In New School Demographics: Integrating Technology in Classrooms and Meeting the Needs of ELLs
Abstract: Two trends that has aggressively made their ways into the field of teacher education They are the rapid growth of the English language learner (ELL) in schools and the increased use of technology in classrooms To combine these two trends, this paper discusses the best practices working with ELL students by integrating technology in English language instruction First, it provides the background knowledge on the growing trend of the ELL school enrollment Second, it discusses the best practices working with ELLs Particularly, these four practices are discussed: increasing comprehensibility, increasing interaction, making learning authentic and creating a positive learning environment Each is discussed with integration of technology and supported by second language (L2) theories The paper concludes with discussion that urges teachers to acknowledge the two trends and adapt instruction by taking the advantage that technology offers to meet the needs of the ELLs and all students