Group items tagged

"4Teachers.org works to help you integrate technology into your classroom by offering online tools and resources. This site helps teachers locate and create ready-to-use Web lessons, quizzes, rubrics and classroom calendars. There are also tools for student use." Loads of tools.

"Brainstormer is a great tool for group brainstorming. Teachers and students contribute ideas to a shared board, build on each other's thoughts, and vote for their favorite ideas. Plus, it's completely free and no accounts are required. " T/h Nick LaFave

You can set up an audio discussion board for your students. Very teacher- and student-friendly site. Great for practicing conversation online. (Formerly Chinswing.) See Russell Stannard's training video at http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/voxopop/index.html Stannard has also set up a teacher's discussion board for this tool: http://www.voxopop.com/group/8620c8e6-7839-4f55-842e-fce721d9eea2

Mailvu is a free video messaging system that looks simple and easy to use. R. Stannard's video helps you get started quickly, and he also discusses how he uses the tools with his students for language learning: you can have students send you video recordings and then comment on them, have students do interviews of each other, describe something, talk about a holiday or their weekend, etc. Mailvu also has apps for Android and iPhone.

A video on how to use Keek to make and share short video messages. Although limited to only 36 secs, this might be a good application for beginning learners, or for a quick pronunciation quiz (you will see who is taking that quiz!) You can also embed a finished recording in your blog or wiki, as well as sending it by email. A good way to have students create a short, practiced conversation. Also has smartphone apps for mobile recordings, RSS feed to follow, and links to Facebook and Twitter.

This blog by Tom Barrett is an incredible wealth of information. One of the best teacher blogs I've seen. A lot of time and care goes into his many lesson ideas.

"Most teachers are overwhelmed by the endless amount of websites they can find online to teach English. I would like to share the best websites according to my students to learn English. One key ingredient in these websites is that students have fun while learning English."

"SnagLearning is dedicated to presenting high-quality documentary films as educational tools to ignite meaningful discussion within the learning community." A great place to gather information and stimulate discussion. Also links to other respected content sites, such as PBS for Teachers and Discovery Education.

SimplyBox is a great way to add some Web 2.0 to your research. This would be esp. useful with group objects where students can then look at what each other group member has found. Use SimplyBox for Education, and get the free app (also has fee-based district or school-wide application that can be hosted and access controlled safely, and boxing from any application). The teacher could start the ball rolling, and have students join in, boxing their own sites and info. Esp. good for visual learners. This page has three good help videos: Overview, Sharing, and Twittering with SimplyBox. Fairly easy to use, once you get used to it.

How to use Twitter for your classroom. Another great video by Russell Stannard. that shows you all the ins and outs of this social networking device as it would be used for educational purposes.

TimeToast is a way to create historical timelines. Could be used for project- or content-based learning, or for personal autobiographies. Also has several good content examples, such as Moon Landings, The Great Gatsby, and Western Civilization. You place points on the timeline and then add text and pictures to go along with the dates.

Got to Time.com, select the pull-down menu for Videos, and use the Search engine to find "10 Questions." There are hundreds of these--questions for famous people, newsmakers, politicians, etc. Great way to examine cultural assumptions, explore current events, etc. Teachers will have to develop the lessons, but you see and hear the interlocutors in natural language. Recommended by Russell Stannard.

If you prefer to hear about new classroom ideas, reather than just listening, this teacher idea site by the EFL Classroom group is quite good. Donwload and listen in your car on the way to work, or get the Huffduffer app.

Karenne Sylvester's blog for teachers of Business English is a huge respository of good Web. Articles are also attractively laid out and easy to access.

Create activities, matching games, crosswords, and quizzes. Save these resources online with your free teacher account and analyze results of quizzes and games.

Wow! This has articles on how to use comics, lesson plans, and links to places on the Web where you can create comics. Excellent blog feature.

A huge list of materials online related to listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and general study skills. Teachers need to review and select from sites to use them effectively in an academic program. Prepared by Christine Bauer-Ramazani for her Academic Skills courses.

A fabulous tool for socio-cultural studies of any country. Click on a country to look at a wide variety of factors: population, social indicators, economy, technical networks, environment, and millenium goals. Fascinating place for students to do comparisons and get info for reports. Or for teachers to learn more about their country of residence.

A clearly explained lesson plan for introducing the concept of Google+.

Webinar with dozens of ideas for using online tools to teach young learners writing. Offered at the 2012 EVO. Shelly Terrell offers free webinars every Friday at 21:00 GMT. go to tinyurl.com/ELTLinks to see a list of recent offerings. Recordings are also available for this free online professional development series.