Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAY
April’s Infographics & Interactives Galore – Part Five
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
“Sentence Navigator” Is Jason Renshaw’s Gift To ESL/EFL/ELL Teachers Everywhere!
ESL/EFL teachers who have been around awhile know of Jason Renshaw, who at one point had what I thought (and continue to think) was the best resource on the Web for ESL teachers — English Raven. Unfortunately, he took it off-line a few years ago, and now describes himself as a “former Tesol teacher, textbook author and web resources developer, now learning designer and elearning developer in high
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: ELL Students Neglected in School Turnaround Efforts is from The Journal. New School Standards Present Challenge for Refugee Students is from New America Media. McGraw Hill has a ton of online videos showing ELL teachers in
Some Final Easter Resources For This Year
Here are some good additions to The Best Sites For Learning About Easter And Passover: Christians Mark Good Friday Around The World is a NBC News photo gallery. Busted! 81 percent of parents steal Easter candy from their kids is also from NBC. Week of observances is a photo gallery from The Boston Globe. Who, What, Why: Why is Good Friday called Good Friday? is from The BBC.
The Best Posts On IB Theory Of Knowledge Oral Presentations
Along with teaching English Language Learners at all levels and mainstream English classes, I also get to teach the International Baccalaureate Theory Of Knowledge course. In fact, it looks like I’ll get to teach two of them next year! I regularly blog about TOK, and you can see all my annual lists of the the best TOK resources here. I’ve also been inviting guest commentaries on all the changes t
Special Edition Of This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts On Education Policy
Usually, I only publish a once-weekly “round-up” of good posts and articles on education policy issues. However, I’m a bit behind, so I’m catching-up with this “special edition”: Kill tenure, cure schools? was published in the Los Angeles Times. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights. Competing Views of Teacher Tenure Are on Display in California C
Four Excellent Resources For Learning About Cultures Around The World
Here are four new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures: Meals and Meal Times in English-Speaking Countries is by Tanja Batista. How Democratic and Republican morals compare to the rest of the world is from The Washington Post. 25 Fascinating Charts Of Negotiation Styles Around The World is from Business Insider. I learned about this “28 Birthday Traditions
“The Best Commentaries On The ‘Broken Compass’ Parent Involvement Book”
You might, or might not, be aware of the recent controversy around a new book titled The Broken Compass:Parental Involvement With Children’s Education. Its authors recently had an op-ed in The NY Times reviewing their contention that, basically, all previous research on the value of parent engagement with schools is wrong. Well, I’ve brought together “The Best Commentaries On The ‘Broken Compass’
Guest Post: Commentary On Theory Of Knowledge Oral Presentations
I’ve been publishing guest commentaries on all the changes this year in International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge classes, and you can see them all here. And here’s another one! Today’s piece is from Brad Ovenell-Carter. Brad is the director of educational technology and TOK department head at Mulgrave School, an independent, coed K12 IB World School in Vancouver, Canada. Like Mark Twain, h
Differentiating Lessons By “Content, Process or Product”
Differentiating Lessons By “Content, Process or Product” is my latest post at Education Week Teacher. Today’s post features a “power-packed line-up” of guest responses, with Carol Tomlinson, Donalyn Miller and Jeff Charbonneau contributing responses. Here are some excerpts:
April’s Best Tweets — Part Three
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 post. If you don’t use Twitter, you can
APR 17
Cinco de Mayo Resources
Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, commemorates the defeat of the French by the Mexican Army in 1862. It’s a national holiday in Mexico, and is celebrated by Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans in the United States. You might be interested in The Best Sites For Teaching & Learning About Cinco de Mayo.
British Pathé Makes 85,000 Historical Clips Available On YouTube
I’m just going to begin with a quote from Open Culture: British Pathé was one of the leading producers of newsreels and documentaries during the 20th Century. This week, the company, now an archive, is turning over its entire collection — over 85,000 historical films – to YouTube. The archive — which spans from 1896 to 1976 – is a goldmine of footage, containing movies of some of the most importa
Updated Holocaust Resources
From The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Congress established the Days of Remembrance as the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent living memorial to the victims. Holocaust remembrance week is April 27–May 4, 2014. I have multiple Holocaust-related “Best” lists, and you can find them all at The Best Sites For
Ideas For Finishing The School Year Strong & Beginning The Summer Even Stronger
A very popular excerpt from one of my books was titled “Finishing The School Year Strong” was published both at Education Week Teacher and at Edutopia. It’s very practical, and here’s an excerpt: Okay, so that’s for dealing with these last several weeks of school. Is there anything we can do to set-up our students for continuing their academic success in July and August? When there were funds for
“Dissecting Grades: What Do They Mean, What Are They Worth?” Is My New BAM! Radio Program
Dissecting Grades: What Do They Mean, What Are They Worth? is the title of my new ten-minute BAM! Radio program. My guest is Rick Wormeli. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On Grading Practices.
