Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Video: “Think Back: America’s Immigration Debate”
Think Back: America’s Immigration Debate is a new short video from The New York Times. It describes past efforts to restrict immigration to the United States. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Immigration In The United States:
YESTERDAY
Video From NASA: “Canyon of Fire on the Sun”
NASA describes this video as “Canyon of Fire on the Sun.” You can learn more about what that means over at The Atlantic. I’m adding it to The Best Images Taken In Space:
The Role Of Technology In Progressive Social Change
As regular readers know, I was a community organizer for nineteen years before becoming a high school teacher ten years ago. So I have a keen interest in thinking about, writing about and actually Building Influence & Creating Social Change. An element of this topic is the role of technology in building power for progressive social change. I tend to align more (though not completely) with Mal
Infographic: “50 Awesome Facts About Languages”
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Hypocrisy & Eli Broad
The Los Angeles Times reports that Eli Broad, a big-time funder of school reform efforts and a public supporter of increasing taxes on the wealthy, also secretly contributed big-time ($1 million) towards efforts to defeat an initiative in California last year that raised taxes on the wealthy to fund schools (it ended up winning). He wouldn’t comment, but it does appear to be the latest example of
“Cesar Chavez National Historic Park is in the works”
Cesar Chavez National Historic Park is in the works is an article in Los Angeles Times: Here’s an excerpt: The National Park Service on Thursday announced plans to establish the Cesar Chavez National Historic Park, to recognize the achievements of the activist and the farm labor movement he led. I’m adding this info to The Best Sites For Learning About Cesar Chavez.
OCT 24
L.A. Superintendent To Resign — That Makes Two Out Of Eight Who Received The NCLB Waiver
The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles Schools Superintendent John Deasy has resigned, effective in February. Our Superintendent, Jonathan Raymond, also just resigned, effective next month. So, now, two Superintendents out of the eight who have brought the debacle of the NCLB waiver two months ago have resigned mid-year (see The Best Posts & Articles On The NCLB Waiver Given To Eight
“Using the “Fun Factor” To Encourage Student Reading at Home”
Using the “Fun Factor” To Encourage Student Reading at Home is the final post in my three-part Education Week series on encouraging students to read at home. In it, I’m highlighting a guest response from educator/author Nancy Steineke , as well as comments from many readers.
Quote Of The Day: “Do student test scores provide solid basis to evaluate teachers?”
Do student test scores provide solid basis to evaluate teachers? is an article from Stanford’s Graduate School of Education that reports on new research by Edward Haertel, emeritus professor of education. The professor recently published a report on the use of Value Added Measures. Here’s an excerpt: I’m adding this info to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Value-Added” Approach Towards
Photo: What Should A Professional Learning Community Discussion Look Like, Sound Like, Feel Like?
Some of my colleagues attended a training at our district office yesterday, and one of the questions discussed was: “What should an academic discussion in class look like, sound like and feel like? My good friend and co-author Katie Hull Sypnieski suggested that, in addition to using this question as an exercise in a class, it could also be applied to discussions when educators meet. Every Wednesd
Terrific New Videos: Using English “Sister Classes” From Throughout The World In Our ELL Geography Class
Earlier this month, I posted videos my Beginning/Intermediate ELL Geography class made asking questions to English classes in Brazil and invited other classes from throughout the world to participate, too (see Do You Teach An English Class Outside The U.S. & Want To Have Your Students Answer Our Questions About Your Country?). Terrific things have happened since that time, including the fact
OCT 23
Even More Halloween Resources
Here are even more new additions to The Best Websites For Learning About Halloween: The British Council has some great Halloween resources here and here. Giant Pumpkins Compete in Weigh-Off is a Wall Street Journal slideshow. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
October’s (2013) Best Tweets — Part Four
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
Wide Angle’s “Video Bank” Is An Excellent Social Studies Resource
Thanks to my talented colleague, Elisabeth Johnson, I’ve learned about “Wide Angle: Window Into Global History,” a project of Channel Thirteen in New York. It has a collection of multimedia social studies lessons and a “video bank,” which I think is particularly impressive. The videos are divided by themes (power, conflict, migrations, etc.) and each video has suggested guiding classroom question
The Best Resources For Learning About The Fires In Australia
Some pretty terrible fires are happening in Australia right now, and, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be an uncommon occurrence. I’ve previously compiled “Best” lists on other fires there — earlier this year and in 2009. They also had flooding in 2011. On a more positive note, I’ve also posted The Best Sites To Learn About Australia. I’ll be adding this newest list to A Compilation Of “The Best
OCT 22
Infographic: “The World According To Desserts”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Video: Stephen Colbert Takes On Computers Grading Essays
I’m definitely adding this video clip from Stephen Colbert to The Best Posts On Computer-Graded Essays. Thanks to Valerie Strauss for the tip.
