News for today's 2018

62 Ideas, Lessons and Humor for English Teachers #engchat

3:59 AM Tukiyooo 0

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLg4_6gpwEzM4YG2-NgvtmBK5btQRTY8vdF0wKK_Y5OKGVlyUfoL5tJKdvAQ_l-POATkdDz2bCdvGdRz0My82lFP1Tuh9g9AZB2tYCbaIdMQepf5bp-lKm3EW3G1H7z4bb2w5WPDeqcQ/s1600/IMG_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLg4_6gpwEzM4YG2-NgvtmBK5btQRTY8vdF0wKK_Y5OKGVlyUfoL5tJKdvAQ_l-POATkdDz2bCdvGdRz0My82lFP1Tuh9g9AZB2tYCbaIdMQepf5bp-lKm3EW3G1H7z4bb2w5WPDeqcQ/s400/IMG_2582.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. Caldwell won another STAR award in 2012.</td></tr></tbody></table>I start back to school today for my eleventh year of teaching next door to my own high school English teacher. Mrs. Caldwell taught me to write and love literature.<br /><br />She's a fantastic teacher who is always innovating. Just yesterday, she showed me something new she'd created for her class. She never settles and has won STAR teacher over 20 times.<br /><br />There is no wonder I admire and want to be more like her. I dedicate this list of 62 ideas in her honor on this first day of school 2012. Here's to one of the best English teachers on the planet- Betsy Caldwell.<br /><ul class="diigo-linkroll"><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/article.aspx?storyCode=50005563">Common Core English Language Arts Index via @sharemylesson #engchat</a></div><div class="diigo-description">An indexed list of Common Core English Language Arts standards and lessons aligned with those standards. A must-share for grades 6-12 English/ Language Arts teachers using Common Core.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/sharemylesson">sharemylesson</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/book">book</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edu_news">edu_news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-lesson-plans-speeches-heather-wolpert-gawron">Lesson Planning and the Common Core: A Unit Based on TED.com | Edutopia</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Using a TED.com video in a Common Core aligned writing assignment as students learn about speech patterns with the purpose of driving a TED-like conference at the school.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ted">ted</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/bestpractices">bestpractices</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://engageny.org/resource/curriculum-exemplars/">Curriculum Exemplars | EngageNY</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Engage NH has some examples of lessons that they consider exemplars for English Language arts grades 6-12 and math grades 1,2,7, and high school. IF you're looking to see what this looks like in practice, here are some that you'll want to review.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/mathchat">mathchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/math_teacher">math_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/math">math</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/curriculum">curriculum</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/bestpractices">bestpractices</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/professionaldevelopment">professionaldevelopment</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.fireandknowledge.org/archives/2007/01/08/a-guide-to-writing-well/">A Guide to Writing Well :: Fire and Knowledge</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Excellent material compiling information from On Writing Well and the elements of Style. This is an excellent piece for writing teachers.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-reduce-wordiness-in-your-writing/525">10+ ways to reduce wordiness in your writing | TechRepublic</a></div><div class="diigo-description">For writers, this excellent article points out great ways to reduce wordiness.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.wiseinkblog.com/publishing-industry/10-twitter-lists-every-author-should-follow/">10 Twitter Lists Every Author Should Follow #writing</a></div><div class="diigo-description">An excellent list of authors and interesting people that would interest authors (and many teachers.) Each list is curated and updated by the person who creates the list, so follow those you'd like to use.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://connect.nwp.org/national">National Writing Project: National Community open to anyone #engchat</a></div><div class="diigo-description">The National Writing Project (NWP) has a community open to anyone who is interested in writing. If you teach writing, you should consider joining this community. They also have a "Twibe" (for sharing tweets) that you can use to disseminate tweets on the topic of writing. They've always been on the forefront of writing and research. Great organization and some great conversations about common core as well.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/blogger">blogger</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ccchat">ccchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/">My StoryMaker : Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Storymaker is a website that lets young students make stories with graphics and more. It will create a pdf for you that you can save. The pdf can be put on an ipad and tablet, but storymaker itself requires flash.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/eduapps">eduapps</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://blogs.jefftwp.org/wordpress/walker/2012/01/20/649/">Collaborative Writing In Elementary Classrooms | Mr. Walker's Technology Blog</a></div><div class="diigo-description">"A wiki is a forum in which students can collaborate, share and contribute content, and peer review each others work. For example, the students in Mrs. Daly’s (White Rock), Mrs. Young’s, (Stanlick) and Mrs. McLoughlin’s (Stanlick) grade 5 classes have been working with grade 5 classes in Buckingham County, Virginia on a shared wiki. Each student was paired with a student in Virginia who is at or near their writing level. We created a wiki for the project and a page within that wiki for each student.  The goal of this collaborative project was to provide an authentic opportunity for students to develop their writing skills. Each student was responsible for authoring a writing piece based on a common writing prompt. After the students added their written work to their page they were responsible for peer editing the work of their partner. The students followed a common template for peer review that was shared with all six teachers involved. The students provided the feedback to their partners in Virginia through the discussion feature that is available on each of their pages.  This project has been a success. The students were provided with the opportunity to write for an audience. They enjoyed learning about their partners in Virginia. It was a great opportunity to experience writing from their peers in other states. The opportunity to send and receive feedback provided an opportunity for reflection regarding their writing. The student’s in Mrs. Young’s class and their partner class in Virginia will be continuing this project. They are in the process of organizing a wiki in which each pairing of students will co-author a single story."  This is a great example of collaborative writing in the elementary classroom. These teachers are using peer review to cover first drafts.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/collaborativewriting">collaborativewriting</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/Reviews-of-Resource-Books-for-Teachers-50001525/">Reviews of Resource Books for Teachers - Resources - SML</a></div><div class="diigo-description">I think that #engchat and reading teachers would be interested in downloading this list from Linda. She has shared a spreadsheet of reviews by graduate students of teacher books for teaching reading in the content areas. This is an example of how college professors can understand and share resources to help K12 teachers. </div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/reading_teacher">reading_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/books">books</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/reviews">reviews</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/robertsonwriting/home">Roberts On Writing</a></div><div class="diigo-description">My friend Jennifer Roberts is a digital lead teacher in San Diego. She copresented with us at ISTE on Common Core in the Cloud and rocked it. Here's the website she built about Writing Response groups and what she does in the classroom. She's very knowledgeable and I love what she's doing with her students.