Monday, May 03, 2010
Help a Good Program get the Funding it Needs!
Vote everyday until the end of May. Every VOTE counts! Just click on the VOTE bar under the message. You'll need to register the first time, and after just remember to click on VOTE daily. Let's make something good happen for our community.
Judith
Monday, June 08, 2009
Commentary: J Sotir: The New Social Networking Frontier
The idea of using social networks in the classroom is still outside the comfort zone of many classroom instructors. Sites such as Facebook , MySpace and Twitter have connotations that many instructors instinctively avoid. They see the pitfalls, but not the value. There are warning flags all over the place. I’ve heard educators say,’ If you allow students to use a site like Twitter in the classroom, students will abuse it and just network with friends’. Sure, always a possibility. But if you allow students Internet access on computers, they can always access sites you don’t want them accessing. It all comes down to the control an instructor has in the classroom. An ineffective instructor with no classroom discipline doesn’t need Internet access to fail. Those are the teachers who would not notice handwritten notes being passed around the classroom in the pre-tech days.
We’ve (reluctantly) moved to acceptance of using academic websites in the classroom. Instructors see the value, and students know and like using them. We’ve found the value in YouTube , but have developed Teacher Tube to combat many of the content concerns. Social network sites are still a new frontier. First, instructors are not all that familiar with them. I think every instructor (and parent) should get on the computer and sign up for one or more of the social network sites, if only to know what it is that the kids are doing. One thing is certain, the KIDS are on them, daily, and even hourly. They can access them from classroom computers, or cell phone browsers. I have Facebook and Twitter buttons on my iPhone, so access takes less than a second. Of course they also let me know via email when someone has added something new to my page. It’s all about accessibility, and for kids, accessibility is like breathing. They just do it. My nephew once said that if he had to go more than a few hours without Facebook he would implode. I honestly believe him.
So how do educators use these tools? Tom Preskett in his article Blogs for Education, Blogs for Yourself referenced the Write4 website, which allows one to publish articles, photos, videos etc. without set-ups or logins. Your work is published to your Twitter account. What’s the value? Easy and fast access. You give your students one site (such as your classroom Twitter account), and give them the ability to access these sites wherever and whenever they wish. You simply tell them to follow you on Twitter . It’s simple, and effective, because students are there anyway. Will all students actually read your Tweets? No, but not all students will read the homework you assign, or even participate in class discussions. But the point is that students are familiar with social networking, and use it regularly. And as educators, we have to believe that most students want to learn, and want to succeed.
I’ve never been able to understand instructors who believe students want to fail. They may not hang on your every word, but they do listen and know the correlation between work and success. Give them something they can use, and they will pay attention. Will they push the envelope? Of course. But that happens with any age group. Case in point: professional development programs. Put a group of instructors into a professional development class and watch them as they stare out the window, play with anything but the prescribed websites on the computer, and even talk and laugh with each other. In a training setting, most professional educators mirror the behavior of their students. The key to success is the same as the key needed to succeed with students: give them something they find useful.
We’ve (reluctantly) moved to acceptance of using academic websites in the classroom. Instructors see the value, and students know and like using them. We’ve found the value in YouTube , but have developed Teacher Tube to combat many of the content concerns. Social network sites are still a new frontier. First, instructors are not all that familiar with them. I think every instructor (and parent) should get on the computer and sign up for one or more of the social network sites, if only to know what it is that the kids are doing. One thing is certain, the KIDS are on them, daily, and even hourly. They can access them from classroom computers, or cell phone browsers. I have Facebook and Twitter buttons on my iPhone, so access takes less than a second. Of course they also let me know via email when someone has added something new to my page. It’s all about accessibility, and for kids, accessibility is like breathing. They just do it. My nephew once said that if he had to go more than a few hours without Facebook he would implode. I honestly believe him.
