Larry Ferlazzo's List of Games for ESL/EFL/ELL Classrooms

My brother-in-law would be so proud of me for the statement which I am about to make. Jimmy Fallon can be a fun resource for education! He made Larry Ferlazzo's "List of Games for ESL/EFL/ELL Classrooms" not once, not twice, but FOUR times with word games he has played on his show. View Ferlazzo's list here.

PS - Many of them could be tweaked to fit in the traditional classroom as well.

Google Tools Toolbox

Rich Kiker, an "Authorized Google Education Trainer," maintains this living Google tool dashboard resource for educators. (Click on the image above to view it live on his website.) Created using the Symbaloo program, each box links you to either a Google/Chrome tool or a Google/Chrome-friendly tool that could be helpful in your classroom.

Here are a few highlights of the many tools within the Google tool dashboard:
*Readability - This program cleans up the website you are viewing into basically a text article by removing things like ads.
*Google News Archive - This Google website lists a large number of newspapers that have accessible online archives and is a great primary document resource.
*Constitute - This organization maintains a digital collection of the world's constitutions for you to read, search, and compare.
*Street View Trek - A version of the Google Street View of neighborhoods, this site takes you into deserts and jungles while providing information on applicable topics.
*Chrome Experiments - This is, well, pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It connects you with tools being created and piloted.

Each square in the above image represents a different tool, so this is just a quick sampling. Have fun exploring!

Draw Names

Yes, this is technically a website created to simplify the secret Santa name-drawing process. I couldn't help but wonder, however, if there were some creative ways to use this in the classroom. I've only been able to come up with two so far. I'm sure there are many other ideas out there, though! If you have other ideas for classroom application, please add them in the comments. My creativity thanks you in advance!

*Randomize the peer editing process for either paper/pencil or Google Doc versions (Keep in mind that this would not partner students. It would randomly assign a reader to each paper.)

*Randomize peer feedback for presentations and speeches

Using Goobric in Google Classroom

If you have avoided Google Classroom because you didn't want to lose the use of Doctopus and Goobric in your classroom...Or, if you have stopped using Doctopus and Goobric in your classroom because you thought they didn't play well with Google Classroom...Or, if you have no idea what I'm talking about with Doctopus and Goobric...

Fear no more! They can all be friends!

Apparently, even though Doctopus is somewhat woven into the threads of Google Classroom, you can still utilize the full Doctopus script, as well as the digital rubric called Goobric. This tutorial video is about 10-minutes in length, but it will take you through the steps of how to use both tools within Google Classroom.

Giving Feedback with Diigo's Clipboard Add-On

Giving students timely, useful, and clear feedback is a vital piece of the writing process, and of the classroom in general. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be enough hours in the day sometimes. Ok, not sometimes. Ever.

Enter Diigo's Clipboard Add-On for Google Docs. You start by adding on the Add-On. Then, create a document that contains feedback on the general areas where you anticipate to see student's struggling. This feedback could contain a quick explanation of how to fix the issue, a link to an online resource, both pieces, or anything else you desired. After creating your feedback snippets, you add them to the Diigo Clipboard, which appears along the right-hand side of your Google Doc. When you open a student paper, you can view this same clipboard. As you add a comment to the paper, you can copy the pre-generated feedback from the Clipboard (link and all) and paste it into the comment box. The video below is a quick, 2-minute tutorial if you would like to see it in action.

This tool is obviously not the silver bullet for feedback since it is basically a way to give more detailed canned comments. It does, however, allow you to give more feedback in a faster manner, which saves you time for adding those individualized comments for each student.

Bonus: Students do not need to add any apps or add-ons to view your feedback because it is all right there in the normal Google comments box. Yea!

Voice Comments with Kaizena

Kaizena is a Google extension and Google Drive add-on that allows teachers to provide students with more formats of feedback than the traditional Google comment tool. In a nutshell, Kaizena takes the basic Google comment, pairs it with TurnItIn.com's GradeMark tagging feature, and adds in the ability to record a voice comment. Not all of their feedback options seem to be working at the moment, specifically the ability to link a piece of feedback to an online resource. BUT, the feather in their hat - the voice comment feature - appears to be one of their strongest features, and it has worked perfectly for me.

