Here, you will find a few of the educational resources I have discovered over the years that I find interesting and will be using in my ESL classroom. I personally chose all of these resources because of their accessibility.
Creation Resources
Canva is a platform that allows its users to create graphics for many purposes, such as social media posts, business flyers, resumes, presentations, etc. It is easy to use and offers a wide array of creative possibilities. This resource can enhance the teaching possibilities in my ESL classroom and allow my students to express themselves creatively without boundaries. It can be used in any project as a creative component. canva.com
Scratch is a coding platform developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is aimed at making coding accessible to all and easy to use. It was also developed for educators to create their own activities to use in their classrooms and help educators teach coding skills to their students. As an ESL teacher, I like this platform because it offers a possibility to create my own activities that assess the students in the exact ways I need; I do not have to rely on others to develop those activities. Additionally, it allows creative possibilities for my students to create their own activities. scratch.mit.edu
Mural is a platform that takes the typical 'whiteboard' and enhances its educational possibilities. It is a visual workspace where the teacher can build a classroom, insert media, and transmit information. In return, students can collaborate and add their own thoughts as a community. This platform is very useful in ESL, and any other subject area, as it offers an interactive online alternative when teaching remotely. Students can contribute in real time and create alongside their classmates and teachers. mural.co
Padlet is a platform that, at its most basic form, resembles the previous resource. However, I particularly find the 'World Map' option very useful in a classroom. This board allows users to submit entries all around the world, add text, and insert media. It is a great resource for an ESL classroom as it allows the teacher to monitor student writing and the final product usually shows entries all over the map, which can trigger a thought provoking discussion on diversity. padlet.com
Assessment Resources
Plickers is a platform created exactly for assessment purposes in educational settings. On this platform, educators invite their students and ask them multiple choice questions or survey their thoughts. Once the teacher is ready, they can present the answers or keep them to themselves. This platform is useful for diagnostic assessment where teachers can see what students know already about a subject. It is also useful for formative assessment where teachers can see what students understand and have retained for their teaching and how to move forward. I would use this resource in my ESL classroom to quickly get a sense of student knowledge and understanding in an effective way. plickers.com
Screencastify is a Google Chrome browser extension that is used to record a computer's screen, webcam, and microphone. Furthermore, it has a wide variety of educational purposes and resources directly on the platform. I particularly like the possibility to enhance descriptive feedback through this platform. Educators can easily use this platform to give complete and meaningful feedback that is personalized to the students' work, and addresses the areas that need improvement and how they might go about making these improvements. In an ESL classroom, this platform can be used to enhance traditional teaching methods and includes other forms of media. screencastify.com
Google Forms can seem like a boring platform for educators to use. However, it is a very useful assessment resource, especially in a remote teaching context. Through this platform, users can create surveys that ask multiple choice questions, short answer questions, long answer questions, ordering questions, etc. It is also possible to embed media, such as videos and files. Users can also add points for specific answers. Finally, the platform automatically creates a spreadsheet with the answers, which can be categorized by the user. This is useful for teachers, because it organizes all media required for an evaluation in one place, compiles all answers, and even corrects them if needed. docs.google.com/forms