App Smashing with ELL Students

EdTechTeacher.org defines “App Smashing” as “The process of using multiple apps in conjunction with one another to complete a final task or project.” When teachers create assignments that require the use of multiple apps, it not only increases the engagement of their students, but it also allows them to learn about many new applications which they can use for other assignments in the future. An example of this process worked very successfully when an ELL teacher working at both Pickering High School and Dunbarton High School decided to use “app smashing” to revamp an assignment she had used in the past.

ELL teacher, Nicole Hardy, was eager to learn how to better integrate technology into her teaching practice and was willing to try things out with her students even if they were new to her. When she told me about a project that she used with her ELL students in the past, where students present their “journey to Canada” stories, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for an app smash. The project already had multiple elements and steps which perfectly lent themselves to many different applications. So we formulated a plan which included me modelling a new app for the students each week when I was in the building and then Nicole would work with the students on the actual content of their projects between my visits.

The goal of the summative project was to give each student an opportunity to share their personal stories and experiences regarding the journey from their native country to life here in Canada.

Here are the applications the students used and what they used them for:

Application	Tools	Use
Read & Write for Google Chrome	Text to Speech and Translation tools	Reading stories of other students who have immigrated to Canada
Google Docs	Tables, Speech to Text, and Translation tools	Comparing and contrasting their personal story to other students’ stories Writing their own stories in narrative essay format Creating a script that incorporates their stories
Google Drawings	Image search and Modification tools	Collecting a series of related photos for use in their video interview
Google Drive	File Storage for use in multiple apps
Google Image Search	Using advanced search tools to find creative commons images cleared for reuse
WeVideo	Webcam Record, Essential Library, Colour Keying, and Video Editing tools	Recording a video of themselves in the style of an interview including collected images and appropriate visual aids
Google Sites	Website creation, video, image and document embedding	Developing a website to display all of the above
Google My Maps	Creation of a shared world map where each student could link their final project to their native country	Students could use this map to share their completed websites with other students as well as view and comment on their peers’ projects Since students from both schools were included in the same shared map, they were also able to connect with other ELL students from a neighbouring school
Google Classroom	Posting of announcements and assignments as well as sharing of documents in order to facilitate collaboration among ELL students at different schools	Used by the teacher as a way of communicating information and expectations as well as providing ongoing feedback throughout the process Also used by students as a way to collaborate and communicate with each other

In the end, each student created a website which described the stories of hope, struggle, determination, loss and joy through the journey that brought them to Canada. They could then share their stories with other students who’s own journeys had brought them to the same destination. Visitors to their websites could hear and read the stories that helped to shape the person they were and the person they will become in the future. Along the way, the students learned several different tools which will undoubtedly help them as they continue to navigate the challenges encountered by anyone who is attempting to learn in a language that is not their native tongue.