We as teachers have golden opportunity to help our students succeed in ways we have never had before. As educators it is important that we use educational technologies to help our students to become independent learners and even more importantly independent thinkers. Richardson (2009) claims that web applications may enhance learning in language settings as today’s students are naturally attracted to technology (in Mohamad Ali and Jabar, 2016, p.160). According to Attwell (2010) “technology-enhanced…learning can help foster learner-centeredness and collaboration” (as cited in Mohamad Ali and Jabar, 2016, p.158). Therefore, using various LMSs and other educational platforms both for online and offline teaching enhance students’ learning opportunities by making lessons more creative, interactive and engaging. One of these amazing free Learning Management Systems is Google Classroom. The easy-to-use interface, opportunity to integrate with other apps and tools, ability to customize assignments, smooth document sharing and collecting functions, grading and group or private feedback features distinguish Google Classroom from other LMSs.
Considering above stated benefits, six-hour
online course was created for Year 5A EAL students in Google Classroom Learning
Management System. It is designed for ten-year-old students and consists
multiple SPAG lessons (SPAG stands for Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar). The
aim of the course is to provide to EAL students age and level appropriate
support with English grammar, spelling and punctuation to enhance their phonics,
reading and writing skills. Course starts with the short introduction followed
by various interesting assignments, which were designed using different
learning tools and by integrating them with Google Classroom:
1. First assignment: Spelling
– Vowel Diagraph ‘ea’
In this task students
must watch the provided video to learn about vowel digraph 'ea'. Then they have
to play a game related to the topic on Blooket gamified platform. Their job is
to choose the correct word with 'ea' digraph, which makes short /e/ sound or
long /ee/ sound to fill in the missing word in the quiz game. While choosing
answers learners required to pay attention to the meaning of the words.
2. Second assignment:
Identifying and sorting nouns
The following assigned task distinguishes the common, abstract and proper nouns. "Identifying and sorting nouns" Power Point Presentation is attached for students to make learning easy and accessible. Balloon pop game was designed on Wordwall.net based on sorting nouns theme to recall the students’ gained knowledge from PPT. Students have to pop the balloons to drop each keyword onto its matching definition. Wordwall.net offers visual reinforcement through interactive educational games, where students learn with fun and pleasure.
The use of the
Power Point Presentation and the Balloon pop game in the above-mentioned task
can be linked to the Behaviorism theory as a form of drilling (Woolfolk and Margetts, 2019). Behaviorism as drilling
involves the repetition of a task or information until it is learned and can be
performed automatically (Gagné, 1985). The Power Point Presentation and the
Balloon pop game provide a structured and repetitive way for students to learn
and practice identifying and sorting nouns. The use of visual aids and
interactive games can help to reinforce the learning through repetition and
positive feedback (Cooper, Heron and
Heward, 2020). By repeatedly sorting the nouns into their appropriate
categories, students can develop automaticity in recognizing and categorizing
different types of nouns (Mayer, 2008). This approach aligns with the principles
of behaviorism as drilling, which emphasize the importance of repetition and
reinforcement in learning.
3.
Third assignment:
Punctuation
In this assignment pupils must get familiar with the words with apostrophes for contraction from shared Word document, then complete the Multiple-choice quiz which was designed in Google Forms. They must choose the correct answer from available multiple options to complete the sentences.
The task of punctuation, which involves the use of a shared Word document and a multiple-choice quiz designed in Google Forms, can be linked to the concept of learner autonomy. Learner autonomy is the ability of learners to take control of their own learning and make decisions about their learning goals and strategies (Benson, 2011). In this task, students are given the responsibility to learn about apostrophes for contraction by exploring a shared Word document. They then apply their learning by completing a multiple-choice quiz, where they have to analyze the sentence structure and choose the correct answer. By engaging in this task, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning process and develop their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
4.
Fourth assignment:
To Form and use the Regular Past Tense
This task is formulated using IXL online educational platform using one of the Grammar skills from Language arts section. IXL offers hundreds of skills, lessons and games to explore, and it is best tool for teachers to build student’s fluency and proficiency in English and in other subjects as well. System gives learners written or video explanation and feedback for incorrect answers while working independently. It also adjusts the type of questions depending on the level of child’s knowledge. If question is answered incorrectly the system will ease the next question, vice versa by challenging with harder one if correct answer is submitted. That is why, this tool was chosen while planning the lesson for students to learn independently about the topic before the IXL group jam activity.
