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The advantages of CLIL

CLIL helps to:

Introduce the wider cultural context

Prepare for internationalisation

Access International Certification and enhance the school profile

Improve overall and specific language competence

Prepare for future studies and / or working life

Develop multilingual interests and attitudes

Diversify methods & forms of classroom teaching and learning

Increase learner motivation.

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Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), that is the use of ICT to enhance language teaching-learning and the teaching of subject content in a foreign language.

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Language teachers and subject teachers work closely and regularly together. The language teacher observes subject teachers’ lessons now and again and gives feedback on language use. Subject teachers keep up their language skills through workshops which they attend. The teachers are formally facilitated with a number of hours per week to do this work. 

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Language teachers and subject teachers work closely and regularly together. The language teacher observes subject teachers’ lessons now and again and gives feedback on language use. Subject teachers keep up their language skills through workshops which they attend. The teachers are formally facilitated with a number of hours per week to do this work. 

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TECHNO-CLIL FOR EVO 2017

Moderators: Letizia Cinganotto & Daniela Cuccurullo

Reflecting on my favourite webtool

Name and surname  | Stefania teneriello
Country and city | Italy- Naples
School level where I teach  | Upper secondary school
Subject/s taught   | English
Webtool chosen: link and short description   |  I have chosen Padlet as my favourite webtool because it’s a very funny and easy way to learn and practice a foreign language It allows students to espress  and share theirthoughts on a common topic by adding videos, pictures ,test on an online sheet of paper.It is also useful for teachers who can have an immediate feedback on  theirstudents’ workwww.padlet.com
School level where it could be used  | Any level
Subject/subjects  | Any subject
Skill/ skills the webtool may enhance  | Listening,speaking,reading and writing but also collaborative skills
Students’ level of English   | Any level depending on the content
Technical requirements (if any) |
My experiments with the webtool (if any): external links, pictures, screenshots etc. | With powerpoint and its different tools (external links, pictures,videos,music..)
Additional comments  |

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http://www.snappywords.com
http://www.telescopictext.org/
www.rewordify.com
www.popplet.com
www.edmondo.com
www.animoto.com
www.storyboardthat.com
www.clilstore.com
www.khanacademy.com
https://learningapps.org
https://www.instagrok.com
https://clilingmesoftly.wordpress.com
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com
https://www.ted.com
https://www.edx.org
http://www.macmillaninspiration.com/new/resources/web-projects
http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/what-is-clil/free-sample-material/
http://www.unifg.it/didattica/corsi-di-lingua-e-ecdl/centro-linguistico-di-ateneo/clil
http://e-clil.uws.ac.uk/?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=62

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In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor.

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https://v.gd/8c74Fkhttps://v.gd/8c74Fk

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRWVoZL8qUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRWVoZL8qU

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Week 1 : Content and language integrated learning 

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Week 1 : Content and language integrated learning 

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https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/content-language-integrated-learninghttps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/content-language-integrated-

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WEEK 2 : THE ROLE OF VIDEOS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUA

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WEEK 2 : THE ROLE OF VIDEOS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUA

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The role of videos in the teaching and learning of content in a foreign language | Cinganotto | Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society

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The role of videos in the teaching and learning of content in a foreign language

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INNOVATIONS IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGIESFOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

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WEB 2.0 TOOLS

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INTEGRATING MOBILE DEVICES INTO LANGUAGE LEARNING

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Abstract
This paper focuses on the value added by digital and mobile learning to the development of language competences and to the teaching/learning of subject content in a foreign language through CLIL methodology (Content and Language Integrated Learning). The European Commission recommends CLIL as one of the most innovative strategies for the modernization of our education and training system. It has been successfully experimented in most European countries (Eurydice, 2012). This paper makes reference to a report recently published by the European Commission (2014a), that focuses on the link between CLIL, CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) and MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning). A brief literature review cites research in the field of digital and mobile learning and considers some different theoretical models and acronyms with the aim of outlining the potential of technologies in improving students' learning outcomes and the challenges that technologically-based teaching pose for teachers.

As an example of good practice, a European project called Creative Classroom Labs, on behalf of European Schoolnet (http://www.eun.org), is noted and described. The project, carried out in an Italian school, piloting the project, makes a significant contribution to the use of tablets in schools and discusses how tablets can support new learning approaches and scenarios, such as content creation, collaborative learning, personalized learning and flipped classrooms, integrating content, language, digital and socio-collaborative dimensions.

Keywords
CLIL, Computer Assisted Language Learning, Mobile Assisted Language Learning
Visualizza il pdf

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Med | Blog | INTEGRATING MOBILE DEVICES INTO LANGUAGE LEARNING TO MEET THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES

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Abstract This paper focuses on the value added by digital and mobile learning to the development of language competences and to the teaching/learning of subject content in a foreign language through CLIL methodology (Content and Language Integrated Learning). The European Commission recommends CLIL as one of the most innovative strategies for the modernization of our education and training system.

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PLANNING CLIL LESSONS

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PLANNING TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

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PUTTING CLIL INTO PRACTICE

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A CLIL book from OUP.

It feels like it has taken years to get this book together, but actually, it's about two years. OUP have provided us with a publicity flier which I'm posting here so that any interested colleagues can see what to expect.

In terms of content, one of the main things I think we offer in the book is a clear description of a framework for describing and implementing CLIL practice. The framework offers three dimensions of CLIL: language, concepts, procedures. We frequently make use of the term '3D CLIL' for this reason. You might say that these dimensions appear in all classes, no matter what language of country we're examining. But, the point about CLIL is that the foreign language is crucial to all planning and practice and it is the concepts and the procedures that dictate what this language will be. Hence, the CLIL teacher will know what concepts they are teaching and what procedures to use in their class (and this applies to the mother tongue content classroom) but it is the foreign language dimension that most obviously sets CLIL practice apart from any mother tongue context. Planning in any context for teaching any subject through the medium of any foreign language, then, will identify concepts and procedures first and then consider any foreign language demands and needs and make allowances.

'Making allowances' is what this book is all about.

What does a teacher need to think about when learners are reading/listening/writing/speaking about their subject in a foreign language? You'll find suggestions and much more in 'Putting CLIL into Practice'.

Personally, I'd like to thank Phil for giving us the push we needed to get it all down on paper. Thanks Phil. I'd like to thank John for keeping things logical and meaningful. Me, I just bring some teaching ideas and many of you who know me professionally who buy and read this book will no doubt recognize where I've contributed.

Incidentally, Phil has a video in YouTube where he talks about designing materials for CLIL. It's a useful clip as Phil talks through the three dimensions so you get an understanding of 3D CLIL, which is a flag we fly wherever we go.

Phil previously referred to the three dimensions as 'the holy trinity of CLIL', but that since evolved into the safer 3 dimensions!

