Tech Without Tears: Effective Technology in Language Classes with Meredith White

Meredith White, an expert in integrating technology in language teaching, joins me in episode 64 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast. If you have a love-hate relationship with technology, this is your episode. In this blog post, I’m sharing the highlights of our conversation, but to hear all the details of how to navigate the endless amount of tech tools without succumbing to burnout or FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), click above to listen to episode 64 or on your favorite podcast player. 

Avoiding Pitfalls of Technology

First, I asked Meredith what should we avoid in terms of technology as language teachers. She quickly replied that we should choose fewer tools and use them deeper. She also suggested that you avoid tools that you don’t know are approved yet. This is really important. Also, be cautious about the tech tools and apps you learn about at conferences. A lot of times, you will get back to your school and realize that either those sites are blocked in your district or you have to pay for it yourself. You don’t want to have to fall into the trap of paying for these applications. Meredith also explained how you may not have tech support for some apps if your support team is not familiar with it. So, do your homework before you commit to a new app. 

Great Technology for Language Teachers

Next, I asked Meredith what her top technology tools were for language teachers. She started off by suggesting Quizlet. It’s one of her top four, and it’s one that’s not hard to figure out. It’s basically online flashcards. She loves it so much that she actually pays for it herself. 

EdPuzzle is another one she recommends. It’s not so much for studying but for formative assessment. You can use it for questions, and you can give students feedback. 

Flipgrid is great for student recording. Students can respond to prompts, and they can hear each other. It’s good if you want to be able to share speaking episodes with other kids, or showcase and send them to parents. It’s such a fun way to advocate to parents and to people at home, what students are doing. Just send them to Flipgrid. 

Meredith’s favorite is Formative. And, it is free. You can also embed Quizlet sets directly into Formative. So, they don’t have to go to Quizlet. You can put in PDFs, you can do audio files from your Google Drive, or YouTube videos. 

Nice to Have Technology

First on Meredith’s list of nice to have tech is Quizzizz. Next, is Formative. You don’t need these, but they can help you with lessons. Mote is also a nice tech app to have to use with your students. It’s audio recording directly in your browser. Click on the links below to check each one out. Meredith also talks more about each one in episode 64. You’ll also hear some of her hacks for your most popular tech apps.