To my CALL classmates

Hello Classmates,


I have just added a new feature to my blog called audio dropbox; this feature should allow you to use a microphone and record a short audio comment for me to hear. I am curious if this is functional, so I would love any feedback via the audio dropbox if you have a moment. You can find the audio dropbox on the lower left hand side of my blog pages.


Thanks

VoiceThread

Voicethread.com is a site that allows you to create a VoiceThread, so what is a VoiceThread? A VoiceThread is a multimedia slideshow production that allows collaboration and comments to be posted to any slide. Someone can leave a comment on a VoiceThread using five methods: a microphone, cell phone, web cam, mp3 or by typing in a comment. You can upload a slide show and narrate it and share with others.

This site offers a wonderful way for teachers to display student projects. In addition, students can expand their projects into presentations by recording a narration for any picture, project, poster or writing assignment; then each VoiceThread can be open for collaboration and sharing. Check out this innovative way a teacher expanded a haiku poem project into a full blow multimedia affair.

Word Newsletter

Microsoft Word, I have used it a thousand times to write papers, but this week in my CALL course we were asked to create a Newsletter using many of the Word features we have been discussing (i.e. callouts, text effects, text boxes with background colors and a whole lot more). A wonderful activity for students to incorporate language learning with electronic literacy skills (not to mention content because the newsletter could be about anything they are studying in their science class, social studies or whatever!). Also, it’s another way students can collaborate with each other to create a newsletter together. You could even incorporate the comment and track changes features in Word for peer-editing and then share on a class blog or web site. Check out my CALL Newsletter about blogging.

Sharkboy Sings Writing Activity

Sharkboy Sings (Use this activity to supplement learning about the discourse of dialogue)

• Have students turn off the speakers and watch the video clip.
• Tell them to imagine what the people are saying or singing.
• Have them use the dialogue discourse with quotes to write a short skit.
• Have them post their skit in the comment box in a class blog or upload it to a class wiki for review. Afterwards they can listen to the video with audio and see what Sharkboy is singing about.

 Try it out yourself: post in the comment box a few sentences of dialogue.

Listening and Writing

Listen and Write is a web site that offers practice with listening and typing. It has leveled (1-28) video and audio clips from movie trailers to current news events. The exercises allow students to listen to texts or videos and type the words with immediate feedback. Some of the videos come from YouTube while a large portion of the audio texts come from voanews.com giving the teacher a great wealth of current and relevant events for further discussion and writing. There is also a function that allows you to upload your own recorded videos or narrated text (you must have the full transcript to upload as well).

Word Processing and CALL tasks

The word processor offers teachers a variety of ways to create interactive CALL tasks. A very common and useful feature of Microsoft Word is the add comments feature which allows someone to insert a comment within a Word document that can be saved, sent via email or posted on a site for the original author (i.e. student) to open and view suggestions and comments. The student then has the ability to incorporate these comments into his/her editing and redrafting process. In addition, a similar feature allows changes to be made and sent back and the original author has the ability to accept or reject these changes. The editing portion of the writing process is facilitated by the comments feature of Word. The comments can be generated by the teacher or by other students in peer-editing; the document can be sent via email or posted on a wiki or blog to be copied and pasted. Let’s look at a document that has comments added.

Interesting Online Vocabulary Games for ESL

ManyThings.org's Online Word Based Games for ESL students that offer three games: matching, speed games and jigsaw for practice in irregular verbs, homonyms, opposites, time words and cardinal words. In addition this site has a vocabulary section called English Vocabulary Word Lists with Games, Puzzles and Quizzes , which provides word lists and an online activities that use those words. Activities include hangman, scrambled words and matching.


vocabulary.co.il is another great site for enjoyable vocabulary games. The age for this site is K-5th grade and it has a variety of games from audio word matching to crossword puzzles. It includes topics such as the Dotch word list, sight words, suffixes and idioms. It also includes phonics games and some foreign language matching games.

Merriam Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
This online dictionary is geared toward ESL and EFL learners. It allows you to search a word and not only receive a definition, but also see multiple meanings and the use of the word in a variety of sentences; a recorded pronunciation; and a list of common idioms. The site also offers pronunciation practice with Perfect Pronunciation Exercises, a list of common words to know, a subscription to Word of the Day and the ability to create your own vocabulary flashcards with My Learners Dictionary (must set up a free account).

Ex. When asked to search the word 'cat', the site pulled up two definitions 1) a small animal related to lions and tigers and 2) old fashioned use: a man as in "you crazy cat". It gave 9 idiomatic expressions (i.e. "let the cat out of the bag"). It also provided a picture of several types of cats.

To my CALL classmates

Hello Classmates,

I have sent you an invite to my blog and once accepted you will have the ability to make posts that can include pictures and videos. Please feel free to make any relevant posts and add any video clips or photos.

Enjoy

About Me

Here's a video showing my love for the outdoors, adventure and traveling; a whitewater rafting trip on the gorgeous Ayung River in Bali, Indonesia.

Welcome

Welcome
Hello classmates, students and everyone else,
I have created this website (my first one ever) as a place for me to share what I've learned about using computers and technology to assist in the area of TESOL education. This is a current project for the Computer Assisted Language Learning Course (CALL) I am currently enrolled in. I will use this site to share ideas, projects, resources and links related to TESOL and technology in the classroom. I hope you all will enjoy and feel free to add your comments, suggestions, posts and any other related links, videos, etc.
I hope to set the site up as an interactive one that allows input from a variety of sources and people so there will be collaboration of ideas and resources.