Software Review

Programs to be Used in the Lab

While reviewing the software we needed to buy for the lab, I communicated with students and lab faculty so we could make the right decisions. The following programs were selected to be used in the fall of 2016:

Project Success

http://www.myenglishlab.com/courses-project-success.html

Intro Level: Sarah Lynn

Level 1: Betsy Lindeman Wong  and MaryAnn Cunningham Florez

Level 2: Howard Pomann and June Pomann

Level 3: Nancy Blodgett Matsunaga and  Sheena M. Macpherson

Level 4: Barry Bakin, Robyn Brinks Lockwood and Jenni Currie Santamaria

Level 5: Steve Gwynne, Ingrid Greenberg, and Jennifer Bixby

Series consultants: Susan Gaer and Sarah Lynn

The six series of this program will be implemented in the lab in the fall semester.

Rosetta Stone

https://miracosta.rosettastoneclassroom.com/en-US/

We will only pilot 10 licenses in the fall of this year and will acquire more licenses in the spring semester.

Top Notch

Top Notch Fundamentals: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

Top Notch 1: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

We will buy the 10 books of the fundamental level and 10 books for level 1 to start using in the spring of 2017.

Side by Side

These series are great to use in the classroom and provide activities to promote independent practice for our students. Even though I find this book more practical for classroom use rather than a lab setting, I will give it a try since a lot of our students keep requesting it! 

Azar

Since I used Azar’s book to learn English in the USA and had great results, I thought it would be appropriate to review this software to see how I could use it in the lab. I really enjoyed this program; however, it’s more suitable to be used in the classroom, rather than in an open lab. I wanted to use it for my Hybrid Level 5 class, but I found out that other instructors are using this book at the school, so I decided to look for another book/program to expose my students to new content.  

Software Review

Side by Side Plus with eText

https://www.pearsonelt.com/catalogue/general-english/side-by-side-plus.html

Side by Side Plus 1 with Book and eText: Bill Bliss, Steven J. Molinsky

Side by Side Plus 2 with Book and eText:  Bill Bliss, Steven J. Molinsky

Side by Side Plus 3 with Book and eText: Bill Bliss, Steven J. Molinsky

Side by Side Plus 4 with Book and eText: Bill Bliss, Steven J. Molinsky

Like I mentioned last month, until last semester, we had the old version of Side by Side installed in the lab and the students loved it; however, because the program was so old, it kept on crashing when the students tried to use it.

During the past weeks, I have been reviewing Side by Side and Side by Side Plus. The books are great to use in the class to lecture and the companion site is well suited for the lab setting. These series include reading and writing workshops, and they also include listening and speaking practice. 

Software Review

Some thoughts about the software I have reviewed so far:

My English Lab: Azar

http://www.myenglishlab.com/azar.html

Azar-Hagen Grammar Series

Author(s): Betty Schrampfer Azar, Stacy A. Hagen

Basic English Grammar, Fourth Edition

Fundamentals of English Grammar, Fourth Edition

Understanding & Using English Grammar, Fourth Edition

My English Lab is the new online component of the Azar-Hagen grammar series. It includes activities for the Basic English Grammar, Fundamentals of English Grammar, and Understanding and Using English Grammar. This program uses grammar as the main component to review the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The program includes more than 100 hours of videos, interactive grammar practice with immediate feedback, and grammar charts.

The student access code for My English Lab comes with each book purchased and is valid for 21 months from the day the students activate their product.

  

Project Success

http://www.myenglishlab.com/courses-project-success.html

Intro Level: Sarah Lynn

Level 1: Betsy Lindeman Wong  and MaryAnn Cunningham Florez

Level 2: Howard Pomann and June Pomann

Level 3: Nancy Blodgett Matsunaga and  Sheena M. Macpherson

Level 4: Barry Bakin, Robyn Brinks Lockwood and Jenni Currie Santamaria

Level 5: Steve Gwynne, Ingrid Greenberg, and Jennifer Bixby

Series consultants: Susan Gaer and Sarah Lynn

This software has 6 levels of instructions from Intro to Level 5. Project Success promotes the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through real-life situation videos. There are more than 150 short videos that focus on workplace skills and 21^st century skills challenges. The lessons discuss challenges at work, at school, with family, and friends. Each lesson offers integrated language instruction and also provides great speaking practice for the students.  Project Success offers a convenient placement test to place the students into the appropriate program. The access code for the students is valid for 12 months from when the activation code is initiated.