So how do educators use these tools? Tom Preskett in his article Blogs for Education, Blogs for Yourself referenced the Write4 website, which allows one to publish articles, photos, videos etc. without set-ups or logins. Your work is published to your Twitter account. What’s the value? Easy and fast access. You give your students one site (such as your classroom Twitter account), and give them the ability to access these sites wherever and whenever they wish. You simply tell them to follow you on Twitter . It’s simple, and effective, because students are there anyway. Will all students actually read your Tweets? No, but not all students will read the homework you assign, or even participate in class discussions. But the point is that students are familiar with social networking, and use it regularly. And as educators, we have to believe that most students want to learn, and want to succeed.
I’ve never been able to understand instructors who believe students want to fail. They may not hang on your every word, but they do listen and know the correlation between work and success. Give them something they can use, and they will pay attention. Will they push the envelope? Of course. But that happens with any age group. Case in point: professional development programs. Put a group of instructors into a professional development class and watch them as they stare out the window, play with anything but the prescribed websites on the computer, and even talk and laugh with each other. In a training setting, most professional educators mirror the behavior of their students. The key to success is the same as the key needed to succeed with students: give them something they find useful.
Commentary: J Sotir: Bend it Like a Lab Instructor
People often comment on the quality of my lab staff. They ask me my secret for getting the best and most talented candidates. My answer is: flexibility. Yes, I work in an ed-tech environment, but I never consider a person’s background in technology as a key factor in whether I should or shouldn’t hire them. I’ve learned that tech skills can be taught. Indeed, they change so often that even the most highly skilled technicians would be at a loss if they didn’t keep up. Instead, I look for a great teacher who is able to effortlessly share their knowledge with students, and someone who is flexible enough to try out new apps and ideas, without a sense of dread. I’ve also built-in my own openness to the mix. Whenever we’re faced with a changing set of circumstances, such as a new grant that takes us in a different direction, I open the floor to ideas. How should this be approached? What’s the best and most efficient way of developing the educational plan to effectively teach this new subject area? Which apps would make this content easier for students to access?
A simple example is the development of hotlists for subject areas. We had lists of Websites. Lots and lots of lists. My specialists said that while the lists were useful, there were several aspects that they found frustrating. One issue was that students had a difficult time accessing the sites, because the URLs were impossible to type correctly. We found that apps such as Tiny URL would solve that problem, though students still had to type out something to get to the site. Another issue was that it was difficult to add to the printed lists, and we ended up throwing out a lot of lists when we needed to update. Our solution was to switch to a web-based list that could be printed (and updated) as needed, but was unfortunately specific to the computers in our labs. Both of these tools worked, but never offered the usability that we really wanted to achieve. We tried putting the lists on disks, but those too became outdated pretty quickly.
One day I was reading through the blogs, and found a site called Filamentality which gave us the ability to create hotlists of Websites that we could add to a blog site. Suddenly we had the kind of tool that actually worked for giving students and instructors the access to the academic Websites they needed, was available to them wherever they had Internet access, and could be updated and shared immediately by accessing one simple web address. A sample of the Filamentality hotlists can be seen on our AELC Instructor Blog . These can be organized by area, and a simple click on the title of the URL would take students exactly where they should be on the site. Although the other methods worked, this method had the flexibility to allow for immediate changes as new Websites became available. Even though the original lists took a lot of effort to put together, this newer system accomplished the same goal, but in more efficient way. Overnight we switched to the hotlists, and our ability to share the Websites increased dramatically.
Change is always difficult, especially in education. Educators are always pressed for time, and change requires effort. You have to learn a new application. You have to take what you previously had (which may still be somewhat effective) and change it to the new format. Often it means tossing out the old ideas, and developing a new system from the ground up. It takes a certain amount of courage to move from the old ‘if it isn’t broken why fix it?’ mentality. Ed-tech is all about change. What is new and exciting today is old news in six months. You don’t need to change constantly, but you do need to assess constantly, and review new apps and ideas with the idea that they can make your program, or classroom, work more effectively.
A simple example is the development of hotlists for subject areas. We had lists of Websites. Lots and lots of lists. My specialists said that while the lists were useful, there were several aspects that they found frustrating. One issue was that students had a difficult time accessing the sites, because the URLs were impossible to type correctly. We found that apps such as Tiny URL would solve that problem, though students still had to type out something to get to the site. Another issue was that it was difficult to add to the printed lists, and we ended up throwing out a lot of lists when we needed to update. Our solution was to switch to a web-based list that could be printed (and updated) as needed, but was unfortunately specific to the computers in our labs. Both of these tools worked, but never offered the usability that we really wanted to achieve. We tried putting the lists on disks, but those too became outdated pretty quickly.