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program</a></div><div class="diigo-description">national Novel Writing month is in November but this website is so much more. I heard Jennifer Roberts share this with our Panel on Writing with Common Core at ISTE 2012 and this website is a phenomenal way to meet the 3rd standard W.X.3 about Writing narratives. Students collaboratively work together. You can do this any time but November is the big emphasis. I think every school should participate in Nanowrimo -- just love it.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/Quick-vocab-maker-3003173/">Quick vocab maker - Resources - SML</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This cool excel spreadsheet lets you put in vocabulary and quick fits the spreadsheet so you can print them out and share them easily (for those still using paper this is a great download.)</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/vocabulary">vocabulary</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/vocabulary_teacher">vocabulary_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/taxonomysearchResults.aspx?parametrics=90007,90067,90956&mode=browse&SFBC_FilterOption=8">Reading Standards for Informational Text (Grades 3-5)</a></div><div class="diigo-description">As you work to integrate Common Core standards into your classroom, it may help to look at sample lessons. In this set, you can see lessons, presentations, and assessments working with informational text (grades 3-5). Remember that you can search the site by grade level and common core standard and that other subject areas besides Common Core are included on the site.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/elemchat">elemchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/elementary_teacher">elementary_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/Student-Journals-for-Literature-Circles-50001018/">Student Journals for Literature Circles - Resources - SML</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This webpage has eight activities to use in literature circles and instructions for you to use as well.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literatre">literatre</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/circles">circles</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/AsVdAS">9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom â€¦Word Clouds in Education Series: Part 3</a></div><div class="diigo-description">9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom  http://t.co/g1b6jPlL #flatclass #edtech  #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edtech">edtech</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/9-amazing-word-cloud-generators-for-the-classroom-word-clouds-in-education-series-part-3/">9 Amazing Word Cloud Generators For The Classroom …Word Clouds in Education Series: Part 3 | 21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning</a></div><div class="diigo-description">If you use wordclouds to help extract meaning on a topic before beginning, (try pasting the Gettysburg address into one) then these 9 word cloud generators will be of use to you.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6211106">Persuasive writing - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Lots of ideas for teaching persuasive writing. It is important to have students write about the things that are of interest. This is why blogging is such a great platform - typiclaly first person is allowed students can share their opinions.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/taxonomysearchResults.aspx?parametrics=10216,40000,40001,49440,50908,50920,50930,50936&mode=browse&SFBC_FilterOption=8">Post 16: German: Grammar: Verbs and Tenses: Passive Voice teaching resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Some lessons to teach students about the passive voice (in multiple langages.)</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/grammar">grammar</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Shakespeare-for-all-ages-and-stages-6067956">Shakespeare for all ages and stages - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This booklet is about Shakespeare for all ages and stages. Download this for ideas about how to integrate this important author into your curriculum at all ages.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english">english</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/Shakespeare">Shakespeare</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/ResourceDetail.aspx?storyCode=6015882">Myths and Legends - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">An introduction to “Myths and Legends” and “Mythical Monsters”. Text studied, Robert Nye’s “Beowulf”.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/beowulf">beowulf</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/irasocol/transition-to-college-reading-and-writing">Transition to College - Reading and Writing</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Very interesting presentation by Ira Socol about how students are using the MITS Freedom stick - preloaded with some apps - for their reading and writing. If you're a high school language arts teacher or a curriculum director, you would benefit from browsing through this presentation to see what college students are expected to be able to do. It isn't just about paper any more.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.resourceroom.net/comprehension/index.asp">Resource Room: Reading Comprehension</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This website has a treasure trove of reading comprehension resources that you can download and use including a chapter by chapter comprehension guide to accompany Harry Potter.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/reading">reading</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/reading_teacher">reading_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6218952">Comprehension collection - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Help students with their reading comprehension with these lesson plans. Reading comprehension is such an  important thing and many of these lessons are cross curricular.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/Z2lmdz">creative writing prompts . com ideas for writers</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Hundreds of creative writing prompts (great for journaling) http://t.co/d57iM57l #engchat #writing</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/taxonomysearchResults.aspx?parametrics=10216,40000,40001,40002,40003,40017&mode=browse&SFBC_FilterOption=2&page=1">Writing lesson plans</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Here are some lesson plans for phonics and writing for younger students to use in your classroom. I've sorted it by the most popular first including some Outdoor ideas and some phonics games you could play.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/elemchat">elemchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Haiku-Poems-6096486">Haiku Poems - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This lesson plan for middle school teaches about Haiku and also reviews the concept of syllables. Very extensive resources to use on this one.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/Education">Education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/haiku">haiku</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Forms-of-Poetry-Haiku-6033671">Forms of Poetry: Haiku - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">A nice downloadable resource to teach students about Haiku. (via TES)</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/Teaching">Teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/haiku">haiku</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/haiku-starter-30697.html">Haiku Starter - ReadWriteThink</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Haiku starter printout.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/haiku">haiku</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/8r4ceH">Shakespeare’s birthday collection - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Happy Birthday William Shakespeare! http://t.co/ABYdvyr9 #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/5N2aO4">Teaching Resources, Classroom Resources & Lesson Plans - TES Resources</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Shakespeare's birthday is tomorrow - April 23 - lesson plans http://t.co/8vS5vsqs #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Autobiographical-Writing-6097385">Autobiographical Writing - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">An autobiographical writing skills powerpoint and activity including a differentiated lesson plan and more traditional one. I like having different options. This is for older (high school) students.