Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY
Very, Very Impressive New Interactive Site On Climate Change
Big Facts On Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security is an extremely impressive new interactive site on the effects of climate change. It shows its effect in a variety of ways on every region on the earth. Here’s how it describes itself: Big Facts is a resource of the most up-to-date and robust facts relevant to the nexus of climate change, agriculture and food security. It is intended to p
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: Learn English Teens from The British Council seems to have a new section focused on science issues. Here are a bunch of downloadable resources from Kate Kinsella about academic language (thanks to Judie Haynes for the tip).
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. By the way, you mi
I Doubt Teachers Will Find A More Useful Resource On The Olympics Than This: “How Olympians Stay Motivated”
How Olympians Stay Motivated is an excellent article in The Atlantic, and here’s an excerpt that tells you about it: We can’t all be Olympic athletes. (In fact some of us, including your humble narrator, should not be allowed anywhere near ice or blades.) But we all face times when we really don’t want to do something that we, nonetheless, really have to do. Drawing from interviews with top athle
Saturday’s Resource Update For The Olympics
Here are today’s additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: Sochi 2014 Games: 6 Winter Olympics-Themed STEM Resources is from Edutopia. The Wall Street Journal has a special Olympics site with a lot of multimedia resources. Crazy Olympic team uniforms at Sochi is from The BBC. What the data say about which countries will win Olympic medals is a graphic fro
Very Creative Video: “The Pangaea Pop-up”
This is a very creative video from TED-Ed. You can see the whole lesson here.
Video: Jimmy Fallon & The Muppets Say Goodbye To “Late Night”
And, in case you’d like to use this with your English Language Learners, you can find the lyrics here.
February’s Infographics & Interactives Galore – Part One
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
“The Maker Movement Believes In ‘Kid Power’”
The Maker Movement Believes In ‘Kid Power’ is my latest post over at Education Week Teacher. Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary S. Stager have adapted a portion of their book, Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Education in the Classroom, into a piece for the post. You might also be interested in The Best Resources For Learning About The “Maker Movement.”
From The Archives: “4 concerns about Michelle Rhee”
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 short piece I wrote for The Washington Post three years ago titled 4 Concerns About Michelle Rhee. Here’s an excerpt:
This Is A Neat Video On Literacy — Too Bad It’s A Commercial For Whiskey
Amy Erin Borovoy, the amazing video blogger at Edutopia, shared this commercial on Twitter today. It has a neat focus on literacy, and reminded me a bit of a clip from The Color Purple you’ll find on The Best Videos Illustrating Qualities Of A Successful Language Learner. I’d add this video to that list (to help illustrate perseverance), if it wasn’t a commercial for a whiskey. So I won’t show it
If You’re Looking For Videos About The Olympics, Here Are The Best Places To Find Them…
If you’re looking for online videos about the Sochi Olympics — and, in fact, for previous Olympics — here are what look like the two best places to find them: Of course, the NBC Olympics site has the exclusive rights to most of the best clips. And then there’s “The Official YouTube Olympic Channel,” which I assume is controlled by NBC, but I’m not sure. There, you can find many clips about past O
The Olympics Have Begun — Here Are Some More Resources
Here are the latest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: Jamaican Bobsledders Are Back, With Fans’ Help is from The New York Times. Olympic Opening Ceremony Fails Through the Years is from The Atlantic. These Russian Cops Singing ‘Get Lucky’ at the Olympics Cannot Wait for Tonight is from The Atlantic. The Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony, Explained
Video: Bill Nye On Pseudo-Science
I thought IB Theory of Knowledge teachers might be find this Bill Nye clip useful — I use it as part of teaching about pseudo-science. And I’m still trying to figure out the best resources to use about his debate this week….
