Larry Ferlazzo’s Website UpdateDecember, 2007

Newspaper Article On Our Home Computer Project
The Sacramento Bee ran a good and substantial story (http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/489709.html)  today on our effort to provide home computers and DSL service to immigrant families.  This Family Literacy Project has been quite successful.Students were quite excited today to see their pictures and read their quotes in the story.   It’s well-written and gives an excellent sense of the project.  
One True Media (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/11/11/one-true-media/)
I learned about another easy online slideshow creator, It’s called One True Media (http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/home?) and you can see a sample slideshow:
(http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=42c5f2de484fa7c1c09317&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email) I made in about a minute. You can include as many slides as you want, and can use images off the Internet just by pasting in their url.  You can easily insert text slides.  Plus, you can choose music to accompany it, which my students will love.I’ve placed it under Student Slideshows
(http://larryferlazzo.com/Student%20Work.html#slideshow)
Does Using Technology Add Value To The Classroom?
The title of this post is also the title of a new post
 (http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/11/10/does-using-technology-add-value-to-the-classroom/?)
I’ve written for our In Practice blog.  It shares some questions, reflections, and plans I have about approaching this question.  You might find it interesting, and I welcome any feedback. Tumblr (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/11/04/tumblr/) I had been aware of Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/)  and microblogging for awhile, but hadn’t paid much attention to it, even when I recently heard about Tumblr’s upgrade.Then I read Doug Noon’s post in Borderland sharing a little more about it, and was intrigued.After checking it out further, it’s clear it has a lot of potential for the classroom.  I’m going to start by having my “mainstream” students in Ninth Grade English start using it for their online journals (you can read more about that in a post (http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/how-did-a-guy-like-me-end-up-blogging-in-a-place-like-this/)  I wrote for In Practice). It will replace their using YourDraft (http://yourdraft.com/) The problem with using Your Draft is that control over comments and images left by others is limited, and that can be exploited by mischievous students.  With Tumbr I’m just going to have students choose a few “buddies” at a time and with whom they can share their passwords and leave comments. I can then monitor them.I want students to be able to very easily use images and other media, along with writing, and I don’t necessarily want to have to check everything they write before its posted.  Tumblr might do the trick.Maps Of The World
(http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/11/03/maps-of-the-world/) The Field Museum has an impressive online exhibit on Maps of the World. (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/maps/interactive/maps.html)  It combines a world map with a timeline, and you can see various versions of maps from different periods and of different parts of the world.The museum also has a section called All About Maps (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/maps/about.asp),  which is a guided tour through the exhibit.I’ve placed both links on my Geography page under Introduction To Maps (http://larryferlazzo.com/geography.html#maps In addition, as part of the online exhibit, you can send an eCard of a map with a message and then post its url on a website or blog. I’ve placed the link under eCards (http://larryferlazzo.com/Student%20Work.html#ecards) .
Launchball (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/25/launchball/)
Launchball (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/launchpad/launchball/)  is an online activity from the British Science Museum.   You can create a sort of video game, title it, and then email the url to be posted on an online journal or blog.I’m looking forward to trying this with my English Language Learners.  There’s a fair amount of vocabulary that is needed to design the game, and I’m amazed at how quickly my students can pick that up when it’s video-game related.  Posting this url on a site, along with an explanation they would write about how to play it, would be another added language development activity.I’ve placed it under Student Video Games. (http://larryferlazzo.com/Student%20Work.html#videogame)

Larry Ferlazzo’s Website NewsletterNovember, 2007

Here’s the latest list of  “Top Ten” posts from my blog over the past month.  Again, though, I was only able to keep it down to twelve.  There are a lot of good sites out there for English Language Learners. Even with twelve, though, that means over one hundred sites I wrote about in my blog are not included in this newsletter.  You might want to consider subscribing to the blog itself, either via email or RSS feed.  Either one is free, and you can find easy instructions on how to do it on the sidebar at my blog: (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/)
Amazing New Webquest Tool (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/amazing-webquest-tool/) A new web application called Daft Doggy.( http://www.daftdoggy.com/index.php)  allows you, or your students (including Beginning English Language Learners and above) to easily create a tour of websites.  On this tour you can also leave notes that appear on the screen with instructions or comments.  Each trail then has its own url. 
The message (http://groups.google.com/group/googleforeducators_educationresources/browse_thread/thread/90407dbf87dbc4b9?hl=en)  in the discussion group explains it better and has a link to an example. My students could also easily use it to create a tour of their favorite links on my website.I’ve placed the link on my Examples of Student page under Student Webquests (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/Student%20Work.html#webquest) .I let the creator of the site know I was going to post about it, and here’s his response:But what will make it *really* useful is after you’ve initially recorded a session. The, go back and edit it.  When you put something in the description, on playback this will appear as a lightblue box at the bottom of the page. If you have filled in the comments section then, when somebody puts the mouse over the blue box, then the comments will appear as a translucent screen over the page you’re showing. So you can tell people why you want them to see this page. Agree or disgree with what it’s showing etc. This week I’ll be putting up an FAQ for the site, plus forums.

Joe Thompson

Free Rice Game (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/free-rice-game/)
I just learned about an intriguing vocabulary game called Free Rice (http://www.freerice.com/index.php) .  If you choose the correct definition of the word, the next word you’re given is “harder.”  If you answer incorrectly, the next word is supposed to be “easier.”  In addition, for every word you get correct, ten grains of rice are supposedly donated to an international aid agency.I’m assuming the donation plan is legitimate, but don’t know for sure.  One thing I do know, though, is that this is the first time I’ve seen a game that adjusts its difficulty level based on the answers the player gives.This link is now on my Intermediate English page under Word and Video Games
(http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/englishint.html#word) .

