VALERIE SARTOR

Kazakhstan

Digital Age Pedagogy:

Easily Enhance Your Teaching
Practice with Technology

H
ow many times a day do you look at your smartphone? Why do you
do it? To find information? To entertain yourself? To communicate
with others? Smartphone usage is ubiquitous, regardless of age,
gender, economic status, and location. In my recent teaching, all of my
students use their smartphones more than their laptops.

Today, more than ever before, English- enthusiastic, focused students and a significant
language educators recognize the importance drop in paper consumption.
of using digital resources to teach students in
a variety of modalities. Current circumstances The need to master online teaching is
have caused schools, universities, institutes, becoming crucial. For decades, futurist
and colleges all over the world to rethink Bryan Alexander has been tracking the use
the way we teach and learn. Teaching with of technology for educational purposes.
technology has suddenly evolved from a He predicts, given the current situation,
gradual shift toward incorporating digital that many universities and institutes will
tools into a roaring avalanche, which can close due to economic losses; he also believes
overwhelm educators who have only face-to- that to stay relevant, educators in all content
face (f2f) teaching experience. areas must become fluent in using digital
resources (Alexander 2020).
Although the digital divide is real, I do
not address it here. This is because I have This article seeks to encourage teachers who
always had, during my teaching experiences are not yet tech savvy to start researching
in a variety of countries, affordable and and using online software resources that link
widespread Internet access. Smartphones and to smartphones (and laptops and tablets) in
phone applications (apps) were popular as order to successfully teach English anywhere
pedagogical tools when I recently taught in in the world, remotely or otherwise. It
Central Asia. I connected with and instructed discusses resources in the form of websites,
my Kazakh students via WhatsApp, a popular blogs, and digital tools to help teachers
free phone app that replaced the need for successfully transition and adapt their
an expensive learning management system, expertise to the current situation. These
although free platforms, such as Moodle, digital tools are flexible: they can be used for
are available globally. I also used online f2f, hybrid f2f/online, or 100 percent online
digital software and apps that could be teaching interactions, provided that teachers
accessed by laptop or smartphone. The result: and students have access to the Internet.

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 The need to master online teaching is becoming crucial.

After an overview of the rise of instructional 2006) to the use of technology in language
technology, the article offers advice for classrooms (Egorov, Jantassova, and Churchill
implementing educational technology and 2007; Suleimen 2019). But Kazakhstan
introduces various types of free digital tools, is not unique in supporting instructional
with explanations of what they do, why they technology in the language classroom. If you
are important, and how both teachers and have access to the Internet, you, too, can
students can use them. I conclude with a short employ numerous digital tools and websites to
list of free and relevant pedagogical websites. enhance your teaching practice.

OVERVIEW WHERE TO BEGIN

Ideas for using technology for language If you are unsure about using technology tools
instruction started developing in the late in the classroom, you are not alone. As an
1960s, when a few researchers and teachers educator working long before the age of the
realized that computers and technology were Internet, I, too, felt anxiety about adjusting
significant pedagogical tools (Heift, Mackey, my teaching to accommodate students in this
and Smith 2019). Over ten years ago, Lord digital age. Based on my experience, I offer
and Lomicka (2008) found that social-media the following six points of advice:
chats create a positive sense of classroom
community. Today, it is clear that appropriate 1 . Assign tech tools to your students
pedagogies, technology training, and teacher in small teams so that they teach the
attitudes toward technology positively impact class (and you) how to use each tool.
L2 learners (Otto 2017). Give students a clear rubric, which advises
them to repeat instructions, be patient,
Generation Z learners—true digital natives and monitor their peers. The rubric
and the current generation entering college should guide students to break down
worldwide—are especially interested instructions into simple, step-by-step
and influenced by technology and social points. Via a template, you can help them
media (Turner 2015). “Gen Z” students are by scaffolding instructions with sentence
constantly using technology and often expect frames in a checklist form, such as these:
their instructors to offer learning experiences
using social media and apps they can access • First, click on __________. (e.g., New
on their phones. The question arises: how can Project)
we, as language teachers working around the
world, enhance our smartphone tech usage? • Second, go to the upper-right corner of
the screen and click on __________.
In the case of Kazakhstan, after the country (Choose Background)
gained independence, many educational
initiatives were implemented, ranging from • Third, preview the __________.
a trilingual educational policy (Fierman (Background Options)

Assign tech tools to your students in small teams so that they

teach the class (and you) how to use each tool.

