Using the Internet--Resources and Web Site Evaluation

Integrating Technology into the ESL Classroom

Faculty Development Workshop
December 5, 2006
Christine Bauer-Ramazani
Saint Michael's College, Colchester, VT

Hands-on Practice: Using the Internet in the ESL Classroom--Resources and Web Site Evaluation
URL for this page: http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Fac_Dev/SIS/internet.htm

Effective Internet Searching (10 min.)

Click, read, and try out the examples and tips in Search Engine Math . Try +video+clip+last+of+the+mohicans, for example. or +solar+system.

Try your own search phrase.

In Google, you can also use quotation marks around exact phrases you want to search for or use Google Advanced Search to narrow your search.
For images, video, maps & directions, and scholarly articles, try these respective links: Google Images, Google Video or YouTube Video, Google Maps, and Google Scholar.

For more information on search engines, see Types of Search Tools. Search Engine Watch and Search Engine Showdown.

Report back to the group on your search successes. (10 min.)

Evaluating Web Pages (20 min.)

Evaluating Web Sites: What criteria can help us determine whether a Web site contains useful information? (by Vance Stevens). The criteria from these pages have been used to make a Worksheet for Evaluating Web Sites, intended for use by university students who need a means of judging the quality of information they find on the Internet. The page includes an example of how the criteria have been applied to Web Site Evaluation sites.

Evaluating Web Pages: Questions to Ask & Strategies for Getting the Answers: An eight-point evaluation checklist from the UC Berkeley Library (includes information on What the URL can tell you, questions about authorship, quality, links by others to this Web page, summary considerations--gut feeling/reactions)

Esther Grassian's checklist of questions to ask when trying to determine the reliability of a resource (includes questions about Content & Evaluation, Source & Date, Structure, Other); 6/1995; updated 6/06
)

Cornell University Libraries' Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools (includes a comparison of scholarly articles and popular magazines)

J. Henderson's site with a pop quiz and a homework assignment for students; updated 8/06

Useful and brief Checklists for Evaluating Web Pages:

Vance Stevens' Worksheet for Evaluating Web Sites, intended for use by university students

Evaluating Internet Resources: Factors to Consider (by Gale Dutcher, National Library of Medicine)

Evaluating Web Resources Checklist (University of Alberta Libraries

Using the Internet for Writing (20 min.): Christine's Links to Useful TESL/CALL Web Sites--ESL Teaching Learning Resources for Writing (http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Links/esl_writing.htm)

In pairs, investigate 1-2 links in the following areas:

Resources (Web sites with teaching materials and handouts for academic writing, including the writing process, graphic organizers, professional writing, e.g business letters, resumes, email)

Activities for Writing: Look over the activities and choose 1-2 to investigate further.

Student E-mail and Web Projects

Publishing Students' Work

Using Online Discussions for Writing

Report back to the group on your findings. (10 min.)

Using the Internet for Reading (20 min.): Christine's Links to Useful TESL/CALL Web Sites--ESL Teaching Learning Resources for Reading (http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Links/esl_reading.htm)

In pairs, investigate 1-2 links in the following areas:

Content & Schema Development through Reading: Resources for reading

Online literature/books/stories

Folktales/proverbs/famous quotations and reading & listening

News and Magazines

Using Technology for Reading Development

Strategies for Reading Comprehension and Lessons for Reading

Reading Comprehension Exercises and Software for Reading

Report back to the group on your findings. (10 min.)

Resources for vocabulary (20 min.): Christine's Links to Useful TESL/CALL Web Sites--ESL Teaching Learning Resources for Vocabulary (http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Links/esl_vocabulary.htm)

Vocabulary Resources: online dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, and translators

Glossing tools like Voycabulary and Frequency counts and lists

Daily vocabulary subscriptions (Try one of them!)

Words/Phrases, Meaning, and Origin and Roots/Prefixes/Suffixes

Resources for vocabulary development: computer-generated activities, such as quizzes, crossword & other puzzles, matching (try Flashcard Exchange -- search for a topic or create your own; free user registration necessary)

Software for Reading

Report back to the group on your findings. (10 min.)

If time permits:

Resources for grammar (20 min.): Christine's Links to Useful TESL/CALL Web Sites--ESL Teaching Learning Resources for Grammar (http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/Links/grammar.htm)

Grammar Study Guides

Grammar Exercises/Quizzes

Report back to the group on your findings. (10 min.)