Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Here’s What I’m Having My ELL Geography Students Do As Their Semester “Final”
Our Winter Break ends on Monday, and our first semester comes to an end in two weeks. As regular readers know, one of my classes is a Geography class for Intermediate English Language Learners, and I thought I’d share with readers what I plan on having them do as a “final.” This final obviously builds on what we’ve studied in class, including all the work we’ve done with “sister classes” around t
From The Archives: The Best Post I’ve Ever Written…
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Videotaping teachers the right way (not the Gates way) is a piece I wrote for The Washington Post, and I continue to believe it’s the best thing I’ve ever written. Let me know what you think… Here’s an excerpt:
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 Common Core Is Tough on Kids Who Are Still Learning English is from The Atlantic. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Common Core Standards & English Language Learners. Common Core Standards for E
Study: “How Stories Get Into Your Brain”
A new study reinforces previous ones that have found the cognitive and emotional impacts reading can have on us — besides just the literacy and content knowledge we gain. You can read about those previous studies at The Best Resources On “Becoming What We Read.” This new study showed — through brain scans — how reading makes our brain feel like we are part of the story: ‘The neural changes that w
More On New Year’s Resolutions
Here are even more additions to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed: How To Keep Your Resolutions is from The New York Times. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
“How Teachers and Parents Work Together for Student Success”
How Teachers and Parents Work Together for Student Success is a useful article from NEA Today. Here’s an excerpt: If you show a willingness to learn more about your students from their parents, then they’ll be more willing to work with you throughout the school year. Show an interest in them, and they’ll return the favor. Mellanay Auman, a middle school language arts teacher, uses the beginning of
“Avoiding the Midwinter ‘Back to School’ Slump”
Avoiding the Midwinter ‘Back to School’ Slump offers good advice to both parents and teachers, and couldn’t be more timely! It’s by Jessica Lahey, and appears in The Mother Lode blog at The New York Times.
“Parents and Relationships “
Parents and Relationships is the title of a very good post by Steve Vessey, Superintendent of the Beaver Dam Unified School District. I’m adding it to The Best Sources Of Parent Engagement Advice For Teachers.
JAN 01
“Is Parental Input the Key to Healthy Student Eating Habits?”
Is Parental Input the Key to Healthy Student Eating Habits? is a good explanation and analysis of a recent study that showed sending home “report cards” on student lunch eating habits caused them to eat healthier. I just wonder, though, if instead of that, or “twinned” with such a report, some non-preachy lessons on the impact of good nutrition might be a less “behaviorist” way of improving studen
“New Schools Chancellor Stresses ‘Fun’ and Parent Communication”
The New York City public schools have had a long history of problems engaging parents. The new Chancellor, however, promises to change that. Here’s an excerpt from The New York Post’s article, New Schools Chancellor Stresses ‘Fun’ and Parent Communication: Ms. Fariña emphasized the need to treat parents as partners, not adversaries–a frequent critique of the outgoing Bloomberg administration. She
DEC 31
“Ways to Use Technology to Engage With Parents”
Ways To Use Technology To Engage With Parents is a useful short article at EdTechReview. I’m adding it to A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On Using Technology To Help Engage Parents.
“Closing The ‘Word Gap’ Between Rich And Poor”
Closing The ‘Word Gap’ Between Rich And Poor is from NPR. It doesn’t add anything new to the resources on The Best Resources For Learning About The “Word Gap,” so I’m not even going to add it there. It does, however, indicate that interest in the “word gap” is gaining steam. It will be interesting to see where it goes…
DEC 30 2013
New AP Article “Teachers find home visits help in the classroom”
Teachers find home visits help in the classroom is a good article from the Associated Press. Here’s an excerpt: “We’ve figured out a way for people to sit down outside the regular school and have the most important conversation that needs to happen,” said Carrie Rose, executive director of the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project in the California capital. The K-12 program began in 1999 as a faith-ba
DEC 29 2013
Infographic: “Ways A Parent Can Help With Math”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools:
Great Video: “Come Along on a Home Visit”
A Sacramento TV news station did this great short segment on the Parent-Teacher Home Visit Project. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Teacher Home Visits and to The Best Videos On Parent Engagement.
