Fun and Interesting Websites

I probably should have come up with this during the summer, but here is a Filamentality Hotlist of fun and interesting websites: http://tinyurl.com/yrdv77

I posted the address in the Professional Development Hotlinks area in the right hand column, just for easy access. This has sites for travel (getting refunds on airline tickets, or Europe on the cheap), shopping (bargains and coupons), tech tools (need a fix?), entertainment (what's a good TV program?) recipes (want to know a secret recipe?) and other things that make the Internet so much fun to have around. If I find more I'll add to it, but it isn't all about academia...sometimes you just need some entertainment. Of course, Websites come and go, but these are all 'hot' today.

Commentary: Sotir: Apple iPhone Fever

OK. I admit it. I have iPhone fever and I don't care who knows it. I spend a lot of my day prowling through the Web, looking for the newest and the best and the most exciting technologies and sites. So is it any wonder that I may have crossed paths with the reviews of the newest 'gotta have it' a few dozen times? Of course, being in education, you always have to justify the hype. Sure it's cool, but what can it offer? With the latest streaming towards podcasting, I think quite a bit. This is a such an exciting time for education. Not only is technology out there, it really is the current generation that is shaping its future. This is the world of today, and for those who are not afraid to try it, a maiden voyage into the world of tomorrow.

Think back to the carpel tunnel days of taking endless lecture notes in class. Using technology, you can now walk into a classroom equipped with a Smart Screen (rear projection of course, front loaded LCD projection is so last century). You walk up to the computer and take out the PowerPoint that you have stored on the keydrive hanging from your keychain. Pop that into the USB and get going. Now, a good instructor will tell the students not to bother with taking notes...that only takes the concentration away from the subject and inhibits interaction. The Smart Screen lets you annotate the PowerPoint on the screen, and you can simply print out the notes for students afterwards. Of course, it would be better to upload the notes to your Portal so that students can access and download them 24/7. Did I forget to mention that the video camera was running throughout the class? A simple upload to a source like YouTube can create a podcast that students can play over as many times as they wish.

So what does this have to do with the glitzy glam of an iPhone? Well of course those podcasts can be viewed on an iPod, any browser equipped cell phone, computer or MP3 player. But you, the technology inspired instructor, can't wait to do it on your very own iPhone. Or is that the voices in my head again? It's the fever, I tell you. I made it through the Blackberry fever of the 00's, but this one may be the ONE. Until the next 'gotta have it' comes out.

Update 7/27/07: I have succumbed to the fever: Oh yes, it is as cool as it looks, and inspires phone envy wherever one goes. It is different enough that strangers tend to come up to you and ask, 'can I touch it?' Amazing. Are there issues?
Oh yes. I'm sure that subsequent versions will fix things like memory and battery life. The touch keyboard takes time to get used to, but the Apple promise of about a week to get used to it seems about right. And it is much easier than other text messaging phones.

But it also employs one of the best subliminal marketing ploys I've seen in a long time. Sure, the commercials are enticing, but the best marketing comes with every SMS text and email message sent via the iPhone: a subtle line which says: 'This message is sent from my iPhone.' It's really hard to avoid the subsequent "YOU have an iPhone???" Oh yes, they are good. And it seems to be working quite well.

There are blogs and chat sites dedicated solely to the iPhone. It isn't often that a tech gadget takes the world by storm. Yes, the original sales estimates were over-inflated, and the problems understated. But it is an instrument of change, and that never ceases to fascinate. And in education, its promise is as big as its hype. Hopefully, there are enough cutting edge educators to make that promise a reality.

8/6/07 Update: I've had the phone long enough to feel that I can make an honest assessment of the product. It's well-made and intuitive, and even the text messaging is nicer on a qwerty keyboard. It took me about a week to learn how to use the keyboard efficiently, but now it is quite easy to use. The phone also got used to me, and it is interesting how well it anticipates words and corrects typing errors. As a funny note, I have a friend who feels the comment 'sent from my iPhone' is, in his words, 'snippy'. I sent him back a message and whenever I started to type 'sni' it typed in 'snippy' for me. Now THAT is a snippy attitude.

