CALL_IS_VSL

Home use font is a free download. May actually do some good for your students with reading problems.

This is a short set of R. Stannard video's on using Moodle. Deals mainly with chats and forums.

Interesting article on the value of using screen capture video for feedback on students' written work. Should be added to the arsenal of evaluation.

This tool for the blind would be extremely useful, and the device works with print pages and digital readers, such as Kindle. Very tiny camera translates print into spoken word. Currently needs to be tethered to a laptop/computer, but a version of the software may be available soon to use Android phones for the computing.

"What is qualitative formative assessment? Some call it anecdotal or informal assessment. However, such designations imply passivity -- as if certain things were captured accidentally. I believe the word "formative" should always be included with the word assessment because all feedback mechanisms should help shape and improve the person (or situation) being assessed. Wedging the word "qualitative" into my terminology differentiates it from the analytic or survey-based measures that some associate with the term formative assessment." Richards discusses using mobile tools for on the spot assessment in a variety of ways.

R. Byrne has a nice description of two apps to make interviews with -- a great listening speaking activity for ELLs, with some writing to make up questions. "The Opinion app could be a good choice if you just want students quickly create a simple recording. Students might use Opinion to record a quick reflection on what they learned during the week. If they have SoundCloud accounts Opinion makes it easy to create an on-going audio blog. "StoryCorps.me will take a little more time for students to set-up than they will spend setting-up the Opinion app. That said, StoryCorps.me is the app that I would want students to use when they are recording podcasts involving two or more people. Being able to see the questions while they record should help students keep their interviews concise and on track. "

A place for stock photos. Organized roughly by topics and popular searches.

Free online practice for typing.

This is an absolutely great set of ideas that your students could use to create special effects, like 8mm-style, using rubber and duct tape for a tripod, and overcoming lighting limitations. For the inventive, but low-budget film-maker.

"Within YouTube there is a free tool for creating audio slideshows. You supply the images and YouTube supplies the audio track. You can pick from thousands of audio tracks to match to your slides. After adding your slides and selecting an audio track you can add speech bubbles to your slides." "Creating an audio slideshow with annotations in YouTube is a good way for students to share the highlights of some basic research that they have conducted. " However, the audio is really just background music. I wonder if it could be adapted to adding a teacher- or student-made spoken audio track. R. Byrne

Very useful tips and comments on how to use YouTube successfully.

R. Stannard shows how to use this marvelous tool. You can create notes and link them to specific portions of a video on YouTube. If you have a personal account at YouTube, your students will have privacy in watching the video and using the notes for a flipped class, for example. Connect your account with your Google Drive account so everything is accessible from one place and easily revised.

Free book (pdf) from the British Council, written by Gary Motteram. Probably published early 2012. Has sections on primary education, secondary, and general adult language education, ESP and Business English, EAP, and assessment. Nice examples from real classrooms.

An intro to explaining Prezi, its features and tools, how it works, and how it differs from PowerPoint. Stannard suggests that Prezi is a good brainstorm tool that will let us collect thoughts, images, and video, and then join them in a path that organizes them.

This is an advanced set of lessons by R. Stannard on how to manipulate the Prezi interface; begins with how to change your pathways, and how to create your own design starting with the blank screen template.

" This video takes you through Googel Docs and Google Drive and shows you how you can use them with your students too. It also shows you some of the tricky things to remember and also how Google Docs and Google Drive link together." Google has changed a bit, but this video by R. Stannard should be very helpful. Shows how to convert docs from other formats and how to use the desktop G-Drive.

An excellent video of the teacher and students using the lesson plan, this lesson from the Teaching Channel walks you through preparation for a writing assignment. It was developed through an EQuIP Peer Review Panel to ensure alignment with the Common Core standards, and was created by teachers and administrators working with the Massachusetts Dept of Elementary and Secondary Ed Model Curriculum Project. It uses a "Smart Chart" to deepen student understanding of rhetorical devices and has students collaborate in a ranking activity. Has links to a place where you can submit your own lessons for a free EQuIP panel review, and links to other related lesson plans.

The teacher poses an open-ended question based on actual historical documents that demonstrate opposing or differing views. Philosophical Chairs has students discuss the opposing texts. Each student expresses and opinion and then others "take sides" by physically moving to join the group where the idea they favor has been expressed. At least three students must express an opinion in the group before movement is allowed. The teacher puts notes on each opinion on the board as students speak. Combines reading with listening and speaking; preparation for a writing assignment

This is Maria Bossa's talk on using Gategno's Silent Way to teach her students. A lively and interesting approach, which has many uses in the classroom.