Call Newsletter Volume 2 Number 6 March 2009

March 2009 In This Issue

Volume 2, Number 6 Dear colleagues:

Purchases

Welcome to your monthly reminder of all the options you have for using the computer in the classroom—our sixth scintillating compendium of CALL materials for this academic year.

Tips and Tricks

All websites are working at press time—but remember, the Internet waits for no man.

Web Pages

New Software About Us Submissions

Links Server 9 - EFL CALL Resources Ed Technology (TLC) Templates & Tools (TLC) CNA-Q Library CNA-Q IT Tutorials Abdulmanan Nur’s Staff Training Page Rebecca Hatherley’s CALL Wiki

No need to save this document to find the websites—they will be available permanently from the department’s CALL page, courtesy of Susan Curtis. See “EFL-CALL Resources Website,” on the College’s Intranet home page. Or click the link here. Older newsletters are also stored on SharePoint here. CALL committee minutes are here. Remember that this newsletter is an internal document. If you want to forward it to friends outside the college, please delete any references to passwords exclusive to college faculty. --Steve Roney

Web Pages Shahi: On this site, you type in a word, and up pops a definition from Wiktionary—plus related images from Flickr. The result: an extensive online visual dictionary. http://blachan.com/shahi/ --Rebecca Hatherley Custom Sign Generator: Writing really can be fun— when you introduce your students to this page full of signs you can create on the web with your own text. Some work, some don’t; some are not fit for classroom use. Pre-screen, and use the direct link to the particular sign. It can also be useful for creating class materials. Check out, for example, the menu generator. You can even upload your own photographs to turn them into signs. http://www.customsigngenerator.com/ --Rebecca Hatherley SlideShare: As well as a place to find canned PowerPoints that might be

useful in class, and to post your own for easy access wherever there's a computer, it also serves as a gallery of what can be done (and often, shouldn't be done) with PowerPoint. http://www.slideshare.net/ --John Allan Here, as an example, is one of SlideShare’s offerings: some PowerPoint tips: http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint Old Radio World: Looking for some interesting listening exercises? Consider the copyright-free resources here. They are also relatively culturally safe. http://www.oldradioworld.com/ The Voices of History collection is worth special mention: http://www.oldradioworld.com/shows/Voices_of_History.php Debatewise: If you want to use debating in class, or are working with your students on expressing opinions, or on summarizing important points, this debate site can be a good resource. Students can read both sides of ongoing debates, enter their own arguments or debating points, and vote for the side they agree with. For high-level students only. http://debatewise.com/ Songsterr: This site is designed for tyro guitarists; but it can be a boon for English teachers. Exploit your students’ interest in pop music by having them learn and sing the words to English songs. Sonsterr will provide the musical background, karaoke-style. http://www.songsterr.com/ Lyrics.com: find the lyrics you need for the exercise here—often along with a video performance by the original artist. http://www.lyrics.com/ Want to create WebQuests for your students? This page offers standard templates to make it easier. Good for a reading activity. http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html Here are two collections of WebQuests already created for ESL: http://iteslj.org/links/ESL/Treasure_Hunts/ http://sookmyung.ac.kr/~heyoung/presentation/treasure.htm

Forvo: “All the words in the world. Pronounced.” Of obvious value for learning correct English pronunciation. Often includes both US and UK forms. http://forvo.com/

Purchases We’d like you to have your own say on what CALL resources the college purchases. To that end, we have put our reviews of packages currently under consideration on SharePoint here. Please have a look. Or click on the title in the list below, to view the publisher’s own web page: Content Generator

InspireData Voicethread

Oxford Picture Dictionary

Quia Web

Interested in any of them? Then go to our online survey here, and let us know. Would you use these? Do you have a better idea? Or another recommendation you’d like to make to the committee?

Tips and Tricks The Teaching and Learning Centre forwards these useful links, excerpted from their permanent web page: Templates: Where to Find ‘em, How to Use ‘em MS Office Templates - Education Quizzes, attendance sheets, reports, graph paper, notes, flashcards etc. in MS Word and PowerPoint.

MS Excel Templates - Gradebooks Make record keeping and grade calculations easy. MS Office Templates - Calendars Type the year in the search box to limit choices. Many formats available. Vertex42: Create Your Own Calendar Easy calendar creation in Excel. Work Sheets and Templates TechLearning links to already-created templates and online rubric and document generators.

Solving the Rubrics Cube Tutorial: Authentic Assessment Toolbox Merlot classics. Rubric Creation and Information From Teacher Vision. Kathy Schrock's Guide to Assessment & Rubrics Discovery Education. Rubric Machine Lean and mean. Landmark project. RubiStar Rubrics for project-based learning. --Cheri MacLeod

New Software The library is always adding something new to its CALL repertoire. Here’s the latest, and possibly the greatest: Schoolhouse Technologies Vocabulary Workshop Factory: if you like EdHelper, you’ll love the Workshop Factory. Enter your list of vocabulary and definitions once, and generate twenty-two different worksheets. Unfortunately, the program requires installation, and you’ll currently need to ask IT to do it for you.

Available from the library’s web portal here. Click on “Online databases” from the “Quick Links” list on the right. --Pat Sutherland

About Us CALL stands for Computer-Aided Language Learning. We on the CALL committee have a mandate from the department to aid and abet you in using educational technology in your classroom. We currently comprise two committees: software evaluation and materials development. If you are interested, we would be delighted to have you join us in this cause. Current Members: Steve Roney (chair) John Allan (chair, materials development) Douglas Culbert Susan Curtis Scott Dagilis Darlene Liutkus Cheri MacLeod (TLC liaison) Scott Webber Rebecca Hatherley (Academics liaison) Dan Rieb Larissa Conley Linda Earl Alan Vallely Shairon Burton Eleanor Kenny (ex officio) Jack Rigg (ILC liaison)

Submissions  Please consider the environment before printing this newsletter.

If you have a tech tip to share, or know of an interesting and relevant website, please send it along to [email protected] for inclusion in a future issue. A big thanks to those who contributed to this issue: Cheri MacLeod, Rebecca Hatherley, John Allan, Pat Sutherland, Steve Roney.