The camera could be easier to use, and a little zoom wouldn't hurt, but the photos are very clear, and the 'camera roll' feature which allows you to quickly flip through your photos is great. The photo at the top of the article was shot on the iPhone in poor lighting, but it is still quite clear. I really like how easily it allows you to adjust the text size on Web sites, so thanks, Apple, for realizing that not all users will have 20/20 vision. I'm not sure why You Tube has to have its own icon, but it's interesting. Many people have commented on the clarity of the videos. The maps function has saved me at least a half dozen times from going astray while driving. I can figure out the technologies, but still can't usually find my way from here to there without assistance. GPS (which I have on my old phone) would have been nice, although the satellite view is fun. SMS texting is much easier than on other phones, and having a thread of the messages is a nice feature. I can also now press an icon and instantly know the current time anywhere in the world so that's, well, it's

nice to know, I suppose.

Phoning is simple and the voice quality is quite good. Voice recognition (which I also have on my old cell) would be nice on this one. I love that I can read all my email with one touch of an icon, and that when a new message comes in, a small 'dink' sound is heard. If I am waiting for an email, this is really a lot more efficient than constantly checking to see if it has arrived. Deleting messages is a breeze as well. And of course, having a built in iPod is wonderful. However, you can only use the Apple earbuds, and the sound could be better. Battery life could also be longer, but given the amazing features built into this phone, is not a surprise at all. Overall, it's an Apple, and true to the company philosophy, it is easy to learn and use.

I have to say that I've always been fascinated by cell phone functions, whatever model. I always want to know all it can do. I realized that I am probably in the minority. when, as a joke, I mentioned to a group of people that I would do a workshop on how to use all the features of a cell phone. 17 people asked me when I would be doing the workshop, and when could they sign up. Hmmmm, this just might be a new business venture...

Commentary: Sotir: Blogs and Wikis

I've read more than a few articles lately about the 'death' of Blogs and Wikis as communcative tools. New technologies and applications come out literally daily, and it certainly is hard to keep up with them all. I don't see the Blogs and Wikis leaving us anytime soon. Widgets and small apps such as Blogarithm or Site Meter make them easy to use and track. Adding a post is as easy as writing an email. I love to try out new apps...the Babel Fish Translator is interesting, and so are Cluster Maps. You can get feedback using tools like Survey Monkey or Poll Daddy. Most Blogs and Wikis have a defined purpose, and are easier to track updates with RSS feeds.

And as for use...this tiny little academic Blog has been read in over 1000 cities and educational institutions in the U. S., and all 50 states. It's also been read in 92 countries, and over 600 cities around the world. I started out using the Internet before the WWW, using BBS or Bulletin Board System to post pages. Sure, you needed to know things like FTP File Transfer, and it took a while before you got your words uploaded, but the promise of being able to quickly share information across town or around the world was there. It's just easier now. A LOT easier.

Are there more changes on the horizon? Of course, and I can't wait to try them out. I've talked about the iPhone (as have more than a few others), and noted its positives and negatives. Subsequent generations will be better, and easier. Most of the flaws will be corrected. But back when I used BBS, could I have ever imagined the ability to see pages on a 2" by 4" handheld device, without a cord or cable in sight? Could I have imagined podcasting lessons for students that can fit inside a shirt pocket? Could I have imagined Interactive White Boards, LCD projectors, or Portals? The world is spinning more rapidly, but those of us with imagination are holding on tightly. It's worth waiting for, and just as exciting as it is frustrating. I'm ready...are you?

New Technologies: Writing Quizzes and Test on an iPod

McGraw-Hill Higher Education Delivers Interactive Learning for iPod

NEW YORK, July 9 /PRNewswire/ — College instructors now have the capability to quickly access millions of questions and deliver them in the form of student quizzes via iPod. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, a premier provider of print and digital teaching and learning solutions for the post- secondary and higher education markets, is the first major educational publisher to offer college-level content for the iQuiz game application, recently launched by Apple and designed for iPod. iQuiz is available from the iTunes Store for $.99 and works with all fifth generation iPods.
Any instructor who uses McGraw-Hill Higher Education's EZ Test Online program can create and deliver multiple-choice or true/false quiz questions using iQuiz for iPod. EZ Test Online combines high quality content with the ability to prepare and deliver tests to students in a variety of ways. To set up and deliver a quiz to students via iPod, instructors simply press the iQuiz button in EZ Test Online to export a quiz ready for use with iQuiz. Once students download the quiz into their iPod, they can use the interactive iQuiz to practice and learn the content specific for their course. Students can quickly self-assess and receive their quiz scores instantly.

