Skill-building Websites for Reading/Writing Skills and Technology-enhanced Lesson Plans
I have done my Week 4 assignments
Reading/Writing Skill-Building Websites.
1. It is an amusing website for reading and writing skills to be looked at. The title of the page is "ReadWriteThink", its URLhttp://www.readwritethink.org/
It has classroom resources, professional development and parent & afterschool resources .It is suitable for all ages and levels. It has tools. "Story Map" is one of them. Story Map interactive includes a set of graphic organizers designed to assist teachers and students in prewriting and postreading activities. The organizers are intended to focus on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution development. It is useful for organizing & summarizing passages or stories. My ABCD objective for using Story Map:
By using Story Map, third secondary level student well be able to summarize the given passage in no more than ten sentences with zero mistakes.
2. "16 Websites to Teach and Learn Vocabulary" and URL "http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/02/16-websites-to-teach-and-learn.html"
It is useful because it has sixteen web tools that are really great in teaching vocabulary and that you can use with your students in the classroom.
1- Vocabulary.com:This is a website that will hep students master the vocabulary essential to their academic success
2- BBC Learning English
3- Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers.
4- Just The Word is a cool website that helps students make informed decisions as to the right word selection to use in their writing
5-Lexipedia is an online visual semantic network with dictionary and thesaurus reference functionality.
6- Wordnik shows definitions from multiple sources, so you can see as many different takes on a word's meaning as possible.
7- Lingro provides an on-line environment that allows anyone learning a language to quickly look up and learn the vocabulary most important to them.
8- Vocab Grabber analyzes any text you're interested in, generating lists of the most useful vocabulary words and showing you how those words are used in context.
9- Snappy Words It's an online interactive English dictionary and thesaurus that helps you find the meanings of words and draw connections to associated words. You can easily see the meaning of each by simply placing the mouse cursor over it.
10- Wordia is a free games-based learning platform - built on the foundations of a dictionary - that blends word-based learning games with interactive video vocabulary.
11- Graphwords It's an free English online thesaurus that helps you find the meanings of words and show connections among associated words. You can easily see the meaning of each by simply placing the mouse cursor over it.
12- Word Spy explains new words and phrases with new entries added regularly, plus archives of previous entries.
13- VocabGeniiis a free online vocabulary building game. Each round is only 90 seconds, and you can play anytime, anywhere you have Internet access.
14- Wordhippo is a great vocabulary web tool that lets you easily provide antonyms and synonyms to your words.
15- Wordthink provides you with a daily reminder to use many of the words you already know, and add many new words to your vocabulary that you can actually use every day!
16- Vocabulary.co.li is an excellent vocabulary website that offers hundreds of amazing games and activities to teacher vocabulary.
My ABCD objective for using Wordhippo tool to teach synonyms:
By using Wordheppo tool, third level secondary student will be able to provide synonyms to the following words( fresh, remote, salty and dirty) with 80% accuracy.
Task: Create a technology-enhanced lesson plan
My Sample Lesson Plan with Technology
Class: Third level secondary, Term 1
Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: a learning center equipped with PC computers, access to internet, Data show projector , Story Map tool, Wordheppo tool and ready-made work sheets.
Other material: students' book as PDF ( English for Saudi Arabia, Third Level Secondary Term 1)
a. one-quarter b. three-quarters c. a third d. a half
Review of previous lesson:
Have different individuals answer the following question:
What is the most important reason of the extinction of animal and plant species?
Objectives of this lesson:
1. After discussing the given topic "The Importance of Water" orally, third level student will be able to mention at least 3 out of the 5 uses of water correctly.
2. By using Wordheppo tool, third level secondary student will be able to provide synonyms to the following words( fresh, remote, salty and dirty) with 80% accuracy.
3. By using Story Map tool , third level secondary student well be able to summarize the given passage" The Importance of Water " in no more than ten sentences with zero mistakes.
Procedure:
- Preview the reading by asking students general questions:
1. What is the title of the passage?
2. How many paragraphs are there?
3. Can we drink sea water?
4. What do we use fresh water for?
- Students read silently for specific information.
Activities:
- Ask students to use "Wordheppo too " to provide synonyms to the following words: fresh, remote, salty, dirty and write them down in their notebooks.
- Ask students to use "Story Map tool" to summarize the given passage in no more than ten sentences.
Learning styles addressed:
visual and verbal learning
Technology alternative (in case things don't work as planned):
- students' books - worksheets
Review before the end of the class session:
- Ask students to give the synonyms to the given vocabulary.
- Ask students to read aloud their summaries for given passage.
Homework:
- Ask students to practice using " Wordheppo" and " Story Map" tools at home.
Project Task 3: Describe some issues
I have chosen a sample class from a public secondary school. It has around 30 Saudi male students. They study at the third level (grade 12). They have studied English as a foreign language for five years so far. Thier English level is average. Their ages are between 17 and 18 years. They study other subjects than English language. The classroom is a normal one with smart board. There is an equipped learning center in the school which they can use from time to time. The students have access to the internet through smart phones and other means of communication inside and outside the school.
The big issue for me and the other teachers in the region that students face difficulty when they take the official English language achievement test (comprehension reading, grammar and vocabulary) and they usually get poor marks. I would say that they are not motivated enough to do that.
I have done my Week 4 assignments
Reading/Writing Skill-Building Websites.
