Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Infographics On Diwali
I’m adding these infographics to The Best Sites For Learning About Diwali: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
More On Schools Providing Home Computers & Internet Access To Students
Here are two important additions to The Best Resources For Learning About Schools Providing Home Computers & Internet Access To Students: Comcast Internet Essentials for low-income families doesn’t include wi-fi is from The Hechinger Report. Here’s a listing of various programs designed to provide low-cost Internet service.
Interview With Michelle Henry Of Ressources Pour Le College En Anglais
Last month, I posted The Best Three Sites On The Web For ESL/EFL/ELL/ELT Teachers. I’ve since interviewed the people behind each of those sites, and will be publishing them over the next few weeks. Last week I published my interview with David Deubelbeiss, the founder of EFL Classroom 2.0 Today, we’ll hear from Michelle Henry from Ressources Pour Le College En Anglais: LF: Can you share a little
“Response: Helping Students Develop a Desire To Read At Home”
Response: Helping Students Develop a Desire To Read At Home is my latest post over at Education Week Teacher. It includes responses from Donalyn Miller and Myron Dueck, and I throw in my own ideas.
The Best Resources For Learning About Teens In The News
After all the attention — deserved — shown recently to Malala Yousafzai, I thought I’d quickly put together a list of resources on other potential teen role models in the news. You might also be interested in: The Best Resources On Malala Yousafzai I also have a number of resources on young mountain climbers at The Best Sites For Learning About Mount Everest. Here are some other useful materials:
If You Want To Write A Book, Or If You Are Teaching Writing, Then “Writer’s Success Academy” Is A Must-See Site
I’m a big fan of author/educator Alan Sitomer (you can see my interview with him here). And, of course, my students love his books. Today, he has unveiled a free site to help others who are interested in writing a book, and it’s called Writer’s Success Academy. In addition to being an incredible resource for potential book-writers, many of its materials are great classroom resources for teaching
Wow! What A Treasure Trove Of Infographics
Information Is Beautiful, the world’s premiere resource for infographics, has just announced their 2013 Longlist for infographic and interactive awards. It’s an amazing collection. You might also be interested in last year’s nominees, too.
Infographic: Halloween Spending
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Websites For Learning About Halloween:
“Dream School” Reality Show Is Awful In So Many Ways….
Today, Alexander Russo posted about what has to be one of the worst ideas of the year — a new series on the Sundance Channel called “Dream School.” Here’s the awful trailer: I’m not even going to say anything more because Rachel Nobel has already said all that needs to be said over at a post on Ed Wize. You really need to go over and read the entire post, but here’s an excerpt: this show seems t
Creating Vine Videos With English Language Learners
I’ve previously posted a number of resources about using the video apps Vine and Instagram in the classroom (see The Best Resources For Learning To Use The Video App “Vine”). Today, I had my Beginning English Language Learners try it out, and it went great! We used the videos as a formative assessment to determine their understanding of new vocabulary, and they loved creating them. And it was so
Infographic: “Are You Ready for a Natural Disaster?”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Websites For Learning About Natural Disasters: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
OCT 17
Research Studies Of The Week
I often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature: A recent study wa
This Week In Web 2.0
In yet another attempt to get at the enormous backlog I have of sites worth sharing, I’ve recently begin a regular feature called “The Week In Web 2.0.” It’ll be a short compilation of new decent sites that are worth noting, but maybe not necessarily worth a separate post and generally — though not always — not worthy of being on a “The Best…” list (let me know if you think I’m wrong in my assess
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here are some relatively recent good posts and articles on education policy issues: The Value Added & Growth Score Train Wreck is Here is from School Finance 101. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Value-Added” Approach Towards Teacher Evaluation. John Merrow has some interesting thoughts on NBC’s “Education Nation.” The Glossary of Education Reform is: a comprehensiv
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
I’ve started a somewhat regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention: Writing bingo is a very creative lesson plan from Sandy Millin. I’m adding it to The Best Websites For K-12 Writing Instruction/Reinforcement. Ana Maria Menezes blogs about the mini “sister class” project my students are
This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t” – October
I have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in this blog but, just because of time constraints, have not gotten around to doing. Instead of letting that backlog grow bigger, I regularly grab a few and list them here with a minimal description. It forces me to look through these older links, and help me organize them for my own use. I hope others will find them helpful
Resources From All My Blogs
In addition to this blog, I regularly post at several other sites: Engaging Parents In School: Weekly Posts At Classroom Q & A With Larry Ferlazzo: Weekly Posts At The New York Times Learning Network on Teaching English Language Learners: Periodic Posts at Edutopia: All My Class Blogs: Class Blog: Beginner & Intermediate ELD Class Blog: ESL/EFL Student Showcase Class Blog: Intermediate EL
OCT 16
Resources From All My Blogs
In addition to this blog, I regularly post at several other sites: Engaging Parents In School: Weekly Posts At Classroom Q & A With Larry Ferlazzo: Weekly Posts At The New York Times Learning Network on Teaching English Language Learners: Periodic Posts at Edutopia: All My Class Blogs: Class Blog: Beginner & Intermediate ELD Class Blog: ESL/EFL Student Showcase Class Blog: Intermediate EL
“How Can We Help Students Develop A Desire To Read At Home?”
