Using "Teacher Video Selfies": A Free Resource from Harvard University

I recently returned home from China where I conducted teacher training on phonics strategies and activities for English teachers. Below is my super-professional selfie that I took with the teachers on the last day of the training.

Believe me. I don't usually take selfies with the teachers I work with. But I posted this photo because of the relevance to a concept from Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research: Teacher video selfies to analyze evidence of your teaching and your teacher performance. The resource, entitled "Teacher Video Selfie: A self-guided module for analyzing videos of your own instruction", can be accessed here. Essentially, teachers record two 10-15 minute teaching segments, and then teachers watch their videos to analyze their performance and self-direct adjustments to their instruction. While watching their videos, teachers write notes about what they notice. Then teachers analyze their notes with guidance from the module/toolkit to learn how to effectively conduct self-observations and set goals for improvement. See the link to view the step-by-step procedure.

Online Learning Guidebook

A colleague invited me to post a link to a new Online Schools Guidebook. This resource provides information about popular online resources, including Khan Academy and MIT Open CourseWare, as well as provides helpful guidance when considering various online programs.

The introduction paragraph provides a good synopsis of the value of the resource:
"Online education has come to an interesting point in its over three-decade-long lifespan. No longer seen as a passing fad or novelty, it has gained widespread acceptance and credibility, not only by the general public, but from those in the field of education as well. As attitudes have favorably changed over the years, so too has the state of educational options online; thanks to this widespread acceptance, there are more choices than ever before for potential students. That’s where this guidebook comes in: we analyze the current state of online education, where it stands and where it’s heading. We’ll take an in-depth look at the benefits and experience of an online education; choosing an online school or program; the methods, technologies and resources employed by schools in program and course delivery; online learning and students with disabilities; tips for student success; and many others. You’ll also find helpful observations and advice from online education professionals."

The guidbook can be accessed for free here. 

Blended Learning Resources

Blended learning employs an appropriate balance between—and implementation of— technology and face-to-face teacher/student interaction to maximize a student’s learning experience. Blended learning is generating interest and gaining increased attention in K-12 and higher ed contexts. Although blended learning is gaining popularity in classrooms across the country, there are still many teachers who are just beginning their quest to learn what blended learning is and how to best implement it in their classrooms. There are several resources available to assist with meeting this objective, some of which are listed below.

Resources Available to Learn About Blended Learning:

Khan Academy, the Clayton Christensen Institute, and Silicon Schools have teamed up to provide a Blended Learning 101 course, which shares a myriad of resources to promote and implement blended learning. The course takes participants through a five part course with resource guides and over 40 videos that teach different models and how to select resources. View the course here.

The Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation is a non-profit striving to solve problems related to health care and education through research. Learn more about blended learning on their website here.

The Blended Learning Universe (BLU) provides several resources to inform and instruct on blended learning implementation, including videos, guides, and a directory of blended learning sites world-wide.

Aspire Public Schools has produced a Blended Learning 101 Handbook to guide teachers through the orientation and implementation of blended learning.

I recommend reading the book Blended, which provides a practical overview of the what, why, and how of blended learning.

I recently wrote a white paper on blended learning that explains what blended learning is and the models associated with Blended Learning.

My colleague, Tasi Young, recently conducted a webinar on blended learning. The recording can be viewed here. Tasi is also featured on a recently-produced blended learning video which can be viewed here.

Dr. Charles Graham, professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University, has published several articles on blended learning. Video demonstrations of blended learning are available here. In addition, Dr. Graham discusses the six P's of blended learning, which can be viewed in the video here.

New Educational Literacy App for Children (Part 2)

I mentioned in a previous blog post that Reading Horizons developed an app for children called Card Match available in the Apple app store for use on iPads. Since that blog post, the company has now released an additional app for kids called Whack-a-Word, which was recently featured on the History Channel and Ion Networks. You can view the spot here. Other Reading Horizons apps can be found here.

