Useful+websites

(Now shifted to Moodle)
= Links to useful websites for English teachers = //(See also the English page on the cluster wiki, CobhamConnections.)//

We keep getting told about useful websites to visit. To keep track of them all, you should log into [|del.icio.us], a bookmarking site where you can save all these websites and access them from any internet-connected computer. Then you only need to remember one web address!

A good place to start your professional development is the [|NZ Curriculm Online]. This site has a resource bank, strategies for getting started, online updates, student views, and much more.

When you have time, browse through the [|TeachingOnline] website. It is a New Zealand-based site for teachers that has hundreds of lessons, among other things. Some interesting ideas for junior classes especially.

Everything you ever wanted to know about a film is usually found on the [|Internet Movie Database].

Find all sorts of graphic organisers at [|Tools for Reading, Writing and Thinking].

Learn about [|habits of mind] here.

From the latest //Interface// magazine: [|Where I write], fantasy and science fiction authors share their creative spaces. [|Save the Words] has all sorts of unusual words. [|My StoryMaker] looks interesting - kids can write animated stories and save them as a PDF.

For the Year 9 literacy programme, there is a left brain/right brain test here.

Some Australian students have made a great YouTube video demonstrating different [|camera techniques].

If Hamlet was on Facebook, [|this] is what it would look like...

The University of Calgary has made a game based on Half-Life to teach their students information literacy skills. Haven't really looked at it yet but may be interesting.

This page covers a lot of the basics of critical thinking and constructing an argument (although the links will lead you to examples based on religious discussions, which may not be relevant to the classroom!)

Chris Speck has a blog focusing on e-Learning for ESOL teachers. It contains resources, lesson plans and advice.

Liz found this theme book list at a library wiki. Useful for finding resources for junior units or Unit Standards theme studies.

EnglishEdu is a UK site with English resources.

Check out the xtranormal website - anyone can make their own movies. A fun thing to do for visual language teaching, film techniques, etc... It could even be used as an assessment tool, e.g. for reading responses.