DEC 28 2013
Video: “21st Century School Libraries, Parent Engagement and Student Achievement”
21st Century School Libraries, Parent Engagement and Student Achievement is the title of an interactive video that the Ontario Library Association has created. You can see it here. Here’s how they describe it: [The video] empowers parents to support school libraries and thus encourage reading engagement and information literacy with their children. It contains information on how parents can suppor
From The Archives: “The Importance Of Being Unprincipled”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting a piece I wrote for The Washington Post titled The Importance Of Being Unprincipled (as I say in the post, the title is borrowed from an essay read by community organizers). Here’s an ex
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here are some recent useful posts and articles on education policy issues: Torlakson calls for giving school districts more money for Common Core is from Ed Source, and talks about what might happen here in California. Exemplary Teacher Evaluation, Part 1 is by Grant Wiggins. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Effective Student & Teacher Assessments. Working for Superman:
“Gibbon” Is An Easy Tool For Creating Internet Scavenger Hunts
Gibbon lets you easily create what they call “flows,” which are basically lists of web resources with instructions written by the flow’s creator. I think Gibbon has ambitious plans but, for teachers, it’s an easy tool for teachers to create Internet scavenger hunts for students and for students to create them for their classmates. I’m adding it to The Best Places To Create (And Find) Internet Sca
Twitter Discussion: “Data, Tests & ‘Teacher Accountability’”
An interesting discussion on data, tests and “teacher accountability” has taken place on Twitter over the past day or so. Here are some selected tweets from it I thought readers might find useful/interesting… I didn’t put them in chronological order; instead, I tried to list them in a way that the conversation made the most sense — tweets were going back-and-fourth over the course of twenty-four h
Two Final Interactives On New Year’s
I’m adding the first interactive to The Best Sites For Learning About New Year Celebrations and the second to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed: by kristw. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually. by michelleink88. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community –
“Simon’s Cat” Videos Are Perfect For English Language Learners
As regular readers know, I’m a big fan of using short video clips with English Language Learners as a language-development activity (you can read more at The Best Popular Movies/TV Shows For ESL/EFL (& How To Use Them) ). One of my favorite instructional strategies is called “Back To The Screen,” which I adapted from Zero Prep: Ready To Go Activities For The Language Classroom by Laurel Polla
“How Can We Best Engage Families?”
How Can We Best Engage Families? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher blog. You can leave your responses in the comments section here or there….
JAN 02
From The Archives “Helping Students Motivate Themselves”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting an excerpt from my book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves, that appeared in Education Week nearly three years ago. That piece, too, was titled Helping Students Motivate Themselves. H
Special Edition Of “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. This week, though,
This Week’s New Yorker Cover Says So Much About How We See The World…
And it’s perfect for when we study perception in Theory of Knowledge class: This New Yorker cover says so much about how we see the world pic.twitter.com/VtkyhcBdYR — Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) January 3, 2014
Infographic: “Five Simple Questions”
Here’s a great infographic I’m adding to The Best Posts & Articles About Asking Good Questions: 5 Simple Questions Lead to #StudentEngagement | info from @edutopia & Rebecca Adler art & graphics from @LanceFuhrer pic.twitter.com/GtbRZ3Mc9S — Mark Kolkman (@mkolkman) November 24, 2013
Januarys Best Tweets — Part One
Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I 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 Twitter, yo
Yay! PBS Unveils Third In Series Of Best Online U.S. History Games Out There
Each year for the past two years I’ve posted about a new online “choose your own adventure” U.S. History game created by Mission US, which is funded by the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment For The Humanities. First, there was one on the American Revolution, then on slavery. They’ve just unveiled a third one in the series, this one focusing on Native Americans, and i
From The Archives: “Let’s Do Less ‘Fire, Ready, Aim’”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m sharing an article I wrote for The Huffington Post over three years ago where I take issue with advice from Seth Grodin where he basically says that if you have an idea you want to try, and it meets