One day I was reading through the blogs, and found a site called Filamentality which gave us the ability to create hotlists of Websites that we could add to a blog site. Suddenly we had the kind of tool that actually worked for giving students and instructors the access to the academic Websites they needed, was available to them wherever they had Internet access, and could be updated and shared immediately by accessing one simple web address. A sample of the Filamentality hotlists can be seen on our AELC Instructor Blog . These can be organized by area, and a simple click on the title of the URL would take students exactly where they should be on the site. Although the other methods worked, this method had the flexibility to allow for immediate changes as new Websites became available. Even though the original lists took a lot of effort to put together, this newer system accomplished the same goal, but in more efficient way. Overnight we switched to the hotlists, and our ability to share the Websites increased dramatically.
Change is always difficult, especially in education. Educators are always pressed for time, and change requires effort. You have to learn a new application. You have to take what you previously had (which may still be somewhat effective) and change it to the new format. Often it means tossing out the old ideas, and developing a new system from the ground up. It takes a certain amount of courage to move from the old ‘if it isn’t broken why fix it?’ mentality. Ed-tech is all about change. What is new and exciting today is old news in six months. You don’t need to change constantly, but you do need to assess constantly, and review new apps and ideas with the idea that they can make your program, or classroom, work more effectively.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ESL Civics
http://www.elcivics.com/
"Learn EL Civics with great pictures and easy words. Just click on a picture to start a lesson or activity. The following EL Civics units are now available: Statue of Liberty, Washington, D.C., American Bald Eagle, and Gateway Arch. English Language Civics provides an easy way to learn about American history, geography, and culture. New lessons, worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, and videos are added to elcivics.com almost every week."
"Learn EL Civics with great pictures and easy words. Just click on a picture to start a lesson or activity. The following EL Civics units are now available: Statue of Liberty, Washington, D.C., American Bald Eagle, and Gateway Arch. English Language Civics provides an easy way to learn about American history, geography, and culture. New lessons, worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, and videos are added to elcivics.com almost every week."
Thursday, September 25, 2008
ESL Flashcards
http://www.eslflashcards.com/ Easy printable flashcards for activities, objects and grammar skills.
http://www.1-language.com/eslflashcards/ Color flashcards (printable) for food and animals
http://www.eslhq.com/forums/worksheets/esl-worksheets/ ESLhq: free worksheets, flash cards, bingo and board type games, ask and answer questions worksheets, places etc.
http://www.1-language.com/eslflashcards/ Color flashcards (printable) for food and animals
http://www.eslhq.com/forums/worksheets/esl-worksheets/ ESLhq: free worksheets, flash cards, bingo and board type games, ask and answer questions worksheets, places etc.
Questions: Where's ?
http://www.esl-lab.com/dir4/dir4.htm Where's the movie theater? Good exercise on directions, maps, dating and other information.
Yes/No Questions
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/yes-no-question.html
A Yes/No Question is a question that can be answered with yes or no.
They normally begin with an auxiliary verb or a modal verb:
Do you want to come?Have you seen her?Can you come?Will they be interested?
They can also begin with main verbs like be and have:
Is she in?
A Yes/No Question is a question that can be answered with yes or no.
They normally begin with an auxiliary verb or a modal verb:
Do you want to come?Have you seen her?Can you come?Will they be interested?
They can also begin with main verbs like be and have:
Is she in?
Speaking Skills: Answering Questions Lesson Plan
http://esl.about.com/od/conversationlessonplans/a/ask_low.htm
This site has some 'answers' which students can use to formulate questions.
Many post beginner to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking questions. This is due to a number of causes: i.e., teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form. Includes exercises.
This site has some 'answers' which students can use to formulate questions.