Study: Gratitude Increases Self-Control
I’ve written in the past about my use of “Reflection Cards” in the classroom, including the research behind them (you can download a copy of the card and read the research at my post, Giving Students “Reflection Cards.” Research shows that self-control can be replenished by both self-affirmation exercises and by remembering better times. So, I created cards that I sometimes give to students when
APR 16
Book Reviews – & Shakespeare – In Three Panels
I’ve previously posted about Lisa Brown’s “Three Panel Book Reviews” that formerly appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle. They’re great models for student projects. I recently learned about how another artist uses this “three panel” idea, though Mya Gosling uses it to summarizes Shakespeare’s plays. You can see all of her work here, and they’re more great models for student work. I’m adding thi
Who’s To Blame For The SAT’s Existence? Thanks A Lot, Tom Edison…
The SAT Test has been in the news a lot, lately. The College Board is revamping it, and they just released new sample questions. In addition to those links, here are a few other useful articles: The New SAT: Less Vocabulary, More Linear Equations is from NPR. What is the SAT good for? is from The Washington Post. The key problem the SAT changes won’t fix is also from The Washington Post. But the
“What Are Some Ways Of Differentiating A Lesson?”
What Are Some Ways Of Differentiating A Lesson? is the latest “question-of-the-week” at my Education Week Teacher column. Responses are welcome there or here in the comments….
Amazing Video: “Watch as 1000 years of European borders change (timelapse map)”
I’m adding this amazing video to The Best Websites For Teaching & Learning About World History: Watch as 1000 years of European borders change (timelapse map) from Nick Mironenko on Vimeo.
Three Good Earth Day Resources
Here are three new additions to The Best Earth Day Sites: Google has created a pretty need site called Nature’s Engineers. Earth Day 2014: Lesson Plans, Reading Lists, and Classroom Ideas is from Edutopia. Natural Heroes are a series of great public television films and educator resources.
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: Innovation in education: looking for learning is by Lizzie Pinard. I’m adding it to The Best Sources For Ideas On How To Use Technology With English Language Learners. “Red Light! Green Light!” Teaching Students How to Giv
Fun Dog Video That ELLs Can Watch & Describe
Here’s a short and fun video that English Language Learners can watch and then describe what they see:
Surprise, Surprise — Study Finds Shouting At Children “creates further discipline problems”
To few teachers surprise, a new study has found that shouting at children is counter-productive. You can read all about it at Shouting at children ‘increases their behaviour problems’ in the British newspaper, The Telegraph. There have been plenty of studies (and years of countless teachers experience) that have found the same thing (you can find out more at The Best Posts On Classroom Management
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here are some relatively recent articles and blog posts on educational policy issues that are worth reading: All schools should have good teachers is from The Los Angeles Times. I’m adding it to The Best Articles For Helping To Understand Both Why Teacher Tenure Is Important & The Reasons Behind Seniority-Based Layoffs. How Seniority Reform Backfired In Minneapolis is by John Thompson. I’m ad
APR 15
Just Updated List Of Good Online Debate Sites
I’ve just updated The Best Sites For Students To Create & Participate In Online Debates. Additional suggestions are welcome.
Three Useful Posts On Student Engagement
Here are three new additions to The Best Posts & Articles On Student Engagement: How Engaged Are Students and Teachers in American Schools? is from MindShift. More Than Half of Students ‘Engaged’ in School, Says Poll is from Education Week. Updated Personalization vs. Differentiation vs. Individualization Chart Version 3 is from Personalize Learning.
The Best Research On Listening To Music When Studying
I’ve published a few posts about the question of playing background music in the classroom, along with info on the practice of listening to music when studying. I thought I’d bring them together in one post, and invite readers to contribute their own ideas and experiences, too. I’ll be adding this “Best” list to The Best Resources On The Dangers Of Multitasking. Here goes: This is a reprint of my
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
“Spacehopper” Is One Of The Best Geography Games I’ve Seen
There are quite a few online geography games out there, and you can see them at The Best Online Geography Games. Many of them are pretty hard, and can be frustrating to students. Spacehopper is a new online game that isn’t easy but, after showing you a Google Street View image of a location, provides clues that make it less difficult. You’re shown a map with various dots on it, as well as the map
ELL Teachers & Students Will Love MusiXmatch – It Provides Karaoke-Style Lyrics To Most YouTube Music Videos
MusiXmatch is a free Chrome extension that will provide karaoke-style lyrics to most YouTube music videos. It can be used very easily on desktop and mobile devices. Using songs, and using lyrics karaoke-style, is a longstanding and effective language-learning strategy, and you can read about many of them at The Best Music Websites For Learning English. You can read more about it at TechCrunch. I
National Teacher Day Is Coming-Up & Here Are Two Great Ways To Celebrate It On Social Media!
National Teacher Day in the United States is always celebrated on the Tuesday in the first full week of May. World Teachers’ Dayis held annually on October 5th since 1994, celebrates teachers worldwide, and was started by UNESCO. You can find lots of related resources for both days at The Best Resources To Learn About World Teachers Day. This year, two great groups are sponsoring ways to celebrat
APR 14
More Resources On Tonight’s Blood Moon
Here are new additions to The Best Resources For Learning About The Blood Moon: Here’s why you’ll be able to see a “blood moon” tonight is from Vox. Here’s an “Explainer” video from TIME Magazine: Goodnight, Moon: Why the Lunar Lights Will Go Out Tonight is from TIME.
