ESL Four Modalities

2009-07-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Week 5: Authoring Programs, Learning Objects and Educational Software

We have been learning what synonyms and antonyms are, as well as the difference between them. Today, I want to assess your knowledge on synonyms and antonyms with a short quiz.

Remember:
Synonym means the same (girl, woman, female)
Antonym means the opposite (girl, boy)

Follow the steps below to complete the quiz.

1. Go to the following website:
http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/38.html
2. Complete all of the questions online individually
3. When you have answered all of the questions, submit your answers by clicking on the "Grade Me" icon in the gray box.
4. Raise your hand when you have done this and received your score. I will come to you and record your score. We will check the ones you got wrong together.

Review of Lesson

How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes?
In 3rd grade students are learning about synonyms and antonyms. This is something that I will support in the ESL classroom. After teaching, this is a perfect way to integrate technology into their learning by having them complete the quiz online.

Why is this topic appropriate for the lesson you plan to create?
In 3rd grade students learn about synonyms and antonyms in language arts. As mentioned above, this is something that I will support in my ESL classroom. We will learn with games and online activities. This quiz is relevant because it assesses what they have learned and shows me who understands and who needs further help.

What handouts or directions will you provide students to focus learning and adapt this resource for your instructional resources?
I will provide a handout with the steps on it. I will do this so that when students click on the link and go to the quiz, they can refer back to the steps if needed. I will also have copies of the quiz typed up in case we run into any technical difficulties. Then students can complete the quiz with paper and pencil so that I can still assess them.

What are the potential problems, either language based or technical that you may need to troubleshoot or prepare for?
The quiz gives examples of antonyms and synonyms and has the student mark either antonym or synonym. Students may understand that words are the same and different, but they may struggle with which are antonyms and which are synonyms. These can be difficult words for English language learners. This is why I will have a handout for all students that has a reminder on it. Another possible problem is that students cannot access and complete the quiz online. If we have any technical problems, I have a paper quiz that students can take.

Lesson 4: Creating Online Exercises

2009-07-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

Lesson 4 Creating Online Exercises

In your classrooms you have been learning about inventors.

In ESL class we have been learning about the inventor Benjamin Franklin.

Last week we listened to and read aloud a biography on Benjamin Franklin.

Please follow the directions below to complete the assignment.

1. Go to the following URL address:

http://www.manythings.org/listen/franklin.html

2. Listen and read aloud the biography of Benjamin Franklin for a second time by yourself. This is a repeat of an earlier lesson we did.

3. Next, you are going to complete a crossword puzzle about Benjamin Franklin. You will need to read the sentence and fill in the blank. All of the answers come from the biography you listened to and read. If you can't remember an answer, please go back to the biography by following the URL above and find the answer.

4. Go to the following URL address to complete the crossword puzzle.

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgvt5bxg_0fdhjhpfk

Review of Lesson

Students: Students are 4th grade elementary students. Students are Hispanic and Vietnamese.

English Level: Intermediate Level 3 ESL students

Lesson Time: 45 minutes on the cluster computers.

Class Location Environment: This will take place on the cluster computers in the cluster located right outside of my classroom. Students will be on the computers. I will be on my laptop in case students have a hard time remembering how to get to the biography site. I will also model how to fill in the crossword puzzle.

What is the instructional purpose? The instructional purpose it to assess student's gained knowledge of Benjamin Franklin. Students need to know about his contributions to the world.

Why is this topic, information, or content appropriate for the lesson? This is an appropriate topic for the lesson because I am teaching language through content, which is being enhanced through technology. Students are listening, reading, writing, and learning about important contributions of a historic inventor.

What handouts will I create? In anticipating that some students may have trouble completing the crossword puzzle online, I am also providing a handout of it so that no matter what I can still access their knowledge of Benjain Franklin.

What are potential problems students might encounter when using this? Students may have a difficult time completing the crossword puzzle online. It may pose confustion when students have to use the mouse and click in the appropriate box for each letter of a word.

Lesson 3 Correction

2009-06-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

When you go to the link from the blog page, it comes up differently. Here are the steps to get to the proper podcast:

1. click on the link provided
www.manythings.org/e/podcasts.html
2. When you get to the website, on the left, click the listening category.
3. Then click on the listen and read along category at the top of the page.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

Lesson 3: Evaluating Podcasts, Videocasts, Digital Stories

2009-06-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Assignment 3: Evaluating Podcasts, Videocasts, and Digital Stories
We have been learning about different genres of fiction and non-fiction. So far we have read historical fiction, realistic fiction, adventure, and mystery. We are now going to be reading a biography. I have chosen for you to read a biography on Benjamin Franklin. I chose Benjamin Franklin because he was an early inventor. What you will be reading is a Podcast.

