Week 6- Speaking and Writing Tools
Newspaper Clipping Generator
A newspaper clipping is a great tool to use as a hook. I think articles about crimes and police interviews are great ways of teaching the past progressive and the past perfect simple and progressive. Here is a newspaper clip I made using the following website:
Virtual books are a great way to present a new topic or to have students give a presentation. It gives students a chance to produce something really creative. http://storybird.com/
Debating Ideas
I am always trying to think of topics that would interest teenage students and get them talking. I think debating or general conversation is the best way to improve in a language. I thought this website provided the most suitable debating ideas for teenagers: https://idebate.org/debatabase
Spelling
Spelling City is a great way to improve vocabulary for younger students. My daughters use this program as part of their English Speaking Class at school. It is important to make lists that are phonics based and it is very useful for the students when preparing for spelling tests. https://www.spellingcity.com/
Voice Thread and Online Comments https://voicethread.com/myvoice/
I found the activity of commenting on Voice Thread quite time consuming. I am finding that some of the technological applications are tending in the direction of technology-for-the-sake-of- technology. Technology should reinforce or support classroom learning.
Hi, I like your newspaper clip.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last comment on technology being there for the sake of technology and in many cases you can clearly see the competition between apps. I thought it was quite straight forward to use Thread Voice though.
Thank you for the showing the site idebate as suitable for teenage children. I had trouble finding a suitable one.
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI really enioyed your explanations of why you find these tools effective. I really agree with your opinion of the voice thread taking too much time.
I have like you found these tools interesting and creative. Helping us to help our students.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny - I also think that Voice Thread did not serve its educational purpose the way we used it. Perhaps it does have a place in the classroom, however. Consider a scenario where students add on new parts to an ongoing story?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of a newspaper clipping - great job on that! I think it is a very organic way to teach tenses.
I also like the idea of getting the class to debate on various topics to improve speaking and vocabulary. Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI also think that debating is a very good way to improve in a language and they can have the opportunity to express themselves which is nowadays a very rare thing to do for teenagers.