MES English
http://www.mes-english.com/
Grades: K-12
MES English is a website that offers parents and teachers resources to help them teach children to teenagers various aspects of theEnglish language. The website has been a lifesaver for both my coteachers and I. The site is easy to use and provides flashcards, worksheets, teaching videos, and games to help educators cover various parts of language learning. These resources are clearly marked on the menu of the homepage. Topics covered in these sections cover most aspects of language learning from learning phonics to understanding more complex grammar patterns.
I have often used this website to find games that the students can do together. Many of the games are good but most require the user to have a printer because many of them are board or card games. This is good for educators or parents that have easy access to a printer but not so much for someone with limited resources. Explanations for the games are given which make them easier to explain to the students for the teacher using them. The videos are very effective as well to explain parts of grammar that may be difficult for the students to understand. A youtube link is provided for additional support if there are problems with the videos on the site. MES English offers practice in many areas of language learning from phonics to writing.
What is very useful with this website is the forums section. In this section teachers and parents can discuss a variety of topics. There are three sections in the forums sections. They are teaching, games and activities and general. This allows educators to give feedback on these various things and also discuss things that aren't strictly related to teching. Feedback is given and thus allows teachers to learn from others experiences. The forums section also gives links to other teaching websites that teachers can use in their lesson planning.
I feel the website is very well organized and easy to use. I have found most of the material easy to use because of the well written instructions for the games and activities. MES English has many activities for the students to do that can improve their speaking and writing but there isn't much to help with reading. Also, as I mentioned earlier with the games and activities many of them require the user to have a printer which could be problematic. This is especially true if the teacher has large classes and needs to make many printouts. I think that is one aspect that MES English could improve. Maybe offering communicative activities that don't require printed materials would be helpful. Overall, MES English is a great a resource for teachers who are having trouble filling their time in their classroom. I would recommned this site to both new and experienced teachers.
2011년 2월 23일 수요일
2011년 2월 9일 수요일
Thoughts About Corpus Based Language Learning
To be frankly honest I really had no idea what corpus based language learning was before I read the articles. I am embarrassed to say I had to do a quick google and wikipedia search before reading the articles to get a brief idea what it was. Both readings helped to give me a general idea of how corpus based language learning can be used to make meaning of learning a new language and how we can present the material in a a way that gives the student(s) an oppurtunity to use what is being leaned in a real life context.
It was suggested in Richards and Roger's article "The Lexical Approach" that lexical units play an important role in learning and in coomunication (p.133). When I teach English to my students, they are often confused when lexicals like idioms and similes. The sometimes take it literally and are really confused. Students will hear these often, as native speakers seldom talk the way they are portrayed in the textbooks, speaking perfect and clear English. This isn't the case, as words are thrown around all the time, and when they are directly translated don't make any sense. The idea of "The Lexical Syllabus" by Willis and the use of Collins COBUILD English course I thought was brillant and very pratical for language learners. By showing the students the most frequently used words in the English language and how they are used the students get a better understanding of how to properly use lexical units.
I notice when I am teaching grammar to my students they end up talking like robots after a period of time. Yes, the grammar that they have learned in their grammar books is correct but a lot of it is rarely used or sounds unnatural to native speakers. By using a lexical Syllabus the students get a chance to use words in a matter in which they are commonly used and sounds more natural. This in my opinion is better for the students in the future as it better prepares them to use them in social interactions. It is important though that the teacher provides guidance to the students and present the material so that it meets the student's individual needs.
In Tim Johns article "From Printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data driven Learning" I got to see how DDL helped students make meaning of linguistic data. What I liked most about the article was that it discusses how students could start relying less on the teacher and make conclusions on their own. Teachers show the students how to find meaning in word usage and word pairs and then later on they can find and make meaning on their own. The article also suggests that students can create data for themselves and to their own situations in freer types of activities (p.303) . This helps to change the content to better suit the student. As a result, students play a more active role in their language learning.
Overall, both articles stress the importance of langauge learning in a context that is practical for the students. They must be able to make meaning out of what is being said and know how it is being used in real life interaction. Corpus based language learning helps with the compiling of linguistic data. With this we are able to see exactly what words and word combinations are most commonly used and in what context. This better helps us decide what to teach and how to teach it. Both articles were great in establishing this and giving a good introduction on this topic.
