5. 21st century schools
Read the following excerpt from an online article:
A dramatic shift is sweeping through our schools. The signs are all around us. Third graders texting on their cell phones. Kindergarteners who can navigate an iPod Touch better than we can. Middle schoolers who already have an Internet following on their blog or YouTube channel.
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These are not the same 21st century learners we came to know over the first decade of the new millennium. For these students, simply watching videos or images during class, playing an Internet multiplication game, or even taking turns at an interactive whiteboard is no longer enough.
These new 21st century learners are highly relational and demand quick access to new knowledge. More than that, they are capable of engaging in learning at a whole new level. With the world literally at their fingertips, today's students need teachers and administrators to re-envision the role of technology in the classroom. We must increasingly put technology into the hands of students and must trust them with more progressive technology use.
It is no longer sufficient for students to have less access to technological tools than the teacher, nor is it enough for any one suite of software to serve as the zenith for technology mastery. For student performance to approximate student potential, students need access to a constantly evolving array of technological tools and activities that demand problem-solving, decision-making, teamwork, and innovation.
Adapted from: https://www.naesp.org/principal-januaryfebruary-2012-technology/technology-integration-new-21st-century-learner
- What ICT (Information and Communication Technology) do you find useful when learning English?
- Are there any specific apps you like to use?
- Are you an iPhone or an Android person?

Objetivos
Read the following information about classroom apps, you will need it for the following task:
Educators love simple tools that they can use in multiple ways. Skype is a great way to virtually bring experts into the classroom and to help students make real-world connections to what they’re learning. |
![]() Image in Wikimedia Commons. CC license |
Similarly, Google Hangouts is a great tool for connecting with other educators, students and classes. It's easy to integrate with other Google products like Google Calendar and easy to send notifications inviting people to the conversation. |
![]() Image in Wikimedia Commons. CC license |
Kahoot allows teachers to create quizzes that are more fun and interactive than what can be done simply in Google Forms. It also allows teachers to customize quizzes for students' needs, changing details down to a very granular level. It is Web-based and free. |
Image in Wikimedia Commons. CC license |
Powtoon is a web-based tool that allows students to create animated presentations. It has a steeper learning curve than some tools, but the payoff is pretty cool. There is a free version and an expanded educator version. |
Image in Wikimedia Commons. CC license |
Prezi is a free presentation tool. You can add interactive charts, infographics, and maps to the text of your presentation. |
![]() Image in Wikimedia Commons. Free Cultural Works license |
Quizlet is a mobile and web-based study application that trains students via flashcards and various games and tests. As of August 2017, Quizlet has over 140 million user-generated flashcard sets and more than 20 million active learners. |
![]() Image in Wikimedia Commons. GNU Free Documentation Service |
Sources: https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/07/29/teacher-recommended-50-favorite-teaching-apps/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quizlet
Two other tools are quiziz.com and menti.com.
![]() Image by Marc Wathieu in Flickr . CC license |
With a partner, talk about how the teaching of English has changed since you started learning the language.
- Did you use to learn with the help of technology?
- Have you ever used any of the apps in the previous section in order to practice English? If so, what are the benefits you have found in using them? Which of the apps above would you recommend using and why?
- Do you know of any other apps that can help students improve their English? Use some of the language in section 4. to say whether you knew about these apps or you didn't. Talk for about 5 minutes.
Your teacher has shared this infographic with your class in an effort to show the students how the use of technology can help when working in groups. You have used some Google Apps before and don't have trouble understanding the infographic; however, the student sitting next to you is totally lost. Explain the content of the infographic to your classmate. Use your own words and avoid reading straight from the text.