A while back, I wrote a post about 6 Life Saving Resources for Your ESL Classroom, where I mentioned websites and apps that you can readily use in the classroom.
Today, I am diving into one more resource, which, in my opinion, deserves separate attention – Adobe Spark.
Adobe Spark is a free program/app, which allows one to create videos, slideshows, and presentations by putting together your own images, clips, and icons or those found on the web. While creating your project, you can also record your voice or add music.
With that said, you probably already guessed that it is a fantastic tool to use with your ESL students, especially for communication practice. Here are my top 3 reasons for using Adobe Spark.
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Engagement
Technology is a fact of life nowadays, no matter where in the world you are. Young people are used to it and even when you have students who are otherwise reluctant to participate in classroom activities, adding a technology element to your classroom is likely to spark even the most resistant learners. In addition, I have noticed (and accepted it) that my students are much more tech savvy than me, so it is a great learning and live communication for both of us.
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Fantastic speaking practice
Create a slideshow and present it in front of the classroom. Answer questions when called on by the teacher. While necessary, it can be boring.
Create a video where you introduce yourself to younger students doing a similar project; or where you explain the process of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; or compare the play Romeo and Juliet with the movie West Side Story. Now THAT’s more fun. And all the while, students use academic language that is so important to succeed in school.
With Adobe Spark students can either make their own video, where they will speak following the instructions you gave them beforehand. Or they can use pictures and record their voice over them.
The best part is students get to rehearse their speaking. For some, this will be a fun activity because they are outgoing and chatty, to begin with. For others, this will be a life-saving project because they will be able to perfect it as many times as they need to before submitting the final product. Repetition will allow them to internalize language patterns and will reduce the fear of standing in front of the class and speaking on the spot.
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Critical thinking in action
The main goal of using Adobe Spark with English learners is language usage in academic context. But the program is so much more from a critical thinking perspective. While creating their project, the students will need to apply their prior knowledge, evaluate sources and synthesize information. You will be able to see their areas of strength and weakness and to evaluate what you need for further instruction.
Adobe Spark in action
I usually write about what I know. Adobe Spark is no exception. I recently went to a training on how to use the program and found it fascinating. So putting it into practice with my students seemed like a natural next step.
I teamed up with another teacher to test it out. For a couple of months in late fall, elementary school students learn about Ellis Island, its historical background, immigration to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century and other related information. Then in December, they participate in an Ellis Island day, where the children put all they learned into action: they dress up like people back then and go through the Ellis Island experience.
We have decided that it would be great for the younger students to connect their knowledge to modern-day and to see that similar processes continue. Therefore, I gave my high school students, many of whom have arrived in the United States within the past year or two, an assignment to create a video where they would answer the same questions people entering the country were asked a hundred years ago.
The project was broken down into a few lessons. First, we read about the history of Ellis Island and the reasons why people decided to come to American as well as how they traveled, what they brought and how they found life here.
Then, we looked at the sample questions an immigrant might be asked by an inspector at Ellis Island. These were simple requests for name, age and country of origin as well as reasons for entering another country. We also drew a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the reasons for people moving and questions you might be asked today and had a short discussion about it.
Finally, the students were asked to create a short video (individually) of themselves answering the questions and I uploaded it to our Adobe Spark page.
We then shared the project with the elementary school teachers, where they showed it to their students and had a comparison/contrast discussion in their classrooms.
This was a very simple project, where I did not even ask them to create their own accounts. At the same time, it was a fantastic opportunity for my newcomer students to practice what they know.
Final note
Adobe Spark can be used with all age groups. With the younger learners, the project will require a lot more teacher involvement and will likely be more picture than video based.
Depending on the level of your students, you can make your Adobe Spark project as simple as the one described above or as complicated as you think they can manage. It is totally up to you. But the creativity will be definitely unleashed for both you and your English learners.
Adobe Spark can also be utilized for writing and reading practice and group and/or individual projects. All of the features – presentation, video, page – can be accessed from your desktop or laptop. If you decide to use a mobile device, there are separate apps – Adobe Spark Video, Adobe Spark Post and Adobe Spark Page.
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