I usually start my workshops by reminding participants that the “cool” technologies listed here are useless unless we start with a clear purpose in mind for the lesson. To help with that, I introduce participants to the ExCEL method for engaging instruction. I created this method (a variation of the 5E model of instruction) while I was in the classroom, looking for an easy-to-follow strategy to guide me through the lesson cycle while focusing on the subject matter of the lesson and the academic language required by it.
ExCEL stands for Explain, Create, and Elaborate.
Taking the time to design meaningful learning experiences that incorporate the most effective ways to engage students with the lesson’s objectives for content and language (TEKS and ELPS here in Texas). The key to this fundamental stage is making sure the message is clear, relevant, and truly comprehensible. Tip: using culture and language to activate prior knowledge is a fantastic starting point.
Providing students with the opportunity to create a new product (a foldable, a presentation, a sketch) using the newly gained knowledge and ideas. Tip: technology offers fantastic and engaging tools to facilitate this.
Encouraging students to take that new knowledge and use it in multiple contexts while making connections across academic subjects. Tip: games, group projects, and other challenging and playful activities are great ways to achieve this.
A final and fundamental element in this method is the ongoing evaluation of the activities against the reference provided by the objectives for content and language. Here, I recommend multiple forms of informal assessment and opportunities for peer review and discussion.
Here is the framework for the ExCEL method, which can be used as a reference during the lesson planning phase. With the method as our guide, here are the tools I recommend and model in my professional development workshops.
Since I first published this list, my team and I have gone from recommending other people’s apps to building our own. These are AI-powered tools we designed specifically for Texas educators, teacher candidates, and multilingual learners:
Plan ELPS-aligned lessons in minutes: language objectives, linguistic accommodations by proficiency level, and success criteria, grounded in the actual Texas standards.
Our AI learning companion supports students in their own language across our courses and apps, with pedagogy (not novelty) driving the design.
Live voice practice for the Texas bilingual certification exam: real-time spoken Spanish rehearsal with exam-aligned feedback.
Master Spanish written accents and spelling through targeted drills with progress tracking. Built for teacher candidates and anyone writing academic Spanish.
Real-time spoken English practice for academic settings, with AI conversation partners and criterion-based feedback.
These are established tools I still see working well in classrooms, organized by what they help you do. Click a name to learn more.
Kahoot! · Gimkit · Quizlet · Edpuzzle · Socrative · Nearpod · Seesaw · Padlet
Explain Everything · GoodNotes · Notability
Canva · Adobe Express · iMovie · Stop Motion Studio · Storyboard That · Pixton · Animaker
PowerPoint · Keynote · Google Slides
Minecraft Education · JigSpace · Quiver · Photomath
Want hands-on training with any of these, or with the AI tools above? That is exactly what our professional development workshops are for.
¿Cómo colocarlo?
Si no sabes cómo colocar el acento escrito, te compartimos varios enlaces que te pueden ayudar según sea el caso de tu dispositivo.
Windows – Keyboard shortcuts for international characters
Windows – How to Type Characters with Accents on Windows
Mac OS and iOS – Enter characters with accent marks on Mac
Android – Type in a different language