http://www.teachers.tv
This website has plenty of useful videos. Some of them can be used in the classroom itself. Others are instructional videos that can help the teacher generate ideas on how to create a lesson. There are also videos that cover broader issues like creating a unit or general strategies. There is also a forum where teachers can discuss issues and lesson plans.
http://www.teachnet.org/lessonplans/
This website contains many well written articles and resources for teachers. The particular section of the website in the hyperlink above contains a very large number of lesson plans. Although the website is American, many of the lesson plans are targeted at ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, a student profile similar to that of our Singaporean students .
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
EL Teaching and Learning Resources (Saravanan)
English Exercises. Org
http://www.englishexercises.org/exercise.asp?id=2118
This is one of the most important resources that i have been using for the lessons back in my school. Basically, it is a useful tool for any beginning teacher, who has no clue of how to begin. The one thing i like about this resource is it only allow downloads if you share your own resources. Thus, there is a level of assurance that you will be getting quality worksheets and lesson ideas even if you contribute significantly. The other advantage is the website is free and accessible by anyone and anywhere. As such, teachers can also direct students to this website and ask them to try selected worksheets.
http://www.getenglishlessons.com
This is a useful website for teachers, who considers using songs to teach English especially grammar skills. The resources come in two forms: videos and worksheet templates. Videos are specially created for the particular lesson or taken from youtube. Teachers visiting this website have the opportunity to listen and view the media as well as refer to the worksheets. For different kind of grammatical skills, different songs are used. For example, for past tense, the Celine Dion song, 'Because you loved me' is being used.
http://www2.actden.com/Writ_Den/tips/paragrap/topic.htm
Writing paragraphs is an area where my normal academic students are very weak in. This website teaches them the structure of paragraphs by showing examples and offers them tips to write paragraphs. The thing i like about this web resource is that it distinguishes between explanations, elaborations, topic sentences and paragraphs. Especially useful for visual learners, who like to see the structure through examples and sample essays
http://www.englishexercises.org/exercise.asp?id=2118
This is one of the most important resources that i have been using for the lessons back in my school. Basically, it is a useful tool for any beginning teacher, who has no clue of how to begin. The one thing i like about this resource is it only allow downloads if you share your own resources. Thus, there is a level of assurance that you will be getting quality worksheets and lesson ideas even if you contribute significantly. The other advantage is the website is free and accessible by anyone and anywhere. As such, teachers can also direct students to this website and ask them to try selected worksheets.
http://www.getenglishlessons.com
This is a useful website for teachers, who considers using songs to teach English especially grammar skills. The resources come in two forms: videos and worksheet templates. Videos are specially created for the particular lesson or taken from youtube. Teachers visiting this website have the opportunity to listen and view the media as well as refer to the worksheets. For different kind of grammatical skills, different songs are used. For example, for past tense, the Celine Dion song, 'Because you loved me' is being used.
http://www2.actden.com/Writ_Den/tips/paragrap/topic.htm
Writing paragraphs is an area where my normal academic students are very weak in. This website teaches them the structure of paragraphs by showing examples and offers them tips to write paragraphs. The thing i like about this web resource is that it distinguishes between explanations, elaborations, topic sentences and paragraphs. Especially useful for visual learners, who like to see the structure through examples and sample essays
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
EL Teaching Resources (Siva)
YouTUBE& Dailymotion
I use websites such as Youtube and Dailymotion, which is the equivalent of YouTube, just with lesser censorship laws to download lots of videos such as grammar skills.. summary writing skills and what ever other videos which I can use as a lead up to English Lessons. My students in my practicum schools are predominantly hands on and are very audio visual learners, and sometimes, using a video rather than 15 mins of me whacking away at definitions or explanations are very useful.
ChannelNewsAsia
Lets face it, getting kids to read the papers is actually quite a tall order, and that too if we can peel them away from their Twilights and Teens, and NewPaper, though I don't really mind them reading the NewPaper, better than NoPaper at all. CNA website is actually quite good, because there are alot of catergories that they can choose from to read up on, and when I do reviews, or summaries, and sometimes even their journal entries, I get them to read up on any particular topic they want, though I tend to focus more on local issues and orientate it to how it would affect them if they had a say in it.