EZ Test Online may be used with McGraw-Hill textbooks, which are available in hundreds of academic courses. It gives instructors access to hundreds of textbook question banks and millions of questions when creating their tests and quizzes. When tests are created and delivered with EZ Test Online, each one is immediately scored, saving instructors valuable time and allowing them to quickly give test feedback to students.
Instructors can register for EZ Test Online by visiting http://www.eztestonline.com/.

The ubiquitous iPod can be used as a tool for students to take practice tests and quizzes, or even actual tests.

ABE/GED, ESL: Ways to get Started Writing

http://www.litwomen.org/perspectives/2007/prompts_wp2.doc Women's Perspective

This is a lesson plan to get students started with writing. There are pre-writing exercises, and writing prompts.

Teacher Tube

Check out the post from the Instructional Technology Greenhouse on the subject of which is an instructional version of You Tube.

TeacherTube is IT
It's like YouTube, only for Teachers and Students-- which means there's now a place to watch and post educational video clips without fear of being blocked, denied or otherwise thwarted by filtering software. Take a few minutes to explore TeacherTube and think about the possibilities. Here's my favorite video of the week, about attitudes toward technology. Your comments (click "comments" below the video screen) are most welcome, especially if you've never commented on a blog before-- consider it a learning opportunity. :) Isn't the music compelling? And the message... suffice it to say I've watched this video several times.

See http://technologygreenhouse.blogspot.com for the actual post and a video posted by Kat on 5/11/07.

ESL: The English Learner Movie Guides

http://www.eslnotes.com/ The English Learner Movie Guides

Each individual guide is a detailed synopsis of a popular movie that consists of the following:
a summary of the plot
a list of the major characters
an extensive glossary of vocabulary and various cultural references that even advanced ESL learners would often not understand
questions for ESL class discussion

I really like this site, and it can have a lot of uses in a variety of ESL classes. Movies range from the classics: Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird etc. to more contemporary flicks such as When Harry Met Sally or Legally Blonde. The plot summaries are great, but one of the best aspects is the glossary and cultural reference sections. I can see classes studying the plot, vocabulary and other references, and then watching the movie together. What about using It's a Wonderful Life before the holidays? A wonderful tool for speaking and listening activities. Lots of possibilities here.

ESL Hotlist: Writing Plus

http://hills.ccsf.org/~esltech/Lessons/Comp/lab.html


Hotlists are new favorite of mine, and this one is very well organized. This covers many of the areas concerning writing, and also some broken down by levels and subject area. Worth a peek!

ESL: Cool Sites for ESL Students

http://www.uic.edu/depts/tie/coolsites.htm : University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)

ESL Writing Assistance

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/special/esl.shtml Dartmouth Writing Program, Special Writers, ESL Writers

This is more for upper level ESL students, but the information is very clearly written, and easy to understand. I especially liked the American Paragraph and the English Sentence. One page, with good links.

ESL: Writing: Resources

http://academic.reed.edu/writing/esl_resources.html ESL Writing Resources: Doyle Online Writing Lab

Topics include:

English as a Second Language Resources
General Interest sites for ESL students
Basic Tips for ESL Students: Writing for an American Academic Audience (Purdue)
Writing an American Academic Paper (Dartmouth)
Grammar and Style pages for ESL students
ESL Grammar links A few pages identifying the eccentricities of the English language.
ESL Idiom Page Lists, meanings, and examples.
Phrasal Verb Page Lists, meanings, and examples.
Activities and Study Guides
Complete List of English Irregular Verbs (Susan Jones) A list of irregular English verbs with quizzes.
Focusing on Words Learn English vocabulary by studying selected poems and stories.
Grammar Safari (U. of Illinois) Provides ESL students with ideas for practicing the rules of English grammar.
Interactive English Language Exercises Exercises on grammar, vocabulary, and idioms.
Interactive Language exercises on the Web (Ruth Vilmi)
Quiz Center Quizzes on a variety of subjects designed for ESL students: history, people, grammar, slang, writing, world culture, etc.
Self Study Quizzes for ESL Students Quizzes on grammar, reading comprehension, writing etc. geared toward problems frequently encountered by ESL students.