This Week’s Round-Up Of Useful Posts On Education Policy
Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues: TV Shows: Thinking “West Wing” In A “House Of Cards” World is by Alexander Russo. The Melian Dialogue is a classic tool used by community organizers to illustrate the importance of living in the world “as it is” instead of “as we’d like it to be,” and Alexander effectively uses the contrast in the two TV shows to demonst
FEB 06
“The Best Posts On The inBloom Data Fiasco”
I’ve just published The Best Posts On The inBloom Data Fiasco over at my other blog, Engaging Parents In School. inBloom is the company that’s basically trying to collect, store and share student data and is supported by the Gates Foundation.
Today’s New Resources On The Sochi Olympics
Boy, there sure are some interesting resources being created around the Sochi Olympics. Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: How do you pronounce ‘Sochi’? is from The Week. The Winter Olympics of yore is a slideshow from The Week. Here is a collection of interactive graphics from The Washington Post on the Olympics. are the winter
It’s Bob Marley’s Birthday Today — Check Out A Ton Of Resources About Him
Today is Bob Marley’s birthday. You might be interested in The Best Websites For Learning About Bob Marley. We teach a ninth-grade unit on Jamaica, and study a lot about him.
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): ExamTime is sort of a flashcard site on steroids that provides a number of other tools, too. I’m adding it to The Best Tools To Make Online Flashcards. Five-Minute Fi
FEB 05
February’s 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
Sochi Olympics Resource Update
Here are some new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: Winter Olympics resources from EFL Classroom 2.0. A GIF Guide to Figure Skaters’ Jumps at the Olympics is from The Atlantic. Putin’s Explosive Olympics is from TIME. An Olympics in the Shadow of a War Zone is an interactive from The NY Times. Here’s an interactive from the BBC on the history of t
Show Me The Money — Are Schools Really Getting An Extra Billion For Technology?
You have seen articles over the past couple of days about President Obama getting the Federal Communications Commission to add an extra billion dollars towards providing high-speed Internet to schools and libraries. Here are some of the better articles on it: Here’s Obama’s plan to give teachers and libraries $1 billion a year in extra funding is from The Washington Post. F.C.C. to Change Program
“How Do We Help Our Students Become Better Readers?” Is My New Podcast — With Donalyn Miller!
Check out my latest eight minute BAM! podcast, this time with Donalyn Miller, educator, author, and admired by all of us who teach reading. Donalyn, and others, have contributed to an upcoming series at my Education Week Teacher column on teaching reading.
“How Can Schools Best Embrace The Maker Movement?”
How Can Schools Best Embrace The Maker Movement? is the newest “question-of-the-week” at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave your responses here or there…
FEB 04
Three Excellent Articles From ASCD On Teacher Morale
The new issue of ASCD Educational Leadership is on teacher morale, and I’m adding these three articles to The Best Posts & Articles About The Importance Of Teacher (& Student) Working Conditions: Can’t Wait for Monday is by Rafe Esquith. Getting Beyond the Blame Game is by James Harvey. An Open Letter on Teacher Morale is by Dina Strasser.
Quote Of The Day – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stumbles: ‘There’s always a next move’
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on stumbles: ‘There’s always a next move’ is the title of an article — and video — from The Today Show. Here’s an excerpt: I’m adding this to The Best Posts, Articles & Videos About Learning From Mistakes & Failures.
Yup, Another Update Of Sochi Olympics Resources
Here are today’s additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: Journalists at Sochi are live-tweeting their hilarious and gross hotel experiences is from The Washington Post. 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 c
I Just Updated My “Best” List Sharing Tools To Annotate Webpages & It Sure Got Smaller
I’m always on the look-out for web tools that can mimc a key instructional strategy I use with students in the classroom — having them use post-it notes to annotate books or articles so they can demonstrate their use of reading strategies (asking questions, making connections, etc.). I just updated Best Applications For Annotating Websites, and was shocked to see how many of the tools I had liste
Just Did A Quick Update On “Best” List About Connecting With Classes Around The World
I just did a quick update of my The Best Ways To Find Other Classes For Joint Online Projects list. Some of the groups listed might not be particularly active right now, but at least there are no dead links….
