Best Web Tools for English Language Learners: To Code

photo credit: Jawahar Swaminathan and MSD staff at the European Bioinformatics Institute 

Google CSFirst 
Club - style project based learning modules that teaches procedures and basic coding principles in a thematic format. All modules adaptable for EL’s but especially check out Storytelling.

Scratch
Program interactive stories, games, and animations and share your creations with others in the online community. On mobile for iOS only.

MITappInventor
A simple, student friendly programming tool for building Android apps. Students visually design the way the app looks and use blocks to specify the app's behavior. On mobile for android only.

Best Web Tools for English Language Learners: Create, Present & View

U.S. Navy photo by Greg Vojtko 

Glogster
Interactive poster/collage maker. Students can combine text, music, pictures and video to create a dynamic poster or collage online to share. On mobile for android or iOS. $

PicMonkey
“Staggeringly great photo editing tools."

YouTube Creator Hub

The Creator Studio is a suite of video editing tools, including creative commons video clips, text and audio effects for creating curated video presentation.  The Hub includes an academy of how-to’s in filmmaking, appropriate for middle school and up. On mobile for android or iOS.

We Video
Simple, easy to use video editor with a rich selection of effects and audio assets. On mobile for android or iOS.

GoAnimate4Schools
Create professional-looking animations from a huge collection of creative assets, including voice over. This easy to use, school friendly version of the original GoAnimate site creates a "walled garden" that allows teachers to moderate all content. Student work is viewable only by those in their class or school.  Teacher controls downloads to YouTube or Vimeo. $$

Pixton
Create and share original comics.  Site "Code of Conduct" encourages positive and supportive behavior.  Multi-lingual, teacher and student accounts, teachers can sign up for a free trial membership. $

Penzu
Online journal.  Allows students to reflect privately or collect pieces of writing they want to share.  Students can individually use this, or a teacher can create a collection of journals by providing students with a code.  Students can save, print, add photos.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Educreations
Record tutorials by uploading images, websites, videos using drawing tools to create an original presentation to embed or share in a variety of formats.  On mobile for iOS only.

Animoto
Creates unique video pieces from photos, video clips, and music. Educators can Educators can apply for a free Animoto Plus account for use in the classroom. Paid versions available. Syncs with Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, and SmugMug.  On mobile for android or iOS.

ViewPure
“Watch YouTube videos without ads, comments or other distractions”.

Prezi

Collaborative, visual non-linear presentation online platform. Import media from Google or Flickr. Syncs between Windows, Mac, and mobile iOS.

Best Web Tools for English Language Learners: To Capture and Collaborate

Add caption

Screencast-o-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic is a tool for recording screenshots and sharing them. With just a few clicks, start recording your screen, and once you're satisfied with your video, you can upload it directly to YouTube or a video file.

Awesome Screenshot
A screen capture utility with a small built-in graphics app that lets you edit, annotate, and share captured images quickly and easily.

Google Apps for Education
Powerful tools to make collaborative group work online easy. Engage many students on one document, slideshow, drawing, spreadsheet, website or map—or any combination of those.  Use the Google forms for peer editing, surveys, creating digital rubrics, collecting and relaying feedback. Chrome-based mobile apps available.

Storybird
A collaborative storytelling tool. Students can create short art inspired stories that can be shared or printed. Students pair their writing with a rich collection of images in a variety of storybook formats.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Goo.gl
Google’s URL shortener and automatic QR code generator. 

Bitly
A URL shortener where you can share and track your links. It automatically creates a QR code.

Tinyurl
A URL shortener to create an intuitive, easy to remember link of your choosing.

Remind
One way text message communication from teacher to students and parents. On mobile for android and iOS.

New Values for English Language Development: California

The new California English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework is launching around the state this Spring, and I do tend to geek out on these sorts of things.

This twelve chapter document may shape up to be the superguide to the state (no pun intended) of ELD instruction.

As a place to start, here is my version of the Framework credos…

Valuing Language and Culture as Assets

Instruction builds upon and values their home cultures and primary languages.

Intellectual Richness

Students routinely engage in intellectually rich tasks and texts across the disciplines; high expectations for learning are established for all students.

Building Content Knowledge and Language Simultaneously

Instruction promotes content and language learning in tandem in all disciplines.

Attending to Specific Language Learning Needs
Specific, targeted language instruction builds into and from content learning.   Instruction is driven by English language proficiency levels and prior educational experiences in the primary language and English.

Integrating Domains of Communication 
The goal is full proficiency in each domain of English language proficiency: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Providing Appropriate Scaffolding 
Learners are intentionally supported to fully engage with intellectually challenging content using strategic scaffolding, tailored to student needs with the ultimate goal of student autonomy.

Evaluating Progress Appropriately 

Content knowledge and academic English development are evaluated with intentional, appropriate, and valid assessment tools that take into account English language proficiency levels and cultural backgrounds.   Instruction is monitored and adjusted via formative assessment.  Feedback is provided in a timely manner.

Sharing the Responsibility 

Learner’s positive educational experiences and academic success is a responsibility shared by all educators, the family, and the community.

Best Web Tools for English Learners: To Collect and Curate

photo credit: Manfred Heyde 

Creative Commons search
A convenient access to Web resources (image, video, music) that are under a CC license to freely reproduce. However, always verify that the work is actually under a CC license by following the link.

Quizlet
Make or use existing sets of flashcards. Convenient, no registration required.  A bit cluttered with ads, but huge, 8 million sets of flashcards currently.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Study Blue
Clean, minimalist, must register to use. Make flashcards, create traditional review sheets with the functionality of community notes and crowdsourced learning.  Individuals upload their own study tools or use other people’s studying materials. You can choose to view resources globally, or limit search results to your own school or specific class.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Pinterest
The queen of digital bulletin board-style curation. For students 13 and up.  Make, share and comment on collections.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Evernote
Powerful digital notebook. Capture, index and save information using any device. Students can take notes, capture favorite videos, save webpages, and collaborate on and present projects using Evernote. On mobile for android or iOS.

Padlet
Virtual post-it note board for text, images, videos. Save boards for export in a variety of formats, share, send, embed.  On mobile for android or iOS.

Diigo
All-in-one research tool. Highlight, organize and manage online content as they Highlight, bookmark, annotate, and share resources. The tool is great for collaborating and sharing ideas on a range of devices. On mobile for android or iOS.

Zaption
Create interactive lessons by embedding quizzes, comments, live discussions into YouTube or Vimeo videos. On mobile for iOS only.