Imagine a classroom where students are eagerly explaining a science concept using a Canva infographic, solving math challenges through an interactive game on Blooket, and responding to reading prompts on Padlet—all in one lesson. As a teacher of English Language Learners (ELLs), integrating technology into my instruction has transformed not only how I teach, but how my students learn, interact, and thrive.
The purpose of this blog post is to share how technology tools are helping me meet the diverse needs of my students, especially ELLs, by increasing engagement, supporting comprehension, and fostering student voice. Whether you're a teacher looking for new strategies or an instructional coach supporting tech integration, you’ll walk away with specific tools, practical ideas, and real classroom examples that connect directly to your teaching life.
Why Technology Integration Matters
We are living in a world where technology shapes how we communicate, access information, and express ourselves. For students, especially multilingual learners, technology can level the playing field. It offers multiple pathways to understanding, allows for differentiation, and gives students opportunities to show what they know in creative and meaningful ways.
In my classroom, I don’t use technology just because it’s fun. I use it because it helps students comprehend academic language, engage more deeply, and practice skills that matter for their future. The following tools are part of our lessons, and I’ve seen firsthand how they unlock learning for all my students.
Tools That Make a Difference
Each of these tools supports a specific need in the classroom, from language acquisition to content understanding and creativity.
Canva: Visuals + Voice + Creativity
Canva can be used for both instructional design and student projects. It’s one of the most versatile tools.
How It Is Used:
Creating visual anchor charts for vocabulary and concepts
Designing weekly newsletters with embedded videos or read-alouds
Having students create posters or slideshows with images, text, and voiceovers
In Science for a plant unit, students can use Canva to make digital posters about the functions of plant parts. They search for images, label them, and write explanations using sentence starters. Students can add voice recordings to explain their work, an excellent opportunity for oral language practice.
ClassKick: Personalized, Real-Time Feedback
ClassKick allows me to design interactive lessons where students work on digital slides with embedded audio, drawing tools, and response boxes. Best of all, I can leave instant feedback either typed or verbal and students can request help privately.
Why It Works:
ELLs can listen to directions multiple times
Students can work at their own pace
I can support individuals while others keep working independently
Example:
In a math lesson on measuring angles, we used a ClassKick
assignment with a series of interactive slides. The first slide
introduced the task, asking students to use an on-screen protractor to
measure different angles. The second slide provided step-by-step
tips on how to line up the protractor and read the correct scale along
with visuals for clarity. Students then practiced on slides with real
diagrams, dragging the protractor to measure angles. English learners
benefit from visual cues and audio directions. Feedback can be given
right away to help fix mistakes and better understand the task. This
made a challenging skill easier and helped them feel more confident.
ReadWorks: Accessible Reading for All Levels
ReadWorks is a free platform that offers leveled passages on a wide range of topics, many with audio support and built-in vocabulary tools. It has been a huge help in making grade-level texts accessible to my ELLs.
How It Is Used:
Assign paired texts for compare/contrast discussions
Highlight vocabulary and model annotations
Offer read-aloud support for independent reading
During a science unit, you can assign two related reading passages for students to compare. They used digital notebooks to highlight key details and sentence starters like “Both texts show that…” to support their writing. The built-in audio and shorter text sections helped all students, especially those who needed extra support, understand and engage with the content.
Blooket & Kahoot: Language Learning Through Play
Blooket and Kahoot are game-based learning platforms that boost student engagement—and language development—through repetition and interaction.
Why I Use Them:
Reinforces vocabulary in a low-stress, fun way
Builds background knowledge before or after a lesson
Promotes classwide participation
To reinforce academic vocabulary for a weather unit, create a Blooket set with images and definitions. Students can play multiple rounds and then use the terms to write their own weather reports. The games gave them enough exposure to the terms that they felt confident applying them in writing.
Padlet: Sharing Voices, Building Community
Padlet is a collaborative bulletin board where students can post text, images, audio, or video. It’s one of the best tools I’ve found to support student voice and language production.
How It Is Used:
Exit tickets with sentence starters
Class reflections after projects
Collaborative writing or idea brainstorming
Example:
After a math project, I asked students to post one sentence explaining what they learned and one question they still had. Some wrote their answers, while others recorded short videos or used emojis to express themselves. The multimodal format made it accessible to all—and gave me valuable insight into their thinking.