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/autobiography">autobiography</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Jacobean-England-presentation-6070118">Jacobean England presentation - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">If you're teaching Shakespeare or Webster, this Jacobean England presentation will be a nice introduction for you.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/shakespeare">shakespeare</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Doctor-Faustus-intro-OCR-A-level-6051183">Doctor Faustus intro (OCR A level) - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">A friend of mine passed this lesson plan on to me with this note to Literature teachers:  "Sick of Jacobean literature meaning Shakespeare? Check out this resource on Christopher Marlowe's Faust. "  I think that this is a very good point and is the type of lesson that AP literature would use in the US. There is a reading guide, powerpoint, and it also incorporates John Milton's Paradise Lost as a comparative text.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplan">lessonplan</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/reading-is-not-a-race-the-virtues-of-the-slow-reading-movement/2012/01/25/gIQA4RVCbQ_blog.html">Reading is not a race: The virtues of the ‘slow reading’ movement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This article in the Washington Post, I've seen several mentions by teachers. The slow reading movement is one that advocates really getting into a book and also becoming intimate with the "author" even to the point of memorization. It is about relaxing and getting into a book instead of rushing through a lot of them.  "I have therefore joined the slow reading movement. Like the slow food movement, it is about more than just slowing down, though that is part of it. It is about an intimacy with authors; it is about paying attention, about caring, about rereading and savoring what we read. It is about finding the right pace. About pleasure more than efficiency.  Slow reading is also about recovering old practices that have traditionally aided readers in paying attention — oral performance, annotation, exploring complex and difficult passages. It is about reading that generates ideas for writing, what Ralph Waldo Emerson called “creative reading.” And even memorization."</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/TaxonomySearchResults.aspx?parametrics=44354,44816,44918,45148&event=23&mode=browse">Secondary: English: KS3 Poetry: Poetic Forms teaching resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Teaching resources covering the different types of poetry.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/ResourceDetail.aspx?storyCode=6033671">Forms of Poetry: Haiku</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Japanese Haiku resources and worksheets.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/haiku">haiku</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6186799">Shakespeare’s birthday collection</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Great collection of lesson plans and information on Shakespeare. There are a lot of downloadables here for literature teachers.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/FBbhvG">Open Educational Resources infoKit / What are Open Educational Resources</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Get started! Open Educational Resources infoKit http://t.co/WWA25DYr #flatclass #edchat #edtech #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/flatclass">flatclass</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edchat">edchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edtech">edtech</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/affect-versus-effect.aspx">Grammar Girl : Affect Versus Effect :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Grammar girl has so many great ways to remember things in grammar. I've missed the words "effect" and "affect"  in the past and am working on improving my own grammar. It is one of those things i've been taught all of this and when I was valedictorian I knew it but somewhere in there between there and here I've forgotten some of it. I go to grammar girl to give me ways to remember it. OK affect - verb; effect - noun.  Grammar teachers will enjoy her.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplan">lessonplan</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/grammar">grammar</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6183197">World Poetry Day - TES English - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Get ready to read poetry! World Poetry day is March 21. Here are a lot of lesson plans and ideas for that day including some digital e-poetry booklets that you could download as well as mp3's and videos that you can use as well as lesson plans.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/poetry">poetry</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/march">march</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Year-8-English-Booster-SoW-Writing-Styles-6114910">Year 8 English Booster SoW - Writing Styles - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Great lesson that turns writing students into music producers to improve writing. Designed for the middle school classroom.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/music">music</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplan">lessonplan</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literacy">literacy</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkaQztcVWEA&feature=g-all&context=G24f939fFAAAAAAAAAAA">Google Lit Trips Video.mp4 - YouTube</a></div><div class="diigo-description">An excellent video about Google lit trips and how it works.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edapp">edapp</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/eduapp">eduapp</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/Google">Google</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/maps">maps</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lit">lit</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/trips">trips</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/epXX4Y">ALERT: Have you cleared your Google web history?</a></div><div class="diigo-description">ALERT: Have you cleared your Google web history? http://t.co/JGfoyry9 #privacy #edchat #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/privacy">privacy</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/edchat">edchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/KS3-Shakespeare-Schemes-of-Work-6107289">KS3 Shakespeare Schemes of Work - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This is a fascinating holistic through through Shakespeare by English teacher, John Field. Including Much Ado about Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. He calls these his "tudor hall shakespeare units." If you teach Shakespeare, you may want to look at this and the other items here. Here's a tip: If you look at the classification at the bottom KS3 means high school and then you can click on Plays by Title and click on just about any play you will teach to find a lot of lesson plans and information for that play. If you're a beginning teacher or looking for new things, you'll want to drill down. I hope you'll share too.  I'm having a love thing this February. ;-)</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/learning">learning</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/shakespeare">shakespeare</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/The-Crucible-CAT-Speaking-and-amp-Listening-Assignment-6086745">The Crucible CAT - Speaking & Listening Assignment - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Debate the crucible as the Salem Witch Trial anniversary approaches. This is a lesson plan and assessment rubric, and a character sheet for assignment of roles.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/debate">debate</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2011/04/hazeldale_elementary_school_kids_use_ipad_app_to_learn_pronunciation_grammar_and_vocabulary.html">Hazeldale Elementary School kids use iPad app to learn pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary | OregonLive.com</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Using ipads to teach vocabulary. In this mainstream media article, students are using Toontastic to create stories and learn new vocabulary. My students enjoy Puppetpals, another great one to use.