Johns, Tim, "From printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data-driven Learning", University of Birmingham English Language Research Journal 4, 1991.
It was suggested in Richards and Roger's article "The Lexical Approach" that lexical units play an important role in learning and in coomunication (p.133). When I teach English to my students, they are often confused when lexicals like idioms and similes. The sometimes take it literally and are really confused. Students will hear these often, as native speakers seldom talk the way they are portrayed in the textbooks, speaking perfect and clear English. This isn't the case, as words are thrown around all the time, and when they are directly translated don't make any sense. The idea of "The Lexical Syllabus" by Willis and the use of Collins COBUILD English course I thought was brillant and very pratical for language learners. By showing the students the most frequently used words in the English language and how they are used the students get a better understanding of how to properly use lexical units.
I notice when I am teaching grammar to my students they end up talking like robots after a period of time. Yes, the grammar that they have learned in their grammar books is correct but a lot of it is rarely used or sounds unnatural to native speakers. By using a lexical Syllabus the students get a chance to use words in a matter in which they are commonly used and sounds more natural. This in my opinion is better for the students in the future as it better prepares them to use them in social interactions. It is important though that the teacher provides guidance to the students and present the material so that it meets the student's individual needs.
In Tim Johns article "From Printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data driven Learning" I got to see how DDL helped students make meaning of linguistic data. What I liked most about the article was that it discusses how students could start relying less on the teacher and make conclusions on their own. Teachers show the students how to find meaning in word usage and word pairs and then later on they can find and make meaning on their own. The article also suggests that students can create data for themselves and to their own situations in freer types of activities (p.303) . This helps to change the content to better suit the student. As a result, students play a more active role in their language learning.
Overall, both articles stress the importance of langauge learning in a context that is practical for the students. They must be able to make meaning out of what is being said and know how it is being used in real life interaction. Corpus based language learning helps with the compiling of linguistic data. With this we are able to see exactly what words and word combinations are most commonly used and in what context. This better helps us decide what to teach and how to teach it. Both articles were great in establishing this and giving a good introduction on this topic.
Johns, Tim, "From printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data-driven Learning", University of Birmingham English Language Research Journal 4, 1991.
2011년 2월 1일 화요일
Reflections on Anderson's "Getting The Mix Right Again: An Updated and Theoretical Rationale For Interaction"
The role of interaction is probablly the most important thing in education. Whether it be between the teacher and student or student and student it all plays an important role in how we learn. With more and more people relying to technology and things like the internet for knowledge it has made me wonder how interaction has been effected through distance based learning. Anderson's article does a good job in helping to answer this question.
At times, I found the article hard to follow, as it sounded like a consulting report. The article makes many good points though on the different types of interaction and there importance in the classroom. I thought it was very interesting when he was talking about teacher and student interaction, and that most students try and pick a learning program that minimizes student/teacher interaction which I thought was very interesting. I myself have found that the teacher/student relationship is one of the most important things in learning.
Anderson points out that as long as one of the three relationships (teacher/student, student/student or student/content) is at a high level, deep and meaningful learning can be supported. Anderson states "Student-teacher interaction has the highest percieved value among students." To me this sounded silly how it was worded but made a lot of sense. The teacher and student engaging in discussion with one another is vitally important in my opinion when it comes to learning and comprehending the material.
The importance of student to student interaction is also brought up in the article. This too I believe is very important in learning but can be difficult in distance learning. It is mentioned that students can colloborate through various means like a student portfolio. I agree that student to student interaction is essential. Student blogs and portfolios are great but it doesn't make up for the face to face interaction. This I feel is the down side to distance learning. A teacher to student relationship via distance learning isn't much affected as long as the teacher and student are in constant content with each other via various sources like email, blogs, etc... To colloborate and work with other students on projects or communicating ideas can be a challenge. Students aren't always online at the same time and often refer to leaving each other messages when communicating with each other. As a result, timely communication and working with each others schedules can be difficult.
In conclusion, when it comes to distance learning there are many pros and cons. Anderson's article helps to give a non biased approach to the various apsects of interaction in distance learning. Through our own judgement and experience we can make up our own mind what works and what doesn't. I have to say as much as I have enjoyed distance leaning with my busy schedule it will never make up for the face to face interaction. In the future, we as educators have to think hard about how we use distance learning and the format in which we teach our students through these means.
