Gressang_Lowen_Kelly Enhancing and Integrating Skills Using "Google My Maps"

Enhancing and Integrating Skills Using “Google My Maps”The Minnesota English Learner Education Conference November 5-7, 2015, Bloomington, MNJane Gressang, Molly Kelley, & Sarah LowenLecturers, ESL Program, The University of Iowa

Presentation Outline❖Intro to Google My Maps

❖Research

❖Project examples

❖Questions & reflection

Link to our slideshttp://tinyurl.com/meledmaps

Introduction to

Google ‘My Maps’

Google ‘My Maps’Create personal maps with descriptive pinpoints

Free with Google account ❖ https://accounts.google.com/signup

Simple steps to create❖ Tour:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/

❖ Sign in

❖ Go to http://drive.google.com

❖ Choose “New” > “More” > “Google My Maps”

❖ Follow the walk through/ start mapping

Google ‘My Maps’Share quickly and easily

❖ Click on +Share

❖ Invite people OR copy link

❖ Edit “Who has access” by clicking “Change…”

❖ Access options

➢ On - Public on the web

➢ On - Anyone with the link

➢ Off - Specific people

Research

Autonomy (Benson, 2013)❖“Autonomy refers here to a capacity to control important aspects of

one’s language learning.”

Motivation and Initiative (Dam, 2012)❖‘‘Students [who] are used to being spoon-fed or…told what to do’’

often lack initiative in their learning.

Motivation and Collaboration (Sheppard, 2015)❖“Student motivation is a complex subject, but we can be sure to

support our students’ motivation by choosing appropriate … texts and tasks, and by being sure to consider our learners’ levels, interests, and learning goals. We also need to provide a supportive learning environment that recognizes students’ efforts, applauds their successes, and builds classroom community and collaboration.”

Modified Task-Based Instruction (Nunan, 1989)❖Any task defined with four criteria: “Meaning is primary, it works

toward a goal, it is outcome-evaluated, and it is related to the world outside the classroom.”

Modified Task-Based Instruction (Nunan, 1989)Hong Kong’s primary school task-based curriculum defines task using five main elements:

❖“A purpose or underlying real-life justification for doing the task that involves more than simply displaying knowledge or practicing skills”

❖“A context in which the task takes place that may be real, simulated, or imaginary”

❖“A process of thinking and doing”

❖“A product or the result of thinking and doing”

❖“A framework of knowledge and skills”

Modified Task-Based Instruction (Nunan, 1989)Key features of task-based teaching with young learners:

❖“They have coherence and unity for learners (from topic, activity and/or outcome), meaning and purpose for learners, clear language-learning goals, a beginning and an end, and involve the learners actively.”

Project Examples

High Beginning Level: My AutobiographySteps

1. Students create an individual map.

a. Pinpoints of important places. Write 1-2 sentences.

b. Layers of times of their lives.

2. Students share map with class/ classmate.

3. Classmates read the map and write discussion/ follow-up questions.

4. Discussion/ mini-presentations in class.

a. Students present their maps.

b. Others ask prepared questions about them.

Examplehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zfFMP1AD5wu8.kg-gj2qoG_mc&usp=sharing

Other options❖ Students review sentences for

subject-verb agreement/ verb tense or class specific grammar points.

Intermediate Level: Famous AttractionsSteps

1. Students select attractions (group/ class).

a. Pinpoints are attractions.

b. Layers could be groups or types of attractions.

2. Students read a text about each attraction/ view a video. Links to sources added to pinpoints descriptions.

3. Students write highlights for each attraction.

4. Read others’ and peer review for content/ edit for grammar.

5. Give presentation of the attractions using the map.

Examplehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zfFMP1AD5wu8.kciH-ep2xWYI&usp=sharing

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=ztqNzvAlCiqs.kFYYyzPL1qOA&usp=sharing

Other options❖ Students make a tour brochure or

tour video for each attraction.

High Intermediate Level: Explore Your New Town Steps

1. Groups select a place to visit together based on a category (coffee shops, study spaces, outdoor places, restaurants, etc.)

a. Pinpoints are places.

b. Layers are categories.