This site and factworld@yahoogroups.com are good places to participate in any discussion which comes about from the appearance of the book in your local bookshops!

The OUP flyer is linked below.

- - -

CLIL, English teachers and the three dimensions of content

This is a very readable article from Phil Ball on the English teacher perspective of 3D CLIL.
The people at Modern English Teacher very kindly gave us permission to reproduce the article in full and you can download from here.

There is a review of the book in Estudios sobre Educación from the University of Navarra from Ruth Breeze:
https://www.unav.edu/publicaciones/revistas/index.php/estudios-sobre-educacion/article/view/7761/6782
At last the 3Ds of CLIL get some independent recognition (pdf below).

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A CLIL book from OUP. It feels like it has taken years to get this book together, but actually, it's about two years. OUP have provided us with a publicity flier which I'm posting here so that any interested colleagues can see what to expect.

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USEFUL RESOURCES FOR PLANNING A CLIL PATH

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This blog is intended to provide information for ELT / CLIL teachers , with more than 250 linksto online resources, interactive games, educational blogs and other types of websites. As on-line content can move or change, always c heck the links before using any websites with your students.

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This blog is intended to provide information for ELT / CLIL teachers , with more than 250 linksto online resources, interactive games, educational blogs and other types of websites. As on-line content can move or change, always c heck the links before using any websites with your students.

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SKILLS FOR CLIL

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CLIL ACTIVITIES

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World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Rosie Tanner and Liz Dale share their thoughts on inspiring creativity in the classroom through the effective use of CLIL.

A personal resolution of ours recently is (yet again) to slow down. This video, "Creativity requires time" caught our attention, because it shows that slowing down actually can help creativity. The clip shows that if you give students 10 seconds to perform a task, they all come up with the same - or pretty similar - answers. Give them a task for 10 minutes and their creativity explodes!

But what does this mean for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)? Here are some suggestions for slowing down CLIL to help both language and content learning.

Slowing down CLIL in the classroom

Give students more time to work on CLIL activities. Replace lessons with project time, where students can be creative and work "slower". In order to stimulate their creativity with language, give them choices in how they perform - to make a video on their telephones, or PowerPoint or a poster or a Prezi.

Instead of requiring students to write short paragraphs or answers to questions, work on one, longer piece of writing over a number of lessons (plus homework), in order to develop their writing skills. Ask students to spend time on drafting and perhaps illustrating a piece of writing and then first give feedback on content. Giving feedback on content first helps students improve their language. Students then rewrite and hand in a piece of writing that they can be proud of. On Friday, we'll be sharing an activity "Brainstorming for writing (1) posters" from our book CLIL Activities for ideas on how you could do this in a variety of subjects.

Think > Pair > Share

Alternatively, you can use the well-worn idea of Think > Pair > Share (TPS). You give students a question, prompt or observation. The students then take a few moments to think about the question and note down their answers, for example on a mini-whiteboard. Next, students make pairs to talk about their answers. Finally, you ask pairs to share their answers with the class. You can record these on the board. For more about TPS, see, for example, this site. In this way, your students are all engaged and producing spoken output, which then helps with their language learning.

Use HOTS (higher order thinking skills) more than LOTS (lower order thinking skills). Instead of asking questions which require short answers of less than five words - usually lower order thinking questions - ask questions so students have to think hard. Change "What is 16 times 4?" to "How many sums can you think of to which the answer is 64?" Check back tomorrow for an activity that will help with this - "Skinny and fat questions and thinking skills". Again, by answering HOTS, CLIL learners produce more spoken output.

School Development

Implementing CLIL also means taking time in terms of school development. It means taking time to invest in subject teachers' English and continuing to invest in it. English teachers at school can play a role in this, giving regular practical English workshops to their colleagues. And it takes time to integrate CLIL methodology into subject lessons. Moving into CLIL means adding extra, language-rich tasks into your subject lessons - and that takes time, too. It often means working closer with colleagues to develop a shared approach. One useful aid to help you to think about school cooperation is the Collaboration in CLIL rubric (p.25-29) from CLIL Activities.

If we take more time, maybe our CLIL students' creativity will increase, you will be prouder of what they make or perform, and your lessons will be richer.
We'll be sharing some activities from Rosie and Liz's book CLIL Activities: A resource book for subject and language teachers tomorrow and Friday. Rosie also has her own website and regularly posts blogs at Reflections on CLIL.

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Give CLIL time | World of Better Learning | Cambridge University Press

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Rosie Tanner and Liz Dale share their thoughts on inspiring creativity in the classroom through the effective use of CLIL. A personal resolution of ours recently is (yet again) to slow down. This video, "Creativity requires time" caught our attention, because it shows that slowing down actually can help creativity.

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EXAMPLES OF CLIL IN DIFFERENT SUBJECTS

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WHAT IS EXTENSIVE READING

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The reading skill is most often taught by close study of short passages followed by analysis of language.

Extensive reading: An alternative approach

Aims of extensive reading

The characteristics of an extensive reading approach

The value of this intensive reading procedure, with its focus on the teaching of discrete reading skills has been questioned by some, who claim that teaching students reading strategies does not necessarily make them better readers. It is widely believed that people become good readers through reading, and that learning how to read should mean a focus of attention on the meaning rather than the language of the text.

Extensive reading: An alternative approach
Another model for teaching reading exists. This is an 'extensive reading approach' and involves students reading long texts or large quantities for general understanding, with the intention of enjoying the texts.

Students are allowed to choose the books they read depending on their interests, and there is not always a follow-up discussion or work in class. In this way students are encouraged to read for pleasure and should become better readers.

Aims of extensive reading
The principal objective of undertaking an extensive reading approach is to get students reading in English and liking it. An increase in reading fluency should be another objective. Because of this, reading should be a pleasurable activity for the student, promoted as much as possible by the teacher.

The characteristics of an extensive reading approach

Reading material
Reading for pleasure requires a large selection of books be available for students to choose from at their level. Here, teachers can make good use of graded readers (books which have been written specifically for EFL/ESL students or which have been adapted from authentic texts).

Setting up a class library is a good way to provide material for students, and because the books are kept in the actual classroom, there is a greater chance that they will be borrowed, and teachers also have more opportunities to refer to them during class.

Motivation
One of the key factors to the success (or not) of an extensive reading programme is motivation. Capturing student interest is the key. If the materials available are interesting to the students, then they will be far more likely to want to read them. These books should also be at a level appropriate to their reading ability. As mentioned earlier, the texts should not be too difficult so students experience the frustration of not being able to understand the books.

