Honduran Teachers of English Conference
May 26-28, 2005

I. Survey of Participants to Determine Presentation Agenda

II. Online v. Offline Use of Resources (Brief How-to's)

III. Pedagogical Framework: Teach S.M.A.R.T.

• Synthesis of language and thinking skills
• Motivating content and meaningful communication
• Appropriate for culture, age and language ability of students
• Relevant to curriculum and students' lives
• Tangible product with evaluation and feedback

IV. A Sampling of Computer/Internet Activities and Resources

A. Word Processing, Database, Spreadsheet, Graphics

Examples:

1. Word Processing: Flyerplain - Flyerfancy; Candy sale jumble - Candy sale key

2. Database: Social Club d.b - Social Club Assign; Whales; Writing: Analysis paragraph
3. Spreadsheet: Club budget; Writing: Explain key points in budget

4. Graphics: Create images/stimulate writing

Resources:

1. Word Processing Activities - Bradin

2. Basic Computer Skills Curriculum - Schachterle

3. Collection of copyright free images - Krauss

4. Instructions for Word Processing, Database, and Spreadsheet assignments above.

5. Free Office Software (OpenOffice)

6. Free Graphics Software (TuxPaint)

Your turn! - Images as Writing Prompts - Down South | Down Under (See McKenzie article)

Teachers:
1) What questions would you ask students to help them think/analyze/discuss?
2) What language forms/functions would you introduce?
3) Ideas for expansion activities? Use technology?

B. Email, Web-based Discussion (Bulletin Board), Chat

Examples:

1. Email: Sending/receiving Attachments - Group Problem Solving: Short Duration (What's My Number?); Medium Duration(Wolf, Duck, Corn); Long Duration(Coy Bank)

2. Email: Forwarding Mail (Chain Story); Resulting Student Work

3. Bulletin Board: Interactive Journals (Nicenet)

4. Chat: WebHeads in Action (Tapped In)

Resources:

1. Email Resources at OELP Online English Language Center - Opp-Beckman

2. The Email Page - Almeida d'Eça

3. Problem Solving Across the Curriculum, John F. Beaver, ISTE, 1994

4. The Use of Chat in ESL/EFL - Almeida d'Eça

Your turn! - Group Problem Solving - Your choice: Short Duration (What's My Number?); Medium Duration(Wolf, Duck, Corn); Long Duration(Coy Bank) (John F. Beaver)

Teachers:
1) What thinking skills would students need to use to solve this problem?
2) What language forms/functions would you introduce?
3) Would a graphic organizer help students solve the problem?
4) Ideas for expansion activities?
5) Pros and cons for using a computer to do this activity?

C. English Skills Practice

Examples:

1. Listening: English Language Listening Lab Online

2. Reading: How Stuff Works - Sample Article: How TV Works (entire article) (How TV Works: Amazing Things About Brain Reassembly 1 and 2)

3. Writing: Pizzaz - Sample Activity: Diamond Poems; Student Sample of Diamond Poems

4. Grammar: ESL Blues - Sample Activity: Adjectives: -ed, -ing

Resources:

1. ESL Independent Study Lab - Krauss

2. OELP Online English Language Center (Language Learning Resources) - Opp Beckman

Your turn! - Diamond Poem - Miniature Earth (Video | Text) - (See McKenzie article)

Teachers:
1) Collectively, write a Diamond Poem about Miniature Earth.
2) What thinking skills would students use to complete this activity?
3) What language forms/functions would you introduce?
4) Ideas for expansion activities?
5) Pros and cons for using a computer to do this activity?

D. Web-based Activity Formats (Hotlists, Subject Samplers, Treasure Hunts, WebQuests)

Examples:

D. Web-based Activity Formats (Hotlists, Subject Samplers, Treasure Hunts, WebQuests)

Examples:

1. Hotlist: Learning about Easter by Marcia Torres de Milla, Honduras

2. Subject Sampler: Facing Facts: Prejudice by Michael Krauss

3. Treasure Hunt: Treasure Hunt: Hunt for Water Conservation by Paul Stufkens, Honduras

4. WebQuest: WebQuest: SETI - A Search for E.T. by Tom Johnson, United Arab Emirates

Resources:

1. Filamentality; Filamentality Tour; Filamentality Search Page

2. Web 'n Flow (updated/more powerful than Filamentality) - Tom March; Example using all 6 activity formats: School Safety

3. WebQuest Page - Bernie Dodge

Your turn! - Subject Sampler - Facing Facts: Prejudice

Teachers:
1) Examine the Sampler activities.
2) Share impressions in small groups.
4) Complete graphic organizer showing characteristics of sampler items.
5) Rank sampler items, most serious to least serious prejudice.
6) Brainstorm suggestions to reduce prejudice and discrimination.

E. Computer/Internet-based Projects

Examples:

1. Creating Collaborative Multimedia Web Pages: Culture Capsules

2. Creating Web Guides to Novels: Hatchet

3. PowerPoint Projects: Campus Visits (Counseling Center)

4. Inter-classroom Projects (Example): Global Grocery List Project

Resources:

1. Curriculum-Based Telecollaboration: Using Activity Structures to Design Student Projects - Harris

2. The Global Schoolhouse

3. Project-Based Learning with Multimedia

4. Web Projects for the ESL/EFL Class: Famous Japanese Personages - Robb (older article but still excellent advice for planning Web projects)

Your turn! - Culture Capsules

Teachers:
1) Brainstorm Culture Capsule topics that could be done in your classroom.
2) Brainstorm the criteria for evaluating an oral report based on a Culture Capsule.
3) See the PBL checklist maker. (English|Spanish). Sample oral report checklist.

 F. Creating Class Web Pages, Interactive Games, Quizzes, Puzzles, Surveys

Examples:

1. Overview of Quia (PowerPoint Presentation)

2. Shared Activities Page - Use any of these free of charge.

3. Quia Creations - A Student Project - Student Examples: Home Page; Challenge Board; Survey

4. Quia Class Page by Michael Krauss - Sample of many of the Quia formats

Resources:

1. Quia

2. More Web-based Tools - Krauss

Your turn! - Quia (Survey)

Teachers:
1) Brainstorm topics about which your students would want to create a survey.
2) What are some question types they might use? (See Quia sample survey)
3) What could students do with the statistics they collect?
4) What language forms would you need to practice?
5) How could students use the information they collect in a real-world project?
6) Pros and cons for using a computer to do this activity?

 G. Web Enhanced Sites (not Shovelware) - enrichments and multimedia-dense content

Examples:

1. Flash Mind Reader

2. Optical Illusions

3. Froguts

4. Columbia River in Danger

Resources:

1. ESL Independent Study Lab: Fun & Games section - Krauss

2. Content-rich Web sites - Krauss

Your turn! - Develop a lesson.

Teachers:
1) Choose one of the multimedia-dense sites above.
2) Develop a set of activities that would: encourage group collaboration, challenge students' thinking skills, provide practice with useful/appropriate language forms, have an outcome that is practical in the real world, provide feedback to students on their language and content learning.

V.Additional Resources

A. Introduction to the Internet | Exploiting World Wide Web Resources Online and Offline - Davies (Ed.)

B. Ideas for the One Computer Classroom - Opp-Beckman

C. Integrating the Internet into the Classroom - Krauss (don't need to enroll to use materials)

D. Teaching S.M.A.R.T. with the Web - Krauss

E. The Educator's Reference Desk (Integrating Technology Section)