Online Activities Using ESL Websites
February 8, 2008/Central Office/Barry Bakin/barry.bakin@lausd.net/213-241-3705 (afternoons)
Computers as a tool for ESL professionals (not an exhaustive list):
A) Resources for you as a teacher
1) Non-Internet Based
a.) Create lessons
b.) Create review tests
c.) Create writing prompts
2) Internet Based
a.) Information Resource
1. Email Discussion List
a. TESL-L (see below) general questions and discussion about English
b. TESLCA-L (see below) Especially devoted to computer-assisted instruction of ESL
2. Online Learning Communities such as Classroom 2.0 http://www.classroom20.com
3. Individual blogs http://aquaculturepda.edublogs.org/ (Sue Waters)
http://marianthacher.blogspot.com/
(there are thousands more!-these two mentioned only as examples)
2. Educator Resources and professional organizations (a few examples only)
CATESOL http://www.catesol.org/
TESOL http://www.tesol.org/
OTAN http://www.otan.us/login/login.cfm
Online Journals http://iteslj.org/
3. The ABE/ESL/CBET & Citizenship web pages http://esl.adultinstruction.org
http://abe.adultinstruction.org
B) Tools to help your students learn
1) Non-Internet
a.) Commercial ESL Software
1. four skills practice
2. grammar practice
3. vocabulary
b.) Project Practice using common software such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint
1. Four Skills Practice (Writing and Reading using Word, Speaking and Listening Using PowerPoint, etc.)
2. Creating meaningful “realia” for conversation practice
2) Internet-Based
a.) Authentic sites (e.g. www.lapdonline.org to view a crime map of a neighborhood or actually help solve a crime.)
b.) “ESL” sites
Resources
Join TESL-L (email discussion lists for general ideas about teaching ESL) by going to
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe and registering a password. After you verify your registration, find TESL-L on the list of discussion lists and click on its link. Click on “join or leave the list.” Repeat for TESLCA-L. A description of other email discussion lists can be found at http://www.tesol.net/tesllist.html
Find Acceptable Use Policy Online: Go to http://esl.adultinstruction.org
Scroll down to the link under the heading
“LAUSD's Acceptable Use Policy and Necessary Forms”
Click on the link “Printable English Version of AUP”
Note links to bilingual versions and Photo/Personal Information Release form
The Websites:
Click on “A Day at School” in the “Easy” column.
Explore a listening exercise in both the “Medium” and “Difficult” Categories. Try the different types of quizzes.
Discuss the following with a partner: How does Randall make his listening exercises interesting and challenging? Would your students find this website valuable?
http://www.quia.com/pages/ssfasesllabpage.html
This is a website created by a teacher also. Try several of the quizzes. Visit the Quia homepage and determine the cost of this commercial site.
Discuss the following with a partner. Would being able to use this site be worth the effort of trying to get your school to pay for it? Would you be willing to pay the fee personally to be able to create your own quizzes?
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/index.html Click on Man shoots colleague in crocodile’s jaws.” Try all three of the links. Scroll down to the podcast titled “Airports ban liquids on planes (August 14, 2006). Compare the two versions.
This site lists 20 recent podcasts produced by several different individuals and organizations. Explore several different sites. As you look, make note of the features found at each one.
Discuss the following with a partner. What are the differences between the various efforts by educators to create podcasts. Is there one site that you prefer more than the others? Why? Is it necessary for your students to have ipods or similar devices to make use of these lessons?
http://www.cdlponline.org/ Listening and reading exercises developed from television newscasts. Created by the California Distance Learning Project.
http://www.literacynet.org/esl/sl-language.html The National Institutes for Literacy Collection website. Features a list of useful websites. Click on Colorful Clothesline and try the activity. Discuss the following with a partner. Could you use the activity with your students? How would you direct the your students to access this activity? Click on Activities for ESL Students Discuss the following with a partner. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these activities with your students. What would you have to do as an instructor to turn the disadvantages into advantages?
Click on BBC's learning English area. Try out a few of the areas. Click on Grammar and Vocabulary and then on the Ask About English link. Look for the archive of questions and explore some of the responses. Look at some of the other sections in this categorie such as “Up to Date English.” Use your browser and go back to the Learning English homepage. Click on “The Flatmates” and listen to an episode. Discuss the following with a partner. Would your students find these lessons of interest? How could you keep them from being overwhelmed by the amount of material available?
http://www.awesomestories.com/
(During workshop, use my login under the academic login for both username and password, otherwise log in as a guest or sign up for a free academic subscription)
Explore the story, “Galveston: The Great Storm of 1900” by answering the following questions about the first three chapters:
Preface (Chapter 1)
Click on the link “peak” and answer the first two questions.
In what month are there usually the most hurricanes?
Are there usually a lot of tropical storms in December?
Where did the storm of 1900 begin?
The Cape Verde Islands are closest to what country?
Chapter 2
Click on the link “becoming a hurricane” and watch the animation to
answer the questions.
slide 1- How do hurricanes start?
slide 3-What causes the air to start spinning in a circle?
slide 8-See what happens to buildings and other objects on land at each
of the 5 categories of storm by moving the slider up and down or
“clicking” on each category. What effects are there for a category 3
storm?
Discuss the following with a partner: Reread the preceding questions. They can be characterized into two major groups. What do you think the two types of questions are and what implications do they have for student learning?
http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/english/frameset.html
Pronunciation information for higher level students.
Create custom quizzes using templates for any student assignment. The results of the quizzes are emailed to you automatically.
Log on as a visitor. Explore a unit. Watch a few videos and try some exercises.
Discuss the following with a partner: How does this website compare to any CDROM-based multi-skills software program you might be familiar with in terms of quality or production, variety of activities, potential interest to students, etc.
View some student animated movies
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=3105275
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=3101109
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=3100985
Click on the dfilmmoviemaker link. Click on “Start” or “Launch Moviemaker”. Make a Movie.
Show your movie to your neighbor.
Start looking for websites for other topics.
http://coasttocoast.pbwiki.com
Get your students working on collaborative web site building projects with students from other schools or even states and countries. http://pbwiki.com
http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm
A fairly well-constructed site that is a favorite of some of my students. Features quizzes and worksheets that can be printed out (Free)
http://pbwiki.com Students work on their own to create content and post to the web.
http://coasttocoast.pbwiki.com/ (example- a collaborative project between students at two schools)
http://www.englishclub.com/learn-english.htm a typical site with lots of activities but can be confusing! Also, students need to learn what links are ads.
A free weekly podcast but archived activities “in the library” require a payment. There is a 3 month trial period. Most suitable for intermediate and advanced levels
http:/??????????????????????????
Using the Web Site Evaluation Checklist on page C-1 of the Technology Guide and your experience today, evaluate it in terms of your own students. Would this site be of value to your students? What supplemental instructions or guidance would you have to provide your students so that they could get the most value out of visiting this site if you do think it would be appropriate? Be prepared to discuss your findings with the group.
http://www.otan.us/Itap/index.cfm?fuseaction=videogallery
For you, not your students! Short videos on the use of technology in the adult education classroom!