A special shout-out goes to all who are helping to improve literacy efforts around the world!

Adapting Online Apps in the Classroom

With the rise of social media and online apps, an increased interest from educators in how to utilize these online resources in the classroom has surfaced. I have blogged before about using technology in the classroom. Two of these blog posts include Free Online Videos for the ESL and ELL Classrooms and Five Free Technology Tools for ELL/ESL Teachers and Students. I am always interested in learning new ideas about how to integrate and adapt useful technology and online resources in the classroom.

A colleague reached out to me this week and inquired about whether I would be interested in sharing a link to an online article she authored which examines the use of the Vine app in classrooms. This app could be used in a variety of ways, including use for demos and tutorials. Links to tutorials and practical tips are included in the article, which can be found here: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2013/04/vine-education/.

I have not yet used this app myself, but I am interested in your thoughts. Would you find this resource useful? What other online apps are you adapting in your classroom? Feel free to share your insights!

New Educational Literacy App for Children (Part 1)

Reading Horizons just launched a new educational app available in the Apple App Store called Card Match. This game helps students recognize words by matching a word card with an image card. Card Match is one of the games featured in the Reading Horizons Discovery software that was released last fall. I admit that the game is a little addicting--even for adults. Challenge yourself to complete a level in as little time as possible for three stars (versus the one- or two-star alternative rewards). This app is available at the Apple App Store. Soon to follow is the release of an additional educational app: Whack a Word. Stay tuned!

(See Part 2 of this blog post here. Also, see other Reading Horizons apps here.)

ELL-U Online Discussion: Interactive Reading Strategies for Emergent ELL Readers

Last call to participate in the online discussion on ELL-U regarding Interactive Reading Strategies for Emergent ELL Readers. Part 1 can be viewed here, and Part 2 can be viewed here. Join the discussion at http://www.ell-u.org/forum/viewthread/279/#492. I would love to hear from you!

ELL-U Online Discussion: Interactive Reading Strategies for Emergent ELL Readers (Part 1)

Welcome! I am pleased to be moderating the online forum hosted by ELL-U from April 22-May 3. 

To join the Online Discussion:

1) Watch Part 1 of the webinar below.
2) Post your responses on ELL-U at http://www.ell-u.org/forum/viewthread/279/.
3) Visit ELL-U between April 22 and May 3 to view others’ feedback and participate in the online discussion.
4) Watch Part 2 of this webinar on www.ESLtrail.com beginning on April 29. (View Part 2 here.)

The objectives of the webinar are as follows:

Part 1:

• —Provide examples of bottom-up, top-down, and interactive strategies for teaching L2 reading.
• —Offer rationale for the use of explicit, systematic bottom-up strategies instruction.

Part 2:

• —Discuss the role of students’ phonemic and phonological awareness.
• —Provide practical methodology and approaches to teaching bottom-up strategies in L2 reading.

Self-reflection Questions:

1) What strategies do you use to teach reading?

2) When you learned how to read, did you learn both bottom-up and top-down skills?

3) When you teach reading, do you rely more on teaching top-down strategies?  If so, why?

4) Are you an interactive reading teacher?

Join the Online Discussion  here!

Sources

Aebersold, J. & Field, M. L., (1997). From reader to reading teacher: Issues and strategies for second language classrooms. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Anderson, N. J. (2003). Exploring Skills: Reading.  In D. Nunan (Ed.), Practical English Language Teaching (pp. 67-86).  New York: McGraw-Hill.

Birch, B. M, (2002).  English L2 Reading:  Getting to the Bottom. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Carrell, P.  (1993).  Introduction: Interactive approaches to second language reading.  In P. Carrell, J. Devine, & D. Eskey (Eds.), Interactive approaches to second language reading  (pp. 1-7).  Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Eskey, D. (1993).  Holding in the bottom: An interactive approach to the language problems of second language readers.  In P. Carrell, J. Devine, & D. Eskey (Eds.), Interactive approaches to second language reading (pp. 93-100). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Nunes, T. (1999).  Learning to read: An integrated view from research and practice.  Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.

