Wicked Good Sites and Activities for ABE/ESOL Classrooms

Presented by, Patty Ball

Northeast SABES

Plethora of Tools

• There are many tools on the Internet that teachers and staff can use in their classrooms and programs

• Figuring out which to use can be daunting and time-consuming

• Considerations:– Integration - usefulness – free or low-cost– low learning curve for both teachers and students

Teachers might…

• Try to use 'learning technologies' in classroom whenever they can, to make the learning experience relevant to students

• Show students how to find and access information and opportunities through technology

• Focus on developing students’ networking skills (both online and face-to-face) so that the students become 'connected' to people who can give them information, help them learn and keep the learning experience relevant to the student’s life

04/11/23

Desired Outcomes of Presentation

• Awareness of new and useful tools for ABE/ESL programs and classrooms

• Develop willingness to explore new tools – (tools and their usages change)

• Use some of these tools on a regular basis for either the program, the classroom or personal & professional development

• “Become comfortable enough with technologies so that you can recognize them for what they really are - Get past the hype and to the possibilities” (Jane Bozarth)

A quote

• The internet is now much more than an information source, it is a vast social network of people communicating and collaborating, so what better place could there be to learn, practice and use language

• There are even some dedicated networks set up so that language students can share and exchange both their culture and their language and enjoy communicating with each other 

• Some examples are:• http://www.livemocha.com/• http://www.babbel.com/• http://www.palabea.net/• If …, people learn best with friends and within social environments,

then I think the internet really is providing places where students can learn for themselves and perhaps we can just help them to consolidate those skills.

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*Nik Peachey | Learning Technology Consultant, Writer, TrainerTeacher Development: http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/

Tech Integration Online tools for:

• Creating Docs, Presentations, Spreadsheets– *Google Docs, Zoho, *Animoto, Prezi

• Collaboration Tools (with students, educators, staff)• Tools for Math, Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening•  Educational Games/fun, music, soundtracks• My current overall favorite – how to use for awesome

results

Document Creation & Collaboration• Google Docs – Patty’s fav• Google apps• Free online software - teachers & students

collaborate on projects, assignments, & professional development

• allows more than 1 person to work on same doc at a time

• Students no longer need to e-mail files to other group members and deal with the confusion that often occurs regarding software compatibility issues

• Also Zoho

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Google Docs

Google Apps for Education

Students can use these to:

• Work on files anywhere, anytime• Get quick feedback from multiple people• Make the full writing process visible• Demonstrate their mastery of editing skills• Quickly analyze and organize data• Easily share data

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• Google Docs and Zoho Writer - the simplest tools for publishing written work to the web

• Create & share all of your works without leaving the program

• Google Docs allows to publish your documents as a webpage - then email url or post on your blog or website

• Zoho Writer provides extra option which generates an embed code for your documents

• Using the embed code will allow people to read your documents without having to leave your blog or website

Teachers can use to:

• Organize group work in their classes• Make exercises they give students fun,

since students are motivated when they are having fun

• Give students work to do outside of the formal setting of the classroom

• Take on the role of 'facilitator' rather than the role of 'giver-of-knowledge'.

• Collaborate with other educators

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Presentation Creation & Embellishment• *Animoto - Animoto for Education• Prezi• 280 slides

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Best Collaboration Tools–Ning

• Classroom 2.0• Eflclassroom• My Ning• EduBlogs• Google sites

–How to Use – class websites, sharing, collaboration

Ning

Classroom 2.0

EFL Classroom17

My Ning Site

Google Sites

Math

• Math Movies• XP Math• MathPlayground• Wolfram Alpha• thirteenEdOnline• HoodaMath

• Math in Daily Life• Change Maker• Math Lesson Plans• Practical Money Skills• BBC Skillwise

Numbers• Small Housekeeper

Math

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XP MathMath Movies

Math Playground

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha

• Enter any date (birthdate, June 23, 1988)

• Enter any city • Enter any two stocks – IBM Apple• Enter any calculation - $250 + 15%\• Enter any math formula – • 3x2+x–7=4x

WolframAlpha

• Enter any two first names- andrew, barbara

• enter any food1 apple + 2 oranges

• enter any measurement45 mph

• enter any chemical formulaH2SO4

• enter any musical notesC Eb G C

Step-by-Step Math• Ever given up working on a math problem

because you couldn’t figure out the next step?

• Wolfram|Alpha can guide you step by step through the process of solving many mathematical problems

• When trying to find solutions, Wolfram Alpha can break down the steps for you if you click the “Show steps” button in the Result pod

Reading

• English for My Job

• Wordle

• English with cartoons

• English Learner

• InfoSquares• Reading/Language Ar

ts Powerpoint lessons

• Guide to Grammar and Writing - Powerpoint Lessons

English for My Job

Wordle

How to Use?

