| Body | This activity can be used with learners of all proficiency levels. It is designed to guide learners as they explore digital resources they may, or may not, find useful for speaking and writing development.
Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:
- Identify digital resources useful for their own speaking and writing development
- Select two resources they would like to continue using to support their language learning journey
Mode(s): Interpersonal, Presentational
Materials: Finding Productive Resources: LCTLs video, Evaluation Reflection Guide
Procedure:
- Ask learners to brainstorm a list of language learning apps or other digital resources that they know about or currently use to practice speaking or writing. How do these apps address speaking or writing skills? If they haven’t used any apps, what would they imagine using them for? Write a list of the apps and ideas for using them on the board or a digital document for all to see.
- Next, show learners the Finding Productive Resources: LCTLs video.
- After watching the video, have learners compare their list of resources with the examples mentioned in the video to create a shared list of possible resources. (Note: This can be done on a whiteboard in the physical classroom and/or set up as a shared document or shared page in a course learning management system. The goal is an extensive list of resources for learners to explore.)
- Have learners select three resources on the list to work with on thier own time. (Note: In order to give sufficient time to explore, one resource per week. This should be adjusted based on class and learner needs.)
- Give learners the Evaluation Reflection Guide. Instruct learners to document what they learn while exploring as well as their impression of the value of the app.
- As time allows, use the chart to evaluate one sample resource as a class.
- After the evaulation period, divide learners into small groups to share what they found. What were they resources they found most useful? Which were least useful?
- Reconvene the whole group and ask learners to share what they discussed. This discussion can be used to refine the list from Step 1 by adding and deleting resources as needed.
- Encourage learners to use the handout as the basis for an ongoing evaluation of langauge learning resources they find.
Notes:
-Modifications (scaffolding)
- Learners working on their own, outside of a class or group, to learn their less commonly taught language can use this activity more or less as written. Step #1 they can brainstorm on their own. For the discussion in step #7 and reflection in step #8, individual learners can write down, draw, or make any other visual representation of their answers.
- This activity can also be done in a professional learning community with teachers to develop a collaborative list of key resources most relevant to their own students.
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