How Can We Help Students Develop A Desire To Read At Home? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave your responses there or here in the comments….
Infographic: “Halloween Pop-Costume Index”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Websites For Learning About Halloween: by lglynn. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Excellent Infographic On The UN Universal Declaration Of Human Rights
I’ve previously posted about how I use the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and other resources, in a lesson on the Bill of Rights. Zen Pencils has just created this excellent infographic of the Declaration — with simplified language — which is a great resources for that kind of lesson. I’ve embedded it below, but don’t think it will come through on an RSS Reader: I’m adding it to The
OCT 15
Trust Can Have A Pretty Powerful Impact In The Classroom
I’ll Take 90% Student Engagement Over 100% “Compliance” — Any Day has been my most popular post of the year so far, and was reprinted in The Washington Post as Getting students to engage — not just comply. In that post, I describe the weekly reading log that I have students complete about their reading at home, and how I specifically do not ask them to have their parents sign it — student signatu
October’s (2013) Best Tweets — Part Three
Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post. If you don’t use Twit
Happy Fourth Birthday To The New York Times Learning Network!
The New York Times Learning Network celebrated their fourth birthday today by publishing a very useful listing of their most popular posts. The Learning Network is a great resource, and I’m not just saying that because I write a weekly post for them on teaching English Language Learners
Excellent Education Week Feature: “Inside Classroom Management”
Inside Classroom Management: Ideas and Solutions is a special feature from Education Week Teacher. It includes videos, interviews, columns — you name it. Most can just be clicked-on, though a few require free registration to access. It looks pretty impressive. You might also be interested in My Best Posts On Classroom Management, not to mention my new Ed Week book, Classroom Management Q&As:
Interview With David Deubelbeiss From EFL Classroom 2.0
Last month, I posted The Best Three Sites On The Web For ESL/EFL/ELL/ELT Teachers. I’ve since interviewed the people behind each of those sites, and will be publishing them over the next few weeks. I’m beginning with David Deubelbeiss, the founder of EFL Classroom 2.0: LF: I interviewed you about three years ago. Would you mind quickly reviewing some of the things you mentioned then, particularl
OCT 14
More Student Resources On The Debt Ceiling
Here are new additions to The Best Resources For Understanding The Debt Ceiling: Republicans and Obama in debt crisis talks is a Breaking News English lesson. Here’s a video from The Washington Post: Here’s a video from The New York Times:
“Response: The Best Advice On Doing Project-Based Learning”
Response: The Best Advice On Doing Project-Based Learning is my latest post over at Education Week Teacher. Suzie Boss provides the primary guest response, along with many suggestions from readers.
More Columbus Day Resources
Here are new additions to The Best Online Resources About Christopher Columbus: Columbus Activities from The Zinn Education Project. The New York Times Learning Network has a number of Columbus lessons. Christopher Columbus: 3 things you think he did that he didn’t is from Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post. Here’s an online Columbus game.
