Digital Equity and Inclusion are the activities necessary to ensure that all individual students, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of technology. This includes the following: internet service, internet-able devices, digital literacy training, technical support, and programs designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation and collaboration. It should evolve as technology advances.
There are over 4 million students that are English Language Learners (ELLs) and that number is steadily increasing. Although these students have particular educational needs, they do not learn any differently than their peers who are English-native speakers.
As an English as a Second Language Teacher (ESL), I always tell my co-teachers that we are ALL ESL teachers because we all have or will have ELs in our classroom. As always we need to cultivate our relationships with our EL students, teach language skills across the curriculum, differentiate, and accommodate!
One way to accommodate these learners is by using technology! Yes, technology will be one of your very best friends especially if your school does not have the recourses-- such as paraprofessionals or ESL teachers-- needed to provide for EL students.
"How do I use technology to help my EL students?" I am happy you asked! Here are some ways you, an ESL teacher, can use technology to help your ELs:
Have digital materials (videos and other online recourses) for your students in their native language that they can review before the material is taught.
Google Translate....yes, it will help. This can be an easy tool for students to translate words and communicate quickly. (https://translate.google.com/)
Adaptive Literacy programs (Imagine Learning, Lexia, etc.) help students develop literacy skills through games and short lessons. These programs also allows teachers to see and track student progress for not only EL students but all students.
Digital Field Trips allow students to absorb a great deal of information through experiential learning. (https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/)