Problem/Solution Essays (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/16/problemsolution-essays/)
I’ve posted (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/03/30/photo-books/) about the wonderful web application called Bookr before.My Intermediate English students have recently begun a unit that will culminate in their completing a Problem/Solution essay.  As part of that unit, they’ve used Bookr to create slideshows illustrating their thesis statements.They’ve given me permission to post them on my Examples of Student Work page under Student Photo Books (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/Student%20Work.html#photo) .  Look under “Intermediate English.”

Kindersay (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/kindersay/)

Kindersay (http://www.kindersay.com/words/?s=470de8685eaedf7a&gclid=)  is a new free site that offers an excellent multimedia experience where Beginning English Language Learners can learn about 500 basic words.I wish the examples included sentences where the words were used in context, but I guess you can’t have everything…I’ve placed the link on my English Themes For Beginners under Favorite Sites
(http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/englishthemes.html#fav) .

“In Practice” Post (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/10/in-practice-post/) How Did A Guy Like Me End Up Blogging In A Place Like This? (http://inpractice.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/how-did-a-guy-like-me-end-up-blogging-in-a-place-like-this/)  is the title of a post I’ve just written for the blog In Practice.  In Practice is a collective effort by a number of teachers in lower-income schools, and is being spearheaded by Alice Mercer.The first line in my post goes:My name is Larry Ferlazzo, and I ‘m a Luddite.You might find it interesting.  I’ll look forward to any and all feedback.

Another Ecological Footprint Calculator
(http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/08/another-ecological-footprint-calculator/) Here’s another link, accessible to English Language Learners, where students can calculate the impact that they have on the environment.  Ecologic Games (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/education/ecologic/games.htm) , through the use of symbols, pictures, and words, is an excellent site.I have the link on my Science (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/eslscience.html)  page. 

Everyday Life (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/04/everyday-life/) Today I learned through some ESL listservs about a site called Everyday Life (http://www.gcflearnfree.org/everydaylife/) .  It’s sponsored by a North Carolina-based organization called GCF Learn Free.There are seventeen excellent interactive lessons with images, text, and audio that help English Language Learners with…everyday life.These lessons include ones about ATMs, jobs applications,  reading a bus map, etc.You have to register for it, but it only takes seconds.  If you have trouble getting the cursor to write in the boxes, just use the tab key to move down.  That seemed to do the trick.I’ve placed the link on my English Themes For Beginners under both Favorite Sites and Life Skills.
( http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/englishthemes.html#life)

Create A Talking Picture
(http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/10/03/create-a-talking-picture/)
Blabberize (http://www.blabberize.com/main/)  allows you to upload a picture of a person or animal and record a message that the picture speaks.  The lips on the image move in an exaggerated way as your message is being played.It’s just another fun way for English Language Learners to practice speaking, and hear what they say.I’ve placed the link on my Examples of Student Work page under Student Talking Pictures (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/Student%20Work.html#blabber) .It would be great if they add a feature allowing you to access pictures that are on the web, and not just ones that are on your computer.  I’ve sent an email asking if they are planning on adding that capability.  I’ll let readers know how they respond.(Well, they responded to my question about two minutes after I emailed them.  Here is their response:“Yes! We did have that in mind. Currently the way we use the site is to do an image search on google and save off the pictures we want to use. But we were thinking that we’d allow for people to search through flickr photos as well and import them in the site. Thanks so much for the suggestion! It’s interesting you mention you’re an ESL teacher because we had another ESL teacher in France who used the site with her students. She had her class read english compositions and give voice to animals. *smiles* Let us know how you use the site and if there are other ways we can make it a better utility for you.”I can’t expect a better answer than that!)

Wonderful Panoramas
(http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/09/27/wonderful-panoramas/)
I just learned about ViewAt (http://www.viewat.org/)  from the Webware blog.  It offers extraordinary panoramic photographs from around the world, and lets you use a special application that shows a 360 degree view. These images are great for any Geography class, and are especially good opportunities for English Language Learners to describe them verbally and in writing.  Some of the photos might even be from their native countries, which makes it doubling appealing.I’ve placed the link on my Geography page under Sites That Cover Many Areas (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/geography.html#gsites) .

Sketchcast (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/09/24/sketchcast/)
I learned about Sketchcast(http://sketchcast.com/)  from Google Blogoscoped.  It’s like “drawing” a video (you can also type text) that can be replayed.  In some ways it’s similar to Imagination Cubed (http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/04/08/make-the-solar-system/) .  The big difference, however, is that in Sketchcast you can easily provide audio narration to your sketch.  Your completed work has a unique url, and visitors can leave comments.So it works on several different levels for English Language Learners.Sometime this week I’ll place the link on my Examples of Student Work (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/Student%20Work.html#sketch)  page.  It’ll be in a new category called Student Sketches.

Excellent Online Language Program
(http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2007/09/24/excellent-online-language-program/) LiveMocha (http://www.livemocha.com/languages/view)  is a new online free (at least, for now) language learning Internet program.  It looks surprisingly good.You can learn a number of languages, including English.  Students “enroll” in classes and can track their progress. You can “browse” several sample lessons before you register.  English Language Learners who are just beginning can explore lessons here (http://www.livemocha.com/subscriptions/view/1) .  High Beginners can try these (http://www.livemocha.com/subscriptions/view/2) . 
Early Intermediates can check out these exercises (http://www.livemocha.com/subscriptions/view/3)  and
these samples (http://www.livemocha.com/subscriptions/view/4) . I’m going to put the link under
Favorite Sites (http://www.bayworld.net/ferlazzo/englishthemes.html#fav)  on my English Themes For Beginners, at least until and if they start charging for it.I’ve asked them if they’ll be able to add a feature that would allow teachers to monitor student progress.  It would be an excellent tool for homework, and would be great to include in our home computer project.