The Digital Bard…and more
A picture is worth a thousand words … interactive digital resources can help bring learning to life for today’s visual learners.
To celebrate Library Information Week the CMIS Technology Focus blog will feature a selection of WoW [Wonders of the Web] resources. Many of these sites use audio so make sure you plug in your speakers and turn on your sound.
Today’s selection will support programs in the English learning area. Check back each day this week for recommendations in other Learning Areas.
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Navigate your way around Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. From the Converse Literature Site, where among other resources you can check out the Shakespearean Insult Generator and the Chaucer Translator. |
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More fun than the pub! More excitement than a bear fight! More suspense than gambling! Click on and explore the interactive images to discover a wealth of information about the Globe Theatre and living in Shakespearean England. |
 Explore active links to multimedia methods of exploring Shakespeare’s script in the left panel of the screen. Use the Image, Video, Audio and Lexicon icons at the top of the screen to access a variety of media to help you better understand the script. These interactive resources can provide a stimulating introduction to more traditional explorations of Shakespeare and his works. |
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 Enter words into the search box to look them up or double-click a node to expand the tree. Click and drag the background to pan around and use the mouse wheel to zoom. Hover over nodes to see the definition and click and drag individual nodes to move them around to help clarify connections. |
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 Many teachers are familiar with Jenny Eather’s Rainforest Maths site. Here is her Writing Fun site: a wealth of text organizer examples and templates to use to help students have fun writing. |
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 The ICDL Foundation’s goal is to build a collection of books that represents outstanding historical and contemporary books from throughout the world. Ultimately, the Foundation aspires to have every culture and language represented so that every child can know and appreciate the riches of children’s literature from the world community. The Simple Search by Category page makes it easy to locate books to support specific learning contexts. |
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DET teachers are able to access The Learning Federation Learning Objects via the DET Portal. [log in required]
Useful digital resources to support literacy programs in this collection include:
- Early Childhood
Letter planet: oo, ee, ai
Help a stranded space traveller return home by filling three fuel tanks with words that have the same letter pattern. Select words with combinations of ‘oo’, ‘ee’ or ‘ai’. Read and listen to model words. Select similar words with the same pattern and place them in the fuel tank. Then construct sentences by putting words in the appropriate order. Identify the word with the chosen letter combination. This learning object is one of a series of five objects.
- Middle Childhood
Picture this
Explore how words can trigger pictures in people’s heads. Look at some thought bubbles. Recognize that two people may think of very different pictures when reading the same text. Choose five words from a list to describe a picture. Read one of three fiction texts or a factual description. Then watch an animation showing how a boy pictures the text happening. As you go, look up the meaning of tricky words. This is the first in a series of three activities, which progressively increase in difficulty.
Super stories: The Abandoned House
Help a publishing director create a bestselling horror story. Read the story. Choose effective nouns and adjectives to increase the impact of the story and make it scarier. Select illustrations that highlight the horror of the events. This learning object is one in a series of four objects.
Also: Super Stories: The Sea Cave
Dream machine
Build a dream bike using fantasy parts such as a ‘time-travel frame’ and ’supersonic jet pedals’. Look at a model text that uses similes to describe a ‘Wish-come-true bike’. Choose similes to make an interesting description of your own fantasy bike. This learning object is one in a series of two activities.
Letters to the editor
Do some work for a local newspaper. Investigate community attitudes to a development planned for a local park. Look at development plans for the site. Interview three people at a public meeting to find out more about their opinions. Read opinions expressed in letters to the editor. Then match each letter to the person who expressed the same opinions at the public meeting. Answer questions about word choice and the structure of the letters. As you go, look up the meaning of tricky words. This learning object is one in a series of five objects.
Show and tell: that cat
Watch a short cartoon about a cat chasing a bird. Select noun groups, verb groups and phrases to create sentences and build a basic factual recount. Rearrange the word groups to create the best order in the sentences. Who was involved? What did they do? When, where or how did they do it? Add adjectives and adverbs to make the story clearer and funnier. Choose a picture to go with the recount. This learning object is one in a series of four objects.
Also: Here, Boy, Eerie Encounter, Close Encounter
- Early Adolescence
Garage beat
Interview members of a garage band. Ask them about how they got started and what have been their greatest successes. Build a written profile of the band. Choose model text and images. Rephrase the band’s informal spoken answers into more formal and concise written language. Add an introduction, conclusion, photo and headline. This learning object is one in a series of three objects.
World Wonders TV show: bushfire
Build a script about bushfires for a television show. Help a researcher to sort facts and pictures. Use a model structure, sample text and images to build an explanation. Include sections on causes, processes and effects. Connect ideas in the script by adding words to form noun groups such as ‘many hectares’ and ’surrounding trees’. This learning object is one in a series of two objects.
Also: Volcanic Eruption, Thunderstorm, Earthquake.
Motorbikes [Windows version]
Choose a photo and describe a dream motorbike. Use a map to design a motorbike race track. Label motorbike parts on a diagram.
This is a very small sample of some of the very user friendly educational sites available to enhance teaching and learning programs in the English learning area. Please share your favourite sites with other teachers by adding your recommendations as a comment [click on the comment link below]
Links to further information and collections of learning objects are available on the CMIS Learning Objects page.
