Making use of technology in an ESOL lesson

They say we should take risks and try out new activities, and being very aware of the need to include some use of ICT in my lessons , I decided to book all of my classes into the computer room for the first time. I booked the ICT room in advance and took them in today.
The room has five computers and they are linked to the Internet and also to a printer ( though this was unfortunately not working today ). I had checked with a
member of the office staff about how to actually turn the computers on in the
computer room, before the first lesson began ! I needed to know if they would need a
password for example, and just wanted to be reassured that the computers would work!
The learners came into the computer room, and sat down ,ten learners sharing one
computer between two. For the Level 1 groups , I had planned a reading task, which
would involve going onto the Wikipedia website and finding information about a
particular sports personality, using headings and features of text, skimming and
scanning. This worked well and, working in pairs , the learners were able to locate the required information and write some sentences in response. I noticed that one learner was able to independently locate and use an online dictionary when unsure of a meaning of a word. They were also asked to talk together about the interests of the sports personality and compare them with their own. Once this activity was completed , I gave them a list of websites to choose from , which provided various activities for practising their English, such as spelling games, quizzes, grammar exercises. I think they liked having the choice and managed to find some good activities which they enjoyed working on . I had checked the websites earlier, and was able to give some advice and guidance, bearing in mind the ability of the learners and also the individual goals they were working on currently for their ILPs. The learners were so engaged , it was hard to get them to finish at the end of the lesson ! It was nice to see them working on their individual goals using a different medium from the usual paper-based resources too.

For the Entry 1 group , I had also prepared a reading activity, involving checking a bus timetable online, using the Plymouth City Bus website. This also worked quite well, as I had made the task very clear, involving simple clear steps to follow, it was also relevant to them , as it was local and one question asked them to locate a bus service from their own home to the city centre and check times. I then also gave them a choice of websites for individual activities ( the same list as for Level 1 ) This worked quite well , with some students finding very suitable activities to work on, but others needed more guidance , especially on finding simpler activities that suited their Level.
I would probably reduce that list for them next time, or set more specific tasks with
more limited choice , geared towards their individual goals or needs. This group were
also very motivated, and asked if they could go into the computer room again soon ! My only question for this group would be - as we are aiming only to do the
speaking and listening exams - what Online activities would be available for
practising pronunciation , or listening for example, and what facilities are
available for that in the ICT room ? - I did not notice any speakers for example,
or headphones. That is something I would need to check out for next time.
All in all, taking them into the computer room turned out to be a successful
exercise , well-received by the students, and not as daunting or as complicated
as I had thought it might be !