‘Flipped Learning Makes Teachers More Valuable’
‘Flipped Learning Makes Teachers More Valuable’ is the second part of my Education Week Teacher series on the flipped classroom. It includes responses from educators Jonathan Bergmann and Troy Cockrum, along with comments from readers. Here’s an excerpt:
JAN 01
Quote Of The Day: “2014 Resolution: Stop Watching Feel-Good Teacher Movies”
2014 Resolution: Stop Watching Feel-Good Teacher Movies is an excellent article in The Atlantic. I have several other similar indictments of how teachers are often portrayed in film that can be found at The Best Places To Learn About (And View Video Clips Of) Teachers In The Movies, but Joshua John Mackin really does do an exceptional job in this article (including making ed policy connections). H
Great Flow Chart For Making New Year’s Resolutions
Journalist and author Charles Duhigg (read my interview with him at Education Week) has posted a great flow chart on making New Year’s resolutions. I’m embedding a small image below, but you probably want to go directly to his site. I’m adding it to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed.
Start Off The New Year With This Excellent Classroom Advice
I’ve written a lot about Marvin Marshall’s positive classroom management advice. Here are a couple of his recent posts that I think are particularly good to reflect on as we begin a new year: One is titled Relationships Reduce Discipline Problems. It emphasizes the importance of relationships and shares a number of questions we should ask ourselves. Here’s a small sampling: Dr. Phelps Wilkins, fo
“How To Make Better Mistakes”
I’ve written a lot about the value in teachers and students making mistakes — and learning from them. In fact, you can find all my posts about that topic in The Best Posts, Articles & Videos About Learning From Mistakes & Failures. This week, writer Daniel Coyle wrote a good post I’m adding to that list titled How To Make Better Mistakes. Here’s an excerpt:
Arne Duncan Strikes Again: “U.S. education officials lobbied against Starr for New York City schools post”
The Washington Post reports that U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan lobbied the new New York City mayor to not hire Montgomery Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr as the city’s next schools chancellor (see “U.S. education officials lobbied against Starr for New York City schools post“). You can read more about Superintendent Starr’s views in a guest response he wrote last year for my Educatio
Some Final “Words Of The Year” Features
Here are a few final additions to The Best “Words Of The Year” Features For 2013: Words that should be banned in 2014 (selfie, twerk, etc.) is from The Washington Post. Be gone, selfie! And take twerk with you! is from CNN. 20 of 2013′s most overused words is from The BBC.
From The Archives: “What Do School Reform Technocrats and Failed Urban Renewal Schemes Have in Common?”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting a piece I wrote in The Huffington Post over three years ago, What Do School Reform Technocrats and Failed Urban Renewal Schemes Have in Common? Here’s an excerpt:
The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2013
It’s that time of year again — time to share the choices from readers of this blog for the best education-related book they read in the this past year. You might also be interested in: The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2012 The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2011 The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2010 The Best E
DEC 31 2013
Even More Resources On New Year’s Resolutions
Here are two new additions to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed: 9 Steps To New Year’s Resolutions That Last Longer Than New Year’s Day is from Barking Up The Wrong Tree. Here’s a New Year’s Resolution lesson plan for English Language Learners from The British Council
My “Nine educated education predictions for 2014!” Published At Wash. Post — Here Are Some Additions
Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post has published my Nine educated education predictions for 2014! over at her blog. I wrote it just a few days ago and, much to my surprise, quite a few things have taken place since that time that lead me to believe I might be right on a few of them: Related to my prediction about New York schools, incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to be moving forward on hi
More Good Resources On Asking Questions
Here are new additions to The Best Posts & Articles About Asking Good Questions: I really like This Post Will Make You A More Effective Communicator In 90 Seconds by Shane Snow. Asking Better Questions: 6 Ways to Improve Classroom Discussions is from ASCD. For Students, Why the Question is More Important Than the Answer is from MindShift.