Follow these directions to listen and read along to the podcast:1. Go to the following website to listen and read along to the Podcast biography on Benjamin Franklin. www.manythings.org/e/podcasts.html
2. This brings you to a page of podcasts organized by type.
3. The podcast of Benjamin Franklin that I’d like you to listen to is located under the yellow highlighted heading titled “American Mosaic.”
4. The Benjamin Franklin podcast is the last one on the list.
5. PLEASE NOTE When you click on it, it will bring you to the podcast. The podcast will begin immediately.
6. The podcast has 25 pages.
7. Each page will be shown to you. The podcast reads each page twice. The first time you are to listen only. The second time you are to read along.
8. NOW Click on the blue highlighted podcast titled “Benjamin Franklin.”
9. Listen and read along with all 25 pages.
10. When you are finished, you will write a book report on Benjamin Franklin.
11. See your teacher for a 5x8 index card.

Follow these directions to complete the book report:

1. In the upper left of the index card, on the first line, write your name.
2. Below that, write the title of the podcast that you listened to and read.
3. Below that, write the genre of the podcast that you listened to and read.
4. Skip a line.
5. Next, you will write a summary of the podcast that you listened to and read. Your summary must be at least 5 sentences.
6. Skip a line.
7. Answer the following question: Did you like it? Why or why not?

See the example index card with your handout.

Review of Lesson:
Students: Students are 4th grade elementary students. Students are Hispanic and Vietnamese.
English Level: Intermediate Level 3 ESL students
Lesson Time: 45 minutes on the cluster computers and at the cluster tables. This lesson may take 2 class periods.
Class Location: This will be initially taught on the cluster computers in the cluster located right outside of my classroom. Students will be on the computers initially and I will again be on my laptop that projects on the screen so that I can model for students. Once students have finish the computer part of the assignment, they will move to the tables to complete the book report.
How will you use this resource to meet the needs of your instructional purposes? This resource meets the needs of my instructional purposes because it allows the students to listen and read. This resource plays each page of the biography twice which allows the students to focus on listening the first time and reading along the second time.
What handouts or directions will you provide students to focus learning and adapt this resource for your instructional goals? I will provide a handout with the directions for listening and reading along with the podcast, completing the book report and the index card sample. That way students can refer to it as they work and don’t need to click back and forth and risk losing what they’ve started.
Why is this topic, information or content appropriate for the lesson you plan to create? The podcast is a biography on Benjamin Franklin. The topic, information, and content are appropriate because it supports media, language arts, and science classroom content. In media they have to write a biography book report. In language arts they have to read a biography. In science they have to study an early inventor.
What are the potential problems? A problem that I foresee students having is right in the beginning when the podcast starts. It doesn’t give students the time to look at the page and then click start when they are ready. It begins reading aloud immediately. I did warn students of this in my directions. Also, there is a pause and replay button so that students who miss the first page can listen to it again.

Lesson 2: Evaluating and Using Web 2.0

2009-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lesson: Writing: Monday Journals

We are now going to take our Monday Journals into the world of technology! We are now going to move from writing our Monday Journals in our portfolio notebooks to writing them on the internet using a Wiki! Please follow the directions below to write our Monday Journals on our Wiki.

1. Go to the following Wiki website: http://www.mondayjournals.wikispaces.com/

2. Please read all of the pages that are poste on the left hand side of the page.

3. Simply click on the page title to view.

4. First you will read the page titled "Monday Journal Directions." This will give you all of the directions you will need to begin and create your Monday Journal page.

5. Next, you will read the page titled "Monday Journal Expectations." This will explain to you what I am expecting you to do for your Monday Journals.

6. Finally, read the page title "Mrs. Winter's Monday Journal." This will be my Monday Journal that I will post every Monday. It also shows you an example of what I'd like to see you do.
7. Create your page with your name according to the "Monday Journal Direction" page.
8. Type the date and type your journal.
9. Check back so that you can answer any questions that your classmates ask you.
10. Please post questions/comments to your classmates Monday Journals.

Review of Lesson

Students: Students are 5th grade elementary students. Most of them have had four years of Monday Journal writing with me. Now we are taking it to the next step by adding technology. Students are Hispanic and Russian.
English Level: Intermediate Level 3 ESL students
Lesson Time: 45 minutes on the cluster computers.
Class Location Environment: This will be taught on the cluster computers in the cluster located righ outside of my classroom. Students will be on the computers and I will be on my laptop that projects on the screen so that I can model for them what to do and the directions.
What is the instructional purpose? To buid students writing skills. Monday Journals are something that I have always done with my students. Students that are in my ESL classes and do Monday Journals have received higher TEAE scores than those who do not do weekly Monday Journals. Usally this is done on notebook paper that is placed in their portfolios, but we are now taking it to the next level.
How will you use the Wiki to meet your instructional purposes? This will allow students to build community by reading and responding to their classmates lives as well as mine. It allows students to converse in English with one another. It is meaningful and authentic.
What handouts will I create? I will create a handout with directions on how to access and complete the Wiki. They can follow along with this handout while I model with my laptop on the screen. This handout will allow them to access the Wiki from home or their regular education classroom.
What are potential problems student might encounter when using this? Students may have difficulties starting their own Monday Journal page as well as posting comments and questions to their classmates pages. This is why I will model the process on my laptop with the screen.