I use websites such as Youtube and Dailymotion, which is the equivalent of YouTube, just with lesser censorship laws to download lots of videos such as grammar skills.. summary writing skills and what ever other videos which I can use as a lead up to English Lessons. My students in my practicum schools are predominantly hands on and are very audio visual learners, and sometimes, using a video rather than 15 mins of me whacking away at definitions or explanations are very useful.
ChannelNewsAsia
Lets face it, getting kids to read the papers is actually quite a tall order, and that too if we can peel them away from their Twilights and Teens, and NewPaper, though I don't really mind them reading the NewPaper, better than NoPaper at all. CNA website is actually quite good, because there are alot of catergories that they can choose from to read up on, and when I do reviews, or summaries, and sometimes even their journal entries, I get them to read up on any particular topic they want, though I tend to focus more on local issues and orientate it to how it would affect them if they had a say in it.
EL Teaching and Learning Resources (Kian Tiong)
http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/index.htm
· Free resource!
· Great website covering different aspects of the English language ranging from reading, writing, speaking, vocabulary and grammar.
· Easy to navigate and understand, due to clear layout of website, but there are some ads on it (that’s why it’s free …)
· Lots of simple examples offered that we can adapt for students to try out.
http://www.fun-with-words.com/index.html
· Free resource as well.
· More for fun learning, if your school advocates it.
· Has rebus puzzles, anagrams, redundant / ambiguous sentences, tongue twisters.
· Can act as lesson fillers, triggers or even to teach grammar through noticing e.g. using the ambiguous sentences and getting students to notice the errors in it.
http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/efl-esl-games/adult-efl-esl-games
· This website has many suggestions for English language games. Suitable for learners who are uninterested or very weak (e.g. those foreign students from China) in the subject before moving straight into routine learning activities.
· Games are described clearly so the procedures can be easily followed or modified to suit different levels or learners.
· Games also categorized e.g. for adults, for high school, speaking games, vocabulary games etc.
EL Teaching and Learning Resources (Sharalee)
Free Rice
This altruistically-inclined website made it to Time.com's 50 Best Websites last year, and aims to do things simultaneously--improve students' English vocabulary, and feed the hungry at the same time. Students pick the answer they think corresponds to the vocab word, and for each correct answer, rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Program. It's simple, to-the-point, and can be a quick means of getting pupils to put a little into their word bank daily, as well as into the stomachs of the underprivileged. For teachers who are so inclined, other subject areas as diverse as Chemistry, Art and Geography are also available.
Time Online
One of my all-time favourites--this website carries up-to-the-minute news, and all the complete, international versions of the magazine online. Plenty of text related to pop culture, travel, current affairs, science and technology and everything in between that are perfect for adaptation for comprehension exercises. Also picture essays abounding that are useful for oral practice. Every single issue of the magazine ever published is also available on the online archive, so you can dig as far back as you need, or want to.
Youtube
This one's fairly obvious but a big help--especially for the we're-too-jaded-to-learn-anything set. At the Secondary Level, videos selected with a bit of care can yield gems for teaching text types, such as narratives (see local, award-winning short film 'The Trainee' by Craig Rosenthal for a perfect example of Intro-Rising Action-Climax-Resolution with humor) and persuasive text types (I used this informercial to introduce persuasive speech on a grubby, uninspiring afternoon in class to a fair amount of success).
This altruistically-inclined website made it to Time.com's 50 Best Websites last year, and aims to do things simultaneously--improve students' English vocabulary, and feed the hungry at the same time. Students pick the answer they think corresponds to the vocab word, and for each correct answer, rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Program. It's simple, to-the-point, and can be a quick means of getting pupils to put a little into their word bank daily, as well as into the stomachs of the underprivileged. For teachers who are so inclined, other subject areas as diverse as Chemistry, Art and Geography are also available.