Video: Using This Excellent Optical Illusion To Teach English
I’ve previously written how I use illusions and magic as language learning activities. Here’s another great illusion that can be used in the same way, and that students will love:
OCT 13
October’s Infographics & Interactives Galore — Part Two
There are just so many good infographics and interactives out there that I’ve begun a new semi-regular feature called “Infographics & Interactives Galore.” You can see others at A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Infographics and by searching “infographics” on this blog. I’ll still be publishing separate posts to individually highlight especially useful infographics and interactives, but you
Here’s What I’m Using As An External Microphone For My iPhone5
As most teachers know, the internal microphone in any iPhone just doesn’t cut it for student presentations – the audio is too weak. I had found a great external mike that worked perfectly with my iPhone 4, but, no matter what the manufacturer might claim, it doesn’t work with my iPhone 5. After a lengthy search, I concluded that Rode Smartlav Lavalier Microphone for iPhone and Smartphones would w
Terrific World Food Day Resources
The PBS News Hour has collaborated with the U.N. World Food Programme to create some terrific resources for World Food Day on October 16th. I’m very impressed with what they come up with, including all their multimedia resources. I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About World Food Day.
Search Engines For English Language Learners
I’ve just updated The Best Search Engines For ESL/EFL Learners. Additional suggestions are welcome….
Important New Articles On Bullying
Some pretty useful, and important, articles have come out on the topic of bullying over the past couple of days. I’m adding these to A Very, Very Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Bullying: Bullying prevention from the ground up is by Jim Dillon at Smart Blogs. Bullying Prevention Programs May Have Negative Impact: Study is from The Huffington Post. Anti-Bullying Programs Could Be a Waste
Voice Of America Redesigns & Enhances Their “Learning English” Site — Again!
Less than a year after dramatically improving their learning English site (see my post, Wow! Voice Of America Dramatically Redesigns & Expands Its Learning English Features), Voice Of America has done it again! The navigation appears cleaner and much of the content seems the same. However, the main addition I found — and it’s a nice one — is that they have divided many of their radio broadcast
Video: Shopper Tangles With Wrong Dog In Parking Lot
This would be a good video to show English Language Learners and have them describe (verbally and in writing) what happened:
“‘Teacherpreneurs Can Lead Reforms’: An Interview With Barnett Berry”
‘Teacherpreneurs Can Lead Reforms’: An Interview With Barnett Berry is my new post over at Education Week Teacher. You might also be interested in The Best Resources On Being A Teacherpreneur. And, while you’re at it, check out this video about The Center For Teaching Quality (which Barnett directs) project, The Collaboratory:
OCT 12
New Study Says That Half Of “Evidence-Based Practices” In Writing Instruction Not “Signaled” By Common Core
One day after I posted the last in a three part Education Week Teacher series on teaching writing in the context of the Common Core Standards, a study was released suggesting that over one-half of “evidence-based practices” in writing instruction are not “signaled” in those standards. This is a quote from one of the researchers in Sarah Sparks’ article about the study in Education Week: “Standard
My New Book On Classroom Management & Student Engagement Is Doing Well…
The Education Week “landing page” for the book, with links to Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble, is here….
A Collection Of Tornado Videos
I’m adding these videos to The Best Resources For Learning About Tornadoes:
A Collection Of Hurricane Videos
Here are some videos I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning About Hurricanes:
Helping Students Learn About Their Names
I’ve just updated The Best Places For Students To Learn About…Their Names. More suggestions are welcome…
This “Waiting Game” Video From Sesame Street Is PERFECT Follow-Up To Learning About The Marshmallow Test
I’ve written extensively in my books and in this blog about the lessons I use with students to help them want to develop more self-control. And I’ve also shared new videos from Sesame Street highlighting their emphasis on teaching self-control, grit, and respect this season. My high school students love the Sesame Street videos, which I use as a short “refresher” during the year after we do our in
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
I’ve started a somewhat regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention: Understanding Language from Stanford has just released a number of resources for ELLs and the Math Common Core Standards. I’m adding them to The Best Resources For Learning About Common Core Standards & English Langu
Google To Start Using Our Words & Faces In Ads — Here’s How To Opt Out
Google has announced it will be starting to use the faces and words of users in advertisements. Here’s an excerpt from a New York Times article about it: When the new ad policy goes live on Nov. 11, Google will be able to show what the company calls shared endorsements on Google sites and across the Web, on the more than two million sites in Google’s display advertising network, which are viewed