Chapter 2: Developing and Practicing Reading and Writing Skills

Wacky Web Tales

This website is built by Houghton Mifflin which is "one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, publishing textbooks, instructional technology, assessments, and other educational materials for teachers and students of every age." (From its official site)

Goats:
Learners especially basic learners can practice some basic writing skills by filling their own words in the computer-created outline. Through the process of choosing their own words, learners can have basic concept of writing.

Presentation:
Young kids are recommended reading the Part of Speech Helps before using this website. Basic grammar concept is available in that section. In the home page many tales are listed. Users can choose a topic they like and then fill words in the blank by following the instruction. Children can read the models of writing before they create theirs. What's more, there is a Education Place at bottom of this site which provides guidelines for educators and families.

Appropriateness:
Grade 3 and above

Outcomes:
Students can print out their writings after they finish the work.

Evaluation:
None

Chapter 6: Inquiry and Problem-Solving

Website: Inquiry Page

This website is built by Community Informatic Initiative in 1998. "The Community Informatics Initiative (CII) works with people to develop information and communication technologies to achieve their goals. It fosters collaborations across campus, local, national and international communities. Together we build innovative community networks, community technology centers, software, and library services." (From its official site)

Goals:
"It's a dynamic virtual community where inquiry-based education can be discussed, resources and experiences shared, and innovative approaches explored in a collaborative environment." Through this website learners can acquire the theory and method of inquiry, then they can develop their own learning experience.

Presentation:
This website provides definition, process, environment, articles and slides of inquiry. Hypertext is well-used and helpful for users to acquire further information.Besides, there is a Inquiry Units section in which users can practice skill of inquiry. "An Inquiry Unit is a way to represent the process of problem solving. Each unit starts with a guiding question and provides a space for activities of Investigation, Creation, Discussion, and Reflection." Users can create their own one by clicking on "Add a Unit" and they can make their unit private or public.

Appropriateness:
It is suitable for advanced learners and also provides a clear scaffold.

Outcomes:
Teachers can use this learning method to design some projects and students can also finish their projects by following the method of inquiry. (Ask-Investicate-Create-Discuss-Reflect-Ask) According to the website, the outcomes can be lesson plans, individual or group investigations, research plans, student work, open questions, or pathfinders to information.

Evaluation:
An assessment in inquiry classroom is provided, including Rubrics, Anecdotal Notes, Student-Kept Records, Conferences and Conferences.

Chapter 5: Creativity and Production

Filamentality

Goals: This site can guide users to choose a topic, search the Internet, gather good Internet links, and turn them into online learning activities.

Presentation: This site allows users to choose the topic they are interested in, and then helps them build their own web pages step by step which matches the theme of chapter. Innovative thoughts are stimulated in the process of searching information on Internet. Students can use their creativity to explore an interesting and meaningful topic. There are five formats, including Hotlist, Multimedia Scrapbook, Treasure Hunt, Subject Sampler, and Web Quest

Appropriation: It is suitable for advanced learners. Assistance is provided to show how to use this tool.

Outcomes: Users can have his/her own web pages and they can choose to make it public or private.

Evaluation: None

Chapter 4: Communication and Collaboration

Dave's ESL Café

Goal: This site focuses on interactivity in ESL learning. It is an asynchronous electronic discussion forum. Learners all around the world can post their questions in the discussion board and teachers will answer to the questions. It provides a virtual community that allow teachers and students work together.

Presentation: There are four categories, including jobs, stuff for teachers, stuff for students and stuff for everyone. Teachers and students can choose the discussion topic they are interested in, and then post questions or answers in the forum. There are many topics in both teacher’s training forum and student forums.

Appropriation: This is for intermediate to advanced students. Web Guide is under construction which is a little bit inconvenient.

Outcomes: Both teachers and students can post their responses and questions in forums, and other people can give some feedbacks.

Evaluation: None

Chapter 3: Developing and Practicing Listening and Speaking Skills

New ELF BOOKs

Preparation: Instruct the learners to use the site and teach them how to download audio files and how to finish the listening quizzes. Seeing some movies before is helpful for learners to answer to the quizzes in movie talk section.

Presentation: Focus on listening comprehension skill. There are ten themes, including build a story, humor me, interact, mouth workout, movie talk, picture this, read me, say what, TOEFL © helpful and toon in to idioms. Learners can choose what they are interested in. This site provides audio files in every section which is helpful for listening comprehension skills. Although there is no tool for improving learners' speaking skill, learners can follow to audio track and imitate the speaker's intonation. In toon in to idioms section, there is hypertext which links to quizzes about the meaning of the idiom.

Practice: Have learners practice with idioms, pronunciation, and spoken grammar. They can answer to quizzes and check their listening skill If they cannot find the answer, they can listen the audio tracks repeatedly.

Evaluation: Typically “wrong, try again” type with no feedback.

Extension: There is a interact section and teachers can let students share their own stories to others.

Chapter 7: Content-Based Instruction

PBS KIDS

Goals: Provide some interesting multimedia tool such as storytime, music, games and colorings for preK-12 kids to learn at home and at school.

Presentation: There are three categories, including Music, Game and Coloring. Each section has many links that have multimedia presentations. Kids can play games, listen to music or do coloring by themselves, and there is also a guideline for parents and teachers to understand the goal of this site and the way to use it.

Appropriateness: This site is addressed to preK-12 learners. Navigation is very clear, and language is simple enough for kids.

Outcomes: In section of games, while they are playing the game they are learning some new words at the same time. As for coloring section, after learners finish the coloring, they can print it out.

Evaluation: No specific feedback.

Notes: It is interesting and full of colorful graphics. It is easy for young kids to use individually. The parent and teacher's guide contains many suggestions. Teacher can adapt this site for group work.