Disappointment At Trial Attacking California Teachers
As regular readers know, I’ve been sharing updates about the ongoing trial attacking teachers, tenure, and educator’s due process rights here in California (see The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights). I was deeply disappointed yesterday to learn that Jonathan Raymond, the recently-departed Superintendent for our District here in Sacramento, testified for the plain
“Assessing English language learners” Is My New Post At TeachingEnglish
Assessing English language learners is my newest post at The British Council’s TeachingEnglish site. Here’s an excerpt: You can see all my TeachingEnglish posts here.
Today’s Resources On Sochi Olympics
Here are today’s additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: The Games Are A Great Party, But Not A Great Investment is from NPR. The CBC has an excellent Olympics site (thanks to Michelle Henry for the tip). Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
FEB 03
Three New Bloom’s Taxonomy Resources
Here are three new additions to what continues to be my all-time most popular post, The Best Resources For Helping Teachers Use Bloom’s Taxonomy In The Classroom: 44 Prompts Merging Reflective Thinking With Bloom’s Taxonomy is by Peter Pappas. Incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy into your lesson objectives is by Adam Simpson. iPadagogy Wheel
Valentine’s Day Infographic
I’m adding this infographic from Cherished Memories to The Best Sites To Learn About Valentine’s Day: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.
School Sets Dance For Straight-A Students – Some Others Can Come Later & Hundreds Not At All
A Maryland high school is planning a dance for students with high grades — students with lower grade get to come later, 300 students with the lowest grades don’t get to come at all. Read all about it in The Washington Post story, Straight A’s = dancing: Grade celebration questioned by some (see the excerpt from it below). I’m not an absolute strict believer in not having public recognition of acad
Newsmart Looks Like A Great Site For High-Intermediate & Advanced ELLs
Newsmart uses articles from the Wall Street Journal to promote learning English as a second language. It’s a slick site, and it’s free. Users pick an article, and then there are color-coded portions in it for vocabulary and grammar. Click on it, and you are given a question about the in-context grammar or vocabulary issue. You then accumulate points and badges. I’m adding it to The Best Websites
Video: “Coke’s Wild Assertion That Other Languages Exist Stirs Controversy” Says Borowitz Report
Check out the tweet (and column) from the always funny Borowitz Report, along with a video of the ad: Coke's Wild Assertion That Other Languages Exist Stirs Controversy http://t.co/GrMYYhi6Qf — Andy Borowitz (@BorowitzReport) February 3, 2014
Video: “Sophie’s Choice”
I’m sure most IB Theory of Knowledge teachers use this famous and terrible scene from Sophie’s Choice when discussing ethics and moral dilemmas. However, I realized I never posted it on this blog, and thought it might be useful to others (and to me) to have it here:
A Collection Of #EvaluateThat Tweets
The BATS have started a great campaign — #EvaluateThat. Check out a few of them below and tweet out your own! [View the story "A Collection Of #EvaluateThat Tweets" on Storify]
My Latest NY Times Post For ELLs Is On The Olympics
My latest New York Times post for English Language Learners is on the Winter Olympics and using picture dictation in the classroom. It includes a student interactive and teaching ideas. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. You can see all my weekly NY Times posts here.
FEB 02
Quote Of The Day: “The Dangers of Certainty”
The Dangers of Certainty: A Lesson From Auschwitz is an excellent (though somewhat meandering) column in today’s New York Times, written by Simon Critchley. I think it relates a lot to what I’ve written about teaching and “school reform” in a Washington Post piece titled The importance of being unprincipled. I’ll also be using in my IB Theory of Knowledge class — I always begin the course by shari
Funny Video: How NOT To Teach Grammar
Ann Foreman shared this Life of Brian video on Facebook. It’s a classic scene: You might be interested in The Best Sites For Grammar Practice, instead.