NEW Blog Feature: Babel Fish Translator

If you look in the right column of this Blog you will see a new feature: I've added a Babel Fish Translation widget. Click on one of the flags of a supported language, and in a few seconds this Blog will be translated into that language. It does take a few moments to work, but the end result is impressive. I checked the German translation and while not perfect, it was close enough to be readily understood.

Now Showing in the AELC: Interchange Interactive Software

Interchange Whiteboard Software

http://www.cambridge.org/

Do you want to see a new way to teach using the ESL Interchange texts? Then come up to the AELC and see the new whiteboard software that correlates with the Interchange text series used in ESL.

Within minutes of setting it up in the lab, students and teachers were saying 'wow, can I try it?' With just you fingertip you can choose the lesson you want from the book, choose the page and the skill, and start working on the lesson. Each lesson is represented, and there are additional videos and listening lessons. Many of the pages have an audio component. which is quite effective in a classroom setting.

Cambridge says about the program " This innovative software allows teachers to display the elements on the whiteboard screen at the front of the classroom and use them interactively to enhance English-language learning skills. This cutting edge technology allow you to play the class auio and video programs, display scripts and answers, highlight and annotate text. You can even select and organize elements to create your lessons."

Equipment needed : electronic whiteboard, computer (min. Windows 98), an LCD projector and the software. Set-up is easy, and the learning curve is quite short. Within 15 minutes we had loaded and started the program from scratch. Subsequent start-ups were just turning on the equipment and clicking on the program icon. Staff and students found it intuitive and easy to use.

We'll have the program in the Center until the summer semester ends. Please come up and try it out. Classes are also welcome. We are using Level I Interchange. Call x 4118 for a tour appointment.

update:

Interesting reactions from people viewing the program. While setting it up, students looked more at what we were doing than at their own computers. Finally, one student had enough courage to say ' that is very nice'. We invited her up to try it out, and then laughed as they all lined up to try it. Teachers reactions seemed to center around 'volunteering' to try it out in their classrooms. Apparently, this program fits the category 'if you build it, they will come...'

Beginners' Guide to Using a Computer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/computertutorone/index.shtml

Need to teach how to use a mouse, keyboard and computer screen in an interesting and interactive way? Once again, the BBC has a very good program to teach those skills. Students will enjoy it (and the British accent).

Beginners' Guide to Using the Internet

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/

Just because it was not made in the USA doesn't mean it isn't good. And this site is actually quite wonderful. WebWise is the BBC's guide to using the Internet. It's done in Flash, and is quite compelling. It's an Internet beginners' course to using the Web, and includes topics such as:
Connecting
Browser
Browserplus
Forms
Searching
E-mail
E-mailplus
Safety

One of my favorite areas is called 'Jargonbuster' which is a nice listing of words related to the Web. Of course, there will need to be some adaptation from the UK to the US, and a mention of the spelling differences is needed. The content can easily be used in a classroom or by tutors.

Web Based Lesson Plans for Adult ESOL

One of the great advantages of the Web is that sometimes you find things while looking up other things. This is one of those sites. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, and I almost left it without further research. It is very well done, and can be used to address state competencies and lesson plans for adult ESL learners. It is conveniently divided into skill levels, from literacy on up, and has a wealth of information and structure that can be used and developed.

"Lesson Plans for Adult ESOL were written by classroom teachers in Palm Beach County over the past three years. Although originally designed as curriculum resource books, they have been converted to a web based format to provide easy accessibility to teachers throughout Florida and beyond. The basic premise for writing these lessons is that if teachers are to be held accountable for student outcomes under performance based funding, it is the responsibility of the School District of Palm Beach County to provide teachers with every tool possible to promote student success.
The lesson plans are designed to be used as a starting point or spring board for the delivery of good sound instruction. They are specifically designed so that teachers can add their own ideas and activities to enhance the basic lessons.
Activity sheets have been developed for most lessons so that teachers can use the lessons even if they cannot access the textbooks listed. None of the activity sheets are copyrighted and can be legally photocopied without the need to obtain permission."