Assignment 1: Evaluating and Using Websites

2009-06-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Assignment 1: Evaluating Using Websites
Lesson: Reading Lesson: Sight Words/High Frequency Words

Follow these directions to complete this assignment:

1. Go to the following website: http://www.netrover.com/~crose/dolch/dolch.htm

2. Choose from either List One or List Two.
3. Click on the second bullet titled, Listen and Match.
4. Both you and your partner need to read the directions.
5. Decide who is going to go first.
6. Then the first player will click START.
7. You must have the volume turned on in order to hear the words.
8. Player one will click on two blue boxes, trying to get a match. Player one’s score will show in the box titled Player One.
9. If player one gets a match, they can take a second turn.
10. When player one does not make a match, it is player two’s turn.
11. The winner of the game is the one with the most points.
12. Once you have done this, you may try Jigsaw or Listen and Spell.
13. Jigsaw and Listen and Spell are independent games.
14. For Listen and Spell, you click on the speed in which you want the game to be played.
15. Then the computer will say a word.
16. Use the letters at the bottom of the screen to spell the word before the timer runs out.
17. It will automatically give you the next word.
18. For Jigsaw, click START. On the left will be yellow rectangles with a picture of a speaker on them. Click on this to hear the word.
19. Then, on the right will be blue rectangles with the sight/high frequency words. Click and drag the word you heard to match the yellow rectangle. I the word is correct it will stick to the yellow triangle.

Review of Lesson and Website Resource

Students: First Grade students in a public school. Students are Hispanic, Russian, and Indian.
English Language Level: Intermediate ESL (Level 2/3)
Lesson Time: 30 Minutes at the cluster computers. This will take all of their ESL time as I only have the students for 30 minutes.
Class Location Environment: This will be taught in the cluster right outside of my ESL classroom. The cluster consists of 5 classrooms that form a square. The cluster is a carpeted area in the middle with computers set up. I will have a laptop and an overhead screen so that I can model the steps. Students will log in to the computer, open Internet Explorer, go to the blog which is saved in Favorites, read directions and follow along as I model, then work with their partners to play the game.
What is the Instructional Purpose?
By the end of first grade students need to know 100 sight/high frequency words. This is something that is assessed at the beginning and the end of the year. ESL students at a Level 2 have often struggled with these words because they are not easy to sound out and don’t always follow the “rules of English.” In order to help students learn these words, this game allows for a see, hear, say, drill kind of practice. Will the students know the words at the end of the 30 minutes? No! But, students can revisit this website on their own and again with me during class and at the end of the year their number of words known will increase.
How will you use the website to meet your instructional purposes?
First grade students are assessed using the Dolch word list at the beginning and the end of the year. To integrate technology into my student’s learning, I am taking the idea of flash cards or memory and putting it online. Students will practice the words by seeing them, hearing them, saying them, and matching them.
What handouts will I create?
I will create a handout for students with the URL for the sight word/high frequency word games so students can reread the directions to play the games with their general ed. classes or at home. I will also print off the Dolch word lists that are on this website and periodically assess them for words gained. These will be kept in their ESL portfolios to show progress.
What are potential problems students might encounter in using this website?
The students have experience with the computers, Internet, and games. However, they may have difficulty getting to the different games and back to the home page to choose a new game. This will be modeled in the beginning before students are set off on their own to play and explore.

My Professional Website

2009-06-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Followers~
I had my URL wrong for my professional school website. The previous one does not work. To go to my website click on the URL below.

http://www.rschooltoday.com/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school425&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=97

Thanks!

My Current ESL Position

2009-06-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

I currently teach in a K-5 building. I mainly work with grades 1-4. The school I work at has about 34% of it's student population speaking English as a second language. Many of our students are Spanish, Asian, and Russian. I teach content based English instruction through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. We have recently adopted Avenues-Hampton Brown as a curriculum to help us better meet the needs of our students. However, this is not all we use.

Check out my school website by clicking the link below:

http://www.rschooltoday.com/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi

My Very First Blog

2009-06-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have never, ever, blogged before. This will be an interesting journey!