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ipad">ipad</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/vocabulary">vocabulary</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/elemchat">elemchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Superhero-Unit-comics-in-the-classroom-6033870">Superhero Unit - comics in the classroom - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">there is a reason that this resource is going viral over at Tes. This masterful set of lesson uses comic books with a wide range of writing activities: short story, informative, biography, and comic strip. You have lesson plans and instructions for how to use this. Use comics to teach biographics. Many teachers groan about teaching nonfiction. I love this.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/composition">composition</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16871715">BBC News - A Point of View: Mourning the loss of the written word</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Is the written word gone? Is it lost? I know fore me, I have a cross pen and waterman with beautiful ink. I still write in my journal and I still write letters, although I have to admit, not as much as I used to. This is a great post to share and use for reflection and debate in your composition classes. With over 239 comments as of the writing of this, it has a lot of meat and thoughts in the comments as well.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.mrthorne.com/">Mr Thorne Does Literacy</a></div><div class="diigo-description">mr. Thorne is out of the UK. He has great phonics lessons. Yes, he has a british accent, but you could listen and redo these lessons in your own classroom if you are US. </div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literacy">literacy</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/reading">reading</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/phonics">phonics</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/resourcecalendar.aspx?nbday=0&nbmth=2&nbyr=2012&evcode=4304">Charles Dickens Lesson Plans and resources</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Charles Dickens birthday is February 7th. Here are resources and lesson plans to help you.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessons">lessons</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/charles">charles</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/dickens">dickens</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Ask-Shakespeare-February-2-2011-6067819">Ask Shakespeare February 2, 2011 - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This will be a fascinating Twitter-centric event on February 2nd. Sign up now to participate.  "Organised by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Ask Shakespeare is a one day, online event taking place on February 2, 2011. From the SBT: "On 2, February 2011 we are asking Shakespeare organisations, enthusiasts and scholars and professionals worldwide to sign up and join us on the Ask Shakespeare panel through their twitter accounts. On February 2, 2011 this panel will be ready to answer your Shakespeare questions." If you would like to represent TES English on the Ask Shakespeare panel, please message me."</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/shakespeare">shakespeare</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://elalp.cbalwiki.ets.org/">CBAL ELA Competency Model and Provisional Learning Progressions - home</a></div><div class="diigo-description">This is interesting. ETS has launched a website about:  "Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world's leading measurement and research organization, has launched a new website to stimulate discussion, debate, and promote empirical research to help teachers and students meet the goals of the English language arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards." but this is most definitely a wiki (looks like wikispaces.) I find it fascinating that a company would use a wiki because so many have resisted this. I wonder who can join and who can edit. Interesting.  It says you can join. It will be interesting to see what they are doing with this. Perhaps some of you common core experts should join.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/commoncore">commoncore</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/composition">composition</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Twenty-Dyslexia-Friendly-Writing-Tips-3012073">Twenty Dyslexia Friendly Writing Tips - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">20 Dyslexia friendly writing tips. (Yes, I've spent the evening browsing the ideas on the Tes website.)</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/?popular#top-tabs">Lesson Plans - ReadWriteThink</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Language arts teachers of all ages will love the free lesson plans on this website. They are standards based and organized by grade level.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/composition">composition</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/composition_teacher">composition_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/bestpractices">bestpractices</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/all_teachers">all_teachers</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/scrutinizing-stand-ins-working-with-nouns-and-pronouns">Lesson Plan | Scrutinizing Stand-Ins: Working With Nouns and Pronouns - NYTimes.com</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Lesson plan on pronouns using the New York Times.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/grammar">grammar</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/endchat">endchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sKZ76CJs4Rwn2NKEgtK3LZVKYvFEv2IDcTQlAPKC6J8/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1">Paula Naugle's Irregular Verb Resources</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Paula has collected resources for helping students with irregular English verbs. I'm struggling with helping my fourth grader learn them and have a whole week to get ready for the test and will be using these sites, review games, and activities! Thank you Paula!</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/grammar">grammar</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Mario-and-Sonic-English-6118378">Mario and Sonic English - Resources - TES</a></div><div class="diigo-description">So you need a writing prompt or ideas to get students excited about writing. Here is an idea that used Mario and Sonic to encourage writing.  This describes how a games based approach can be used for collaboratively building descriptions of characters and or settings. It can be used as the initial stimulus for imaginative writing by providing "concrete" experiences for learners.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplans">lessonplans</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://lessonplansos.blogspot.com/2011/12/theres-no-time-literally-like-present.html">Lesson Plan SOS: There’s No Time (Literally!) Like the Present!</a></div><div class="diigo-description">I love this lesson plan linking Christmas, New Years, and writing to help children focus on work ethic and goal setting. Nice lesson plan blog.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/lessonplan">lessonplan</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/writing">writing</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/922">30 Ideas for Teaching Writing - National Writing Project</a></div><div class="diigo-description">30 Ideas for Teaching Writing - National Writing Project http://t.co/OlLaokHH via @writingproject #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://www.studygs.net/writing/prewriting.htm">Organizing and pre-writing</a></div><div class="diigo-description">Nice overview of exercises and activities for prewriting.</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature_teacher">literature_teacher</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/composition">composition</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/teaching">teaching</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/literature">literature</a></div><div class="diigo-tags"><br /></div></li><li>    <div class="diigo-link"><a href="http://coolcatteacher.visibli.com/share/66fJ5Y">The 56 best/worst similes</a></div><div class="diigo-description">HUMOR: 56 best/worst similes "sardines were packed as tight as the coach section of a 747" http://t.co/gR4gRu6I Via @donnaroman #engchat</div><div class="diigo-tags">tags:                        <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/engchat">engchat</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/twitter">twitter</a>             <a href="http://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/english_teacher">english_teacher</a></div></li></ul><div class="zemanta-related" style="margin-top: 20px; 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engchat Literacy Writing 62 Ideas, Lessons and Humor for English Teachers #engchat