Time Online
One of my all-time favourites--this website carries up-to-the-minute news, and all the complete, international versions of the magazine online. Plenty of text related to pop culture, travel, current affairs, science and technology and everything in between that are perfect for adaptation for comprehension exercises. Also picture essays abounding that are useful for oral practice. Every single issue of the magazine ever published is also available on the online archive, so you can dig as far back as you need, or want to.
Youtube
This one's fairly obvious but a big help--especially for the we're-too-jaded-to-learn-anything set. At the Secondary Level, videos selected with a bit of care can yield gems for teaching text types, such as narratives (see local, award-winning short film 'The Trainee' by Craig Rosenthal for a perfect example of Intro-Rising Action-Climax-Resolution with humor) and persuasive text types (I used this informercial to introduce persuasive speech on a grubby, uninspiring afternoon in class to a fair amount of success).
EL Teaching and Learning Resources (Wan Ru)
Teacher Resources For Language Arts
http://www.teach-nology.com/subjects/langarts/
One of my favourite sites to go to whenever I'm stumped for ideas. There is a wide variety of resources available, and everything is neatly labeled. The resources not only help you with what you are planning, it also provides suggestions as to how to plan and stretch the lessons for maximum effect.
The Educator's Reference Desk
http://ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Language_Arts
This site provides lesson plans according to the skill you ae planning to teach. They cover a varied range of skills,and even categorise them according to the age and education level so one can choose according to the student's level of ability. Although some of them may seem too simple for secondary school students, many of the suggestions can be utilised as trigger activities or even ideas for further development.
http://www.teach-nology.com/subjects/langarts/
One of my favourite sites to go to whenever I'm stumped for ideas. There is a wide variety of resources available, and everything is neatly labeled. The resources not only help you with what you are planning, it also provides suggestions as to how to plan and stretch the lessons for maximum effect.
The Educator's Reference Desk
http://ericir.syr.edu/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Language_Arts
This site provides lesson plans according to the skill you ae planning to teach. They cover a varied range of skills,and even categorise them according to the age and education level so one can choose according to the student's level of ability. Although some of them may seem too simple for secondary school students, many of the suggestions can be utilised as trigger activities or even ideas for further development.
Monday, November 2, 2009
EL Teaching and Learning Resources (Jean)
1. Read - Write - Think (K-12)
A resourceful website for Language Arts and 'Language & Literature' approaches to EL. Provides a host of creative lesson plans and resources, such as worksheets and online tools and games, to do with language use in texts. Examples of elements explored in lesson plans: plot structure, vocabulary, APCC (Audience, Purpose, Context, Culture), personal responses to texts and stories, comics and narratives.
2. Inspirational Stories
Nothing like good tidbits of inspirational stories to keep your students going, both in terms of language and morale. Students love reading whatever is relevant to them, and a bite-size of text each lesson might do wonders to their reading and writing ability in the long run. And while we're at it, why not inspirational stories to keep their moods and esteems up in the very-draining classroom? (Wow, this sounds uncannily like an advert)
3. National Geographic Lesson Plans
Lesson plans and resources for higher-ability pupils to improve reading, analytical and argumentative skills. Useful and relevant since many comprehension passages deal with physical and social world issues.
A resourceful website for Language Arts and 'Language & Literature' approaches to EL. Provides a host of creative lesson plans and resources, such as worksheets and online tools and games, to do with language use in texts. Examples of elements explored in lesson plans: plot structure, vocabulary, APCC (Audience, Purpose, Context, Culture), personal responses to texts and stories, comics and narratives.
2. Inspirational Stories
Nothing like good tidbits of inspirational stories to keep your students going, both in terms of language and morale. Students love reading whatever is relevant to them, and a bite-size of text each lesson might do wonders to their reading and writing ability in the long run. And while we're at it, why not inspirational stories to keep their moods and esteems up in the very-draining classroom? (Wow, this sounds uncannily like an advert)
3. National Geographic Lesson Plans
Lesson plans and resources for higher-ability pupils to improve reading, analytical and argumentative skills. Useful and relevant since many comprehension passages deal with physical and social world issues.
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