Getting the extensive reading programme off to a good start is also vital. The aim is for an initial successful experience so that students discover they can read in English and that they enjoy it. This positive experience should stimulate them to read more, increasing motivation, enjoyment and a desire to read.The teacher's roleConclusion

The teacher encourages and assists the students with their reading, which the students undertake during and /or after class. Occasional summaries (oral or written) can help with this as they show both that the students are reading and also that they understand what their books are about. The activities can also help students improve their writing or speaking ability. Another activity teachers can become involved in is individual counselling - this gives the teacher an opportunity to ask students about their reading experiences and can be done by the teacher while the rest of the class are silent reading. Above all, however, extensive reading should be a student-centred and a student-managed activity.

Day & Bamford (1998) highlight the benefits that have been gained by the undertaking of extensive reading programmes. These include gains in reading and writing proficiency, oral skills and vocabulary, an increase in motivation and positive affect.

Setting up an extensive reading programme should not only lead your students to improve their reading proficiency and other language skills, but will hopefully enable them to take pleasure in reading for its own sake. Further reading

Susser B & TN Robb (1990) 'EFL Extensive Reading Instruction: Research and Procedure' JALT Journal Vol No.2 http://www.kyoto-su.ac.jp/~trobb/sussrobb.html
Day RR & J Bamford (1998) 'Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom' Cambridge:CUP
Barnett, M.A. (1988). Reading through context: How real and perceived strategy use affects L2 comprehension. The Modern language Journal, 72, 150-162.

The BBC and British Council are not responsible for the content of external web sites.

Graham Stanley, British Council, Barcelona

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The reading skill is most often taught by close study of short passages followed by analysis of language. Extensive reading: An alternative approach Aims of extensive reading The characteristics of an extensive reading approach Motivation The teacher's role Conclusion

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http://erfoundation.org/ERF_Guide.pdf

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WHY IS EXTENSIVE READING IMPORTANR

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Fremmedspråksenteret har etter gjennomgang av bidragene valgt å tildele førsteprisen i Fremmedspråksenterets språkdagkonkurranse 2023 til Hellerud videregående skole i Oslo.

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Fremmedspråksenteret har etter gjennomgang av bidragene valgt å tildele førsteprisen i Fremmedspråksenterets språkdagkonkurranse 2023 til Hellerud videregående skole i Oslo.

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WHAT'S THE POINT OF EXTENSIVE READING

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To celebrate the launch of Project fourth edition, Domino author, Nina Prentice explores the relevance of extensive reading in the upper primary classroom.
School is generally about hierarchies and rules. The teacher is the authority on and dispenser of the syllabus. Students are novices. Their purpose is to consume and learn the year's programme of study and satisfy the requirements of the examination system.

But, if we believe that learning is not just about passing exams, our classrooms need not follow this pattern. We can break the traditional roles of 'teacher' and 'student' following our set tasks and duties quite easily. All we need is a library of graded readers and the enthusiasm and passion to read extensively alongside our class.

The transformation is astonishing. Discussion and debate become the norm. Students, even those who are less able or confident, participate enthusiastically because when people respond to personal reading there is no right or wrong answer. Everyone has a voice and a right to have it heard.

Extensive reading is the opposite of the obligatory 'intensive reading' we practice in school, crawling like snails over texts and leaving inky slime trails of annotation over every page. Reading extensively is about consuming large amounts of texts greedily to know the end of the story, not to dissect the author's style. It is about choice, freedom and pleasure.

When we read extensively, we forget our dictionaries because we are reading well within our comfort zone. Choosing freely what we read (and rejecting it if we don't like it) for our personal enjoyment and interest is liberating, motivating and empowering.

Extensive reading also frees us from daily textbook routines. The class library not only allows us to explore language together naturally through our reactions to the books we are all reading but provides a endless supply of spontaneous activities with which to animate our lessons and engage our students.

The class library allows us to share our reading experiences communally. This collaborative approach, where the normal, formal routines of the classroom are set aside, creates an environment where learning happens naturally through discussion, the expression of opinions and even disagreement! Extensive reading is real language in real use and demonstrates that books will always be the best and most stimulating teachers!

Some examples of practical extensive reading activities

Graded readers provide prompts for classroom activities in ways that many textbooks or undifferentiated material cannot. Books which students have chosen deliberately and are enjoying reading are self-evidently within their competence. Textbook work can never be quite as accessible or as pleasurable. Additionally, students are usually excited about sharing their current reading with the rest of the class and less able students gain confidence when they can perform and contribute in the same way as more able classmates.

Teachers can easily use the class library and students' current reading to extend and practise textbook topics. The brief 5-10 minute activities below are just a few examples of the kind of naturally differentiated tasks which can amplify and support the syllabus.

Cover Illustration Game: Ask students to look at the cover of the books they are reading. Give them thirty seconds to write down as many words as they can think of prompted by the images in the illustration. Then...

Ask students to categorise the words they have collected by word class. Do they notice any patterns? Or...

Ask if the colours they have noticed on the cover suggest anything about the story they are reading. Or...

Ask the students to use the words they have collected to write a 50 to 100-word description of a place they know well.

Ask the students to do this task with the cover of a book they have not read. After they have collected the words (without looking at the blurbs) ask them to use their collections to write 50 to 100 words predicting the story. Students can then compare predictions with the blurbs on the back.

Word Class Hunt: Ask students to find an example each of word classes (e.g. noun, verb, adjective, adverb) from the books they are reading and then:

Making a Statement: Ask students to turn a statement in the book they are reading into a question; or turn a positive statement into a negative; or change the tense or gender; etc.

Talking Text: Ask students to turn a dialogue in the stories they are reading into reported speech or vice versa. Ask them how these changes affect the way the story is told.

Five Words: Ask students to select any five words they like from a page in the book that they are currently reading and use them to write a 50-75 word opening to a new story of their own as in the example below.
Enclosed Signs Flags Meet FinishedThe flags were all hung out in the courtyard where I hoped to meet George and Freya at the end of the day. As I arrived, they had just finished their turns in the enclosed pits where the fights happen. I was worried but the signs were good. They were both smiling and waving at me. George only had a black eye and Freya a long, deep cut on her shoulder. (71 words)

Question Time: Extend this last activity by picking a good example and then asking students to use the 5 Ws and the H to ask questions about the story. For example:

Where is the courtyard?

Why are the George and Freya fighting in pits?

Who is the person telling the story?

When is this story happening: in the present, the future or the past?

What will happen next?

How can George and Freya be happy when they are quite badly hurt?

Sentence Starter: Ask students to pick a sentence at random from any page in the books they are currently reading and create as many new sentences as they can using at least the chosen words but adding more as desired.

Discuss how the sentences have developed.

Extend the task by seeing if they can change the sentence they have chosen to make it humorous, sad, frightening or unexpected.

Ask students to compare their sentences and see how they can be improved.

These are just a few examples of short activities that can be created on the spot using the readers in the class libraries as prompts. These kinds of tasks are useful because they:

Break up the monotony of lessons and create a sense of adventure and unpredictability in your classroom. The unexpected really motivates learning!