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 Experiment with the tool. Take your time.

You may choose to support these The second caveat is that many of
instructions by visiting iorad.com, a free these innovative tools have numerous
tool that walks users through a digital facsimiles. For example, some
process by taking screenshots. whiteboards are equally powerful
(Miller 2020c), while others are not.
Another option is to pre-teach the For instance, Google’s free interactive
requisite vocabulary and functional whiteboard, jamboard.google.com, has
language so that student presenters can fewer bells and whistles than others, but
successfully offer clear instructions. Ask it does offer service in 42 languages.
students to engage in brainstorming,
using creative and critical thinking about 3 . Do not expect to fully understand
the best ways to create instructional everything about the tool right
sentence frames for their particular tech away. Experiment with the tool. Take
tool. your time. Gradually, you will gain
understanding about how you can best
You should not be surprised by the employ it. I am still learning new ways
excitement and patience your students to integrate two tools I regularly use,
will display. After all, a core concept Flipgrid and H5P, into my courses;
for motivating students is to offer them despite being intuitive, these tools
relevant activities. Additionally, using the have many uses, and the creators are
discovery method gives your students constantly adding options and resources.
the agency and motivation to perform In general, high-quality tech tools offer
well. If some students are hesitant, pair free videos, newsletters, and a service
them up with the more confident ones, team that responds promptly and
or create groups and assign roles that politely, no matter where the user may
allow each participant to engage and be located. Support-service teams do
contribute: the presenter, the scribe, the not care whether you are using free or
fact checker, the timekeeper, and so on. paid versions. In fact, they often send
free training and advice so that users
2 . Start with tools that interest you will get the most out of the tool and
personally. This will motivate you to tell others about it. Many have online
learn the tools and put them to use. handbooks, and some of these come in
Two caveats: first, there are an various languages. And don’t forget to
overwhelming number of teaching tools search for and watch free tutorials on
available, with the majority of them YouTube; experienced techies—experts
offering free (as opposed to premium) in technology—post excellent resources
versions. Take the time to find preferred on how to use these tools.
tools by trying them out or asking
colleagues which tools they prefer. In any 4 . Participate in webinars that support
case, consider first what your learning the use of instructional technology
objective is, and then make sure you in the classroom. FutureLearn (2020)
align it with the tool correctly; using lists several free online courses to help
technology just “for fun” is wasting English teachers apply their skills in an
your time and your students’ time. Be online environment (there are often
aware that if you consider a tool to be fee-based options for extended courses
potentially useful, you may have to invest and/or a formal certificate). The U.S.
time in mastering it yourself. Department of State offers webinars and

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 other resources at americanenglish.state. Following are eight of my favorite versatile,
gov. Another free resource for learning easy-to-use, and free software resources:
to teach online is Remote Learning
101 (Miller 2020b), which offers tips 1 . Padlet.com
applicable to English teaching at any level
of instruction. Miller (2020a) also hosts a Padlet, a flexible, colorful online whiteboard
free digital summit every year, including with infinite space, is one of the easier tools
free certificates, podcasts, and videos to use and understand.You create an account,
on YouTube. The videos and courses are and with the free version you have access
subtitled, with the playback speed easily to up to nine boards (if you need more,
adjusted for those who use English as a you can pay a subscription fee or delete
second or other language. older boards).You have many choices for
the board background and how information
5 . Read about instructional technology is presented and can post information in
trends. I particularly like the helpful the form of text, video, and images. As
digital advice from Ridgeway and moderator, you control who posts and
Ridgeway (2019). If you prefer video whether the posts are public or confined to
to text, Dotto (2020) provides a video class members only. If you wish, you can allow
resource with clear instructions on using students to comment and add ratings
Zoom as well as other tech tools. or emojis to the posts. Padlet easily runs on
any smartphone.
6 . Create your own support group or
“techie meet-up” within your school I use Padlet in a variety of ways. During
or university—or find techies on class, in f2f or remote interactions, I may
Twitter or other social media. A few ask a question to check comprehension, and
years ago, as a faculty member in the students respond on Padlet. This reinforces
United States, I was lucky enough to writing skills and lets me know that everyone
regularly consult with our university’s has participated. I also employ Padlet in f2f
information technology design and interactions or in chat rooms using Zoom or
development team. Sometimes, just Skype to support students by using
meeting with them and expressing my peer-editing and small-group work. If
frustration at being stuck trying to learn students are grouped to write on climate
was enough to motivate me to keep change, for example, their group posts links
practicing and discovering how to use a on Padlet; other groups must vet those links
specific tech tool. I received emotional as reliable or not before the group can move
as well as technological support from on to drafting an outline. I use Padlet the
the team, along with tips about other same way when students present me with
tools I might want to incorporate into writing samples; this also aids organization
my repertoire. because everything students produce is
preserved on Padlet.
VERSATILE, EASY-TO-USE, AND FREE
SOFTWARE RESOURCES My students also use Padlet to share group
work with one another. When giving
As I write this, Zoom is the most popular presentations, they set up padlets and then
online meeting room in the world. Teachers ask pop questions to make sure their
are using it to present their lessons remotely. audience pays attention. This helps me as
This article does not go into detail regarding well because students are given participation
Zoom usage, but I recommend that you points for listening and asking questions,
review the resources and support links at and I can easily keep track. It also keeps
Zoom.com (you can choose from multiple students engaged and off their phones when
languages at the bottom of the homepage). their peers present.