Anderson, Terry. "Getting The Right Mix Again: An Updated and Theoretical Rationale For Interaction." The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol. 4, No. 2 (2003).
At times, I found the article hard to follow, as it sounded like a consulting report. The article makes many good points though on the different types of interaction and there importance in the classroom. I thought it was very interesting when he was talking about teacher and student interaction, and that most students try and pick a learning program that minimizes student/teacher interaction which I thought was very interesting. I myself have found that the teacher/student relationship is one of the most important things in learning.
Anderson points out that as long as one of the three relationships (teacher/student, student/student or student/content) is at a high level, deep and meaningful learning can be supported. Anderson states "Student-teacher interaction has the highest percieved value among students." To me this sounded silly how it was worded but made a lot of sense. The teacher and student engaging in discussion with one another is vitally important in my opinion when it comes to learning and comprehending the material.
The importance of student to student interaction is also brought up in the article. This too I believe is very important in learning but can be difficult in distance learning. It is mentioned that students can colloborate through various means like a student portfolio. I agree that student to student interaction is essential. Student blogs and portfolios are great but it doesn't make up for the face to face interaction. This I feel is the down side to distance learning. A teacher to student relationship via distance learning isn't much affected as long as the teacher and student are in constant content with each other via various sources like email, blogs, etc... To colloborate and work with other students on projects or communicating ideas can be a challenge. Students aren't always online at the same time and often refer to leaving each other messages when communicating with each other. As a result, timely communication and working with each others schedules can be difficult.
In conclusion, when it comes to distance learning there are many pros and cons. Anderson's article helps to give a non biased approach to the various apsects of interaction in distance learning. Through our own judgement and experience we can make up our own mind what works and what doesn't. I have to say as much as I have enjoyed distance leaning with my busy schedule it will never make up for the face to face interaction. In the future, we as educators have to think hard about how we use distance learning and the format in which we teach our students through these means.
Anderson, Terry. "Getting The Right Mix Again: An Updated and Theoretical Rationale For Interaction." The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol. 4, No. 2 (2003).
2011년 1월 24일 월요일
Starfall's Learn To Read With Phonics
Starfall
www. starfall.com
The software I decided to evaluate is starfall.com. I came across this webpage a few months ago as a recommendation from coworkers when I had to teach younger and low level students. The students were in grades 1 and 2 and had just a very basic knowledge of English sounds and grammar. I was used to teaching older and higher level students so this came as a challenge to me. I wasn't sure how to teach the students phonics except for the basic listen and repeat format and just simple songs. Of course the students often dislike this so I had to find another way to teach them. That is how I came across this website.
The aim of starfall.com is to give the students a baic understanding of English sounds through basic activities that help them first learn the sounds or combination of sounds of English and then lets them practice it either through games, stories or songs. I found this website to be very useful. In the past when I have tried to teach phonics I usually had horrible results. The students often lose interest quickly and when that happens I find myself in a dangerous situation. This software helped solve that for me. The main page for the website has various options on how the teacher can begin to teach phonics. If the students are just starting to learn English it would be wise to use the ABC's or Learn to Read function. Both these give the students a chance to learn various sounds and then apply them to some kind of activity like a game or song.
Once the students have understood the basic concept of a particular sound or phonics concept they are trying to learn then they can go onto It's Fun To Read section. In this section there are various stories, songs and riddles that will help the student's with getting more comfortable with reading. Afterward, the last section titled I'm Reading has more stories, fables, comics and myths. This section is very helpful but only after the students have gained a strong understanding of the basics of phonics will it be useful for them.
Over the winter I had to teach a 3 week winter camp. My students were grades one and two and the textbook I was given was all about phonics and reading. Of course the students disliked the textbook so I tried my hardest to incorporate Starfall's material into my lesson. One lesson I had to teach my students the long e sound as in sheep and meet. I began the lesson by doing an activity in which the students saw a picture on the tv screen and The letters/ee/ on the screen. Their job was to add the begininng and final cononants to finish the word. After they properly made the word they word hear it over the tv. The students really liked this and it was a good warm up activity before jumping into the book. Later, after the activity we would do a few pages in the book related to the /ee/ sound. The students quickly finished this and we went onto a story called Pete's Sheep. The students read the story out loud in class. They got practice using words with the /ee/ sound. The story also had short video clips that the students could watch. I would try and ask questions related to the story as well to get the students interested in what was taking place. Aterwards, I was out of time and finished the lesson.
