! Support the show: Subscribe on Patreon   or Buy us a Coffee

Martin Ricardo Cisneros ( @TheTechProfe ) is a Modern Learning Advisor, speaker, and Director of IT. Listen in to a high-energy conversation as he shares the changing history of tech in language learning and ways to engage.  Show Notes available at DIESOL.org/44 If you're so inclined, you can support the show: Visit our Patreon (and listen in to the bonus interview with Martin) or Buy us a Coffee

The 2020 Pandemic forced many English Language Teachers to use digital tools to facilitate the delivery of content. However, what kind of framework exists to make sure we aren't using at tool simply because it's popular,  but because it can help us enhance the learning experience for the student? The SAMR model is still relatively unrecognized by many in the ESOL field. Our summer series focuses o...

How can we separate our feelings about what's working in our classes from the reality? Many ESL teachers have a passing knowledge of using data, but most may not actively pursue using spreadsheets to better understand classroom dynamics. Mark Makino shares some ways that he uses hard data to better balance his practices, and serve his students.

In this episode we dive into the use of interactive video and the role of captions in language learning. What value is there in including videos in our teaching? How do interactive videos help content retention in learners? How do captions support literacy for language learners? Join us as we discuss these questions and talk through some tools to enhance your teaching!

Teachers can talk all day long about what's working and what's not working, but it's important that we hear directly from students to hear what's engaging them and how they learn on their own. This episode features one of Brent's current students, Luna, who takes her English Language Learning into her own hands and shares some of the things that keep her going.

While reading is a huge topic with too many areas to give justice in just 40 minutes, Brent & Ixchell take a first swing at it here. A look at a little bit of research on L2 reading strategies, along with some articles that give some structural advice, and then some thoughts on how to integrate tech and reading. 

WARNING: < > silliness ahead! On 5th Mondays, we open up the floodgates to the #DIESOLcrew for games, trivia, and drinks. Hair down, feet up, manners out.  This time we did some Mad-Libs and other stuff in a decompress from all the conferences happening in March. Listen in for some laughs - back to our normal scheduled programming next week. And if you want to join in on Drinks with DIESOL next ti...

Many of our interviews have been with instructors of adult learners, so this time around we are fortunate to sit down with Angela Barnett (@MrsBarnett_tchr), third-grade teacher, and educator for close to 20 years to talk about the challenges and changes she's faced with ELLs during the pandemic.

In an age of unparalleled stress around high-stakes testing from home and proctoring problems across the globe, digital portfolios can offer students a better way to show the depth and breadth of their work as they're developing their language. This episode looks into some of the research supporting e-portfolios for language learners, and some tools and tips to make them a valued part of your stud...

Dayamudra Dennehy shares insights on how to create a friendly and accepting online community with your English Language Learning Students. From creating a liquid syllabus that's open before class starts, to showing a better understanding of student needs and respecting their personal situations at home, Daya has ideas to help us all reflect on our approach to online teaching.

Punctuation causes all sorts of disagreements among native English speakers, and despite seemingly straightforward rules, there are always exceptions, variations, and style differences. Still, students need help understanding when and where to use different forms of punctuation, and many rely on well-meaning myths that should have been thrown out years ago. In this episode, Ixchell & Brent explore...

We sit down with Dustin from Board Gaming with Education to talk about understanding and using board games, both physically and digitally to help engage students. Dustin shares ideas on games and how to integrate them into your class needs while keeping students coming back for more.

We made it to 2021! Congratulations on making it through, and we're excited to shake off "that year" and explore some more fun with twenty twenty-one! The truth is that 21 tools is probably an overwhelming number of things to look at and explore, but remember that you should NOT be using all of these, it's just meant to see what matches your needs and hopefully can help you out. Listen in as Ixche...

Matt Miller joins us to give a positive ending to a trying year! Listen in as he shares how he transitioned from being a textbook-dependent teacher to an innovative educator in his language classes and beyond. Matt shares how to Ditch That Textbook (gently) and build that language (quickly)!

We've spent two episodes looking at the TESOL Technology standards and in our final installment of this series we explore the ISTE standards. Why is it important to look at the ISTE Standards when we already have TESOL technology ones? What can we glean from them that we can strive to include in the TESOL standards? Join us for a discussion on the importance of including the concepts of the ISTE s...

In this episode we meet up with ESL Instructor, Robert Jonte, to discuss several games that translate well into Zoom! He discusses how to recreate classic favorites as Zoom versions; best of all, these require little to no prep because as Robert shares, all you need is the ability to share a screen, annotate, and use the chat function. Listen in as we dive into ways to use up those few minutes lef...

In the second installment of a three-part series, we take time to discuss understanding technology standards for ELLs. Why is it important to have a plan when introducing students to technology? How can we approach what can be a daunting task in an organized way? What approach should we take when teaching media literacy skills? Brent and Ixchell review the rationale for a framework and discuss the...

Breakout rooms are a great way to get your students communicating, and they're more likely to share and practice in small groups, but you can't just send them away and hope that it will work. In this episode, Brent & Ixchell talk with Savyonne Steindler about the ins and outs, the technical setups, and the activities you can do with breakout rooms in your online ESOL classrooms.

With the COVID rush to teach from home and meet the needs of our students, we've been pushed to sample all sorts of tech tools. This urgency has exposed us to testing a plethora of educational technology. That has been both exciting and overwhelming. How do we make decisions on what the best tool is? Do we have a framework to apply when choosing something? What standards exist in our approach to s...

Weina Li Chen is a Visiting Instructor of the MA in TESOL program at Pepperdine University and teaches MA TESOL candidates, MS in Educational Leadership, and Learning Design and Innovation. She has extensive experience and passion for multilingualism, educational technology, hybrid, and online learning. Join our conversation on the importance of creating a risk-free environment for language learne...

What are some of the challenges students face when learning verb tenses? In what order should teachers present the tenses? In this episode, we explore what some experts in the field recommend and we offer some practical ideas as to apply them.

School has started and we already need something to take our mind off of things! On Fifth Mondays we join up for an informal get-together with the #DIESOLcrew - including you! Join Brent & Ixchell along with Daya, Mark, Denise, Simone, Brian, Michelle, JPB as we have a couple drinks and play a couple of games, including Ixchell's already infamous "Stump the Teacher"!

Flipgrid has recently launched a whole new roll-out, just in time for the 2020 school year, when many of us are still working to figure out better online engagement.  Ixchell & Brent chat with Educator Innovation Lead at Flipgrid, Ann Kozma, and Flipgrid Ambassador & ELL teacher Luis Oliveira to discuss fun, meaningful, and innovative ways to use Flipgrid to support our ESL students. Listen in to...

Today we celebrate DIESOL's first birthday! Brent & Ixchell spend time reflecting on the minor and major changes that have happened over the last year. Then they take a look at Adobe Spark and what it can do for your students on their goal to improve their English.