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Blogging ESL

Web log Project at IILT – Peter Sheekey

Outline


Over the past three weeks I have been piloting esl blogging with my class. The results even in these early stages are promising.
The students have all developed their own WebPages, creating and uploading both textual and visual information onto their blogs. These pages are in turn linked into a class blog which serves as a link with other schools and organisations.
We are currently exchanging activities with an asylum program esl school in Sydney, Australia.

The class page is linked to sites that students can use for self study learning and provides a focus and easy access to weblearning tools.
This page is also being used to launch and manage exchange activities with other schools and will have links to social events, photogalleries, etc., ideas that are negotiated with learners and other centres.

These pages are distinct from the school website in that they can be negotiated with and by the learner and updated on on a daily basis if desired. They are therefore more dynamic in nature and remain more the property of the learners.

The class page can be visited at http://www.iilt.blogspot.com



Rationale


Web based learning, and web logs in particular, is proving to be a powerful tool for language learning and cross cultural connections.
Only three weeks into this pilot project has seen a significant change in how and what my students are producing in their writing. The skill of writing, however, is far from the only ability being used here. The advantages would appear to many:

Learners have a genuine reason for writing and communicating
Take more care and double check due to the “published” effect
The sense of ownership in having their own page
Multimedia aspects of pod casting, photo galleries, chats, blogging, etc.
Cross-cultural activities with other schools or centres also abroad
Their pages become a virtual portfolio which can be constantly updated and is secure
It trains and displays significant computer and web skills
Reading, listening and other skills are honed due to increasing interest in exchange activities
It provides a platform and home for class projects
It develops and /or upskills media awareness


Other Functions


The blogs could have many other applications for the learners. They could function as a passport for language, computer, a vocational or other skills such as media. It can be put to commercial use by the more entreprenarial amongst our learners (one student immediately entered her availabilty for hairdressing appointments in her blog).
There is, of course, the social impact of our learners having this tool, enabling them to be part of online communities and to initiate and respond to information within and between their various communities.