I found Fallstar's website to be very effective in teaching phonics to young learners. The activities like songs, games and stories really helped to engage the students in the lesson and to grasping the overall sounds that they were being taught. They were shown how to properly use them in words and later in a sentence and finally in a story. I found the website easy to use but I am not sure how it would be for the students if they tried it on their own at home. Many of my students asked for the web address. As of yet I haven't heard any feedback yet on it.
Starfall has many strengths. One would be it's easy accessability for teachers to use in the classroom. It easily divides the material up so the teacher can decided on his/her own how to proceed with the lesson according to his/her students level. The activities I feel are good but it is important that they are appropirate to the students English ability or it might be useless to the student. Also, it is important that the students understand the game and how it relates to what they have learned. Sometimes in the past when I have tried to play a games the students seem to really enjoy it but when I ask them questions about it they have trouble answering instead only knowing the basic rules of the game being played and not the concept of what has been learned in the lesson and how it applies to the game.
Overall, I would recommend this softerware to any inservice ESL teacher. Also, I feel this software is excellent not only for ESL learners but preschool and kindergarden students learning English as a first language. The practice exercises and activities are very interactive and engaging for students. Anyone who has taught young learners realizes this and understands that it is hard to hold a 7 year olds attention for more than a few minutes. That is where I found this software to be very useful. In conclusion, I would recommend this software to anyone who is trying to teach phonics and is having a difficult time. They will find this software very useful in supplementing their lesson plan.
www. starfall.com
The software I decided to evaluate is starfall.com. I came across this webpage a few months ago as a recommendation from coworkers when I had to teach younger and low level students. The students were in grades 1 and 2 and had just a very basic knowledge of English sounds and grammar. I was used to teaching older and higher level students so this came as a challenge to me. I wasn't sure how to teach the students phonics except for the basic listen and repeat format and just simple songs. Of course the students often dislike this so I had to find another way to teach them. That is how I came across this website.
The aim of starfall.com is to give the students a baic understanding of English sounds through basic activities that help them first learn the sounds or combination of sounds of English and then lets them practice it either through games, stories or songs. I found this website to be very useful. In the past when I have tried to teach phonics I usually had horrible results. The students often lose interest quickly and when that happens I find myself in a dangerous situation. This software helped solve that for me. The main page for the website has various options on how the teacher can begin to teach phonics. If the students are just starting to learn English it would be wise to use the ABC's or Learn to Read function. Both these give the students a chance to learn various sounds and then apply them to some kind of activity like a game or song.
Once the students have understood the basic concept of a particular sound or phonics concept they are trying to learn then they can go onto It's Fun To Read section. In this section there are various stories, songs and riddles that will help the student's with getting more comfortable with reading. Afterward, the last section titled I'm Reading has more stories, fables, comics and myths. This section is very helpful but only after the students have gained a strong understanding of the basics of phonics will it be useful for them.
Over the winter I had to teach a 3 week winter camp. My students were grades one and two and the textbook I was given was all about phonics and reading. Of course the students disliked the textbook so I tried my hardest to incorporate Starfall's material into my lesson. One lesson I had to teach my students the long e sound as in sheep and meet. I began the lesson by doing an activity in which the students saw a picture on the tv screen and The letters/ee/ on the screen. Their job was to add the begininng and final cononants to finish the word. After they properly made the word they word hear it over the tv. The students really liked this and it was a good warm up activity before jumping into the book. Later, after the activity we would do a few pages in the book related to the /ee/ sound. The students quickly finished this and we went onto a story called Pete's Sheep. The students read the story out loud in class. They got practice using words with the /ee/ sound. The story also had short video clips that the students could watch. I would try and ask questions related to the story as well to get the students interested in what was taking place. Aterwards, I was out of time and finished the lesson.
I found Fallstar's website to be very effective in teaching phonics to young learners. The activities like songs, games and stories really helped to engage the students in the lesson and to grasping the overall sounds that they were being taught. They were shown how to properly use them in words and later in a sentence and finally in a story. I found the website easy to use but I am not sure how it would be for the students if they tried it on their own at home. Many of my students asked for the web address. As of yet I haven't heard any feedback yet on it.