Many post beginner to lower intermediate students are quite capable of expressing their ideas reasonably well. However, they often run into problems when asking questions. This is due to a number of causes: i.e., teachers are the ones that usually ask questions, the inversion of the auxiliary verb and subject can be especially tricky for many students. This simple lesson focuses specifically on the question form and helping students gain skill while switching tenses in the question form. Includes exercises.
Conversation Questions
http://iteslj.org/questions/
Are you looking for questions to start a conversation with your student? Try this site for questions on many subjects.
Are you looking for questions to start a conversation with your student? Try this site for questions on many subjects.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Free Webinar (Online Meeting)
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/911631934?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com
Webinar:
For Teachers with Struggling Readers Who Wonder:
"What Should I Say When They Get Stuck on a Word?"
November 13th, 10:00 a.m. MT
This webinar will focus on effective strategies for decoding unfamiliar words in text, and how those strategies change with word type and reading level. Kathleen Brown is well versed in current reading research and in meeting the needs of varying student populations. This will be a content rich web presentation, ideal for all parents and educators that deal with readers of all ages.
To attend this FREE presentation, you will need to register. Please click on the link below to be directed to that page:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/911631934?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com
If you need help with registering, have questions or would like to attend the Webinar in the AELC, please contact me at x 4118 or x4128 and I will help you.
Judith Sotir
AELC Manager
Webinar:
For Teachers with Struggling Readers Who Wonder:
"What Should I Say When They Get Stuck on a Word?"
November 13th, 10:00 a.m. MT
This webinar will focus on effective strategies for decoding unfamiliar words in text, and how those strategies change with word type and reading level. Kathleen Brown is well versed in current reading research and in meeting the needs of varying student populations. This will be a content rich web presentation, ideal for all parents and educators that deal with readers of all ages.
To attend this FREE presentation, you will need to register. Please click on the link below to be directed to that page:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/911631934?Portal=www.gotomeeting.com
If you need help with registering, have questions or would like to attend the Webinar in the AELC, please contact me at x 4118 or x4128 and I will help you.
Judith Sotir
AELC Manager
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
New Tools: Computer Skills Hotlist
There is a new Hotlist available to assist students (and tutors!) learn basic computer skills including keyboarding, terminology, mouse skills, email and Intenet information. Try it out in the Hotlist list, or go to http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listadultedjs1.html to access it directly.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
JOTT: Time Management and Calendar
Time management is an essential skill for students, even after they leave school. Here is a free program that acts as a personal secretary.
Finding new 2.0 apps is pretty common, but finding ones I like ( and that fit my 'keep it simple' philosophy) is not as common. This one fills all my criteria. Jott (http://www.jott.com/) is a utility tool that you might find worthwhile. You can use your cell phone to send emails, create lists, and even add to your Blogs. It will convert your voice to text.If you want to send an email from your cell phone, just call the Jott number and tell it who you want to contact.
You need to have recipient names and email addresses or cell numbers (for text messages) already programmed from your computer, but once in, you can use them at any time, anywhere you can use your cell phone.After initial programming, it's easy to use your phone to send a message. I have an iPhone which does everything but cook my dinner (next upgrade?) but I still find this tool useful. I've tried it several times and it sends the info quite clearly. It also adds a link so the person can hear your voice message, in case the text translation is not clear. It will do the same for leaving posts on a Blog. Say you are no where near a computer and need post a message on your Blog. Call Jott on your cell to the pre-programmed address of your Blog of choice and it will post directly to that Blog, and give the option of listening to your voice as well.
Hint: if you post to more than one Blog, make sure you give them unique names.
It's also good for reminders (eg: 'dentist appt. at 4 on 6/27/08') and lists (I use it for a shopping list). Do you want to keep track of the latest news or sports scores? Add RSS feed info into your Jott account and it will send that info to your cell phone. It's quick and easy, and fun to do. Try it out!
Finding new 2.0 apps is pretty common, but finding ones I like ( and that fit my 'keep it simple' philosophy) is not as common. This one fills all my criteria. Jott (http://www.jott.com/) is a utility tool that you might find worthwhile. You can use your cell phone to send emails, create lists, and even add to your Blogs. It will convert your voice to text.If you want to send an email from your cell phone, just call the Jott number and tell it who you want to contact.