Linking Tech to Everyday Learning
What ties all of these tools together is that they connect with what students are already doing and enjoying outside the classroom: creating videos, playing games, using visuals, and communicating online. When we bring these formats into the classroom with intentionality, we not only support academic growth—we honor students’ real-world experiences and preferences.
Resources and Links
Many educational experts emphasize the importance of using technology to enhance not replace strong teaching practices. That’s my goal with this post to spark reflection on how even small tech shifts can lead to powerful learning outcomes for all students, especially English Language Learners.
Colorín Colorado A leading resource for educators and families of ELLs. It offers instructional strategies, videos, classroom tools, and articles on language development, culturally responsive teaching, and family engagement.
How to Use Technology to Support ELLs in Your Classroom | Common Sense Education The article from Common Sense Education explains how teachers can use technology to support English Language Learners by making lessons more visual, interactive, and accessible.
Unite for Literacy Offers hundreds of free digital picture books with narration in over 50 languages, making it a fantastic tool for building background knowledge and encouraging reading at home and in class.
Want to Join the Conversation?
Technology is always evolving, and I’d love to learn from other educators too! I’d love to hear your insights and ideas! What tools do you use to support ELLs or make learning more engaging? Have you tried any of the tools I mentioned? What worked for you?References
Alvarez, L. (n.d.). Group of diverse people with arms and hands raised towards a hand-painted heart [Vector illustration]. iStock. https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/group-of-diverse-people-with-arms-and-hands-raised-towards-a-hand-painted-heart-gm1436319269-477390231
Common Sense Education. (n.d.). How to use technology to support ELLs in your classroom.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/how-to-use-technology-to-support-ells-in-your-classroom
Kalivitis, C. (2019, October 11). ELL's and technology [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nSCk8yoxc
QUEENation. (2023, June 25). Technology integration in English language teaching and learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITNYHk6Tsgo
Unite for Literacy. (n.d.). Unite for Literacy. https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/
WETA. (n.d.). Colorín Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/
Thank you for providing such insight into this topic Rita! It was interesting to hear how technology in the classroom can really benefit ELL students, and how it can create a learning environment that every teacher hopes to achieve. I love how you provided specific tools with real classroom examples for teachers. I have used a variety of these resources in my classroom but your post provided additional insight regarding their usefulness for ELL students. The one I have not used before the that interested me was ClassKick. The potential to create slides with embedded activities while giving instant feedback is great! I appreciate you sharing and look forward to what you post next!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words! I’m really glad the post resonated with you and provided some new perspectives on supporting ELL students with technology. It’s exciting to hear that you’ve already used some of these tools in your own classroom, it’s amazing how technology can open doors for students, especially when it comes to language development and building confidence.
DeleteI also love how tech can create more inclusive spaces where students aren’t afraid to take risks.
Rita, your blog post offers a strong, practical look at how intentional tech integration can make a real difference for English Language Learners. It’s not about using tools just because they’re engaging—it’s about using them to support comprehension, build confidence, and give students more ways to show what they know. I really appreciate the specific examples like Canva, ClassKick, ReadWorks, Blooket/Kahoot, and Padlet—each one tied to an actual instructional need like visuals, feedback, or collaboration. That’s what makes this so useful—it’s rooted in classroom reality.
ReplyDeleteWhat really stands out is the idea that tech should support, not replace, good teaching. These tools aren’t about shortcuts—they’re about opening access, offering scaffolds, and helping multilingual learners engage with content meaningfully. That framing—using tech as a pathway to equity and expression—resonates deeply. I see this every day in my kindergarten classroom in Washington, D.C., where many of my ELLs are building confidence through visuals, voice tools, and interactive platforms that let them participate and succeed without being limited by language alone.
I’ve also found United for Literacy to be a great resource for supporting my ELLs—especially for building background knowledge and vocabulary with accessible, high-interest texts. Overall, this post is a solid reminder that when we choose and use tech intentionally, we’re making learning more inclusive and dynamic for all learners.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I really appreciate how you pointed out that it’s not just about using tech because it’s fun—it’s about using it in ways that really help students understand, grow, and feel confident. That’s exactly what I was hoping to share! I love hearing about what’s working in your kindergarten classroom—those early experiences with visuals, voice tools, and interactive platforms can make such a big difference for ELL students. It’s amazing to see how tech can help them participate and shine, even while they’re still building their language skills.
ReplyDelete