From The Archives – “Bribing students: Another ‘magical solution’ that doesn’t work”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting a piece I wrote for The Washington Post a couple of years ago titled Bribing students: Another ‘magical solution’ that doesn’t work. Here’s an excerpt:
DEC 30 2013
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here is a collection of recent and useful posts and articles one educational policy issues: Barnett Berry: “Teachers Can Lead Without Leaving the Classroom” is from EdSurge, and is an important post. Board of Education President Michael Kirst tries to shepherd complex school-funding overhaul to reality is from The Sacramento Bee. Ed Dept. pours $43 million into reform program with questionable re
This Week In Web 2.0
In yet another attempt to get at the enormous backlog I have of sites worth , I’ve recently begin a regular feature called “The Week In Web 2.0.” (you might also be interested in The Best Web 2.0 Applications For Education In 2013): 10 video calling apps to connect you with family and friends this Christmas is from The Next Web. I’m adding it to A Potpourri Of The Best & Most Useful Video Sit
Quote Of The Day: “the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow”
Diana Laufenberg sent out a tweet of this great quote from the scientist Rachel Carson of Silent Spring fame. She found it in a Brain Picking post about an earlier book by Carson. I was particularly struck by it echoes a comment by Sir Ken Robinson in his discussion of the importance of helping students develop intrinsic motivation. First, I’ll share the Carson quote, followed by Robinson’s comme
Video: “The History and Future of Everything — Time”
Here’s a video offering a unique perspective of “time”:
Some Great Quotes From The Incoming Chancellor Of New York City Schools
As you may already know, incoming New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced his choice for the new Chancellor of New York City Schools, Carmen Fariña. Based on what I see in social media, teachers sure are happy. And, after seeing some quotes from her today, I can see why: When Ms. Fariña was a child, her father sat her down to talk about the Spanish-American War, telling her that facts
A Few More Excellent “Year In Review” Sites
I’m adding these first three sites to The Best “Words Of The Year” Features For 2013: 2013: The year in graphics is from The Washington Post (this annual feature is always excellent). Most Read Stories of the Year is an interactive from The Wall Street Journal. 2013: The Year in Interactive Storytelling is from The New York Times. I’m adding this next link to The Best “Words Of The Year” Features
More Resources On New Year’s Resolutions (and On New Year’s Celebrations)
First, here are a few more additions to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed: How to phrase your New Year’s resolutions is from The Boston Globe. For a different perspective: A case against New Year’s Resolutions New Year’s Resolutions Are Bad for You is from TIME. And here are some new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About New Year Celebrations: New Year’s Eve
Driver Education Infographics
Here are two additions to The Best Online Resources For Drivers Education & Car Information: 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.
The Best Ways To Receive Questions Electronically While Leading A Workshop
I put this question out on Twitter and Google Plus, and here are the responses I received…. Please continue to leave comments and I’ll add them in…. [View the story "The Best Ways To Have Receive Questions Electronically While Leading A Workshop" on Storify]
From The Archives: “Being ‘Transactional’ Versus Being ‘Transformational’ in Schools”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting a piece I wrote for The Huffington Post three years ago, Being ‘Transactional’ Versus Being ‘Transformational’ in Schools. In it, I discuss how both community organizers, political scien
DEC 29 2013
Video: “Pencil And Eraser”
Here’s a cute video to show to English Language Learners and have them describe what they see: Thanks to The Kids Should See This for the tip.
“Top Pins Of 2013″
Pinterest has announced their Top Pins of 2013. There are quite a few categories, with the ones on Education & classroom ideas and on History probably the most relevant to teachers. You might also be interested in exploring my own Boards there. Supposedly, I can embed here, so I’ll give that a try: Visit Larry Ferlazzo’s profile on Pinterest.