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 Thus, as a resource, Padlet is versatile. It can I task my students to use H5P this way:
be used for summative assessment, gathering
information and brainstorming, monitoring Make a video on your phone or laptop
engagement, peer editing, and other tasks and and post it on YouTube. Next, import
assignments. the video into H5P. Then, using H5P,
create a series of questions: true/false,
2 . Flipgrid.com multiple-choice, or short-answer.

Flipgrid is a free video platform that can be This sounds complex, but it becomes less so if
used in many ways and is well liked by my you listen to the H5P tutorial (H5P 2020b); see
students. It can be loaded onto a smartphone, Johnson (2019) for instructions on uploading
desktop computer, or laptop, as long as a a video to YouTube. H5P also has a forum with
camera feature is present.You decide whether a wide variety of informative posts from users.
to have your grid public or private, and you can My students and I were able to comprehend
determine the length of time for videos—from the basics within one 50-minute class session. If
30 seconds to five minutes. A major benefit you want to skip the initial activity of students
of using Flipgrid is that all videos are stored creating their own videos, use the copyright-
along a single grid and are easily edited and free videos posted on YouTube (search for
commented upon, with privacy protected. “video library no copyright”). Most of my
Kazakh students, however, were keen to create
I often use Flipgrid for introductions at their own footage.You can view a sample online
the beginning of a course to have students lesson I created for a seventh-grade teacher at
tell me something about themselves and Sartor (2020a).
what they want from the course. I also use
Flipgrid to ask students to check in, practice The importance of using tools like H5P
pronunciation exercises by reciting poems cannot be underemphasized. Today’s students
and tongue twisters, and complete prewriting learn more via video than text; by offering
assignments before they create a first draft. them learning via video, you as a teacher can
Students often use Flipgrid at the end of assess without standing in front of them and
presentations, asking their audience to give monitoring, and you can allow students to
oral assessments using a rubric I provide. create and present content to their peers.
Students may self-assess and learn at their
The company has created a remote learning own speed because they can watch the video
guide in various languages, ready-to-use repeatedly. And, as mentioned, there are other
activities and assessments, and a blog types of assessments that you can create with
addressed to global educators (Flipgrid 2020). text by using H5P—fill-in-the-blanks, drag-
and-drop matching exercises, and online flash
3 . H5P.org cards (H5P 2020a).

Using H5P, one of my favorite tools, anyone 4 . Kahoot.com

can edit a video by creating pop-ups and
inserting images and video links. This tool Kahoot!, another free assessment tool,
differentiates the classroom and creates an offers engaging ways for students to review
even playing field. For example, if students materials and/or test their comprehension,
watch a video and do not recognize a word either alone or in teams.You can create your
or image, they can click on a link or pop- own questions, polls, and puzzles, or access
up, stop the video, and/or replay the video. the platform’s bank of content. Kahoot!
This gives students at all levels, and those gamifies learning by creating engaging quizzes
who learn in different ways and at different that require responses in a limited time. This
speeds, a chance to independently practice platform does not require f2f attendance in
comprehension skills. one location to play. Similar applications,

