Week 4: Skill-building Websites for Reading/Writing Skills and Technology-enhanced Lesson Plans

Another webskills course week is coming to its end and I can confess that I am gradually getting used to this hectic schedule of balancing between work, home and course duties under severe time pressure. In fact, I find the best examples to follow among my fellow course participants, they all are so diligent, inspired and devoted to what they do that I have no other choice than to get infected with the spirit of creativity and enthusiasm and carry on.

We continue to explore the web space in search for relevant internet ESL teaching resources. This time, trying to find materials to enhance reading and writing practices. When deciding what online activity to choose, it is important to remember what the students need and what the classroon facilities can allow you to bring in (more details in Jarek Krajka's paper "Using the Internet in ESL Writing Instruction").

The results of my exploration of muli skills websites
http://fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/ - grammar, vocabulary, listening exercise
http://www.lclark.edu/~krauss/toppicks/toppicks.html - ESL Independent Study Lab
http://a4esl.org/ - Activities for Students
http://www.manythings.org/ - Many Interesting Things for ESL Students
include
www.onlinenewspapers.com - a search engine of subject-specific magazine/newspaper articles
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/section/level-two/3935.html - interactive lesson "Using E-mail in Business”
http://www.esl-lab.com/eslbasic/travel-sightseeing-2.htm - listening activity "Giving directions"
http://esl.about.com/od/readinglessonplans/a/newslesson.htm - Understanding Newspaper Headlines
"Job hunting" at http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1401/140109-job-hunting-a.html ABCD objective^ after doing vocabulary, reading comprehension and listening activities intermediate students will be able to discuss the problems of job seeking at an appropriate level of fluency.

"How to wrtie a business e-mail" at http://www.tv411.org/writing/writing-work-ged/how-write-business-email/activity/1/2 (activities 1,2) ABCD objective: being given brief explanation (and a few examples) of the basic rules of business writing in English, (low-) intermediate students will perform Yes/No option and multiple choice activities in order to know the difference between formal/informal register and will be able to produce short e-mails choosing the correct professional tone and relevant subject line.
"Science in the news" at http://www.tv411.org/reading/understanding-what-you-read/science-news (activities 1,3) ABCD objective: intermediate students will revise common vocabulary related to ecology and energy issues so that to better comprehend the scientific facts in the news.

Writng an enhanced technology lesson plan was difficult, not because the lesson should have been enhanced with technology but because of planning itself. I feel I am not very good at planning either a lesson, a journey or a birthday party - there is always a risk that something can go wrong, so I'd better try and see if it works well in practice instead of planning in detail what might happen.