Technology
The below list is more of a brainstorm of tools folks within Developmental English have shared as possible resources to explore. If you’d like to add a resource, please check this list and feel free to add items:
5 Tools That Demystify Text Complexity – Literacy in the Digital Age – https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2015/08/26/literacy-in-the-digital-age-text-complexity-sap/
http://hippocampus.org/HippoCampus/English;jsessionid=704B428EF7174CB6DB93A0A7F0D8EC64
http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
Voicethread.com Could be a quarter-long journal or portfolio space or a book/chapter report space that includes images, writing, and voice narration. Quite simple. Can be shared with other students in class and others can respond!
Exercise Central work in class. I really lean on this. Allows me to adapt lessons to student areas that need growth/attention. Diagnostic Test Report provides links for each student to practice grammar/mechanics issues. Students can document their scores & number of lessons on paper record (teacher still has access). http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/exercisecentral/Exercises/QuizHome/15
Ning.com Costs less than $20/year for a private platform for blogging, status updates, images & video uploads, and discussions.
Set up their own blog and write. Respond to others’ blogs. Blogspot.com or https://wordpress.com/website/?v=2&source=googleLanding2&campaign=hsb&gclid=CISH7YG4hcMCFUWCMgod6kIAPw
Group digital presentation time: PowerPoint, Prezi. The group aspect allows the tech-able to teach others so you don’t have to be the only expert or not even the expert. Seriously.
Using google docs/drive to read/workshop others, make group presentations without having to be physically next to someone is solid.
Can be overused and worthless like all tech tools if there’s not a learning/thinking objective.
Storybird.com – Graphic children’s story tools (free) to illustrate concepts, perhaps metaphorically.
Create a class wiki where students can post related links to reading/research topics they find. Have others read/use for individual writing.
Grammar Girl podcasts/blog: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/where-do-i-use-commas Building resources like this into your Moodle course page occurs over time.
Doing any of this requires writing instructions, creating clear expectations, and drawing up a rubric. It’s work and requires some thought.
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/reading-strategies-using-visualization.html
VideoAnt to introduce students to annotating. Here is a link to one that we used in 960.