Mrs. Caldwell won another STAR award in 2012.I start back to school today for my eleventh year of teaching next door to my own high school English teacher. Mrs. Caldwell taught me to write and love literature.She's a fantastic teacher who is always i…

10 places to find reading and writing resources for primary school learners – part 1

1:21 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Submitted by Fiona Beal</i><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of my passions is developing reading and writing in kids. Nowadays the web is full of the most amazing sites – is it any wonder that some of us feel that free internet should be a basic human right!  Today I came across some amazing new sites and thought they would be great to share in a blog post.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I have written two previous posts about reading resources for primary school learners so would like to add the links to those in case you are interested in looking them up:</span><br /><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/bring-technology-into-your-foundation.html" target="_blank">Bring technology into your Foundation Phase reading lessons</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://e-blogschool.blogspot.com/2012/01/12-more-places-to-find-reading-material.html" target="_blank">12 more places to find reading material for Foundation Phase learners </a></span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Share what you are reading</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/swyar/">http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/swyar/</a></span></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddjT76h4VEamggHHVKo4ALH79hrOeG4AIJf6ugR0N8bVIG-iJhvjNX1GJpJBsU8qmUX452efCFkYJJlKvEL5QIrkWm1WSS9KY5WfhXWPy6yABeKwRmzkEF18cFvwae7i0oSvcWr6D7-I/s1600-h/image2.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64LNH3exJyCH4pafz_DEVLwEU7JdpDNGeLfcPJ3Te15O_uIoFEhff3XYZ0vRdeaY14-80tPetkpO5arr0hdlnZM9aP68fNbJSk3Vdf1mVuJR92uOoerVnoSHr6YyNmK3GA63oXb6qYNE/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a>  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB9OERkSmkfGk0YKKs3MKBrfI_xNgIgXT8PL_p4dy6CurEo19aY0SKuwbEX5_DQ4QrBxc4GwNZuOrzMeLaTiWYfyDRhS1GOp1fCnfKv3v0QZY11DXfySI2JD0GMed8bxlh0jNPaZG4dM/s1600-h/image5.png"><img alt="image" border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1iGl7_5YlyNm1-ltEnxNER3dQWfO_X6BdTl17GHldX19oaxhNs-wIfI0kOGJF0LilCWwhL_Rz-Y0TI79zSiuaWChWl0fRYeeExHTp72cJyLM1ybREaw00tS6iT7q-gMBqEc2BSBoYKM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a great site where children can write reviews about their favourite books - fantasy novels, biographies, mysteries, sports... They can then also  share with other students what they are reading and discover new books based on other kids' recommendations.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>  <br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Children’s books forever</b></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/">http://www.childrensbooksforever.com/</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii49UnEverBRstE5VPVtqcEATbtPUWapdo-nxNFo8q5QP_5PLiosj8bhD7gdHY1tjbvbMQ6IUOlkBeCAigDt9RK017xfu8yPxFvMfLdS6bTBy_jP_39qnrW6xxXjAkzDxcUbM2ni96Yzc/s1600-h/image61.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5c8nuXO_GilLFmmF9iVJh64Adn0rdtiiFrKoreAeGj4SMG2LK4_yI0UV6gARbzTXuL5EqcnFikipiDyGhknQI0WvNKPGrcuYrTWo97myzQFXK29zsWoAJIo1HkTAocaMj1Wu1JHylRo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This site features free and children’s books written by  Frans Wilhem. As I was paging through the site I recognised the Waldo books. </span></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. McGenius</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://meegenius.com/store/books/free/">http://meegenius.com/store/books/free/</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qMDnxOyoK1YbIZ8XI0tV0GMdm6VT0YG5SkM3n8-bZ4onHzlY8alZzH0zdZQRuo49M9s8kCjSKT9uA_VPkxNBxSAFtGvgDqe_68f8m8TVM0ifYoUccZok5MJ5Cz-GifLbyyGpEbW97u8/s1600-h/image13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jTo4FG1s82VimJS3sYN10kwqrEv0uf1KuQb_9U7YpgQsmcrsxuzzjZ9JOlgjWRwggdXkSzr_M3Z3siGAPp8styyy1Kv1xO8KUFjmg7YwokB6vtg9YQBKQjs0ufXX7tnWmn59p94fiwU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a site that has free and paid resources. One really good feature is that the books have  automatic word highlighting to accompany the narration of each book so that the readers can follow along.</span></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. The Woodlands Junior School website</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/onlinestory.htm">http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/onlinestory.htm</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSfaboaLPCwfl6kubsNKmUiJKVMoFuoMhjRFOz0jBoz2PaLQHhWty7JKu_IazPPXTkpxeTNo4bLlp66JuUIzaEozZYrDVduaBNcJpqoWPaIVJaKAH46C9gKBKj7YFFCWc0CPgvhhzwYQ/s1600-h/image17.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-xuIW1T2p_43RMq6Vs_Y7_7ssTHmurK3atjYfNdXLuc9q0y-s65j6edEYwzWw6pCAgur8ZhD2WMETKbdadNDZOwNEPwJDmJkJNddnWyKXDOWQhQLMmh3PViSIG9kGDC7erX4KBH5nc8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This site is a good place to find educational games for elementary age students. They also have a great collection of links to free online talking storybooks.