Session+4

= = =4.1 - 21st Century Vocabulary Terms=

Widget - an application for use on the internet, (a device or control - such as an application - that is very useful for a particular job)

Embed - just what it sounds like - to place something within something else - in this context, to place a document or widget, etc. within another internet location, (to stick something firmly within another environment, such as sticking a video clip within a web page)

Embed code - a code that serves as a kind of link to what it is you want to embed ("embed code" was not found on Vocabulary.com)

Link - just what it sounds like - when activated, it connects the user to another location or source (a connection to another program or location online, often activated by clicking on a highlighted word or icon on the screen)

URL - Uniform Resource Locator - a web "address" (the address of a web page on the world wide web)

Upload - to transfer data from a local source (like your computer hard drive) to the internet (to transfer a file or program to a central computer - or the internet - from a smaller computer or other device) a transfer of data from your computer to another

Download - to transfer data from the internet to a local source (to transfer a file or program from the internet to your own computer or other device)

a transfer of data from another computer to your own.

Search engine - a program for searching online resources (Google, e.g.) (a program that retrieves information from a large database or the internet)

Web 2.0 - "new" web tools and functions ("Web 2.0" was not found on Vocabulary.com) 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.

=4.2 - Using Vocabulary.com=

>> the student remains unaware of these subtleties and connections. This often leads to improper or awkward use of the word and a limited understanding of its significance.
 * Why might students and teachers find Vocabulary.com more useful than a dictionary or glossary?
 * Clearly, Vocabulary.com provides much more than information than traditional dictionaries or glossaries. In addition to definitions, it provides context and connotations, which allows for a much more thorough understanding of a given term. The entry for "holocaust" is a great example, since the word has taken on so much more meaning and emotional power than a dictionary definition can convey. All words have numerous meanings as well as multiple shades, layers and connotations that have developed - and continue to shift - over years of use and reinterpretation. When a student looks up a word in a traditional dictionary, particularly if the student has never heard or read the word before,


 * What kind of student might benefit from the use of Vocabulary.com?
 * Any student could benefit from the use of Vocabulary.com. The only drawback I see is that the sheer amount of information provided, as well as the sophistication of the language, might be overwhelming to some students, particularly those with comprehension-related disabilities or those who are still learning English. However, with guidance from the teacher (such as suggestions of what pieces to focus on, etc.) this problem could be avoided.

"Widget" on Vocabulary.com - I noticed that it did not actually provide an explanation of the word's use. It did, however, link to an article about Charlie Sheen... just can't get away from that guy, can you?



=4.4 - Using Word Sift=

Selected Web 2.0 Vocabulary Tools:

Online vocabulary games: [|www.vocabulary.co.il/]

Online visual dictionary: []



Word Sift is an effective pre-reading strategy because it gives students the opportunity to become familiar with the vocabulary of a given text. At its best, a pre-reading activity should be fun, or at least engaging / thought provoking. Word Sift's word cloud, along with the Google image and Visual Thesaurus features, offers an interesting approach to vocabulary that might peak students' interests (certainly more than being asked to look a list of words up in a dictionary.

A Word Sift could help students who struggle with reading by first getting them interested. When approaching a new text, having some familiarity with important vocabulary words gives students more confidence. When they encounter the words in the text itself, this reinforces their understanding of the vocabulary words as well as the text as a whole. I do wish, however, that Word Sift featured definitions and explanations, as Vocabulary.com does. Overall, I preferred Vocabulary.com.

=4.5 - Using E-Vocabulary Strategies=

Unfortunately, after playing around with the tools I selected, I found that that would probably //not// be very useful in my classroom.

There are tons of vocabulary games at [|www.vocabulary.co.il/] (although many of them are actually //spelling// games) and some of them are related to my curriculum (such as a section of vocabulary and spelling games based on words from //To Kill a Mockingbird// and //1984//). The actual content of the games, however, does little to really help the students actually learn the vocabulary. I selected this tool because I thought it would allow me to create new vocabulary games using my own words and definitions, but if this function exists, I could not find it. The only way I could imagine using this tool in my classroom would be as something for students to do in their "down time"... but of course, we don't have much of that, and when we do (as in when a student has finished an assignment in the Computer Loft), I think I'd prefer they use [|freerice.com] instead (which is what they do now).

The visual dictionary at [] also turned out to have little relevance for the ELA classroom. It looked like a great site for other subjects - science, in particular. Some of the "Society" themes - such as //Religion, Justice, Politics// might be applicable, but the main way I could imagine using this tool is as part of a research assignment.

Even though these tools are not very relevant for what I do in the classroom, I could imagine telling students about them, to use on their own time or in other classes.