Steve Quann wrote:
"Whenever I do activities that involve learning computing in my class, I
feel I need to make sure they know it is in the context of learning the
language"

I totally agree with Steve if the class is an ESL class except in the
situation where the class was specifically designed and promoted as a
joint ESL/Computer skills class.  My students have total access to
computers anytime they're in the room.  The computers are always on and
available.  The only restrictions are that the activity must demonstrate
an active use of English (i.e. no solitaire, no surfing websites in a
native language, no listening to music that's not in English, etc.) and
that if I want all of the students to focus on a class activity than
they must turn away from the screen and return to work with the whole
group.  I also do not teach any type of typing skills other than the
location of certain function keys like the shift keys, the tab key and
the space bar.  It's "hunt and peck" if they don't know how to type.
The computer is a tool for learning English and that's my focus at all
times.  Computer skills are taught only up to the point necessary to
complete a project incorporating the use of English.  That, however,
leaves lots of room for teaching students how to draw pictures in Paint,
create graphs in Excel, slideshow presentations in PowerPoint,
manipulation of photos and clipart for insertion into documents, and
animated movies at www.dfilm.com.  

It should be noted that my school offers separate classes in keyboarding
and computer skills.  The vocational teachers and administrators do
recognize that introducing ESL students to using computers while they're
in ESL classes is beneficial to the vocational program because ESL
students are more likely to start taking vocational classes sooner than
ESL students who have never used a computer, but by emphasizing that I
"only" teach English, I maintain good relations with the vocational
teachers by not "encroaching" on their subject areas.  

Barry Bakin
ESL Intermediate Low
Pacoima Skills Center
Division of Adult and Career Education
Los Angeles Unified School District
barry.bakin at lausd.net

p.s. If you'd like to see some movies my students created this week
using the dfilm site, click on the links below:

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2871254

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2871245

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2871257v  (submitted by student
without having been reviewed or revised)

If you want to see students motivated to write dialogues in English,
introduce them to the dfilm moviemaker site.  It's a lot of fun for
everyone.  Students like making their own movies and watching the movies
that others have made.  It's very simple and even beginning level
students can make entertaining animated movies in less than one class
session.

Some movies created by my beginning level students last year
(grammatical errors preserved):

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2661228

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2684003

http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=2670189