You need to have recipient names and email addresses or cell numbers (for text messages) already programmed from your computer, but once in, you can use them at any time, anywhere you can use your cell phone.After initial programming, it's easy to use your phone to send a message. I have an iPhone which does everything but cook my dinner (next upgrade?) but I still find this tool useful. I've tried it several times and it sends the info quite clearly. It also adds a link so the person can hear your voice message, in case the text translation is not clear. It will do the same for leaving posts on a Blog. Say you are no where near a computer and need post a message on your Blog. Call Jott on your cell to the pre-programmed address of your Blog of choice and it will post directly to that Blog, and give the option of listening to your voice as well.
Hint: if you post to more than one Blog, make sure you give them unique names.
It's also good for reminders (eg: 'dentist appt. at 4 on 6/27/08') and lists (I use it for a shopping list). Do you want to keep track of the latest news or sports scores? Add RSS feed info into your Jott account and it will send that info to your cell phone. It's quick and easy, and fun to do. Try it out!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
New Subject Area: Hotlists for Students
With the coming winter break from classes, students have asked me for lists of good academic Websites they can use when the college is closed (the AELC will be closed from Dec 17th through Jan 28th).). In the right hand column of this Blog is a listing titled "Hotlists for Students". For the first hotlist, instructors Robin Bosworth and Kristy Laurx have developed a list of good sites for all levels of ESL students. (For GED students, see the AELC Constitution Blog : http://constitutionaelc.blogspot.com/)
Hotlists are easy to use:
Click once on the title you wish to use (such as 'General ESL Skills'). This will open the hotlist. There are several categories listed: Reading, Grammar and Speaking and Listening.
Under each category are several Websites your teachers have chosen for you.
Click on the underlined words of the title you want to try, and it will take you directly to that Website.
Once on the site, you can follow the instructions for using anything on the page.
It's easy! Happy studies!
Hotlists are easy to use:
Click once on the title you wish to use (such as 'General ESL Skills'). This will open the hotlist. There are several categories listed: Reading, Grammar and Speaking and Listening.
Under each category are several Websites your teachers have chosen for you.
Click on the underlined words of the title you want to try, and it will take you directly to that Website.
Once on the site, you can follow the instructions for using anything on the page.
It's easy! Happy studies!
Monday, November 26, 2007
California Distance Learning Project (CDLP)
http://www.cdlponline.org California Distance Learning Project
This free site offers great listening to stories coming from the news, for Adult Basic Education and Intermediate to Advanced ESL learners. Some stories also have a video component. Possible life skills topics include: working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places and nature. Some are generic while others have some relevance to California, namely Sacramento County.
In addition to just listening to the story, read at a moderate speed by a native speaker, learners can go over hearing key vocabulary words, mastering their spelling and then utilizing hasic comprehension in a multiple choice format. Some lessons also have a matching game, a what did you learn activity, a writing activity and additional links to other Web sites.
(originally reviewed on the AELC Instructor Blog (http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com) in 2005, this current review is by AELC instructor Robin Bosworth)
This free site offers great listening to stories coming from the news, for Adult Basic Education and Intermediate to Advanced ESL learners. Some stories also have a video component. Possible life skills topics include: working, law and government, family, school, health and safety, housing, money, science and technology, services, going places and nature. Some are generic while others have some relevance to California, namely Sacramento County.
In addition to just listening to the story, read at a moderate speed by a native speaker, learners can go over hearing key vocabulary words, mastering their spelling and then utilizing hasic comprehension in a multiple choice format. Some lessons also have a matching game, a what did you learn activity, a writing activity and additional links to other Web sites.
(originally reviewed on the AELC Instructor Blog (http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com) in 2005, this current review is by AELC instructor Robin Bosworth)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Using this Blog
I've posted links to various Blogs and Wikis in the right hand column of this Blog. A simple click on the title will take you directly to that page. I also added some of the Hotlists that I create for various workshops that I do. Simply click on the title to open the hotlist, and then click once on the title you want to review. There is also a link to the Filamentality homepage which will allow you to create a hotlist of sites YOU prefer. Quick and easy. Finally, I added links to search engines other than Google. You might find them interesting.