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Magic keys</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.magickeys.com/books/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.magickeys.com/books/</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiQRjxEfeV1MBm-mFLUjNs7xrKUeC80lHuP2w7U27CZaYDHVDHy8wn4k1nidYXgfhPMey3HNZMAsN71Svwboptdl9reeJysWau6KFeoeTMDBaNTBbrBH0GWpCsNoBlE8ZxlrLkGip79c/s1600-h/image23.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBYvxpR0Qrj4J2kytkhjw9o-qBmfa4CnKKN9zeJteIFDo2Aucakw7Yhj8A-hbmQn2VQ-RpmmSOJG487Vqs1IlwID0cSJRmnJq9lW3CJ9nWf011u0jJCf4zhR2Uh6u3oUUaO_aw2kkAYA/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is another site with a good collection of talking picture books for children.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Skype an author network</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/">http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0QT5zy_f823ZrP2F_AxpiUU6CXASZMRfr8ysROuHGOpVagX2urieMBNR_WOpBOTG7MO462lzB8pszSzhzyUmpMYyUdWyAfoDZK8zuzpgb7y4XnRGCYj5KkxSSy9WJ4AL948MwShNYOo/s1600-h/image241.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMXd71CdE4eoWMOkP7aEcB7DLvvrgb1TXcHA3xP8WVDIh7uVH7uljbtD8TYC3lyUVyCZ0w_vqa_hfi8iB5gpeVq4gJ598ek7Imx4uAwDjqYRnQT6cnl9oTh68K-MK0zuvA0LbtmSSF4E/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="260" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a fantastic way to bring authors into your classroom – arrange a Skype meeting with an author. The site gives directions for authors and directions for teachers.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. You are what you read</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/kids/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com/kids/</span></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88neGZgwlmrKKWD2ynSlYKrw4L6aWwJ5pNaYowoGuloIEcWkGeK9gSl4nbPxNv9jhHNHZRiMWVLHI7B9oLtHj82fq96FDIoB3VVTtfJRGhFL0fPfDyaMJQJIvOoRYteyb6FOLc7eXR2w/s1600-h/image29.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqAD_YOrH0gHemen1gg2ryd24tk-dFsKehhe0zKOrfHl9MnxKvXT2Bkif7f-QdXpXh8jSOBAZQJZ4yEezEGpsJTekKl5mTFe5Y7xLtpP8sAAlaTxfv9OA-nG1zSioBvHZ60cpI2M1aI8/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">This is a place where kids can share information about their favourite books. After creating a simple profile <i>You Are What You Read</i> asks participants to name the five books that mean the most to them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Scholastic’s summer challenge</b></span><br /><a href="http://www.scholastic.com/summer/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.scholastic.com/summer/</span></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m9Rjm4q4HyyNmZEDnDIXIcaPVdkIE4wNuYIJk34FPyBbMjgEYrohtdyzsajZh9DG5r0GQhhkBMQ4-K55JVHEPU8wBT9TJcQ8YRPFlMcjxQL8-O22RjWg4d0cu0UImz09vIoxVbfo9xs/s1600-h/image32.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8vCwsi-v3-IsSglaWKJUyymbNewZvktzDFFyQ5qBn3XQ_C3VBts8dCuhhmENmZk0LLj6u_Vjfgj8jnbwJbpnGHDk2nUn2KYlwB3zXxpEbxR26PiUHHJ9-4bVwEvyWPiF0x8yOyAKaFo/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">9. International children’s digital library</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.childrenslibrary.org/books/index.shtml"><span style="font-size: small;">http://en.childrenslibrary.org/books/index.shtml</span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgPjz9A1ZVjLWugmOFfOdS4eb1q6ViKUQ7lSNjns4INJSrh3BayQW34UE6_39DGfvzLVjsO4hzG8g2ytvYtYzDOZ1FZgRWw0MTLf9wsLPScI4nrRs5uVrEO6W69oJMe9Ak9PhHvks-RI/s1600-h/image35.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJ6zqdr5Y5D1Ezw3QHpyWinIGVA854cRXoWBP4CMgLMjpFyqnEyODYBHijFQXCH5h0CO1Xzlk8N7Iiy8f3hTdDsqkf6jPg8u3ElYw8ACEkLat514nVegJiDVltKZ0CSwvy8iRDVsi6yg/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Read books written by authors of all cultures. This site has a wide selection of reading material. </span></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Character scrapbook</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/02/character-scrapbook-tool-for-student.html">http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/02/character-scrapbook-tool-for-student.html</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WzYo2pl25PPjEjKf7e2eJei3XZkca92qpPjWdSaD3rOOwLSgM1bGk9jCJ63NxN4gVfLzIIiDtS8drlp6_b6JWqnpKarhkxtqfio1lKnZpdXvD7Rej8z5NRilmr3858fubrDJhYCeFvY/s1600-h/image38.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfTg_NVAbgVmTqH7nghWeYZWZMrkzLr7Qpuqdc12OEZ22aDej0AbnDS2yUHe4La6_s2xjwRQNrxzR5ILV8WMh6vZFRJogPl4JFgupaoXfVgWNzyeCJRkjFQPViaaCfw0t8zV3KxXVvkQE/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="244" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This site has a template that elementary school students can use to write about and reflect on the characters in their favourite stories.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is just a start! Watch this space for another ten amazing reading and writing resource site - coming soon! </span></div></div>

