Session+4

=Session 4=

Widget: a function on a website that links you to another website A device or control that is useful for a very specific job. A widget on the internet is a device to help navigate the internet or in the case of wikispaces, help you embed texts, etc. n. a function on a website which uses web applications (such as videos, interactive activities, marked up documents, etc.) and places that application on your personal page (such as wikispaces). The tool for widgets in wikispaces can be found by hitting "edit". The icon is on the editing toolbar and is in the shape of a little TV. http://www.wikispaces.com/Widgets Embed: to put a text into a blog or wikispace so that it can be read on that same page. Different from a link in that you don't have to click anything to get to the text/image you want to see. We embedded our Wordle and document last week. To fix or set securly or deeply, attach to v. to put a widget into your wikispace page or a blog. The following link explains how to embed a video http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/How+to+embed+a+video Embed code: the code you use to enable the document/image to be embedded n. the code which you will need to find on the website of origin which you will need to plug into the widget editor in order for your widget to appear on your wikispace page. Often times this will be obvious on a webpage (youtube has button underneath every video which says “embed”). Other times it might be tougher to locate, being accessed through a button that says “Share” or some other variant.
 * "4.1 21st Century Vocabulary Terms"**

Link: something you click on which takes you to an entirely different website an instruction that connects one part of a program or an element on a list to another program or list, an interconnecting circuit between two or more locations for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data n. a connection made between two websites where simply clicking on a bit of (usually blue) text takes you to a relevant, yet different website or page within a website. v. To insert this bit of text into a website (like your wikispace page) so that others can get to another page or website quickly and easily) URL: a web address The address of a website on the world wide web n. the internet address of any website or page you go to. Short for Uniform Resource Locator, it allows your computer to access information from a specific location on another computer which will give you the information for that website. You’re using it right now!

Upload: To pull something from your computer onto the internet transfer a file or program to a central computer from a smaller computer or a computer at a remote location n. transfer data that is put onto a website or page from your computer : to transfer data or programs, usually from a peripheral computer to a central, often remote, computer, like the server for wikispaces. You’ll be uploading lots of data to your wikispace page Download: To pull something off of the internet and put it on your computer transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location n. A transfer of data from another computer or the internet on to your own, for instance music that is taken from the internet and put into a media player. v. to transfer or copy data from one computer to another, or to a disk or peripheral device, or be transferred or copied in this way Search engine: an internet website which helps you search for material on the internet. Ex google, yahoo, bing, etc a computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet) n. a website which seeks out other websites which contain relevant information based upon search parameters entered into the engine. Most popular search engines are Google and Bing Web 2.0: a website that allows for user-interaction - such as wikispace, wordle, crocodoc, etc (i have to admit, I had no idea what this was and had to look it up) n. a use of the world wide web as a means to allow all computers to operate as both users and creators in which digital media is both produced and used collaboratively. This is in contrast to users being given information in which they only view the information, becoming much more passive in their activity. "**Session 4.2 Vocabulary.com**" Vocabulary.com is more useful than a dictionary because you are able to store the vocabulary you have looked up. It garners a history and becomes personalized, which is appealing to students and teachers. Students are then able to keep track of their own learning, which aids them in becoming independent learners. Teachers can then check in with their students and see what vocabulary their students are learning. It is a continuation of learning outside of the classroom. In foreign language, all students could benefit from a site like this tailored to the target language, and I wonder if there is anything like this? Students who benefit most from something like this may be students who are afraid to ask questions in class, or don't think of questions in class, but like to look up information on their own. This is a great tool for students who are already independent learners and an even better tool for learning to be an independent thinker/learner. It focuses on students progress and lets them keep track.
 * Why might students and teachers find Vocabulary.com more useful than using a dictionary or glossary?
 * What type of student might benefit from the use Vocabulary.com?

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Session 4.3: Using wordsift

 * Identify the two tools you have selected
 * Insert links to both of these online tools

TrackStar (trackstar.4teachers.org). Vocabulary field trip: TrackStar allows you to collect a series of websites and annotate them so that students follow the online journey.

Speak for Firefox (clickspeak.clcworld.net) Text to speech Free Rice ([|www.freerice.com]) Free online vocabulary game

Session 4.3: Word Sift screenshot
media type="custom" key="9914093"media type="custom" key="9914095" Similar to Wordle, it identifies the important words and helps students focus on them It would help them focus on the important vocabulary and/or look up that vocabulary in advance
 * How is Word Sift an effective pre-reading strategy?
 * How would Word Sift help students who struggle reading?


 * Session 4.5 Using E-Vocabulary Strategies**
 * Do you think the tools that you selected would be effective in your class?

Many of the resources mentioned in the article, while interesting, would not be useful to me. Most of the vocabulary in my classroom is French and many of these websites don't have multi-lingual capabilities.

I looked at Trackstar, which is incredibly useful in my classroom (see below) and Speak for firefox, which I also believe could be useful, though I had trouble setting it up and it seemed like you had to pay for the French voices.
 * How would you use these tools in your class? Be specific so that you can share this with others in your department or school next year.

The first one I looked at was Trackstar. This is an incredibly useful resource, espcially since the course I'm prepping this summer (level 4 honors) does not have a textbook. For each unit we do in class, I will be able to create internet resources that students can use and organize them into a track for them to check out.

A text to speech program is a great idea for foreign language, as it is important to expose students to as many different speakers as possible. This would be great for my students, in and out of the classroom