The AELC will be closed...
For Thanksgiving Break from Tuesday, November 20 to Monday, November 26
For Winter Break from Monday, December 17 to Monday, January 28
I will be in my office during the Winter Break, with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year's. Please feel free to stop in, come in with your students to work one on one using our computers, or just to say hello. I can assist you with new Websites or materials. Happy Holidays!
For Winter Break from Monday, December 17 to Monday, January 28
I will be in my office during the Winter Break, with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year's. Please feel free to stop in, come in with your students to work one on one using our computers, or just to say hello. I can assist you with new Websites or materials. Happy Holidays!
Welcome New Tutors!
Kathy Turnowchyk, the new Tutor Coordinator, stopped into the Center yesterday with the newest group of tutors. All have been invited to join this Blog, and to use this Blog as a tool to post questions, ideas and find Web sites that can be useful. Remember that you can also click on the 'comments' button at the end of each post to add your thoughts regarding the post. Welcome, I hope that we see you in the AELC with your students very soon!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
ESL: The English Learner Movie Guides
http://www.eslnotes.com/ The English Learner Movie GuidesEach individual guide is a detailed synopsis of a popular movie that consists of the following
:a summary of the plot
a list of the major characters
an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand
questions for ESL class discussion
I really like this site, and it can have a lot of uses in a variety of ESL classes and especially for tutors. Movies range from the classics: Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird etc. to more contemporary flicks such as When Harry Met Sally or Legally Blonde. The plot summaries are great, but one of the best aspects is the glossary and cultural reference sections. I can see students and tutors studying the plot, vocabulary and other references, and then watching the movie together. What about using It's a Wonderful Life before the holidays? A wonderful tool for speaking and listening activities. Lots of possibilities here.
:a summary of the plot
a list of the major characters
an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand
questions for ESL class discussion
I really like this site, and it can have a lot of uses in a variety of ESL classes and especially for tutors. Movies range from the classics: Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird etc. to more contemporary flicks such as When Harry Met Sally or Legally Blonde. The plot summaries are great, but one of the best aspects is the glossary and cultural reference sections. I can see students and tutors studying the plot, vocabulary and other references, and then watching the movie together. What about using It's a Wonderful Life before the holidays? A wonderful tool for speaking and listening activities. Lots of possibilities here.
ABE/GED, ESL: Ways to get Started Writing
http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives/2007/prompts_wp2.doc Women's Perspective
This is a lesson plan to get students started with writing. There are pre-writing exercises, and writing prompts.
This is a lesson plan to get students started with writing. There are pre-writing exercises, and writing prompts.
Fun and Interesting Websites
I probably should have come up with this during the summer, but here is a Filamentality Hotlist of fun and interesting websites: http://tinyurl.com/yrdv77
This has sites for travel (getting refunds on airline tickets, or Europe on the cheap), shopping (bargains and coupons), tech tools (need a fix?), entertainment (what's a good TV program?) recipes (want to know a secret recipe?) and other things that make the Internet so much fun to have around. Just click on the underlined name of the Website and your browser will take you to that site. If I find more I'll add to it, but it isn't all about academia...sometimes you just need some entertainment. Of course, Websites come and go, but these are all 'hot' today.
This has sites for travel (getting refunds on airline tickets, or Europe on the cheap), shopping (bargains and coupons), tech tools (need a fix?), entertainment (what's a good TV program?) recipes (want to know a secret recipe?) and other things that make the Internet so much fun to have around. Just click on the underlined name of the Website and your browser will take you to that site. If I find more I'll add to it, but it isn't all about academia...sometimes you just need some entertainment. Of course, Websites come and go, but these are all 'hot' today.
Podomatic: World News for ESL Learners
http://esl.podomatic.com/ World News for ESL Learners
World News in Slow and Clear EnglishFor English as a Second Language (ESL) listeners.
The English is spoken very clearly at about 80% the speed of regular news announcers.
