Using information technology to enhance learning and to enhance personal and professional productivity.
Google Drive
Google Drive is an online document sharing platform. You can store files such as word documents, presentations, spreadsheets, video files , photos and so much more. Google drive is compatible with both Microsoft Office applications as well as Google applications. Users can work in real time with others who they have granted access. When collaborating, individuals can make changes to each others work or simply leave comments and suggestions. Google Drive files can be accessed from any device or computer. In order to access Google Drive, a user must have a Gmail account. A benefit of this resource for ELD or ELL teachers is Google Drive's ability to translate documents from English into hundreds of languages. This could be used to create letters to send home with parents in their first languages. With there currently being 381 different languages spoken within United States homes, this is more of a benefit for parent-teacher communication than ever before (Wright, 2015). One suggested use of this resource is communication and document sharing with grade levels teams. Google drive is a great ways to create folders full of resources that teachers can share with one another and have access to on any device or computer. Link to Google Drive: https://www.google.com/drive/ |
Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Pay Teachers is a teacher file sharing website. Teachers create a free account and have access to thousands of free documents ranging from art projects, lesson plans, center activities and a lot more. There are currently 3 million free and paid resources available on this site. All resources are created by educators who understand the classroom. You can search for resources by name, keyword and even Common Core State Standard. As previously mentioned, educators create these resources. As a result, when a teacher purchases a document, they are paying teachers just like them.
A benefit of this website that is specific to ELD or ELL are the speaking and listening lessons plans and activities. The use of more engaging speaking and listening strategies are essential due to the fact that the very common initiation-response-evaluation/feedback pattern is the least effective whole group conversation format (Hermann, 2016). Countless resources are available in order to teach key language functions that address ELP standards across grade levels. One suggested use of this resource is the use of hands-on and engaging lessons plans. The lesson plans by countless users such as Jessica Tobin can be used to fill gaps that curriculum can leave.
Link to TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
Busy Teacher
Busy Teacher is a database of free printable worksheets and lesson plans for teaching English. This website is intended for teachers but anyone can access its content, no registration required. This website also features articles about teaching practices. Busy Teacher features website categories such as grammar vocabulary, speaking, reading, listening, writing and pronunciation. These type of resources and activities contribute to the teaching practice of having explicit and isolated time in the day dedicated to teaching language development (Wright, 2015). In addition to the various topics, you can also filter any search results by level that range from complete beginner to upper-intermediate advanced.
One ELD or ELL teacher benefit of this website are the ESL articles. Some of the latest include 6 Splendid Spring Crafts for the ESL Classroom and Love Activities for the ESL Classroom that will Melt Your Students' Hearts. A suggested use of this resource is the use of the provided grammar worksheets. For example, if a classroom's language objective was focusing on prepositions or conjunctions, there are 443 worksheets that have this individualized focus.
Link to Busy Teacher: https://busyteacher.org/