If you are interested in trying it out but would like a little guidance, you may use this Kaizena: Steps for Getting Started instructional/tutorial document I made.

(Feedback Add-On Tip: If you are interested in leaving voice comments, I would highly recommend a program like Kaizena. However, if you are more interested in leaving detailed comments with links to online resources, I would recommend using a program like Diigo Clipboard, which you can read about here.)

Immerse Yourself

Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate, writes that the I in PIRATE stands for immersion, and here's a snippet of what he has to say regarding it:

"If you are out on the pool deck and someone asks you to focus on the swimming pool, what does that mean? Would you go stand at the side and stare at it? Would you climb into the lifeguard tower and watch from above? Focus is, after all, supposed to be a powerful and effective strategy. Now compare the concept of focus with the next scenario that defines immersion. You're on the pool deck and someone tells you to immerse yourself in the swimming pool What would this look like? What is implied when someone asks you to immerse yourself in a pool? You're wet! You're in the water! You're either swimming or you're drowning. It's a qualitatively different experience.

I can walk by the open door of a classroom and tell you after a couple of minutes whether the teacher is a lifeguard or a swimmer. A lifeguard sits above the action and supervises the pool deck. Although he or she is focused, there is a distinct sense of separateness both physically and mentally. In contrast, a swimmer is out participating and an integral part of the action" (2012, pp. 14-15).

Burgess goes on to explain that there are times when both lifeguard and swimmer roles are practical in the classroom, however, he is quick to contend that it is vital for teachers to take on the swimmer role when dealing with new(er) material. The analogy he uses compares the role of a swim instructor with that of a swim coach. The most effective swim instructors for those learning to swim are in the water and actively engaged with the learner, modeling and even manipulating the learner's movements in order to help the learner grasp the concept of swimming. A swim coach, in contrast, takes on more of the lifeguard role with developed swimmers, observing and instructing verbally from the pool deck.

How often do you find yourself in the role of a lifeguard in your classroom? How about in the role of a swimmer?

Thinking about your average day, which role would likely be most effective in helping your students learn?

What do you need to do to get yourself into the water on the days when your students are approaching newer material? What do you need to do to get yourself out of the water once students are swimming on their own?

Burgess, D. (2012). Immersion. In Teach like a pirate: Increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator (pp. 13-18). San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting.

70th ASCD Annual Conference

ASCD's (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) 70th annual conference is coming up this spring! If you are thinking about attending a conference this year, here is an option for you to peruse.

What: ASCD Annual Conference

Where: Huston, TX

When: March 21-23, 2015

ASCD is boasting over 350 sessions offered during the three days for those in the education field, including (of course) teachers. These sessions revolve around the theme Challenging Convention: Leading Disruptive Innovations. Click here if you would like to learn more.

PS - Remember to submit a professional travel application if you are highly interested.

Early Literacy Practices for the Secondary English Teacher

The University of Sioux Falls is offering a literacy workshop this spring. If you need credits for either lane change or re-certification, this might be one to consider with our district's literacy focus. It is a weekend class, so it is a one-time commitment. 

What: Early Literacy Practices: Foundations for Secondary English Teachers

When:
March 27-28
Friday: 4:30-9:30 pm
Saturday: 8 am - 6 pm

Workshop Description:

Secondary English teachers are trained to understand middle and high school literacy practices.  As a result, the background related to beginning literacy is often not part of the curricular studies.  This workshop focuses upon the theories, methods, and issues in language and literacy in the early years.  How do teachers instruct reading and writing in the early elementary classroom? 

The study of these foundational elements will guide current English language arts teachers in middle and high school to have a holistic understanding of literacy for all ages.   The foundations of early literacy practices will serve as the grounds for current literacy practices in the secondary classroom to serve readers and writers at all levels.

Cost:
For Graduate Credit: Workshops are one credit and are graded either Pass or No-Credit (P or NC). Grade reports are not issued to students, however, transcripts may be requested free of charge. The cost is $120 per credit.

Renewal (Non-Credit): Workshops can also be taken for non-credit for $50. A certificate of attendance will be provided for teacher renewal purposes.

Click here to see USF's full Spring 2015 workshop listing.