Provide a range of differentiated tasks which all students can access and enjoy.

Stimulate interest in the class libraries by getting students to share their reading experiences.

Offer a range of brief do-able activities which persuade students that writing in English is not only something which can be practised and improved but which also can be fun!

Give teachers an opportunity to observe how students are interacting with the libraries while, at the same time, getting students to extend, practice and reinforce textbook tasks with 'real' language.

Don't forget that graded readers span a wide range of ability levels and there is strong emphasis on student choice. This ensures that all students, even the least able, can easily find accessible and enjoyable books for themselves to enjoy both at home and at school.

CDs with the spoken text now accompany the majority of the readers. For students with learning difficulties trying to read in a non-phonetic language like English, this audio input provides vital support to make the decoding process more intelligible. Moreover, research shows that students who regularly listen to recordings as they read become faster and more fluent, whatever their ability level. Pronunciation also improves naturally because of the aural stimulus to word recognition.

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What's the point of Extensive Reading? - Teaching English with Oxford

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To celebrate the launch of Project fourth edition, Domino author, Nina Prentice explores the relevance of extensive reading in the upper primary classroom. School is generally about hierarchies and rules. The teacher is the authority on and dispenser of the syllabus. Students are novices. Their purpose is to consume and learn the year's programme of [...]

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ER : WHY,HOW

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An extensive reading program was established for elementary level language learners at the British Council Language Center in Sanaa, Yemen.

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TOOL FOR SOCIAL PHRASEBOOK
https://www.phraseum.com
TOOL FOR WRITING
http://www.telescopictext.org

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TOOLS FOR READING COMPREHENSION

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Words are like teenagers.

They are manageable individually, but once they start hanging out with each other, it can be difficult to figure out how they work as a whole.

Any parent or teacher who has taught a child to read will tell you that interpreting a text involves two steps. The first step involves decoding and defining individual words. The second (and more important) step is being able to understand what those words mean when they are grouped together as sentences and paragraphs.

Reading comprehension can certainly be difficult for kids with learning disabilities and differences, such as dyslexia, but there are plenty of students who struggle with novels and textbook chapters that are written at comprehension levels higher than their own.

The following reading tools can all be considered assistive technology for students who need them. However, they are available to all students and can be beneficial to anyone looking to gain a better understanding of a particular book, article, blog post, or any other piece of writing. These resources can also help teachers create inclusive classrooms and implement the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

One of the most innovative websites to be developed in the last several years, Rewordify.com is a free online tool that helps improve students' reading comprehension in multiple ways.

First, a user pastes or imports text into a text box on the site. Rewordify then analyzes this text, looking for words and phrases that may be difficult to understand. Once the site locates difficult or problematic language, it replaces it with simpler words to aid students' understanding. The Rewordifying Engine includes multiple settings so that users can choose from several reading levels. Users can click on the replacement words to display either the original, more difficult language or individual words' definitions (in a variety of forms - in the margins, in separate columns, or superimposed over the initial version of the text).

Students also have the option of reading the original and replaced words with built-in text-to-speech functionality for auditory reinforcement.

After Rewordify identifies the difficult words and phrases, it provides students with a series of activities to help them learn new vocabulary. One way it does this is by collecting troublesome text in a series of flashcards (which also offer integrated text-to-speech). The site can also administer quizzes in different formats (e.g., word bank, matching) to aid in the learning process.

Finally, Rewordify has a collection of classic literature (like Shakespeare's plays) and historic documents (like the Declaration of Independence) that students can access, read, and better understand by using the site's unique comprehension tools.

Created for students and teachers, Snap&Read Universal is a Google Chrome extension that reads language aloud (including text on Flash-based websites that typically can't be copied and pasted) using integrated text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting.

To aid in reading comprehension, Snap&Read allows students to use a text-leveling tool similar to the one found on Rewordify.com. Students can select text that they have a hard time understanding, and the Web browser extension will identify and replace difficult words with simpler ones. The level of linguistic complexity can be adjusted in the Options tab.

In addition, Snap&Read has a unique outlining tool that can also help with reading comprehension. After it is activated, students can highlight the main ideas of a reading, and those passages are automatically extracted and placed into an outline located in the browser's sidebar that can be easily edited. The outline can then be dragged and dropped into a word processor, like Google Docs, for students to integrate into a reading summary.

The idea behind Newsela is simple but powerful, and it can have a big impact on developing the reading comprehension of diverse learners. Newsela is a website that publishes current events articles each day on a variety of topics pertaining to most school subjects. Every article has five versions, each written for students at different reading levels. After a student reads the version that matches her skill level, she can take corresponding quizzes to test her knowledge.

A professional subscription to the site allows teachers to integrate Newsela more deeply and meaningfully into their classrooms. For example, they can gather data and track the reading progress of individual students or entire classes. They can also create and assign writing prompts based on particular articles as a means of further assessing their students' comprehension.

All told, Newsela provides a perfect platform for implementing accessible Universal Design for Learning principles - it invites users of various levels and with a range of abilities to participate fully.

Based on the idea that multisensory activities provide deeper and longer-lasting learning, Immersion Reading is an e-book technology that combines recorded audiobooks with synchronized highlighting of electronic text. The result of a partnership between Amazon.com and Audible.com, it allows students to read books with their eyes and ears at the same time, leading to better comprehension and retention of subject matter. Since it does not rely on synthesized text-to-speech and instead uses the vocal performance of a professional actor or broadcaster, it makes auditory reinforcement of written text a more authentic multisensory experience.

Currently, complete Immersion Reading is available using Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet and the Kindle for Android app. Users can also read and listen to books simultaneously on the Kindle for iOS app, but text highlighting is not supported on Apple devices at this time.

Another multisensory strategy for improving reading comprehension involves electronic graphic organizers, and Inspiration Software provides one of the best platforms for accomplishing this task. Available for both desktop computers and iOS devices, Inspiration allows students to create visual representations of the characters, themes, and plot summaries of works of fiction. It also lets them visually map the details of textbook chapters and current events articles. Any language that is included can be read aloud with text-to-speech technology. In addition, users can add links to Web-based articles and videos to provide supporting materials.

One characteristic of Inspiration that sets it apart from other mind-mapping software is its collection of readymade templates. Templates that can aid in reading comprehension include: Character Traits, Fiction Reading Notes, Plot Analysis, Compare and Contrast, and KWL Organizer (KWL is an acronym explaining what students already know, what knowledge they want to gain, and what they ultimately learned from a reading) .

It can be challenging for students to consume large amounts of written material during their academic careers. Nevertheless, getting through their reading assignments with solid comprehension is a key component of a quality education. Today, there are plenty of technology tools to help.

*Use the Noodle search tool to find a great school near you.

