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There are many technology tools that would greatly benefit ESL students that would enable them to become more proficient in their target language and increase their comprehensible input. While the following technology tools would be great for ESL students, they would be great for all learners in the classroom.
- Video conferencing (to help students with their listening and speaking domains)
- Blogging (to help students in their reading and writing by partaking in important online discussions)
- Computer Software (to practice skills and build background knowledge)
- Podcasts (to help with oral language and listening skills)
- PowerPoint (a great tool for students to create and share information; also a great way for teachers to blend visual cues with words and create background knowledge)
- Digital Stories (again, students can use it as a tool to share information; teachers can create movies specifically designed with the students in mind)
- Online games (provides practice for skills and builds background knowledge)
- General online resources (this mainly provides teachers with the ideas and materials needed to successfully provide for the needs of ESL students)
It's important to note that there are three important characteristics in relation to UDL use in the classroom. I will explain these three principles in relation to teaching ESL. - First of all, UDL helps to make information more accessible to students by giving them many different ways to learn the information. This is especially key when teaching ESL students, since most of the time they do not have a strong grasp on the target language and thus, need other, more comprehensible modes of input to be fully successful in the classroom. For example, visual, kinesthetic, and audio cues would greatly benefit ESL students. By connecting words and ideas to pictures, ESL students will have a greater understanding of the concept. Additionally, providing double input is especially helpful for ESL because often seeing a word is not enough to make them successful in the classroom. Instead, it benefits them to see a word, hear the word, then say the word. Lastly, some concepts may need additional explanations. Instead of simply providing further oral descriptions, ESL students need gestures and actions to compliment the auditory input. By teaching with these methods, the ESL students will be provided with instruction that fits their needs, while the other students will also benefit from this reinforcement.
- Another important component of UDL is that students are given the opportunity to provide other means of communication when it comes to showing their knowledge about a topic. Of course, having ESL students complete an essay test would not be an appropriate assessment at the end of a science unit, for instance. But, ESL students can still be tested on their comprehension, but in different ways. As the WIDA standards outline, this can be done by pointing, matching, labeling, orally describing, sorting, providing examples, predicting, comparing, drawing, or categorizing, just to name a few. (A complete list of these English Language Proficiency Standards can be found at http://www.wida.us/standards/elp.aspx). For students who face a language barrier, giving them an alternative method for assessment is a great way to gain an accurate understanding of their academic performance and proficiency levels, but other students can also benefit. If the mainstream students are able to show their knowledge through other means of assessments, perhaps their strengths, weaknesses, and needs can be determined much easier as well.
- The last basic principle of UDL in the classroom requires active engagement and participation of students so learning becomes more meaningful, interactive, and enjoyable. This is especially important for ESL students, who can easily become lost and distracted during the course of the day because of the language overload. Therefore, ESL students cannot be expected to remain in their seats while staying completely focused the entire day. They need games, movement, and a wide array of activities to remain engaged. They also need practice in all four language domains (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), so this alone creates the need for a very different format in the classroom. Students need to be engaged in all four domains during the day to gain exposure to the target language, gain confidence in their abilities, and learn from their peers. So, while partaking in many different activities, they are engaged and having fun. Obviously, all students will benefit if learning in the classroom requires different activities because learning will become more enjoyable and students will be getting more out of the lessons.
In the 1960's an important movement began in the architectural field. Modifications in buildings were being considered as people in wheelchairs and with other handicaps had considerable difficulty accessing buildings. They were at on obvious disadvantage, considering they could not use the stairs or maneuver over curbs as easily as their fully mobile counterparts. As a result, architects began to make changes and other such additions to their buildings. While these changes helped people in wheelchairs and with mobility problems, they were costly and often unsightly. Instead of constantly having to make additional changes to buildings, architects began to keep these accommodations in mind as they designed buildings. For example, flat curbs, easily accessible elevators, ramps, chair lifts, escalators, and the like became regular components of a building's blueprints.
Thus the term Universal Design was born. These changes in architecture benefited all people universally. So, while these modifications were intended to help handicapped individuals, they ultimately helped all people, specifically those with strollers, shopping carts, skateboarders, or even just those with heavy bags.
It's no surprise that every student in the classroom learns differently. Each child has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and instead of using the same teaching method and assessments for each student, it only makes sense that instruction needs to be differentiated.
While the term Universal Design for Learning (UDL) may seem complicated at first, this term is nothing more than differentiation of instruction. In other words, the teacher must make special accommodations for the learners in the classroom, especially those who have special needs or academic barriers. Small changes or modifications in instruction, activities, or assessments will greatly benefit the student at which these changes were aimed, but at the same time, these modifications can help all of the other students at the same time.