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: Top 10 Tools for Creating Teaching Materials is from Talk2Me English. Gratitude: a free downloadable lesson is from ELT Resourceful. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On “Gratitude.” States Weigh How to Revamp Surveys
Check-Out My Weekly Eight-Minute Podcast If You Haven’t Already
Classroom Q and A, the new BAM! weekly podcast I’m doing in conjunction with my Education Week teacher advice column, is getting a fair amount of attention. Each one is about eight minutes, which is my usual attention span for a podcast, so they’re short, sweet, and informative, with great guests!
President’s Day Resources
President’s Day, which celebrates the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, is coming up later this month. You might be interested in The Best Resources About President’s Day.
Disney Online Video Series: “The American Presidents”
Thanks to Michelle Henry, I learned that Disney has produced a series of short online videos about the U.S. Presidents. The narration isn’t speeded-up, like in many history videos, so they are accessible to English Language Learners. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find them all online, and have included the ones I could locate in this post. I’m adding this info to The Best Sites To Learn About U
From The Archives: “Developing Teacher Leadership for the Long Haul”
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. I gave a keynote to last year’s K-12 Online Conference on developing leadership in learning, and I’ve embedded the video of it below. I also wrote a piece for Education Week Teacher on the same topic. It was ti
Today Is Groundhog Day & A Longer Winter Is Predicted
Today is Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil is forecasting six more weeks of winter. You might be interested in The Best Resources For Groundhog Day.
FEB 01
Super Bowl Commercials
Here are new additions to The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn About The Super Bowl: The 13 Most Controversial Super Bowl Ads Ever is from TIME. The 19 Best Super Bowl Ads of All Time is from TIME. Super Bowl Commercials 2014 is from The Wall Street Journal.
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts On Education Policy
Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues: Few L.A. teachers get bad ratings, trial documents show is from The Los Angeles Times. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights. Vergara Suit: When Is A Teacher ‘Incapable of Remediation?’ is from Ed Week. I’m adding it to the same list. Fight Over Effective Teachers Shifts
This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t” — February (Part One)
I have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in 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, too
Today’s The Anniversary Of The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Today is the 54th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins. As a local television station describes it: On Feb. 1, 1960, four black students at N.C. A&T sat down at the segregated lunch counter at the F.W. Woolworth store in downtown Greensboro and demanded service. The protest continued until July, when the counter was desegregated. You might be interested in The Best Sites To Learn About The G
Even More Resources On Chinese New Year
Here are a few more additions to The Best Resources For Chinese New Year: The Year of the Horse: Chinese New Year Celebrations Around the World is a slideshow from TIME. Happy Chinese New Year 2014 is a slideshow from Atlantic. Chinese New Year is an info website from the BBC. In pictures: Chinese New Year around the world is from The BBC.
Today’s Update On Sochi Olympic Resources
I’ll be regularly adding resources to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Also, look for my upcoming post in The New York Times with teaching ideas. Here are the latest ones: Twelve new events to watch at the Olympics is an interactive from The Washington Post. ‘Mariachi Olympic Prince’ Takes Glamour To Sochi Ski Slopes is from NPR. Russian activist creates Soch
‘Character Is Not Compliance Out Of Fear’
‘Character Is Not Compliance Out Of Fear’ is the final post in my three-part Ed Week series on teaching character. This final post in the series shares a guest response from Lester L. Laminack, educator and author, as well as many comments from readers. I also include an interesting chart that, I think, provides some food for thought… I’m adding the series to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SE
Quote Of The Day: “We Must Always Take Sides”
Tobey Steeves tweeted this quote from Elie Weisel, which I discovered came from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. We’re just beginning a unit on Nelson Mandela in our ninth-grade English classes, and I’m thinking of using the quote with a short writing prompt: What is Elie Weisel saying about what we should do when we see injustice? What do you think of his view? To develop your position, be sur