Yay! The Education Writers Association Now Lists Their Award Winners In A Way That’s Accessible!
I’ve previously posted about the 2013 Education Writers Association National Awards For Education Reporting. There were many of them, including many “must-reads.” However, their design made it very difficult to access links to them all — many clicks were required to find them. Happily, I saw on Twitter today that they have now listed them in an easily scrollable, downloadable and clickable PDF. E
Fun Video Useful To ELLs: “One Man Does 30 Animal Sounds”
This is a great video of a voice actor making 30 animal sounds. Even better, the name of the animal is displayed after each sound. One way I reinforce new vocabulary is by playing sound effects games where I play sounds representing words we have recently learned (water dripping from a faucet, door opening, etc) and have students use small whiteboards to get points (that are just for fun) for the
‘Simply Putting Tech In Front Of Students Won’t Engage Them’
‘Simply Putting Tech In Front Of Students Won’t Engage Them’ is Part Two in my Education Week Teacher series on implementing one-to-one computer programs in schools. Today, Richard Byrne, Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher and Ben Stern contribute their ideas. Here are some excerpts:
APR 13
April’s Infographics & Interactives Galore – Part Four
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
How Long Will Our Non-Renewables Last?
I just updated The Best Interactives Showing How Long Our Non-Renewables Will Last. Additional suggestions are welcome…
Guest Post: More On Theory Of Knowledge Oral Presentations
Regular readers know that I teach many different classes, including an International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge class, and share many TOK resources here. IB has made many changes this year to the Theory of Knowledge course and, along with writing my own thoughts on them, I’ve invited others to write guest posts, too. Here are some of them: The Best Commentaries On The New IB Theory Of Know
The Best Resources For Learning About The Blood Moon
A “Blood Moon” will be occurring tomorrow night, and I thought readers might find this list helpful. You might also be interested in: The Best Sites For Learning About A Lunar Eclipse The Best Images Of The Ring Of Fire Eclipse The Best Resources About The “Supermoon” The Best Resources For “Moon Day” Here are my choices for The Best Resources For Learning About The Blood Moon: Total lunar eclips
APR 12
Grit, Failure & Stuff Like That
Hype around “character-building” has escalated to the point that some see building perseverance and pushing students to make mistakes as sort of a silver bullet to cure all learning ills (I’ve written about that problem in my Washington Post piece, The manipulation of Social Emotional Learning). Of course, every action results in an opposite and equal reaction, in this debate is no exception to
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: ESL Teachers in Common-Core Era Need Different Prep, Paper Argues is from Education Week. Here is a more in depth discussion of the same paper from Colorin Colorado. Marisa Constantinides has collected a number of posts abo
The Best Financial Aid Resources For Students Planning To Go To College — Help Me Find More
I’ve previously posted three “Best” lists related to students attending college: The Best Sites For Encouraging ELL’s To Attend College The Best Posts About Getting Our Students To Attend College The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career They all have a slightly different “take” on the topic. However, I’ve realized that, though some accessible financia
Simple “History Of Anything” Project
Teacher extraordinaire Diana Laufenberg shared a simple and useful series of tweets about a project she’s doing with her class She calls it the “History of Anything” Project. Diana is planning on doing a more extensive write-up of what she does, but I think the info in these four tweets can be useful right now for just about any teacher: Step One: Write about three different topics that you would
This Week’s Round-Up Of Good Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here are some relatively recent useful posts and articles on education policy issues: As California standardized testing gains steam, help center ‘inundated’ with teacher calls is from Southern California Public Radio. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Next Generation” Of State Testing. Students are test-driving new Common Core exams. You can too is a post from The Hechi
“One-To-One Technology ‘Is Really About Building Effective Relationships’”
One-To-One Technology ‘Is Really About Building Effective Relationships’ is the title of my new post at Education Week Teacher. Alice Barr, Mark Pullen and Troy Hicks will share their suggestions on how to successfully implement a one-to-one technology program. Here are some excerpts:
How Adam Grant Just Made Teaching More Complicated
I’m a big fan of Professor Adam Grant’s work (see my interview with him at Education Week, Teachers As “Givers, Takers & Matchers”: An Interview With Adam Grant). And I was very excited to see his must-read guest column in The New York Times today, Raising a Moral Child. It’s geared towards parents, but just about everything he says is also extraordinarily useful to teachers, too. He discusses
LBJ As A Teacher In Texas
I knew that Lyndon Baines Johnson had been a teacher, but had never explored it further. I’ve been an admirer of much of LBJ’s work (though, obviously, not of his terrible actions in Vietnam). You can read some of my thoughts about him at This Is A Great Passage For Learning How To Make Change. Today, NPR has a segment about his time as a teacher in a high-poverty school in Texas, and his visit t