• *Have students create text about themselves and turn it into a Wordle-put the clouds up and see if students can identify each other

• See CD for many more Wordle activities

– *Nik Peachy Web2.0 Tools for Teachers

Writing

• Penzu• *Word Magnets• Business English –

beginners• Many Things

Many Things - videos

• A4ESL

• Elllo• News English Lesson

s• Virtual Traveler -

BBC – Writing -Bit size writing

• WordSift• ESL Independent Stu

dy Lab

Writing Activities• Create online materials using text & images & share w/ students• Writing portfolio – set written homework tasks for students, store,

review, share• PD Journal – reflect on your teaching Lesson summary – record

what you did with the classes and send as summary or reminder• Create models for writing activities – use a new entry each time you

redraft to show how text changes through process steps of brainstorming…

• Learner diaries• Ask students to reflect on aspects of lesson and send responses

using anonymous message feature• Upload images ask them to create story based on them

Speaking/Listening

• rong-chang Listening & speaking

• VoiceThread

• Voxopop

• listen-and-write

• Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab

• Howjsay

• ESL Go

• Conversation questions for esl classroom

• *ESLfast – ESL fast dialogues

• Real English

• English Central Videos

ESL Go

Conversation questions for esl classroom

Educational Games/Fun

• Xtranormal – Make movies

• Parade of PowerPoint Games

• ClassTools

• MoMupl

• A to Z Wordfinder Scrabble

• Let them sing it for you

• Blip

• last.fm• 35 Educational game

s• Guess the Wordle

xtranormal

Parade of PowerPoint Games

All Resources

• Top ESL websites• *nikpeachey

Technology– Nik

Peachy links and Activities

– Nik Peachy Quick Shout Activities

• ESL activities for adults

• USALearns• Literacy Support Cent

er • ESL worksheets and

Lesson Plans• Larry Ferlazzo

Best of Series• Many Things

All Resources (2)

• English for Everybody

• Teacher Training Videos

• Free Audio & Video ESL Resources (found through Twitter btw)

• Daily English Activities for ESL

• ESL Activities online

• Teacher Planet• *jfynetworks.edublogs • Super Teacher Tools• Video training for Eng. L

ang. educators• Patty's bookmarks

– It’s overwhelming– Use search

• Breaking News English– News English Lessons

(easier)

Labor Market Info

• MA Career Information System

• Occupational Outlook Handbook

04/11/23

What the Heck?• At first glance, the typical response to Twitter is: I

don’t get it• Why would anyone want to tell others what they

are doing in 140 characters?• What you see, is not what you get• Think of Google’s simplistic interface• Twitter is an incredibly powerful tool for your

personal learning, connecting with others, and engaging classroom activities

Twitter, Social Networking, and Communities of Practice

• Consider that the true power of Twitter and other social networking tools lies in their potential to extend learning beyond the boundaries of the classroom community

http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/past-issues/volume13/ej50/ej50int/

Learning is a social Process

• Facilitated by interaction with others who are mutually engaged in the socially and culturally defined practices of the community

Social Networking Technologies

• Can allow second language learners to negotiate meaning and shape their identity as English speakers as they connect with and participate in the real world communities that are important to their lives

Twitter

• Twitter is very easy to sign-up for and to use• Twitter is an effective communication tool for

concise messages and news items, or links to longer messages and articles

• Powerful networking capacity• Twitter is fun to use and may, therefore, be

effective in engaging students in discussions who do not need to write longer essays

What Can You Do

• Tweet about the latest activity, or interest

• Inform

• Promote

• Ask for help

• Invite feedback

• Provide links

• Chat

• Post pictures, videos, music

• Access stream of links, ideas, opinions & resources from hand-picked selection of global professionals from anywhere

Many different ways to use Twitter in the classroom

• Post updates for students • Encourage students to collaborate in and out

of classroom • Writing teachers have begun using Twitter as

a platform for collaborative stories• The teacher starts and then asks each

student to continue the story through 140 character tweets

• Educational games

• “… Twitter saves the day. It has very quickly become my personal reboot camp, or PLN (Personal Learning Network). It is jam-packed-to-the-rafters with gifted, sharing and inspirational educators from across the globe. I have learned an incredible amount about education and classroom tools in the few months I’ve been tweeting. The oft-cited comparison between a Twitter PLN and a virtual global staff room rings loud and true. “

Sean Banville is webmaster of sites including BreakingNewsEnglish.com and ListenAminute.com. He has a Master’s degree in TEFL/TESL from Birmingham University. He spent 13 years

teaching in Japan and relocated to the UAE in 2006. He recently became an enthusiastic Tweeter, @seanbanville, and has entered the

world of blogging.

Twitter Secrets• Follow – be selective (marketers?)• Use Search –

– http://search.twitter.com– http://search.twitter.com/advanced– http://search.twitter.com/operators– Save your searches– Trending Topics– Favorites

• Use Hashtags – a way to group tweets associated with a specific topic # # # #– http://hashtags.org/– Use for a class or topic

• ReTweet - RT• Direct Messaging D – can use on cell phones too

Twitter Tools/Apps/Clients

• TweetDeck - create Twitter groups -keep your work and personal contacts somewhat separate

• Twhirl – Twitter client - desktop• HootSuite - manage multiple Twitter profiles & more• Twitxr - send photos from mobile phone - great for teachers

and students alike• TwitPic - You can share photos on Twitter, or find photos from

all around the world using this service• Twitterfall• Twtpoll – create polls and survey • TweetChat - easy to see only tweets with a corresponding

hashtag

Follow Suggestions

• WeFollow - WeFollow offers a user powered Twitter directory

• twibes group adulted• Twits Like Me - Find other users in education

through Twits Like Me • TweepML• Find someone you like, check out their

followers

Twitter Resources

• Ultimate Twitter guide

• Ultimate List of Twitter Tools

• Mashable's Twitter Guide Book

• Twitter4Teachers wiki

• Just Tweet It

• CybraryMan Twitter Resources

PowerPoint Twitter Feedback SlideUse Presentation Mode to view, Click this header to give mouse control back to PowerPoint, change slide, etc.

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