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5 Tech Tools To Aid Your Reading Comprehension - Noodle.com

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If you struggle to understand or remember your reading assignments, Noodle is here to help. Check out these 5 tech tools to improve your reading comprehension.

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MORE TOOLS FOR READING COMPREHENSION

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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September 27, 2014
One of the key concerns I often hear primary teachers vociferate revolves around the potential of technology in enhancing students reading comprehension skills. As a matter of fact, technology's role in this regard is phenomenal and there are now several web tools and mobile apps that are designed specifically for the improvement of students reading skills. These tools make use of a variety of activities and exercises all of which are geared towards providing students with meaningful practice in areas related to reading comprehension. Here are some of the key tools I would recommend to use with your kids and students to improve their reading comprehension skills.

Rewordify lets you read more, understand more, learn more words, and teach more effectively. It simplifies English, teaches vocabulary, creates learning materials, and lets you create documents to teach a global audience. It has many more features, and it's all free.

3- SpeakIt

SpeakIt reads selected text using Text-to-Speech technology with language auto-detection. It can read text in more than 50 languages.
This is how to use SpeakIt:

First select the text you want it to read.

Then click the icon to start listening.

When it is ready to read, the number of sentences is shown on the icon.

To stop listening at any time click pause

1- Reading Bear

Reading Bear is a great tool for helping kids learn to read. Reading Bear integrates both vocabulary practice (over 1200 vocabulary items) and phonetic awareness ( covering different phonetic principles and patterns of written English) into their lessons. All of these lessons are provided in the form of narrated presentations playable either as a video or as an interactive slide show. Presentations are available in seven different versions. In the fullest version, the narrator sounds out a word slowly and quickly, then blend it slowly, and finally (after an optional prompt) blend it quickly. As sounds are pronounced, the corresponding letters are highlighted. Then a picture is displayed illustrating the word, show a sentence (with the individual sounds again highlighted, karaoke style), and finally show a video illustrating the sentence.

Read with Me is a web platform that for monitoring oral reading progress on any web device. It provides students with practice fluency at home on any web device and to keep track of miscues. They can also use it to record and listen to their own reading.

5- Language Garden

Language Garden is a treasure trove of materials and resources on teaching language literacy. Using Language Garden , students will be able to learn about language plants, read and listen to narrated stories, and compose their own language plants.

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5 Great Tools to Improve Students Reading Comprehension Skills

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September 27, 2014 One of the key concerns I often hear primary teachers vociferate revolves around the potential of technology in enhancing students reading comprehension skills. As a matter of fact, technology's role in this regard is phenomenal and there are now several web tools and mobile apps that are designed specifically for the improvement of students reading skills.

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READING AND VOCABULARY

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An eVoc strategy is an electronic or technology-based strategy that teachers can use to develop students' vocabulary learning and interest in words. We use the term eVoc both to highlight that the strategies rely on digital tools and resources and to suggest the evoking of learning potential that is possible when technology and media are part of the instructional mix.

As literacy educators, we need to use the tools that 21st-century technologies afford us (International Reading Association, 2009). Nearly 100% of schools in the United States have Internet access (Wells & Lewis, 2006). In 2010, we can assume that access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) will continue to improve with the increased availability of inexpensive mobile devices and the U.S. Department of Education's inclusion of technology in education reform (National Education Technology Plan, 2010).

Although the pervasiveness of ICTs in all aspects of 21st-century life is quite clear and well accepted, it is less clear how teachers might successfully integrate technology into literacy instruction and specifically vocabulary instruction. Improving students' vocabulary is an area of urgent need if we are to develop the advanced literacy levels required for success in school and beyond (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006; Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2008). Vocabulary is also an area where teachers are asking for guidance on instructional approaches, strategies, and materials (Berne & Blachowicz, 2008). We believe that digital tools and media are available in most schools that teachers could harness now to improve vocabulary learning, tools that capture the interest of students and that provide scaffolds and contexts in which to learn with, and about, words more profitably.

The purpose of this article is to highlight 10 eVoc strategies that hold promise for improving vocabulary learning in intermediate grades and that employ digital tools and resources that are readily available and feasible to implement in today's schools. Given the fast pace of technology innovation, not all of these eVoc strategies have direct research evidence; however, they are all supported by research on effective vocabulary instruction, much of it carried out with print materials (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000; Pearson, Hiebert, & Kamil, 2007), and multimedia learning (Fadel & Lemke, 2008; Mayer, 2001).

We encourage teachers to select one or more of these eVoc strategies to try out and adapt to their particular students, curricula, and teaching context. We hope that they share their successes and limitations with their colleagues and with the broader literacy community on the Internet. In the following sections, we first summarize research on vocabulary learning and then present 10 eVoc strategies organized by three principles of vocabulary instruction applied in a digital context. Across all three areas, the role of interest and engagement with words and word learning is addressed.

What does research tell us about vocabulary learning?

Even within our increasingly visual world (Kress, 2003), words remain our pr imar y means of communicat ion. The Nat ional Reading Panel Report (NICHD, 2000) and the RAND Reading Study Group (2002) heightened the importance of vocabulary instruction for student literacy learning. Books and articles on vocabulary instruction are popular (e.g., Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2008; Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2005; Graves & Watts-Taffe, 2008), and research on vocabulary is enjoying renewed attention.

Why is vocabulary learning so important? To understand a text, one must understand the words that represent the ideas or concepts. Studies confirm the high correlation (0.6 to 0.8) between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension (Baumann & Kame'enui, 2004; Pearson et al., 2007). We also know that there are degrees of word knowledge, from "I've never heard this word before," to "I know this word and can apply it in multiple contexts" (Lubliner & Scott, 2008), as well as metacognitive knowledge about how to apply prior knowledge and strategies to vocabulary learning (Beck et al., 2008).

Of particular concern to educators is the development of academic language. Although we learn oral language that enables us to speak to one another fairly easily, learning academic language is more complex because it involves abstract literacy tasks and language not customarily used in oral speech (Fang, Schleppegrell, & Cox, 2006; Zwiers, 2007). Academic language is a second language, because all literate people must learn it to enable them to access academic content (Solomon & Rhodes, 1995).

For English learners (ELs), academic language may represent the task of learning a third language. Thus, special care must be taken to give them every advantage in learning academic language, particularly in content areas. For example, research suggests that Spanish-speaking students can be taught to recognize cognates (i.e., words with similar meanings that look and sound alike in two languages, such as operation [English] and operación [Spanish]) and use cognate information to comprehend English texts (Lubliner & Grisham, in press; Proctor, Dalton, & Grisham, 2007).

