The Digital Half-Dozen

So many websites, so little time! Did you ever get overwhelmed by lists of recommended websites? Do you really remember what you stashed in your Favorites? Here is a little list of quality websites to help you integrate technology in the English Language Arts Classroom.

Ohio Resource Center – http://www.ohiorc.org

The Ohio Resource Center archives peer-reviewed resources in science, mathematic and reading that align with the Ohio Academic Content Standards. Be sure to explore Project AdLIT, read an article submitted to Adolescent Literacy in Perspective, and “Browse Resources” for Reading – which actually contains many links to literature, communication and writing as well. Teachers can even create their own personal folder that saves lessons and resources they found especially valuable.

Web English Teacher - http://www.webenglishteacher.com

Web English Teacher truly has something for everyone K-12. Whether it’s AP English, ESL, Journalism, or Children’s Literature – the resources are plentiful. And, “Just for Fun,” take a peek at Romeo and Juliet’s text messages filed under Parodies.

Classblogmeister - http://www.classblogmeister.com/

David Warlick has created yet another fine web tool for teachers – especially those searching for authentic publishing opportunities for students and frustrated by district filtering software. Teachers can register a class, publish their own articles, then set up accounts for their students over which the teacher maintains control. Nothing can be uploaded to the blog without teacher approval. Read the Documentation document to learn how to use this tool effectively.

Noodletools - http://www.noodletools.com/

Although the full Noodletools is a subscription site, the Free Tools are very valuable. Students can create free folders which will save their citations as they work on papers. The Knowledge Base has great answers to FAQ such as “How Do I Cite a Work by Shakespeare” or “Is My Source a Magazine or Journal?” In addition, NoodleBib Express and NoodleBib MLA Starter allows students access to template forms that create the most common citations.

4Teachers - http://www.4teachers.org/

4 Teachers provides a host of tools to help the classroom teacher integrate technology. Use Rubistar to create a unique rubric for that persuasive essay – and then save it on the Rubistar site or create a user friendly hard copy. Enter student scores and create a profile of your class. Or, create a worksheet using Web Worksheet Wizard, save it to the Web Worksheet site and add a link on the class webpage so students could access the resource from home. And this describes only two of the fifteen tools that can make the classroom easier to navigate.

Kids Click - http://www.kidsclick.org/

Everyone has a favorite search engine. This is my favorite search site for kids containing over 600 sites chosen by librarians. Each entry includes a clickable link to the described site, reading level, verification of the presence of illustrations and subject. Don’t miss the Search Lessons at the top of the Homepage! It provides a great series of lessons on how to search for K-8 students – and it would also work for inexperienced high school students. If researchers can’t find what they’re looking for, the bottom of each search page provides a link to other search site suitable for “kids.”

Disclaimer: Didn’t find your favorite site? Remember, this is a “little” list for you to explore. You can also find this list in a clickable format on the OCTELA website at http://www.octela.org/newoctela/newresources.html.

While you’re there, explore the other resources for English Language Arts teachers maintained by our grade level liaisons. Do you have a suggestion for a great resource? Email Marge Ford at camp_mf@access-k12.org and the editorial team will evaluate it for inclusion on the resource page.