“What school reformers can learn from Pope Francis”
Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post has republished a couple of of posts I wrote connecting Pope Francis’ recent comments to education. Check out What school reformers can learn from Pope Francis in case you missed it the first time around.
From The Archives: “The best kind of teacher evaluation”
I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’d like to point out the first piece I wrote for The Washington Post and which was quite popular, The best kind of teacher evaluation. Here’s an excerpt, which is a quote from a 2010 study from The U.S.
More Resources On The Sochi Olympics
Here are a couple of new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: The Sochi Olympics Torch Relay in Pictures is from The Wall Street Journal. Pussy Riot member urges Russia Olympics boycott is from The BBC.
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: Here’s an interesting infographic on learning English (it may not be able to seen on an RSS Reader). There’s certainly more to it than what it says, but it does include some good pointers. I’m adding it to The Best Infogr
Even More “Words Of The Year” Features
Here are some more additions to The Best “Words Of The Year” Features For 2013: The Words That Popped in 2013 is from The Wall Street Journal. Words for the Dumpster is from The New York Times.
“To Flip, Or Not To Flip, A Classroom – That Is The Question”
To Flip, Or Not To Flip, A Classroom – That Is The Question is my latest Education Week Teacher post. I’ve had some concerns about how a flipped classroom has sometimes been implemented around the country — and the world. So, in addition to having guest responses from enthusiastic proponents like Peter Pappas and Andrew Miller, Josh Stumpenhorst shares reservations similar to mine in his response.
DEC 28 2013
Video: “New Year’s Resolutions”
I’m adding this animated video to The Best Ways To Help Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Succeed:
The ten most popular TED-Ed Lessons of 2013
TED-Ed has just shared their ten most popular lessons of the 2013. FYI, Teacher Training Videos has an excellent video tutorial on how to create “Flipped” versions of Ted Talk lessons. I’ve previously posted about this subject at Using TED-Ed Videos. I’m adding this post to The Best Teacher Resources For “TED Talks” (& Similar Presentations).
“the danger of not having your own stories”
A tweet today from Carol Jago today reminded me of one of my favorite quotes. It’s from the late Chinua Achebe who, in an interview where he spoke about “the danger of not having your own stories,” said: The importance of who is telling the story is a critical one in history, broader social change, and education. I highlighted it earlier today in my post titled From The Archives: “English Langua
Two Common Core Resources
The California Educator, which is the bi-monthly magazine of the California Teachers Association, recently published a chart (and article explaining the chart) sharing the accommodations the SMARTER testing consortium is planning to make available to English Language Learners and learning disabled students in their electronic testing. As you will see in my predictions for 2014 (look for them in T
Video That You’ve Probably Seen Already: “Fireman Saves Kitten”
You’ve probably seen this video already, but I never got around to posting it earlier in the year. It would be a good one to show English Language Learners and have them describe what they saw:
From The Archives: “English Language Learners and the Power of Personal Stories”
I’m going to re-start an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles that I think might be worth a second look. After all, I’ve published over 13,000 posts and articles over the past seven years, so there are a lot to choose from! Today, I’ve decided to share an article I wrote for The New York Times Learning Network a few years ago called English Langu
More Excellent “Year-In-Review” Features
Here are some excellent additions to The Best Year In Review Features — 2013: The New York Times Year In Pictures 2013: the year in world news is an interactive from The Telegraph. NASA’s Year In Review interactive Interactive timeline: 2013 in review is from Al Jazeera. ‘Viral’ News In Review is an interactive from The Guardian.
The Best Resources For Identifying Qualities Needed In Order To Be “Successful”
I’m preparing a lesson to try out in class and for possible inclusion in the upcoming third volume in my student motivation “trilogy.” It will be focusing on Social Emotional Learning skills, and will be a follow-up to exercises on goal-setting, grit, and self-control. I also am figuring out if, and how, it might be valuable to somehow incorporate something on how developing all these life skills