Week 11: Integrating ICT in my EFL Classroom

The experience of creating something especially designed for my students, based on their needs and context was exciting and very demanding.

In order to provide a solution to one of the several issues that we have to face in our EUS classes in Amazonas, I decided to design a complementary space where students could interact with the target language and also can go deeper in their grammar instruction. This is the origin of “Grammar Express for you” a wiki, especially designed to offer Amazonas’ students the opportunity of having extra tutoring in some grammatical aspects that they do not understand very well and that cannot be properly covered in the face to face sessions for the little time we have.  Basically, it contains the most important aspects that are described in the instructional material but presented in a funny and interactive way, so students can complement what it is presented in their books.

Although, this site has not been used yet, I am expecting to use it to see if the model that I adopted is compatible with my students’ expectations. Although, this site has not been used yet, and that introducing technology in this context can be a little bit challenging because students do not use computers frequently, for most of them computer access is limited, the Internet service in the region is not very fast, and they have very basic computer skills; I do really hope that this can be the proper means to offer students extra counseling without waiting to travel to clarify their doubts.

This wiki includes several technological tools like videos, websites, readings and other exercises that can improve students’ reading skills in the subject, and why not? May be they get interested in studying English as a foreign language and do not limit their studies to ESP courses that we offer in their career.

Despite the hard work it takes to design a wiki, plan its pages, adapt the content to my student’s needs, and deciding which could be the best methods to foster their learning autonomy, I do really hope that this site can accomplish its purpose and it serves students as a window to go beyond their classrooms and they can experience something a little bit different form what they are used to do.