Creative writing English Literacy Reading 10 places to find reading and writing resources for primary school learners – part 1

Submitted by Fiona BealOne of my passions is developing reading and writing in kids. Nowadays the web is full of the most amazing sites – is it any wonder that some of us feel that free internet should be a basic human right! Today I came across som…

Schoolnet completes a study on the use of Xbox Kinect to improve literacy scores – interesting findings…

5:11 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><i>This report is given by Janet Thomson the Executive Director of SchoolNetSA in South Africa. The study used Microsoft Xbox Kinect gaming in a primary school in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal to investigate its effect on second language English Literacy. The results are extremely positive.  </i> <br />  <br /><h3 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Findings of evaluation study released - 'Using gaming to improve second language English Literacy'</span></b></h3><h3 style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"></h3><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Research findings have just been released from a year-long study conducted by Mindset Learn and Verbeeks Education Specialists that investigated the impact that gaming had in improving second language literacy in primary school classrooms in Lakeside Primary in rural KwaZulu Natal. SchoolNet SA was commissioned by Microsoft to install Xbox 360 Kinect technology in each of the Foundation Phase classrooms and to assist teachers to effectively integrate this techology into their lesson plans in order to improve literacy levels. The research supports the premise that the effective use of innovative technology can impact on literacy levels of learners. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BzAFv2RN88mxLn3n_3RnfnEbkSvbVleQ3lwSkJ_rItP4RkXL0SKAwpoLq2kypLPXadnIcoWBlf4FRWpojkfKnHNlGwLFIuzCRGudxrWSmb35yjgCGyTDsK8DO68vZXeXg-ZCLivW2Q4/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFXiKbz-jbSYNGU_MsGsju0IvNYnP-XFVrlPu_biF_L-25Jo-89OoHTaL5MYS1pln1_pMsNIKnkb83BL9hWLzL6ehU0-1Ny9SXQSLG-xVBa_wshYM_DR3ZIfvzSjJQ-fzrEOvR34S9fs/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="291" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Over the December holidays of 2010, Microsoft commissioned SchoolNet to install six fifty-five inch television screens above the traditional chalkboards in six junior primary classrooms at Lakeside Park Primary in KwaZulu-Natal. These television screens were connected to the Xbox 360 Kinect gaming console. Teachers spent their January 2011 holidays becoming familiar with Kinect technology and devising learning experiences that were designed to engage learners and enhance learning.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM7B9dqJsv6q4vIS7T1DMH2UfAVGGbvYK_pxxhRCoM7eMfL68TwcB9nPfwsPvmdz8VKgiaHSJIseWyCTR5PSCk5huq-hYLW0Vg-HApM96EO18ouDY88GgyQyPVrWL9IgIDj5cDLAZOsXM/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCudwqM6OyEMRoZGPvhcADm5Jb7b3K99Yg99LefJ_B-7SJjiibfwjgTnwUYhTXoQGGJ1NmWAyzq_RBdwBluM1eq6ZCbShnti4YkdH22xY_xmWg4K9_Ly0vh-N4_tZK1qtpzHsDVZ7MwM/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Teacher training requirements</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This Microsoft Xbox pilot project called for the development of specialist training materials for Foundation Phase teachers to focus on second language English acquisition for use with new technologies of this genre. The teacher training workshop that SchoolNet conducted in January 2011 encouraged teachers to mediate learning in relation to the curriculum while learners would be using XBox Kinect gaming technology. Lakeside teachers had already mapped out their schemes of work for the following year so for 2011 the new activities had to be infused into existing lesson plans. The course materials for this workshop were developed by Peter de Lisle of Hliton College, a former winner in the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Forum competition, who deliberately focused on language supportive pedagogy and grounded this within a specific approach to education, the learner-centred approach, which is of particular relevance to gaming because it requires teachers to do the following:</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. Create environments in which learners are encouraged to discover and explore concepts and skills;<br /></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">2. Adopt an approach which recognises the need for cognitive development, through encouraging thinking, problem solving, fantasy and creativity;<br /></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">3. Accept that learners are all different, that they prefer a variety of ways of learning and expressing themselves, and that merely listening to the teacher does not work for many learners;<br /></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;">4. Develop ways for learners to be active, physically, cognitively and emotionally by creating activities that are fun, challenging and relevant to their lives in the real world outside of the classroom;<br /></span>  </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Encourage motivation in learners through their own enthusiasm and involvement, and through creating activities which are naturally engaging.</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOSTo6AGefde-yl2wfrS7F6lK_C3YlaqFbcrdqkaZbJY7zmwXUvYxn4NWaM7QNdijQpYTaak3iz6UNtw0jjZJiamGFtU8bjNfpU_P6sSGznVNMzU9JZuRr3YlYbzlZ5unqterVbG-qco/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTG4e8TaoLmvXhtZETdnC0KcE9cyoCMDmde4n3K_yRgqfyoH9EAPjh0oYiyRO4JACg2Yd0M1buPyolvmIAekAj392RkMmVQMPbYB05x1xukPLdhv55LXTmXyMDRItm1EOvWi1_wgGkrU/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="331" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Learning through play</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The dedicated teachers at Lakeside guided by their Deputy Head, Karen Kirsten and their Foundation Phase Head, Dian Ogle, readily addressed these challenges throughout the 2011 academic year and found numerous ways of enlivening the learning experiences that they developed for their classrooms. Teachers and senior management reported that learning through play is the most effective for this age group and that, “… <i>this learning increases their intrinsic and cognitive understanding of aspects of the curriculum. The use of this gaming technology has aroused their interest and it has energised the classroom atmosphere</i>.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn1_6776" name="_ftnref1_6776">[1]</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUmg6PVRZ9_ys_9NBTJhas-9j-Dt2Vt8Xi4wYzJ4Oza5wKYQb0Q7twzz4sbuG_ZgAJztXBzyFjv1yh6UrxS9Em7IcdJlywSqbJZ_KoW7EwuCjSoR6XTqWAQuaV0yA1QLh2bbmTwNib7Q/s1600-h/image%25255B11%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuK3s1o7qDphS6s1cy-nod5Cw_CY3Lv7hfhU-GL8H3QGq7bsp4NrXpax4_QV8UB900p57SEL_d9_dRnpX6ATFMUfcZezluCohlxnEycCSiOuWpYUxI10Wjkpq6eapzMzDhlhYP1E9v_FY/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="301" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The reason why this pilot project chose to focus on improving second language English literacy was because the use of English as the language of teaching and learning (LOTL) is problematic in South Africa, a country with eleven official languages where low levels of English language competence characterise many rural primary schools. SchoolNet SA was commissioned by Microsoft to test the hypothesis that English language skills of primary school learners could improve through exposure to English while using Xbox Kinect gaming technology.</span></span>  <br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Language concerns at rural schools</span></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are two language concerns at Lakeside Primary. Firstly there is a dissimilarity </span><span style="font-size: small;">between the formal LOTL and the language used for social interaction. In contrast to formal language used in the classroom which in this school is English from Grade 1, the language used in the playground is isiZulu and this is mainly oral and informal. Secondly, and obviously, proficiency in formal cognitive academic language  takes longer to acquire than it does in informal social discourse.