Forum for Adult Emerging ELL Readers

I have written a blog post before about ELL-U, a free online resource for professional development. I am pleased to be moderating a forum hosted by ELL-U later this month. Following is the information provided by ELL-U that has been recently disseminated.

Be sure to stop by the ELL-U community forums to join the online discussion with Heidi from April 22 - May 3, 2013. ELL-U is excited to have Heidi join the community to share her expertise in first- and second-language literacy and reading, language learning strategies, learner characteristics, pronunciation, and computer-assisted language learning. 

  

Heidi is the Curriculum and ESL Director at Reading Horizons where she oversees curriculum development, training, and research. In addition, she is also a current member of the international association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Inc. and has presented her research at the international convention. She also served as President of the Intermountain-TESOL (I-TESOL) affiliate from 2008-2009 and currently serves as Secretary on the I-TESOL Board.

Be sure to check the ELL-U Forums and Discussion page to participate in this special discussion. For additional information, email info@ell-u.org. 

Fonts for Dyslexia

I was introduced to some fonts that were designed for dyslexic brains to make reading easier. I have yet to try these fonts with the gentleman I am tutoring who has dyslexia, but I thought I would share these resources in the interim.

The first font is called Dyslexie, and it looks like this:

To learn more about Dyslexie typeface, visit their web page: http://www.studiostudio.nl/lettertype-dyslexie/. This font is not free of charge, but it appears that they have done their research on why their font was designed the way it was.

The second font is called Open Dyslexic, and it is a free and open source typeface. It was created by an individual who has dyslexia. I pulled a sample paragraph displaying the Open Dyslexic font from the "about" page of the website and included it below:

Open Dyslexic is created to help with some of the symptoms of dyslexia. Letters have heavy weighted bottoms to indicate direction. You are able to quickly figure out which part of the letter is down which aids in recognizing the correct letter, and sometimes helps to keep your brain from rotating them around. Consistently weighted bottoms can also help reinforce the line of text. The unique shapes of each letter can help prevent confusion through flipping and swapping.

(Open Dyslexic font is available for free download at http://dyslexicfonts.com. Thanks to the developer, Abelardo Gonzalez, for offering this free resource!)

If anyone has success with these fonts, or fonts similar to these, feel free to comment!

Free Online Speed Reading Tool

I have blogged before about learning strategies for reading faster and speed reading, as well as optimal silent and oral reading rates--both of which have proven to be popular posts. In that light, I was recently introduced to a free online tool called Spreeder, developed by 7-Speed-Reading. The objective of this tool is to help improve reading speed and comprehension. This tool could be used to help students practice reading at a faster rate, helping them to avoid the sub-vocalization that often occurs in their reading which, in turn, slows reading down.

To use the tool, first, paste the text you'd like to "speed read" into the box.

Then, select from a drop-down menu the settings you'd like to use. Settings include the number of words you would like displayed on the screen at a time, words per minute, background color, etc.

When you click "start," the text will flash across the screen at the rate prescribed in the settings, allowing the reader to read the text at that designated reading rate.

What Does It Mean to Be Literate?

I have posted before about the value of literacy. As I contemplate the value of literacy, I consider what literacy really means. When I think of literacy, I naturally think of reading and writing and the benefits of being able to learn from print and communicate in written form. But with the rise of technology comes a need to consider literacy in technology contexts. Computer literacy, for example, demands the development of crucial skills--computer literacy skills--to enable them to be functional, contributing members of society.

I came across an article this morning that discusses this very topic: What Does It Mean to Be Literate? The author of the article asserts that there are three key skills individuals should learn in order to be considered "literate" (in addition to the ability to read and write, of course):

1) E-mail
Knowing how to email, including attaching documents and pictures, is a skill that not only enables individuals to remain in touch with the world around them, but to communicate quickly.