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 The resources [here] represent only the tip of the
instructional-technology iceberg.

with free versions, include Quizlet.com 7. Vocabulary.com

and Peardeck.com. I have also found a free
smartphone app to assess English learners at Vocabulary.com is another free tool for
Cambridge Assessment (2020). learning vocabulary or reviewing words. The
site has a gamified format that looks like flash
5 . GooseChase.com cards, but it recognizes the users’ success
and progressively challenges their abilities,
GooseChase helps teachers create scavenger helping students remain engaged. The site has
hunts, which are a great idea because students other advanced learning resources for those
use their smartphones and organize into passionate about morphology and semantics.
interactive, cooperative groups for a friendly,
competitive hunt. This tool gets students out 8 . ExplainEverything.com
of their seats and moving around. The game
requires students to take pictures of their One more tool that I can no longer live
group with each object they find and place without is Explain Everything (EE). This
each photo on GooseChase.You can monitor software can be used on a smartphone.
the activity and choose the objects and sites Basically, EE is an interactive whiteboard, but
to ensure safety and a reasonable end time. it is more sophisticated than Padlet.You create
I have created hunts that required students interactive presentations using templates,
to ask other people for objects, which is an which can then be stored on the program’s
excellent way for them to practice using cloud as a video or processed via YouTube into
functional language. This activity can be videos. I use this tool to offer students short
used to reinforce pre-taught vocabulary and video lectures that they can watch during an
demonstrate the value of learning specific online class or independently via a link—see
lexical items. The recreational version is free Sartor (2020b) for an example.
and adequate for most teachers, but you are
limited to three teams and one live game at a My teachers-in-training create short EE video
time. For a sample made by a Spanish teacher, presentations to demonstrate how they use
see Slusarek (2016). a specific method or strategy when teaching
English. The free basic package allows you to
6 . Visuwords.com create three projects at any given time (if you
need more, you can pay a subscription fee
Visuwords is a free site that helps students or save and then delete older projects). The
learn vocabulary. This tool is a massive mind support services for this company go above
map of words and roots that can be clicked and beyond helping everyone using the tool. A
to help students make morphological and handbook is available for download at Explain
semantic connections concerning vocabulary. Everything (2020).
I use it as an online reference tool for high-
intermediate and advanced learners; the FREE EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES
sheer number of lexical items can overwhelm
beginners. Visuwords classifies specific lexicon The resources above represent only the tip of
and offers different versions, according to the instructional-technology iceberg. If you
parts of speech, as well as derivatives and are interested in learning about other available
semantic connections. In effect, it serves as a tools, I would recommend that you follow
colorful interactive dictionary. certain websites and blogs. My favorites that I

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 Over time, those who are skilled at integrating and applying
technology will likely find more opportunities.

mention here are free (although some promote help everyone develop innovative ideas for
their books and provide trainings for a fee). teaching. Choose a few tools that interest
you personally, experiment with them, and
• Not only does Jennifer Gonzalez’s Cult critically reflect on their potential uses.
of Pedagogy offer a diverse range of
information regarding teaching and It is not likely that technology will replace
technology, but she also makes her language teachers in their classrooms, but an
information accessible via podcasts, which increased focus on online teaching and remote
you can download and listen to while you learning is taking place and will likely become
are doing chores. She has also created a lasting trend. The demonstration of language
YouTube videos with adjustable playback competence is clearly moving from pencil and
speeds. Everything is available at Gonzalez paper towards digital platforms. Alexander
(2020). (2020) speculates that teaching and learning
will eventually become a “toggle” system,
• The Feedspot blog lists and updates whereby faculty and students will meet
content from innovative bloggers who remotely or f2f, depending upon human safety
post about numerous fields, including and economic potential.
educational technology (Feedspot 2020).
If the text is dense, I recommend using Over time, those who are skilled at integrating
Google Translate to scan this site in order and applying technology will likely find more
to choose a blog best for you. opportunities. We as language teachers must
stay current with new tech tools and trends
• Another helpful website is Stannard and continue to identify useful software and
(2020); Russell Stannard is one of the first smartphone apps so that we can align them
British educators to recognize the power of with our desired pedagogical outcomes.  
technology as a language-teaching tool. He
has won many awards and is a clear thinker REFERENCES
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and conferences, such as Miller (2020a). Classes and Meetings.” Steve Dotto: Productivity,
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