1. It is an amusing website for reading and writing skills to be looked at. The title of the page is "ReadWriteThink", its URLhttp://www.readwritethink.org/
It has classroom resources, professional development and parent & afterschool resources .It is suitable for all ages and levels. It has tools. "Story Map" is one of them. Story Map interactive includes a set of graphic organizers designed to assist teachers and students in prewriting and postreading activities. The organizers are intended to focus on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution development. It is useful for organizing & summarizing passages or stories. My ABCD objective for using Story Map:
By using Story Map, third secondary level student well be able to summarize the given passage in no more than ten sentences with zero mistakes.
2. "16 Websites to Teach and Learn Vocabulary" and URL "http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/02/16-websites-to-teach-and-learn.html"
It is useful because it has sixteen web tools that are really great in teaching vocabulary and that you can use with your students in the classroom.
1- Vocabulary.com:This is a website that will hep students master the vocabulary essential to their academic success
2- BBC Learning English
3- Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers.
4- Just The Word is a cool website that helps students make informed decisions as to the right word selection to use in their writing
5-Lexipedia is an online visual semantic network with dictionary and thesaurus reference functionality.
6- Wordnik shows definitions from multiple sources, so you can see as many different takes on a word's meaning as possible.
7- Lingro provides an on-line environment that allows anyone learning a language to quickly look up and learn the vocabulary most important to them.
8- Vocab Grabber analyzes any text you're interested in, generating lists of the most useful vocabulary words and showing you how those words are used in context.
9- Snappy Words It's an online interactive English dictionary and thesaurus that helps you find the meanings of words and draw connections to associated words. You can easily see the meaning of each by simply placing the mouse cursor over it.
10- Wordia is a free games-based learning platform - built on the foundations of a dictionary - that blends word-based learning games with interactive video vocabulary.
11- Graphwords It's an free English online thesaurus that helps you find the meanings of words and show connections among associated words. You can easily see the meaning of each by simply placing the mouse cursor over it.
12- Word Spy explains new words and phrases with new entries added regularly, plus archives of previous entries.
13- VocabGeniiis a free online vocabulary building game. Each round is only 90 seconds, and you can play anytime, anywhere you have Internet access.
14- Wordhippo is a great vocabulary web tool that lets you easily provide antonyms and synonyms to your words.
15- Wordthink provides you with a daily reminder to use many of the words you already know, and add many new words to your vocabulary that you can actually use every day!
16- Vocabulary.co.li is an excellent vocabulary website that offers hundreds of amazing games and activities to teacher vocabulary.
My ABCD objective for using Wordhippo tool to teach synonyms:
By using Wordheppo tool, third level secondary student will be able to provide synonyms to the following words( fresh, remote, salty and dirty) with 80% accuracy.
Task: Create a technology-enhanced lesson plan
My Sample Lesson Plan with Technology
Class: Third level secondary, Term 1
Duration: 45 minutes
Materials: a learning center equipped with PC computers, access to internet, Data show projector , Story Map tool, Wordheppo tool and ready-made work sheets.
Other material: students' book as PDF ( English for Saudi Arabia, Third Level Secondary Term 1)
Introduction:
Introduce the topic " The Importance of Water " by
asking students to check Google to
answer the following question to warm them up: How much of
the earth's surface is covered by water?a. one-quarter b. three-quarters c. a third d. a half
Review of previous lesson:
Have different individuals answer the following question:
What is the most important reason of the extinction of animal and plant species?
Objectives of this lesson:
1. After discussing the given topic "The Importance of Water" orally, third level student will be able to mention at least 3 out of the 5 uses of water correctly.
2. By using Wordheppo tool, third level secondary student will be able to provide synonyms to the following words( fresh, remote, salty and dirty) with 80% accuracy.
3. By using Story Map tool , third level secondary student well be able to summarize the given passage" The Importance of Water " in no more than ten sentences with zero mistakes.
Procedure:
- Preview the reading by asking students general questions:
1. What is the title of the passage?
2. How many paragraphs are there?
3. Can we drink sea water?
4. What do we use fresh water for?
- Students read silently for specific information.
Activities:
- Ask students to use "Wordheppo too " to provide synonyms to the following words: fresh, remote, salty, dirty and write them down in their notebooks.
- Ask students to use "Story Map tool" to summarize the given passage in no more than ten sentences.
Learning styles addressed:
visual and verbal learning
Technology alternative (in case things don't work as planned):
- students' books - worksheets
Review before the end of the class session:
- Ask students to give the synonyms to the given vocabulary.
- Ask students to read aloud their summaries for given passage.
Homework:
- Ask students to practice using " Wordheppo" and " Story Map" tools at home.
Project Task 3: Describe some issues
I have chosen a sample class from a public secondary school. It has around 30 Saudi male students. They study at the third level (grade 12). They have studied English as a foreign language for five years so far. Thier English level is average. Their ages are between 17 and 18 years. They study other subjects than English language. The classroom is a normal one with smart board. There is an equipped learning center in the school which they can use from time to time. The students have access to the internet through smart phones and other means of communication inside and outside the school.
The big issue for me and the other teachers in the region that students face difficulty when they take the official English language achievement test (comprehension reading, grammar and vocabulary) and they usually get poor marks. I would say that they are not motivated enough to do that.
Hi Ahmed,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderfully you've described the resources of your choice. I've enjoyed Liang's article on Reading skills and think I'll be able to you them besides the ones that I've already written. This course is going to empower us with valuable tools that are going to make our teaching richer, effective and motivational.
All the best,
Paramita