Go Animate!

The website Go Animate allows users to create short comics with pre-made characters, scenes and objects. These scenes are highly customizable and you can even create what your characters to say and what they sound like. There is a free version of this website as well as a paid portion. This tool can be great for ESL classrooms!

This website can allow students to practice with language through the use of technology. Students can present a number of topics using Go Animate. Some ideas include: historical presentation, retelling of a story, telling a personal story, or many more. This website will allow students to work with language but also have fun. Using this in a classroom would be highly motivating for students because it will allow them to individualize their comics which can be both educational and fun. This website allows you to either type your speech or record your own voice which is a great function to differentiate instruction among students. Language learners can learn through both typing what they want to say and listening to the characters say it, or practicing speaking use their own voices. This tool can be used to check proficiency levels in speaking. I would use Go Animate in any content area to reinforce topics. This website is also very fun for both teachers and students!

Here is an example of a Go Animate video.

A Walk Outside by lrlichtenberger on GoAnimate
This scenario can be used in a classroom to check listening comprehension among students. Following this video teachers can give an assessment to check for understanding.

Animoto

Animoto is a great website to use for teaching. The purpose of this website is to publish visual stories. A free version of this website allows users to create a 30 second video accompanied by music and text with a link to the final product once it is 'published'. There are more features that become available once the user has a paid account but for educational classroom use it is most likely that the free version will be used.


Here is an example of an animoto that I created based on the book, The Hunger Games.


The Hunger Games

The use of this website in an ESL classroom would be useful for story telling. Students can use the website to retell a story they have already in class (to demonstrate comprehension) or to tell their own story (to get to know your students/get to know each other). The use of pictures, texts, and music makes the process individualized for each student. Students who are at a lower proficiency level can rely on the pictures to convey their meaning with minimal use of words. Students at more advanced levels can be expected to write a little more. This is a great way to differentiate instruction among students. Students can express themselves through using this tool because they get to select their own pictures and music which makes the task more motivating and exciting. This is also a great way to learn about your students on a personal level. The website is very easy to use so teachers should not worry about difficulty with using technology. Although a separate lesson may need to include how to upload a picture, or how to upload a song this can be a meaningful lesson for students that can be transferable to when they work with different websites who use similar functions. Remember, the most important thing in incorporating technology in the classroom is having a clear purpose so students understand what is expected of them!

Digital Storytelling

What is Digital Storytelling?

According to The University of Houston, digital storytelling is “the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories”. Digital storytelling focuses on a topic that typically has a point of view and it can vary in length. According to educause, “ Digital stories can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or reflective.”  Digital stories can be used to tell stories by combining various aspects of media to create a story. Digital stories can be comprised of images, texts, sounds, music, and video clips. Digital stories are basically a "mash up" of materials that all relate to a single topic in order to tell a story. According to educause, people who are not technologically savvy can successfully make a digital story because there are many simple applications that can be used for their creation. Digital stories work on learners digital literacy, global literacy, visual literacy, technology literacy, and information literacy.

Implications for Teaching

Digital storytelling can be utilized in an ESL classroom for individual or group presentations, because according to educause, anyone can make them. Digital stories can be used for creating original stories, giving information on a historical event, re-telling a narrative story, or exploring a topic of interest among the students. The use of digital story-telling will allow students to explore a topic and present it in order to demonstrate comprehension on the topic. The internet has an abundance of resources that can be used to compile a digital story. Using the internet as a resource can be beneficial for ESL students because they can use online dictionaries to help them translate words (as they work) if they become confused while on their journey to create a digital story. Digital storytelling is also a task that can differentiate instruction. While students work on their digital stories they can work independently and at their own pace. Digital storytelling also includes many aspects of media which allows different kinds of learners to pick which outlets of media they enjoy the most (text, music, video, etc). The University of Houston states, "This type of activity can generate interest, attention and motivation for the "digital generation" students in today’s classrooms." This motivation will make for a positive atmosphere and successful learning to occur in the classroom. This project idea helps students become an agent of information while utilizing the internet as a resource.