Stop The Presses! Thomas Friedman Actually Writes Something Semi-Coherent About Education
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is infamous for his uninformed pieces on education though, fortunately, he doesn’t seem to write about the topic as his colleague, David Brooks, who is equally off-base. In today’s column, The Shanghai Secret, he talks about a visit he made to Shanghai schools with Wendy Kopp of Teach For America. Though I’m not sure I’d make Shanghai my first stop to see
“Put The Gun In My Hand” — Stories Of Teacher Bravery
Yesterday, close to Sacramento in Sparks, Nevada, another teacher lost his life protecting students: Student Jose Cazares said he was hanging out with friends when they heard what they thought were firecrackers. He said he saw a boy shoot two students. He said the boy then aimed the gun at his chest, but Landsberry stepped between him and the shooter. “He was telling him to stop and put the gun do
“Response: Getting Students to Read at Home by ‘Building a Daily Habit’”
Response: Getting Students to Read at Home by ‘Building a Daily Habit’ is my latest post over at Education Week Teacher. It includes guest responses from educators Dina Strasser and Ariel Sacks.
Making Instagram Videos With English Language Learners
Last week, I posted the vocabulary videos made by some of English Language Learners using Twitter’s Vine video app. Today, we tried doing the same with Instagram’s video feature, and we all liked it a lot better. It gives you fifteen instead of seven seconds and, if you make a mistake in one “scene” you can easily erase that scene instead of having to start all over again. Like Vine, it will auto
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: The Reading Teacher is from TEFL Geek and offers some helpful advice on teaching…reading. English Page is a new site to me, and it has scores of tutorials and interactive grammar exercises. The British Council offers some f
OCT 21
Teaching About Autumn
Here are new additions to The Best Sites For Images Of Fall Foliage (& For Teaching About The Season): Autumn is gorgeous the world over is a great photo gallery from The Week. 10 Idioms Linked To The Vocabulary of Autumn is from The World Is Your Oyster. Fall Is In The Air is a photo gallery from The Atlantic.
Student Interactive On The Importance Of Learning From Mistakes
My latest New York Times post for English Language Learners is on pronouns, learning from mistakes, and J.K. Rowling. It includes a student interactive and teaching ideas…. I’m adding it to The Best Posts, Articles & Videos About Learning From Mistakes & Failures.
OCT 20
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: Your Brain Cells S
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
Quote Of The Day: “Why Do Teachers Quit?”
Why Do Teachers Quit? is an interesting article in The Atlantic. Here’s an excerpt: I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles About The Importance Of Teacher (& Student) Working Conditions.
More Resources On Brazil
Here are new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About Brazil: Pickup Soccer in Brazil Has an Allure All Its Own is from The New York Times. World Cup 2014: Brazil’s stadiums – interactive is from The Guardian. Here’s a great Prezi created by my talented colleague Elisabeth Johnson. Bear in mind her comment: “I created a Prezi to introduce Brazil because I don’t think our kids realize how pre
Updated Schedule For K-12 Online Conference
I’ve been posting about the upcoming K-12 Online Conference (I’ll be giving a keynote for it next week). Now, you can see an updated schedule. And it sure looks impressive!
More Halloween Resources
Here are new additions to my already lengthy The Best Websites For Learning About Halloween: Where Did the Fear of Poisoned Halloween Candy Come From? is from Smithsonian Magazine. Hidden Spirits: Paranormal Investigation Halloween Game is from The History Channel. Three Cats in Halloween is an online video game. Here is it’s Walkthrough.
Infographic: “Modern Slavery”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
Great Video Clips For ELLs: “The 25 Most Suspenseful Movies Ever Made”
Flavorwire has just posted The 25 Most Suspenseful Movies Ever Made – with video clips! Some wouldn’t be appropriate for classroom use, but many would be great to show English Language Learners and use the various instructional strategies that I talk about in The Best Movie Scenes To Use For English-Language Development. Here’s one: Thanks to Michelle Henry for the tip.
OCT 19
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