Foreign Language & ESOL Technology Integration

Classroom Resources

Classroom Resources: Included in this category are resources to integrate technology. Some of them require a subscription or cost money.

Software Solutions

Software Solutions:
If you have a bit of money to spend, here are some software solutions for language learning. Make sure to check with school district's technology department to make sure the software is approved!

• Rosetta Stone:  CD and online language learning program available in several different languages
• Tell Me More: a networked computer language lab that teaches reading, writing, grammar, listening comprehension and pronunciation, available in several languages
• ELLIS: English language learning software available in several levels
• ESL Readingsmart:  a multicultural, literature-based site for ESOL grades 4 - 12
• How To Read For Everyday Living: a website for middle school to adult that that teaches vocabulary and key concepts through real word topics
• Longman English Interactive: a four-level, video-based program that practices all language skills
• Boardmaker: actually an assistive technology program that allow you to create 'boards' with graphics, check with your special ed department in your school because they might already have this on hand for you to see, excellent for creating vocabulary cards and vocabulary presentations
• Copernicus: (Mac Users) Copernicus helps you make screen captures and screen movies. Copernicus features a gallery that lets you easily browse and export your screen captures.
• Camstudio: (Windows Users) CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer         and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in         SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly         Streaming Flash videos (SWFs)       

 

Poll your students using their cellphones

Live Audience Polling

Poll your students by using SMS text messages or the web, the results are updated in your web browser.
http://www.polleverywhere.com/

Additional Organizations for Information and Resources

 

The National Language Resource Centers are Title VI funded to promote the teaching and learning of foreign languages. There are 15 centers throughout the U.S. Go to http://nflrc.msu.edu for more information.

Two Resource Centers that are worth checking out are...

CARLA: The Center for Advanced Language Acquisition

CLEAR: The Center for Language Education and Research

Create a visual book using images from Flickr

 Bookr is a tool to create photobooks using Flickr images. Students and teachers can create visual representations of stories. http://www.pimpampum.net/en/content/bookr

Speaking activities online

 "A VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holdsimages, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). Share a VoiceThread with friends, students, and colleagues for them to record comments too." 

Block Posters

Block Posters allows you to create any size wall poster from any size image. Upload an image from your computer and choose how many sheets wide you would like the poster to be once it is printed.

Finding the Right Web 2.0 Tools for Classroom Use

How do you keep up with all of those cool Web 2.0 tools for classroom use and which one should you use? Check out this wiki WebTools4U2Use: http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Finding+the+Right+Tool

Word Sift

Word Sift is a tool created by Stanford University. It was designed to assist teachers in managing the demands of vocabulary and academic language. The site allows the teacher to paste in a text to create a word cloud, provides a visual thesaurus and a function called "squish" that will create a word thesaurus relationship map. Pretty cool! Check it out! The website also provides teachers with ideas for using this tool for Lesson Prep, Previewing Text, Group Activities, Literacy Support and Assessment. Click here to find out more About Word Sift.

Here is an example of the tool. Text from one of the blog postings was pasted and "sifted."

Wayne Craven: Cool Tools for the ESOL Classroom FLAG 2010

Thinkport

The state of Maryland has created an excellent resource for educators. Thinkport is the product of an on-going partnership between Maryland Public Television (MPT) and Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education (CTE), two of the most trusted names in Maryland education. There are TONS of resources in almost every content area. The most amazing thing about this resource...it is free and any teacher from any state can join! Check it out:

 

i love languages!

iLoveLanguages is a comprehensive catalog of language-related internet resources. There are hundreds of languages listed! ESOL and FL teachers will find this an excellent springboard for finding teaching resources.

 

101 Languages

101 Languages provides information about some of the world's languages. There are currently over 50 languages covered!

 

Digital Resources for Writing

During the summer of 2011 teachers with the Kennesaw Mountatin Writing Project put together an amazing wiki with links and ideas for incorporating digital tools for writing. Check it out their Digital Writing Wiki!

Many thanks to Marsha Boyd and Maya Woodall for putting together this resource for teachers!

 

LearnEnglish Kids

LearnEnglish Kids is a grat site for teahcing English to young students.