Contact InfopodMail: esl@podomatic.comCan also be used to find and create podcasts. Excellent for early listening levels.
World News in Slow and Clear EnglishFor English as a Second Language (ESL) listeners.
The English is spoken very clearly at about 80% the speed of regular news announcers.
Contact InfopodMail: esl@podomatic.comCan also be used to find and create podcasts. Excellent for early listening levels.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Writing: ESL, ABE/GED Story Squared
http://www.storysquared.com/ Story Squared
"Want to be creative but don't have the time? Start a story on StorySquared and see where it goes. Friends and family contribute to a story thread that you create. The results can be funny, imaginative, or just plain strange. Try it out now and see! Start your story “Once upon a time…” Send it to the people you want to contribute. You and your friends read the story as it unfolds! "
Above is the lead into this site. It's an interesting tech twist on an old writing technique that would be great for imtermediate and higher level ESL students, and would also obviously work on an online environment. There are public stories that you can add to, or create an entirely new story.
"Want to be creative but don't have the time? Start a story on StorySquared and see where it goes. Friends and family contribute to a story thread that you create. The results can be funny, imaginative, or just plain strange. Try it out now and see! Start your story “Once upon a time…” Send it to the people you want to contribute. You and your friends read the story as it unfolds! "
Above is the lead into this site. It's an interesting tech twist on an old writing technique that would be great for imtermediate and higher level ESL students, and would also obviously work on an online environment. There are public stories that you can add to, or create an entirely new story.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Beginners' Guide to Using the Internet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/
Just because it was not made in the USA doesn't mean it isn't good. And this site is actually quite wonderful. WebWise is the BBC's guide to using the Internet. It's done in Flash, and is quite compelling. It's an Internet beginners' course to using the Web, and includes topics such as:
Connecting
Browser
Browserplus
Forms
Searching E-mail
E-mailplus
Safety
One of my favorite areas is called 'Jargonbuster' which is a nice listing of words related to the Web. Of course, there will need to be some adaptation from the UK to the US, and a mention of the spelling differences is needed. The content can easily be used in a classroom or by tutors.
Just because it was not made in the USA doesn't mean it isn't good. And this site is actually quite wonderful. WebWise is the BBC's guide to using the Internet. It's done in Flash, and is quite compelling. It's an Internet beginners' course to using the Web, and includes topics such as:
Connecting
Browser
Browserplus
Forms
Searching E-mail
E-mailplus
Safety
One of my favorite areas is called 'Jargonbuster' which is a nice listing of words related to the Web. Of course, there will need to be some adaptation from the UK to the US, and a mention of the spelling differences is needed. The content can easily be used in a classroom or by tutors.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thank You for Attending the Tech Clues Workshop!
It was great meeting you at the Tech Clues workshop on April 25th. I hope that you will use the AELC and also try some of the sites listed on the blogs. Don't forget about the http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com blog for hundreds of Websites you can use. Also, let me know if you want to join any of the blogs so you could post, as well as read. The recipe blog address is: http://aelcrecipe.blogspot.com , in case you were looking for it. There isn't much on it now, but I bet it will have a lot very soon.
I'd love to see you use this blog for sharing information, tips and techniques for working with your students, and general news. This is the new way of communicating, and it is fast, fun and easy to use. All you need is a Web browser, and it is accessible anywhere in the world.
Thanks again, and let me see what you are doing in the blogosphere!
Judith
I'd love to see you use this blog for sharing information, tips and techniques for working with your students, and general news. This is the new way of communicating, and it is fast, fun and easy to use. All you need is a Web browser, and it is accessible anywhere in the world.
Thanks again, and let me see what you are doing in the blogosphere!
Judith
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Practical Money Skills for Life: Banking Skills
http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/resources/tutor/statements/
Does your student need practical skills for banking? This site has a lot of useful information, and can help a student understand the terms and skills needed for banking. There are also several games that students can play to learn the necessary skills.
Does your student need practical skills for banking? This site has a lot of useful information, and can help a student understand the terms and skills needed for banking. There are also several games that students can play to learn the necessary skills.
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