We know that there is a wide range in students' word knowledge and that as early as age 5, there is a 30-million-word exposure gap between "haves" and "have nots" (Hart & Risley, 1995). The results of this gap are manifested in students' literacy learning, particularly reading comprehension. The Matthew Effect, where strong readers get stronger and weak readers get weaker (Stanovich, 1986), as well as the fourth-grade reading slump (Chall & Jacobs, 2003), can be attributed, at least in part, to a less developed store of conceptual knowledge and vocabulary.

The good news is that we can improve vocabulary learning and address the gap by actively and systematically teaching vocabulary to our students (Pearson et al., 2007; Zwier s, 2007). Teaching words, morphology, and word origins is an important component in any vocabulary learning program. It is also necessary to provide multiple exposures to the word in different contexts and to teach word learning strategies, such as using context clues, cognate information, and deciding when a word is important to know and remember. Although teaching can make a real difference in vocabulary learning, explicit teaching of vocabulary is not enough; a dedicated teacher can teach perhaps 300-400 words per year (Beck et al., 2008).

Direct vocabulary instruction is essential, but research indicates that students with well-developed vocabulary learn many more words indirectly through reading than from instruction (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001; Nagy & Herman, 1985). Two strategies that encourage children to read widely and deeply are to provide an array of reading materials that capitalize on their interests and to set aside time for reading during the school day and at home (Trelease, 2006). Conversations about their reading with adults and peers also strengthen students' word learning (Biemiller & Boote, 2006).

Whether directly teaching vocabulary and word learning strategies, or increasing students' volume of reading, an important research-based principle that applies across the board is to promote a lively interest in words through student expression and participation in a learning community that enjoys playing with words, builds on individual interests as well as curriculum needs, and emphasizes self-efficacy in word learning (Beck et al., 2008; Graves & Watts- Taffe, 2008).

These recommendations to improve vocabulary by encouraging wide reading, teaching words and word learning strategies, and promoting active learning and interest in words are not new. The purpose of this article is to encourage teachers to apply these research-based recommendations in new ways, using digital tools, media, and the Internet-that is, to deploy technology in service of vocabulary learning.

Despite the ubiquity of technology and media, it is not on teachers' priority lists of vocabulary instruction strategies and materials (Berne & Blachowicz, 2008). We address this gap by offering 10 eVoc strategies organized into three instructional areas. First, we offer strategies for teaching words and word learning strategies. Second, we focus on on-demand digital language tools to support just-in-time strategic vocabulary learning and reading. Third, we suggest ways to increase the volume of reading to support students' incidental vocabulary learning. Along the way, we offer ways to stimulate students' interest in words and self-efficacy. Technology, when used flexibly in response to students' varied needs and interests, can and should be part of the solution to the vocabulary gap.

Teaching and learning vocabulary

The first five eVoc strategies focus on explicit teaching of vocabulary and helping students become independent word learners.

eVoc strategy 1: Learn from visual displays of word relationships within text

Developing breadth and depth of vocabulary depends on building connections between words and developing elaborate webs of meaning (Boulware- Gooden, Carreker, Thornhill, & Joshi, 2007). Graphic organizers and visual displays highlight the relationships between words (Baumann & Kame'enui, 2004). Two of our favorite word mapping tools that support visual representation are Wordle and Wordsift.

Wordle is a free Web application that allows you to create a word cloud based on the frequency of words in a particular text. It can be used to stimulate students' thinking about the meaning, importance, and relationship of words as they analyze, create, and publish Wordles. To create a word cloud, you paste text into the applet and then manipulate the visual display by selecting the color scheme, layout, and font. Word clouds can be used to highlight keywords and themes to prepare students for reading, as well as prompt discussion after reading.

For example, we created the word cloud in Figure 1 based on an online National Geographic Kids article about the troubling disappearance of honeybees in North America. Questions about this Wordle might include the following:

What does the word cloud suggest this article is about?

What seem to be the most important words?

How do these words go together?

Why do you think the Wordle designer chose this shape of word cloud? (Hint: Think of what bees look like when they swarm.)

Figure 1: Word cloud for bees using Wordle

Students will most likely conjecture that the article is about bees. Some students may notice the less prominent words-dead and poisons-and wonder if the bees are sick. When asked about the color choice, they may speculate that the author/designer chose bright colors to get your attention, or that black goes with poison. What is important in this kind of prereading discussion is students' close attention to the words and how they might relate to one another and to the larger text that they represent. Students actively engage with meaning as they draw on background knowledge about words and concepts as well as on visual literacy skills.

The same bees word cloud could prompt a discussion after reading the article, guided by questions such as,

Do you think the word cloud captured what was most important to learn?

Are there keywords or ideas that are left out?

What superordinate terms reflect the main ideas?

As students manipulate the word cloud's layout, color, and font, they integrate verbal and visual representations, strengthening the multimedia learning effect (Fadel & Lemke, 2008) while developing an important digital literacy skill in our visual society.

For some students, the creative design aspect serves as the hook to engage them in meaning making; for others, it is the words themselves that entice them to explore meanings and relationships. Although Wordles can be published to the public gallery and printed, another option is to use a screen capture program to save the Wordle as an image, creating a bank of images on your desktop or school server. They can then be inserted into a document, PowerPoint, class blog, or other text.

WordSift is another free word cloud tool available on the Internet. Like Wordle, a word cloud is created based on text that is cut and pasted into the application. Although WordSift does not support artistic design of the display, it offers important learning supports. Each word can be clicked on to show a collection of related images, a word map, and a listing of sentences from the text that present the word in different contexts. WordSift also sorts words by difficulty and identifies academic words. Note that both Wordle and WordSift support several different languages, a feature particularly helpful to ELs (Adesope, Lavin, Thompson, & Ungerleider, 2010).

eVoc strategy 2: Take a digital vocabulary field trip

In the original vocabulary field trip (Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2005), the teacher begins with a large poster of a topic, such as weather. Students are seated on the carpet, and the teacher leads a field trip that includes having students observe and record what they saw as they read books and other materials. As students volunteer weather words, the teacher records them on sticky notes or tag board and puts them up beside the poster. After the observations are concluded, the teacher returns the students' attention to the words, repeating them and linking them to the poster. Next, students sort the weather words into conceptually related groups and engage in other semantic activities.

Teachers can create a digital version of a vocabulary field trip using a free online program called TrackStar (trackstar.4teachers.org). Like the popular WebQuest (Dodge, 1995), TrackStar allows you to collect a series of websites and annotate them so that students follow the online journey.

On the left side of the figure you can see the questions and multiple websites that we selected to guide students in finding out about weather in Alaska, where the Iditarod takes place. We selected a context where weather is extreme to heighten students' interest and to provide a dramatic contrast to their own local weather. We begin with a website featuring photos and video of dogsledding in Alaska and asked students to respond with descriptions of the weather conditions.