2) Word Processing
Students need to be taught formatting skills and applications to enable them to share their thoughts and ideas. It is interesting to recall those semesters past when I taught advanced writing to ESL students. We focused quite a bit of time on conventions and less time on computer literacy skills. With these students being advanced, they had experience with word processing prior to attending my class, but perhaps explicit instruction on word processing skills to fill in gaps would have been helpful...something to keep in mind for my future teaching.

3) Research
I remember when I wanted to learn something growing up, I would go into my dad's den and pull an encyclopedia from the bookshelf. I loved looking up new things, and I especially enjoyed accompanying illustrations and pictures. Now we use the Internet as our main resource to look things up. But without basic research skills in sorting through information, individuals may not be able to find the information they need, or they may stumble upon false information altogether.

In order to help students be competitive, functioning members of society, we need to consciously give attention to computer literacy skills in our curriculum. The skills taught should include the three skills mentioned above at a bare minimum. One-time exposure to these skills in our classrooms is not enough. Explicit instruction in these skills, combined with multiple opportunities to consistently apply these skills, are crucial components of our literacy instruction.

How computer literate are you?

International Literacy Day 2012

Tomorrow, September 8, 2012, marks International Literacy Day. With Literacy being a passion of mine, and having taken the opportunity to post in years past on family literacy, I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge this day of literacy as it has become customary for me to do so. Last year, I posted about my recent experience of working with a gentleman in his sixties embarking on his "journey to read."

I met with him just yesterday, and he is decoding and spelling words like he has never been able to before. I do not attribute his success to my teaching, but rather the explicit, systematic, sequential strategies he is being taught. He said yesterday that "no one has ever been able to get [him] this far"...and he has had several attempt to teach him over the years.

To commemorate this day of literacy, there are several ways to get involved and assist in literacy efforts. I've posted a few ideas in the following two posts:

Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers

Here are a few other blog posts that share my thoughts about and experience with literacy. I invite you to consider the needs of those in your own communities and ponder how you may be able to assist.

On the Journey to Read
On the Journey to Read: Part 2 (Adult Literacy and Teaching Struggling Readers)
Teaching the Homeless to Read
How Do I Teach Literacy?
How Do I Teach Literacy? (Part 2)
The Value of Literacy
Lessons Learned from Life
ESL Literacy - A Tibetan Student's Autobiographical Poem
Thankful for Literacy
Success Stories in Learning to Read

I will also mention here that I will be starting a series of literacy training videos on a YouTube channel in the next week or two. (See my posts on Using Video to Provide Free Education and  Free Online Videos for the ESL and ELL Classroom.) Stay tuned to future posts!

Video on New Reading Software

This blog post is on a semi-personal note as I have decided to post a new video that was recently launched which showcases the new Reading Horizons Discovery software that encapsulates my work life over the last two years. My colleague Stacy Hurst and myself discuss some of the components of the software that help beginning readers learn effective reading strategies and assist teachers with tracking student progress. Although it is not evident in this video, suffice it to say that many hours of mental energy has gone into creating this product that now lives up to the quality of the curriculum that it teaches. But the effort has been worth it. Helping individuals learn to read is rewarding work.

Watch the video here.

Free Webinar on Transfer for Improved Reading

An essential part of the process of teaching one to read is not only teaching effective reading strategies to help students decode automatically and effortlessly (to achieve fluency and comprehension), but also to provide opportunities for students to transfer these learned reading strategies to connected text. A free webinar hosted by Reading Horizons was recently delivered by Shantell Barrett and Jay Kelly on transfer. The title of their webinar is "Getting From Point A to Point Z." Shantell and Jay discuss ways to provide opportunities to transfer decoding strategies to help the students become autonomous readers. The webinar can be viewed here. (The power point slides can also be downloaded on the link.)

View other free webinars on the Reading Horizons website here.

