English+Language+Learners+and+Flickr

English Language Learners and Flickr!

Using Flickr in the classroom creates an entirely new form of learning. Uploading pictures allow students to have a visual and students such as English Language Learners can struggle immensely due not being able to understand assignments or websites, Flickr is a site that could benefit ELL students with a few visual aids and some assistance. “Such networks provide language learners with opportunities to meet and interact with people from around the world in self-directed ways on personally meaningful topics.” (Campbell).

Flickr users are able to learn information including the look of something, the geological location of it’s being, description and how it is affected by other climates or environments. Another positive aspect of this site is that it is a social network. “Social networks bring people together who share common interests and give those participants the tools to produce, collect, share, and re-mix artifacts” (Dieu and Stevens, 2007).

However, there are some struggles that ELL students might encounter. For students to be able to maneuver the site they must be able to log in using a yahoo, Google or Facebook account. The barriers that are here would be having this existing account or needing assistance from an aid or teacher to create an account. Once the account is created the student would need to remember how to return to the Flickr log in page, this could be master by having whoever was able to assist bookmark or tag the page using a specific terms and could possibly tag under multiple languages.

There are other barriers such as just being able use the site for class or assignment requires. ELL students can be assisted in these maneuvering techniques by allowing aids or teachers to assist the students until the steps are learned. The possibility of using picture cards that can be created by taking as a screen shot of each step to use as a visual aid. There are also sites that allow for language translators such as, [|http://imtranslator.net/translate-and-speak/#]. This site allows you to copy and paste font in to the box and choose what language you need it translated into audio and text. Flickr is a great tool for multiple disorders and especially ELL students as long as teachers invest their time wisely and provide assistance.

Sources: [|http://imtranslator.net/translate-and-speak/#]

Dieu B and Stevens V (2007) ‘Pedagogical Affordances of Syndication, Aggregation, and Mashup of Content on the Web’ TESL-EJ 11(1) [].

Campbell, Aaron. Patrick. Motivating Language Learners with Flickr. E-Poche. Retrieved April 23, 2013. www.e-poche.net/flickr.

A Picture is worth a thousand words: ELL students and the use of Flickr

As a journalism teacher, oftentimes the most difficult task a student faces is creating a caption that tells the story. However, pictures offer so much more information when the words may not come as easily. By using Flickr, students can upload a variety of photos and share descriptions and words that best describe the content. By using this technique, students can then become familiar with language and understand how the words are being used in a descriptive sense. By using photos that capture scenes, include a variety of objects or activities, or photos that follow a theme, students can then familiarize themselves with relevant, daily vocabulary. According to an article in Edutopia, photos can be a strong way for students to learn and apply Bloom’s Taxonomy. They can gain knowledge, comprehension, use application, analysis and evaluation. They could also use this taxonomy to create their own questions or analysis of what the photo is all about. This can also be a great way for students to work with and recognize the importance of compare and contrast. By looking for similarities and differences, students can then generate ideas for writing. Learning a second language and to be expected to understand it fluently in a short amount of time can cause extreme anxiety and cause an ELL student to be mislabeled as learning disabled. By providing an avenue of visual recognition with new words, students will experience success in recognizing that word in real world situations. By using a variety of formats, including photos, this also fits within the common core for the following standards: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Some of the barriers to this technology may be the absence of cameras for students to use to take pictures as well as computers to upload them. Although photos already exist on Flickr, students may want to have familiar places to apply their knowledge. Another barrier could be their district Internet filter. Flickr may not be allowed on some school sites. Photography and blogs are restricted sites on some filters to that could be an extreme limitation in using Flickr.

www.edutopia.org/blog/ell-engagment-using-photos