2. Each student writes a paragraph in a different writing style (narrative, opinion, compare/ contrast, process, etc.).

3. Students upload paragraphs and group photo to a class blog.

4. The reviewer (an opinion paragraph) posts paragraph directly into the Google Maps.

5. Students read other students’ blog posts and comment on their posts.

Examplehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zfFMP1AD5wu8.ky8y6qDimsuw

http://fall2015e1wg.blogspot.com/

Other options❖ Groups interview customers at the

locations and add the video/ audio to the pinpoints. Other groups could listen and write comprehension questions.

❖ Students could conduct interviews about what people like most at each place, and then present their information in charts to the other groups.

Advanced Level: Social Problems InterviewsSteps

1. Students share a class map. They find video interviews about social problems or record their own.

a. Pinpoints are locations of the interviews.

b. Layers are topics.

2. Students watch the videos and create discussion questions, transcripts, or quizzes for their classmates.

3. Students find related videos and articles, adding the links to the pinpoints.

4. Follow-up activities could include debates, informational presentations, research papers, and compare and contrast or synthesis essays.

Examplehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zfFMP1AD5wu8.kuE5x6CSMTU0&usp=sharing

Other options❖ Students participate in local

volunteer projects that work on solving the social problems. Then share what they learned in class.

Advanced Level: Newspaper/ Article ReflectionsSteps

1. Students read articles based on current events happening locally, nationally, and globally. They then write a short summary of the news into the Google Map.

a. Pinpoints are where the news article is focused.

b. Layers would be a type of news: local, national, and global..

2. Students write a blog on the news article (summary, synthesis, reaction, review...).

3. Students convert their essay into a presentation.

4. Students read each others’ and peer review for content/ edit for grammar.

Examplehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=ztqNzvAlCiqs.kDspc3jzYho0&usp=sharing

Other options❖ Student groups create weekly

summaries of news (local, national, or global) for their classmates and present it in writing or as a video news update.

❖ Students start to write their own news stories about events in the area.

❖ Students volunteer at a student newspaper.

Suggestions❖ Demonstrate map steps in class, but

link to app help instead of making your own instructions.

❖ Use other web apps like youtube, Google sheets, and similar web resources to help.

❖ Take advantage of students’ phones and laptops in class for access to tech.

❖ For evaluation, focus on only 2-3 main goals of the assignment--accuracy? fluency? clarity? Keep grading points simple.

Example project instructions and grading scalehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1lMVTPPWaKc4c3J8F2JC5tgyNhOjwAexeZI1xJHm8b5E/edit?usp=sharing

Example Google sheets signup https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NEuLF1jCy_U6NT1ZoOgjsOhjd7-P_hMHAizgQUpC5n4/edit?usp=sharing

Summary

Research❖Autonomy/ initiative

❖Motivation

❖Collaboration

‘My Map’ Tasks❖Meaning and form

❖Variety of levels

❖Project steps incorporate different skills (writing, grammar, listening, speaking, reading)

of Research and Tasks

ReflectionGroup/ pair discussion

❖ Answer the questions

❖ Discuss your experience

Continue the conversation/ individual sharing

❖ https://todaysmeet.com/MinneTESOL

❖ Input ideas & questions

❖ Page available one month

Reflection questions1. What did you find interesting

or helpful?

2. What kinds of technology do your students have access to in/out of class?

3. How could you implement these projects in your class?

4. Do you have any ideas that were not mentioned?

Questions?Our contact informationLecturers, ESL Programs, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

❖Jane Gressang, Ph.D., jane-gressang@uiowa.edu

❖Molly Kelley, M.A., molly-kelley@uiowa.edu

❖Sarah E. Lowen, M.A., sarah-e-lowen@uiowa.edu

Link to our slideshttp://tinyurl.com/meledmaps

ReferencesBenson, P. (2013, September). Learner Autonomy. TESOL Quarterly, 47(4).

Dam, L. (2012, November). Empowering-Educating Students to Become Lifelong Learners. Workshop presented at the TESOL International Symposium, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ismail, N. & Yusof, M.A. (2012, December). Using Language Learning Contracts as a Strategy to Promote Learner Autonomy among ESL Learners. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66.

Nunan , D. (1989). "Designing tasks for the communicative classroom." Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Sheppard, B. (2015, October). Balanced listening instruction. TESOL Connections. Retrieved from http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2015-10-01/3.html