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvlHhWWCaC2LEFDboGq3KrVvLxyx-60nrKcJGY25PHi1gW6qmCzetGFZuLx8ljd1Du2l26DqxNj4v_16vT0pjfQjJf6r9czy4drJhyphenhyphenFIXBSWfs99YiLMKR8z2XKx1XiAuXZKhnORtGMg/s1600-h/image%25255B14%25255D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJdYIq_h1QexRFt1myDs1cTCXyrb3jR1ip-zrlr1T7xX92DFWI22vq-CyBf3JiCYlW9Cj3k26EZ4szWfZtJPZwR9-apq4Yn9GbYWCzf-tG8-h-gW8mOGw5_Gpa8iCUTyB_pWb7wli5sQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="273" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Findings  </b></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">1. The evaluation for this project used a mixed method approach combining quantitive as well as qualitative instruments. One might be forgiven for assuming that the games played by learners could only affect their oral use of English and not impact on levels of reading or other literacies, especially as there is very little reading involved in the playing of most of the Kinect games. On the contrary the evaluators found that the reading age of all learners improved during the course of the year.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn2_6776" name="_ftnref2_6776">[2]</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> While this might be expected the study surprisingly found that it was not only the language and literacy skills of learners that improved but numeracy levels as well as their understanding of general knowledge were reported as having also improved. </span><span style="font-size: small;">The study noted:</span></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i>“There is a marked change in the levels of competency of the foundation phase learners. A comparison between assessment aggregates of 2010 and 2011 shows that there is a distinct movement of learners away from Level 1 (Not Achieved). This concerns both numeracy and literacy irrespective of grade.” <a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn3_6776" name="_ftnref3_6776"><b>[3]</b></a></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> </b></i></span>  </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Microsoft’s Xbox used at Lakeside Primary video</b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qsZ-SYZtwos?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2</span><span style="font-size: small;">. Teachers who specialise in reading skills readily appreciate that the more opportunities learners have of hearing words and being able to sound them out aloud the more benefit there is for their actual reading skills. The evaluation report notes that some teachers who focused on phonics teaching at Lakeside were able to harness the potential of the technology, and noted that “increased word recognition filters into improved sentence structures which increases their self-confidence and eventually intensifies their willingness to read a book and join the library.” <a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn4_6776" name="_ftnref4_6776">[4]</a></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>   <span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. The researchers documented another finding over and above the impact on literacy by reporting that an increase in general knowledge assisted the learners to “unlock the curriculum”. The study found an that an important additional benefit of the Xbox was <br /></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“an increase of general knowledge of learners, a very crucial factor taking into account the socio-economic background and the limited access that most of these learners have concerning multi-media…. Through this improved general knowledge, learners gain a better grasp of what the content of the curriculum is trying to teach them.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn5_6776" name="_ftnref5_6776"><b>[5]</b></a></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. The evaluation report further documents that teachers detailed “<i>the enthusiasm that learners were showing for the learning process, their eagerness to improve their general knowledge so that they could understand the context within which the curriculum was implemented.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn6_6776" name="_ftnref6_6776"><b>[6]</b></a></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Kinect allows learners to play a variety of sport, “edutainment” and instructive games using body movements and voice. Unlike other gaming consols such as the Nintendo Wii there are no remote controls with Kinect. Instead sensors replicate motions via an on-screen avatar – the player’s ‘mirror image’. Teachers had reported that learners, especially shy learners, normally take many months to speak even in their home language whereas while playing the Xbox games within a short period learners were calling out without inhibition - and in English. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6. If a school has connectivity then the Xbox Kinect console allows the TV screen to become a normal internet browser that can be used for an infinite range of activities of educational value. The cost of an Xbox and a TV is not high when one considers that six classrooms can be equipped with Xbox Kinect technology for the same cost or less than one traditional computer lab. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">7. The evaluation study records an overall marked improvement in vocabulary which in turn impacted on comprehension and overal literacy skills, </span> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“The incorporation of the XBOX within the literacy curriculum focuses on improving the vocabulary of the learners. Through this improvement, learners can express themselves better which results in an improved comprehension which in turn influences the grammar and the sentence structure of the learners.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftn7_6776" name="_ftnref7_6776"><b>[7]</b></a></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>  </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">8. At the end of 2011 there was an announcement that National Geographic, Microsoft and Sesame Street had partnered on creating specifically tailored episodes of <b><i>Kinect Nat Geo TV</i></b>, and <b><i>Kinect Sesame Street TV</i> </b>for Xbox Live. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of these educational games in South Africa as we believe that they could further enhace the use of the Xbox as an educational tool.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span> </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Further needs for this project</b></span> </div><br /><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SchoolNet South Africa believes that a courageous and innovative funder could make a significant impact on the educational environment in some of the poorest and most under resourced primary schools in the country by sponsoring the scaling of this Xbox pilot project to other schools. The impact on teacher and learner morale is immeasurable.</span> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref1_6776" name="_ftn1_6776">[1]</a> Mindset Learn and Verbeeks Education Specialists cc <b><i>Impact Evaluation Report</i></b> November 2011  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref2_6776" name="_ftn2_6776">[2]</a> Ibid p.6 and p.55  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref3_6776" name="_ftn3_6776">[3]</a> Ibid p.6 and p.55  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref4_6776" name="_ftn4_6776">[4]</a> Ibid p.32  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref5_6776" name="_ftn5_6776">[5]</a> Ibid p.7  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref6_6776" name="_ftn6_6776">[6]</a> Ibid. p.9  <br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/Fiona/Dropbox/1%29%20A%20SCHOOLNET/ADMIN/#_ftnref7_6776" name="_ftn7_6776">[7]</a> Ibid.p.50    </div>

Schoolnet completes a study on the use of Xbox Kinect to improve literacy scores – interesting findings…

case study Guest post Literacy Microsoft Schoolnet completes a study on the use of Xbox Kinect to improve literacy scores – interesting findings…

This report is given by Janet Thomson the Executive Director of SchoolNetSA in South Africa. The study used Microsoft Xbox Kinect gaming in a primary school in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal to investigate its effect on second language English Literacy. Th…

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Schoolnet completes a study on the use of Xbox Kinect to improve literacy scores – interesting findings…

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