Click on the competency.
ESOL Literacy/Foundations - LCP - A
ESOL Low Beginning - LCP - B
ESOL High Beginning - LCP - C
ESOL Low Intermediate - LCP - D
ESOL High Intermediate - LCP - E
ESOL Advanced - LCP - F

Commentary: Using RSS and Search Engines

I have a love/hate relationship with the Web. Sure, it has all the information I could ever want. But then again, it has ALL the information I could ever want. Somehow having so much information is almost as bad as having no information at all. I recently did a Professional Development workshop on using search engines. This went beyond the Google ' Results 1 - 10 of about 114,000,000' response to the less is more approach employed by meta-search engines that allow Boolean Operators such as Clusty (http://www.clusty.com/) or Surfwax (http://www.surfwax.com/). Cha Cha (http://www.chacha.com/) even allows you to ask a real person for help. Of course, knowing how to use a search engine is as important as knowing what you are looking for. The advantage of these newer search engines is that they offer a lot of clues into how to search effectively. Those that deal with Blogs and Wikis (such as http://www.technorati.com/ or Del.icio.us http://www.del.icio.us.com/) show tags and keywords to help you refine your search or search for related aspects.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds also help you cut down on the clutter. First of all, you have to love technology that starts with the words 'real and simple'. If a Website that you like has one of the little orange boxes with RSS or XML on it, or gives an RSS address, you can get an RSS feed, or list of new articles and content (usually with just a title and short content description line) to decide if you want to learn more. You click on the little orange button or enter the RSS address, and you have a link to that feed. Then simply subscribe to that feed with your email address. The new content is automatically sent to you when it appears. For someone like me, who trolls the Internet incessantly searching for new and better sites, this allows me to know immediately when one of my favorite sites has been updated.

The process is simple. First you need an RSS reader program. Go into your favorite search engine, type in 'RSS Feeder' and try a few out. Once you have selected a reader, right click on the orange RSS button and choose 'Copy Shortcut' (or on a Mac, control-click and select 'Copy Link') . Open your reader, and select 'New Subscription'. Paste the link into the subscription box and press 'Enter'. (Sites such as Google and Yahoo! allow registered users to create custom home pages using feeds, which have your selected feed listed right on the home page. )

Now your reader gets to work by following that link and posting a list of new articles and content. If one of the articles interests you, simply click on the title and your Web browser opens the full article. You can subscribe (and unsubscribe) to as many sites as you wish.

To get a sense of how a feeder works, check out the 'Blogarithm' site at the bottom of this Blog. Type your email address into the box, and you will receive an email with the newest posts daily. If I am taking a break, you won't get a mailing until I post again. The RSS address for this Blog is : http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com/atom.xml. Start using the Web more effectively!

Also look in the right column of this Blog (it's a handy place) to find lists of recommended search engines, reading lists, other Blogs and Wikis I recommend, a translator to translate this page into another language etc. There's even a word of the day. It's a little gold mine of information.

Math Help

http://www.mathgoodies.com/students.html

Math Goodies was a pioneer of free math help. Educators from around the world have helped students in our moderated forums since 1999. The site has over 500 pages of math resources for students, educators and parents.There are interactive lessons, puzzles and worksheets you can use at your own pace. Includes Algebra, pre-Algebra and Basic Math.

Charts and Graphs

http://www.fodoweb.com/erfora/readtext.asp?txtfile=communications/charts.toc

Educational Resources for Adults has put together a page entitled 'Learning About Charts and Graphs'. Areas include:
Lesson 1: The types of Graphs
Exercise 1: Choosing Graph Types
Lesson 2: The parts of Graphs
Lesson 3: Reading Graphs
Exercise 3: Reading Graphs
Lesson 4: Creating Graphs by Hand

Spanish GED Resources

http://www.pcc.edu/resources/spanish-ged/

I am always looking for resources for Spanish GED. I think I finally found one. Portland Community College has a site with excellent resources for Spanish GED students for math, reading and writing, science and social science. Not all the links are accessible, but there is still quite a bit available.