Direct link to IXL platform is given to students to complete the following assignment. They must complete the sentences with the verbs in past tense by adding past tense ending to the base form of the verb. Revision material is provided to learn before starting the IXL activity on Google Classroom.
The use of IXL online educational platform in this assignment can be linked to the Self-Determination Theory of motivation. This theory emphasizes the importance of learners' autonomy, competence, and relatedness in fostering intrinsic motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). IXL provides learners with a sense of autonomy as they are given the opportunity to work independently and receive immediate feedback on their progress. The system's adaptive nature also enhances learners' competence by adjusting the level of difficulty to match their individual needs. Additionally, the provision of revision material prior to starting the activity can increase learners' sense of relatedness by connecting the learning task to their prior knowledge and experiences.
5. Fifth assignment: Group Jam activity on IXL about the
Verb tense
In this group jam activity, all the students are required to login into IXL learning platform to work together with peers to revise and strengthen their knowledge about Verb tenses. Before joining in each student must watch the YouTube video independently and review the provided explanation material about the topic on Google Classroom. Students are instructed to join the IXL at the same allocated time using shared login details from their emails. IXL group jam activity will be hosted by the teacher and students will receive pop up notification about pre-selected skill on their screen when they login to IXL. Students’ names who are joined will be visible on teacher’s screen and once all students have joined the Jam and the question is live, mentor will be able to see which students have submitted their answers and which students are still working.
IXL Group Jam is a fun way for students to collaborate on an any skill. Every student in a Group Jam will see the same question at the same time and complete it on their own pace. It allows educators to gauge entire class’s understanding of the topic in real time and make decisions to plan next steps accordingly. Moreover, teacher can ask the students questions directly on IXL and based on students’ response, teachers may decide to continue working on the concept as a class, break into smaller groups, or move on to an easier or harder questions.
The IXL Group Jam activity on Verb tenses is linked to the graduate attribute of teamwork and collaboration. This activity provides an opportunity for students to work collaboratively and support each other in learning the skill. It also helps them to develop their communication and interpersonal skills as they work together to solve the problem. According to Komarraju et al. (2010), group work can enhance motivation, self-esteem, and critical thinking skills, which are important graduate attributes.
6.
Sixth assignment:
Reading activity
Last assignment is created by combining all the above learned materials. First, children need to read the book called "By the Stream" from the Google Jamboard and complete the assigned group tasks in teams. Various questions related to previous lessons assigned to each group, where students expected to work together by remembering and revising all the materials taught since the start of the course. Then they have to take part in the Padlet group discussion by answering the comprehension questions from the story and leave their comments to other peers' posts.
Utilizing Padlet in
language learning sessions has been shown to improve student engagement and may
raise learner’ motivation. It supports active and social learning, provides
opportunities for student publication, effective feedback, as well as
opportunities to scaffold learning towards student’s development (Hartshorne
and Ajjan, 2009). The Google Jamboard and
Padlet activity is linked to the Social Constructivism theory which emphasizes
the importance of collaboration and interaction among learners to construct
knowledge and understanding (Vygotsky, 1978). In this activity, students work
together in teams to complete group tasks and participate in group discussions
to construct meaning from the story. Through collaboration and peer assessment,
learners can develop critical thinking skills, build their knowledge and
understanding, and enhance their social skills (Dillenbourg, 1999).
In conclusion, educational technologies offer a wealth of opportunities for teachers to enhance their students’ learning and thinking skills. Learning Management Systems such as Google Classroom can help teachers to organize courses, monitor students’ progress, and provide timely and effective feedback. Additionally, the use and integration of various learning technologies can promote independent learning and critical thinking skills among students by engaging them in meaningful and challenging tasks that require them to use their prior knowledge, analyze information, make decisions, and reflect on their learning outcomes. Therefore, Google Classroom can be an effective platform for designing and delivering online courses that cater to the needs and interests of EAL students.
Reference
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Link to the course:
https://classroom.google.com/c/NTkzMTMwNjA4Njk5?cjc=cynbie3