Next, students visit a website on the aurora borealis and look for connections between the aurora and Alaskan weather. They complete the virtual field trip with a visit to a website on weather comparisons, where they examine the differences between local weather and Alaskan weather. Throughout this process, they visit several teacher-selected websites and gain knowledge about words through multiple exposures in different contexts and through different media, including reading, viewing, writing, and conversation.

eVoc strategy 3: Connect fun and learning with online vocabulary games

No list of technology applications for vocabulary would be complete without mention of the vocabulary games that are available for free on the Internet. We recommend two sites that offer a variety of activities to engage students in playing with words and word meanings: Vocabulary Games and Vocabulary. Games include crossword puzzles, picture-word matches, word scrambles, and 8 Letters in Search of a Word (a game that can draw you in unexpectedly as you race to create as many words as possible from eight letters within the time limit). The games are supplemented with themed word lists, test preparation items, and activities on prefixes and suffixes. These sites can be bookmarked for students' independent practice and can provide a basis for whole-group instruction.

eVoc strategy 4: Have students use media to express vocabulary knowledge

The previous eVoc strategies all require student interaction, from manipulating a visual word map to taking an online vocabulary field trip. This strategy focuses on students' vocabulary representations in multiple modes-writing, audio, graphic, video, and animation (Nikolova, 2002; Xin & Rieth, 2001). The first set of examples draws on promising research with universally designed digital text (Dalton & Proctor, 2007), suggesting the benefit of having students develop word meaning as they read a definition, view graphics, listen to the word, write or audiotape a personal connection to the word, create a caption for a graphic, and complete an interactive word map (Proctor et al., 2007; Proctor, Uccelli, Dalton, & Snow, 2009). Figure 2 illustrates how students communicate word knowledge as they create a caption for an image. These types of activities offer students different modes of representation and expression and can be created with a variety of composing tools and formats, such as digital stories, photo essays, podcasts, and so on.

Figure 2: Students create captions to illustrate their understanding of contribute

Note. From Dalton, B., Proctor, C.P., Snow, C.E., Uccelli, P., & Mo, E. (2008, September). Improving reading comprehension for struggling readers: Understanding the role of vocabulary development, guided strategy use, and Spanish language supports in a digital reading environment. Final report to the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.

A multimedia composing and presentation tool that is often underused is PowerPoint. We have certainly seen many poor PowerPoint examples (e.g., the ubiquitous three bullet points and silly clip art approach). However, we have found that PowerPoint can be used creatively for expression. In addition to benefiting from reading and viewing multimodal representations of vocabulary, recent research suggests that students may also benefit from creating multimedia representations of words in PowerPoint slides that are hyperlinked together (Pritchard & O'Hara, 2009). Working with fifth graders, Bridget (first author) created an example of a multimedia glossary item for camouflage, a word from the science curriculum (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Multimedia glossary example of camouflage using a PowerPoint template

The model elaborates word knowledge in context and illustrates how design influences the message. To provide a structure to guide students in creating their own entries, Bridget created a template that students could fill in and adapt. The template includes a space for the word, a short definition, an explanation for why the word is important, a graphic, an audio recording or sound, and a source. As students create and revise their entries, they reflect on the word's meaning (What does this mean?), its representation (How does this particular graphic and sound effect illustrate this word?) and process (What images did you consider and discard?).

Students' glossary items can be combined into a master document and sorted by word to show multiple meanings and representations (Pritchard & O'Hara, 2009). Another approach to compiling students' individual work is to teach them how to hyperlink their slides so that a view of one version of a word includes hyperlinks to others' versions of that word. Although this example uses PowerPoint as the media format, these types of vocabulary collections can be created in different modes and published online as a word wiki or word blog. This kind of collaborative publication and engagement with an external audience is characteristic of successful multimedia learning (Fadel & Lemke, 2008). There really is no end to the creative possibilities when students use media to develop and celebrate the wonder of words.

eVoc strategy 5: Take advantage of online word reference tools that are also teaching tools

Many online word reference tools are also excellent teaching resources. For example, the Visual Thesaurus website complements its fee-based content with free information such as the Behind the Dictionary and Teachers at Work columns and teacher-created themed word lists. Many use multiple distribution platforms to reach learners wherever they are. For example, the Back in School webpage of Dictionary.com (dictionary.reference.com/studenthandbook) links to Facebook, has an iPhone application, a free toolbar application, a word of the day that is communicated on Twitter or as a text message on your mobile phone, and a free weekly word explorer audio podcast on iTunes.

Develop strategic digital readers with "on-demand" vocabulary help

This section highlights two online tools that provide just-in-time support while reading. Students can develop their strategic learning repertoire as they customize their own collection of supports.

eVoc strategy 6: Support reading and word learning with just-in-time vocabulary reference support

Whether avid or reluctant reader, we all encounter unfamiliar words in our reading and need strategies for what to do when this occurs. Rather than using print dictionaries or asking the teacher, students can learn to use online dictionaries and thesauri. When they have access to word help on demand, at the point of need, both monolingual (Reinking & Rickman, 1990) and bilingual (Yoshii, 2006) students tend to use them more often than print references and improve their understanding. Many of these Internet-based tools are free (they vary in difficulty, so try out different applications to determine the best fit for your students).

Some word reference tools can be mounted on the browser toolbar, allowing you to right click on any word to look it up and have a brief definition display. More comprehensive dictionaries can be bookmarked for easy access while reading on the computer. The increasingly popular e-book readers, which are becoming more common in schools and homes, usually provide dictionary help in the form of audio pronunciations of the word and brief definitions.

Two popular free online dictionaries/thesauri are Reference.com and Merriam-Webster. Tools expressly designed for students include Word Central from Merriam-Webster , Back in School from Dictionary.com, and Yahoo Kids! American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

A strength of digital text is its capacity to communicate in multiple modes, enhancing understanding by providing two channels of input, visual/spatial and linguistic (Mayer, 2001). Merriam-Webster offers an online visual dictionary (visual.merriam-webster .com/index.php), and Enchanted Learning provides a picture dictionary for young children. Be on the alert for educational sites that offer specialized picture glossaries, such as NASA's online space picture dictionary. These sites can be added to your browser favorites. And, finally, it is important to teach students to notice and strategically use the vocabulary help that is offered on various sites, such as the word wizard that pops up when students are reading Scholastic News Online.

eVoc strategy 7: Use language translators to provide just-in-time help for ELLs

Successful ELs leverage first-language knowledge to develop their English (Adesope et al., 2010; Jiménez, García, & Pearson, 1996). Online dictionaries often support multiple languages (e.g., the Yahoo! Kids dictionary supports 90 languages), and EL students should be taught to look for this option. Another resource is the language translator. The value of a translator is that it supports learning words as they occur naturally in authentic text and allows students to view bilingual versions of a text side by side so that they can use their first-language knowledge to develop their English vocabulary. You can paste text into the translator field, select the input and output languages, and view the translation (see Babelfish, Google translator, and Bing Translator). You may also download a toolbar extension that translates any webpage automatically. Although these tools are not perfect (and may never be, given the nuances involved in translation), they are a good place to start for ELs. In fact, students often find the translator's mistakes both humorous and an entry point for discussing the nuances of word meanings.