Free Online Professional Development for Adult ESOL Educators

I was just introduced to a fantastic free online resource for ESOL professionals. ELL-U is a National Adult English Language Learning Professional Development Network that serves as a free professional development portal for Adult ESOL Educators. Below is an announcement that was distributed through a Listserv that I thought I would include since it provides a clear introduction to current courses, as well as instructions for joining. I just signed up for two study circles myself.

Online Vocabulary Game to Promote Literacy

I thought I would re-post information about a free online vocabulary game that students and interested individuals can play to practice vocabulary while simultaneously participating in a good cause. (A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about an event held to promote this cause here.) Lemons for Literacy can be accessed online at http://www.readinghorizons.com/lemonsforliteracy/lemons.html.

Free Resource from ASCD for Teaching English Language Learners

I was just made aware of a free resource provided by ASCD that features literature and other helpful resources that support the teaching of English Language Learners. Articles, books, research reports, and professional development resources are available. Visit the link here.


Speaking of ASCD, the 2012 conference is fast approaching. It will be held March 24-26 in Philadelphia, PA. My presentation proposal entitled "Examining Effective Reading Instruction Using Reading Horizons v5 Technology" was accepted. If you're going to be at ASCD, stop by and say hello!

ESL Trail Blog 2011: Year in Review

With the end of the 2011 upon us, I thought I would provide a snapshot of highlights and popular posts of 2011, along with other interesting facts.


Following are the top ten countries from where the most page views of ESL Trail have originated:
1. United States
2. Canada
3. China
4. United Kingdom
5. Philippines
6. Germany
7. Ukraine
8. Australia
9. Russia
10. France


Following are the most popular posts written in 2011:

• ESL Pronunciation Tip: The Three Sounds of the Suffix -ED
• ESL Pronunciation Tip: Syllable Stress and the Schwa
• ESL Pronunciation Tip: Rising and Falling Intonation in WH- and Yes/No Questions
• Listening Strategy Training Activity

Highlights of 2011 include the following:

• Visiting NYC four times to conduct trainings and needs assessments for NYC Public Schools and Public libraries. (See my blog posts: New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read, New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read: Part 2, Literacy Training in the Bronx...and in Your Own Backyard)
• Traveling to India to help with literacy efforts among the leprosy-affected. (See my blog posts: Post-India: Thoughts on Service, Ensuring Success with English in India, Back in India, A Day in My Life in India, More On a Day in My Life in India, Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English, A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India)
• Traveling to the Middle East to promote phonics instruction. (See my blog posts: English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East, English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East: Part 2, Phonics for Arabic Speakers in the Middle East) 
• Tutoring a gentleman in his 60's who has never learned how to read. (See my blog posts: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers, On the Journey to Read, Teaching the Homeless to Read)

I am optimistic that 2012 will prove to be an equally-exciting year!

A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India

If you followed my blog earlier this year about my efforts to promote English and literacy among the leprosy-affected in India, you may be interested in this documentary by Doug Jardine that was aired this past Sunday on Utah Business Matters. It will also be aired this next Sunday. Following is the link to the documentary on YouTube:

Rising Star Outreach Documentary

The documentary illustrates the three-fold mission of Rising Star Outreach: microfinance, education, and a mobile medical clinic. Much of the video on the documentary was shot while I was in India earlier this year. Other volunteers featured on this documentary include Shaun Parry (founder of Promethean Spark), Stacy Tookey, and David Archuleta, all of whom were also among the volunteer corps on my expedition earlier this year.

See my other blog posts about India from January/February, 2011, here:
Post-India: Thoughts on Service
Ensuring Success with English in India
Back in India
A Day in My Life in India
More On a Day in My Life in India
Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English

See my other blog posts about India from May, 2008, here:
English Language Instruction and Teaching in India
Why the English Language? Why Literacy? Why India?

Teaching English and Literacy Skills to Rising Star Outreach Students in India