Starfall has many strengths. One would be it's easy accessability for teachers to use in the classroom. It easily divides the material up so the teacher can decided on his/her own how to proceed with the lesson according to his/her students level. The activities I feel are good but it is important that they are appropirate to the students English ability or it might be useless to the student. Also, it is important that the students understand the game and how it relates to what they have learned. Sometimes in the past when I have tried to play a games the students seem to really enjoy it but when I ask them questions about it they have trouble answering instead only knowing the basic rules of the game being played and not the concept of what has been learned in the lesson and how it applies to the game.
Overall, I would recommend this softerware to any inservice ESL teacher. Also, I feel this software is excellent not only for ESL learners but preschool and kindergarden students learning English as a first language. The practice exercises and activities are very interactive and engaging for students. Anyone who has taught young learners realizes this and understands that it is hard to hold a 7 year olds attention for more than a few minutes. That is where I found this software to be very useful. In conclusion, I would recommend this software to anyone who is trying to teach phonics and is having a difficult time. They will find this software very useful in supplementing their lesson plan.
2011년 1월 19일 수요일
Reflections on Egbert and Warschauer
Both the readings for the week brought up many interesting points about CALL and using technology in the classroom. In Warschauer's article he shows us the various kinds of tools like wikis, blogs and other hardware and software. By showing these various kinds of technologies we are given a broad picture of how technology can be used in the classroom. There isn't just one particular program or method of using CALL and Warschauer shows us this.
Egbert does a similar thing but goes into more detail. We are shown specific examples of how technology is used in the classroom. Examples are shown how certain programs are used to fit the students specific needs. It was important too how the article showed how certain programs can be used to address certain content areas like science and math. The article stresses the importance of making sure the material is culturally sensitive and practical.
What I Liked the most was the teacher's post on how even if computers are used or not students still need to know how to ask questions and recieve meaningful answers. Computers can be used in so many useful ways in the classroom but it is important that they aren't seen as the teacher. Computers should be used to support a lesson not take over it. From my own personal experience I have had mixed results using technology in the classroom. When teaching I found it very useful in many settings. I taught an immersion program for a year in which I was teaching both science and social studies. I often used a website called sheppardsoftware.com. The webpage supplied various activities and videos that I was able to use to explain certain topics we were covering in the book. I found it very useful in giving the students a visual aid into what was being learned. At the same time though for my young learners they often saw the computer activities as games and after awhile focused more attention to the computer programs than me.
CALL is very effective in language learning as both Egbert and Warschauer point out. Many things must be considered though when using technology like the objectives of the lesson, cultural sensivitity, students ability and knowledge of how to use certain programs and how appropriate the CALL program is to the lesson. In the end it is up to the teacher how to use technology in the classroom and how to tailor it to each individual class and sometimes even student.
Egbert does a similar thing but goes into more detail. We are shown specific examples of how technology is used in the classroom. Examples are shown how certain programs are used to fit the students specific needs. It was important too how the article showed how certain programs can be used to address certain content areas like science and math. The article stresses the importance of making sure the material is culturally sensitive and practical.
What I Liked the most was the teacher's post on how even if computers are used or not students still need to know how to ask questions and recieve meaningful answers. Computers can be used in so many useful ways in the classroom but it is important that they aren't seen as the teacher. Computers should be used to support a lesson not take over it. From my own personal experience I have had mixed results using technology in the classroom. When teaching I found it very useful in many settings. I taught an immersion program for a year in which I was teaching both science and social studies. I often used a website called sheppardsoftware.com. The webpage supplied various activities and videos that I was able to use to explain certain topics we were covering in the book. I found it very useful in giving the students a visual aid into what was being learned. At the same time though for my young learners they often saw the computer activities as games and after awhile focused more attention to the computer programs than me.
CALL is very effective in language learning as both Egbert and Warschauer point out. Many things must be considered though when using technology like the objectives of the lesson, cultural sensivitity, students ability and knowledge of how to use certain programs and how appropriate the CALL program is to the lesson. In the end it is up to the teacher how to use technology in the classroom and how to tailor it to each individual class and sometimes even student.
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