Expand wide reading and incidental word learning with digital text

Reading widely and deeply is important for vocabulary development and reading comprehension. These two strategies help increase students' volume of reading and, indirectly, their incidental word learning (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001; Nagy & Herman, 1985).

eVoc strategy 8: Increase reading volume by reading digital text

Class libraries, read-alouds, book clubs, and independent reading time during the school day can increase the amount and variety of student reading. However, it is challenging to find the resources and time required to provide up-to-date material, to be responsive to students' interests, and to accommodate readers at different reading levels. Teachers can dramatically expand text options for students by including reading on the Internet and other digital texts. A high percentage of students already use the Internet for homework; we can extend their learning and exploration of words in context as they read and view varied text genres on the Internet, or read texts downloaded onto a class computer, an e-book reading device, or a smartphone.

Increasing the reading of informational text is especially important for learning in the content areas, and informational content reigns supreme on the Internet. To use current events as one example, the currency of information and use of media to communicate the news is unparalleled. To begin, we recommend bookmarking quality sites that students read on a regular basis. Many educational publishers and organizations provide free online content, including articles and media about current events, some of which are generated by students themselves. A few of our favorites include the following:

A recent visit to some of our favorite sites included articles about the top stories in the news, a student blog about animal myths featured in the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox, and an explanat ion of threesided snowflakes. The texts include graphics, video, and sound, along with written text, providing many ways of engaging with the content. Students can rotate taking on the role of Internet news repor ter, scanning bookmarked sites for interesting news to share with the class or post to a class blog. Students can also pursue individual interests as they read digital text during sustained silent reading.

A second example is based on literature students read in the classroom, generating interest in more reading by developing intertextual connections (Hartman, 1992). Using a digital poster or PowerPoint screen to show a splash of book cover images and screen captures of websites, movie trailers, and blogs invites students to pursue their interests in particular authors, books, genres, popular culture, and media.

For example, a screen displaying a book that the class is reading, such as Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux, links to several screens, one featuring her website and online interviews, another to a site with video clips from The Tale of Despereaux movie, and still another highlighting other fantasy books and comics. The splash screens can be printed out to build a wall mural that students expand as they continue reading.

These examples highlight the value of teachers previewing Internet content. However, students will also need support in learning how to search and find their own reading materials on the Internet. This will necessitate teaching Internet safety, something that is now required to obtain E-Rate funding (Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, 2009), as well as strategies for searching and evaluating Internet content (Henry, 2006).

eVoc strategy 9: Increase reading volume by listening to digital text with a text-to-speech tool and audio books

A common concern among educators is the readability of websites and Internet content. One powerful strategy is to allow students to listen to text with a text-to-speech (TTS) tool or, when available, listen to audio narration. This provides students with access to age-appropriate content and grade-level curriculum, a right mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. For struggling readers, TTS increases their reading speed, reduces stress, and for some, but not all, improves comprehension (Elkind & Elkind, 2007).

Fortunately, there are free TTS tools that can be mounted on the browser toolbar for easy access while reading, such as Click, Speak for Firefox (click speak.clcworld.net), or downloaded to your desktop, such as the NaturalReader free TTS utility. Balabolka is a PC-based TTS application that can run off a thumb drive. Some e-book readers such as Microsoft Reader are free to download and can be used with public domain content that is part of their e-book library.

There are also commercial TTS tools that range in price depending on the features, such as those from Kurzweil, Aeques, TextHELP, and Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D). Note that students who have a documented print disability may obtain digital versions of core curriculum texts from organizations such as Bookshare and RFB&D. To explore strategies for listening to text, check out the Learning Through Listening website. Johnson (2003) also offered suggestions for using audiobooks in the classroom in her Reading Online article, "Audiobooks: Ear-resistible!"

eVoc strategy 10: Combine vocabulary learning and social service

Many of these eVoc strategies use Web 2.0 technologies to promote social learning. They also tap into students' natural desire to create, to participate in communities, and to develop strategic competence. Recent reports on students' digital literacies highlight the importance of this kind of learning (Ito et al., 2010). This final eVoc strategy is a free online vocabulary game, Free Rice that has attracted millions of users, young and old. We believe it offers an opportunity to promote students' engagement with words while contributing to the social good.

Free Rice presents a word and four answer choices on the screen. For each correct answer, the United Nations World Food Programme donates 10 grains of rice to countries in need. The game adjusts its difficulty level based on the response, filling a bowl with rice as the player adds to his or her score. As a class activity, the teacher could project the website on screen and guide students in playing the game for 5 minutes daily, discussing choices (e.g., "I think it must be 'x' because 'y'") and strategies (e.g., "Any words we can eliminate? Does the root word give us a clue we can use?"). Students can play individually or with a partner, reporting back to class on their rice earnings and sharing intriguing new words.

In closing, we invite you to go digital with word learning. These 10 eVoc strategies use technology to support the wide reading, direct instruction, active learning, and interest in words that we know are essential to vocabulary development. In a digital world, knowing how to use the tools and resources available online is part of becoming a strategic learner. We hope that this list provides a useful and evocative jumpingoff point for integrating technology and media into your students' vocabulary learning experience.

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10 Ways to Use Technology to Build Vocabulary

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Drawing on research-based principles of vocabulary instruction and multimedia learning, this article presents 10 strategies that use free digital tools and Internet resources to engage students in vocabulary learning. The strategies are designed to support the teaching of words and word learning strategies, promote students' strategic use of on-demand web-based vocabulary tools, and increase students' volume of reading and incidental word learning.

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A TOOL FOR VOCABULARY
http://www.snappywords.com

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FLIPPED CLASSROOM

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The flipped classroom is a teaching model in which the traditional lecture and homework assignments are reversed. Students watch video lectures before class and the class session is made up of exercises, discussions, and problem solving with students receiving personalized attention from the professor. This model has grown in popularity over the past several years

Definitions

Articles

Twitter Hashtags

Pinterest Boards

Videos

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A Quick Guide to the Flipped Classroom | OEDB.org

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The flipped classroom is a teaching model in which the traditional lecture and homework assignments are reversed. Students watch video lectures before

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BYOD

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ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN CLIL
https://moodle4teachers.org/pluginfile.php/51770/mod_resource/content/1/AECLIL-Assessment-and-evaluation-in-CLIL.pdf

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GRIGLIE DI VALUTAZIONE PER IL CLIL
http://clilinaction.eniscuola.net/tools/griglie_di_valutazione.pdf

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ASSESSMENT
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php