“THESE RESOURCES HELP
MAKE OUR STUDENTS BETTER
GLOBAL CITIZENS AND TEACH
THEM A LITTLE MORE ABOUT
WHAT’S HAPPENING OUTSIDE
OF OUR COUNTRY.”
—Soumaya Long, assistant professor
and co-coordinator of world languages,
Community College of Baltimore County
heard this argument before. Their take:
Technology should not be viewed as a
potential replacement for traditional
classroom instruction, but as a tool to
complement the good work educators
are already doing.
When used judiciously, advocates say,
online workbooks, Web-based writing
and speaking programs, videos of class
lectures, and other technology-based
resources enhance lesson plans and help
teachers better connect with students.
Of course, like any teaching tool, the
resources only work when instructors
take the time to plan and implement
them as intended.
The Student Benefit
With campuses shifting focus from
access to success, any technology investment should have a demonstrated ability
to improve student outcomes.
Greta Clark, director of multicultural
education and ESL professor at Dodge
City Community College (DCCC) in
Kansas, says instructors at DCCC turned
to language learning provider Rosetta
Stone to provide tools that could reach
students on their own time.
STEVE HIX/GLOW IMAGES
Many DCCC students work at a nearby
meat-processing plant, which has shifts
24 hours a day, she says. It’s not unusual
for students to end a shift after midnight
and work through Web-based language
lessons before going to bed. “The online
programs let students practice listening
to the language and pronouncing the
words,” explains Clark. “Students can
also do self-assessments to know where
they stand before taking a formal test.
This helps boost their confidence or
show them where they need to devote
extra attention.”
Though the technology is helpful,
Clark says it’s the teachers who blend
technology with traditional classroom
instruction who should be credited for
students’ success.