Rosetta Stone

Developer: Rosetta Stone Inc.

We have used the old version of this program in the lab for more than 10 years and the students have loved it, but recently, we have had many issues with screen resolution for the old version. Since students have asked for the new version I gave it a try and I like what I have seen so far. The new version includes many interactive games, lessons, activities, and even a chat room to practice English! Another aspect I liked about this version is that students can see their progress as soon as they enter the program; therefore, we can eliminate the paper version of the grading tracker. This feature can help them keep on task and to complete the modules in a timely and organized manner.

Side by Side

Side by Side Plus with eText

https://www.pearsonelt.com/catalogue/general-english/side-by-side-plus.html

Until last semester, we had the old version of Side by Side installed in the lab and the students loved it; however, because the program was so old, it kept crashing when the students tried to use it. Therefore, we decided to remove it.

I haven’t fully reviewed the new version, yet… so more to come later.

Top Notch

http://www.myenglishlab.com/courses-top-notch-2e.html

Top Notch Fundamentals: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

Top Notch 1: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

Top Notch 2: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

Top Notch 3: Joan Saslow and Allen Ascher

These books included lessons for four levels of instruction and they use My English Lab to support the online component. The lessons include video, grammar, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The videos are engaging and I’m sure the students will love the extra listening and speaking practice. Top Notch offers a placement test to place the students into the appropriate program.

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community
with Social Media

Unit 4: Integration and
Effective Facilitation  

During the last week of this class, we learned how to use the Weebly www.weebly.com site to create webpages in case we don’t have a learning management system, or to add extra information for the class: posts, exercises, quizzes, surveys, projects, videos, etc.

Here is a sample of my website:

Even though I really enjoyed this website because of its simplicity of use, I will continue to use Blackboard or Canvas to keep my materials. I also use Blogger to post students’ projects throughout the year. 

Online Class 3 @One!

Intro to Using Blackboard

Week 4: Blackboard's Assessment Tools

This week, we reviewed the assessments tools available in Blackboard to evaluate the student’s performance. I reviewed how to create quizzes and how to use the grade center. I also learned how Blackboard tracks the students’ activities and data performance charts. 

Some of the things we can do with online assessment are:

• Check the students’ comprehension of a topic
• Evaluate the students learning outcomes
• Assist students with monitoring their progress in the class
• Perform opinion polls
• Give course evaluations

During this week, I had the opportunity to create 8 new vocabulary quizzes for my hybrid class. I also created a mid term survey to ask the students to evaluate my class in week 4 and modified my end of class survey. 

  

I also created a simple assignment with a grading rubric: 

Creating a Banner for Blackboard

Creating a Banner for a Blackboard Class 

During my third online class @One: Intro to using Blackboard,
I learned how to create a banner to personalize the class.
Here are the instructions I created to share with fellow teachers. 

Online Class 3 @One!

Intro to Using Blackboard

  Lesson 3: Using Communication Tools in Blackboard

This week, I learned about different tools to communicate with students:

• Announcements
• Blogs
• Journals
• Discussion Boards
• Course Messages
• Email
• Wikis

My favorite one was Blackboard Collaborate because it is a reliable way to provide conferencing sessions and recordings for our students.

Online Class 3 @One! 

Intro to Using Blackboard 

Lesson 2: Course Design and Development: Creating, Organizing, and Uploading Material to Blackboard

During my second week in the online class: Intro to using Blackboard, I learned how to organize my class and add content to my shell.  

Some of the tips my instructor shared with the class:

1. Consider the structure of your own online course

2. Sketch a flowchart or write a list of your ideas.

Use this as a guide as you set up your Blackboard course and create content:

• What are your course objectives?
• What content should be included?
• What material do you have in digital format already? Will it work online or do you have to revise it? Will most students be able to access it?
• What material do you need to create?
• How will you integrate other resources into your own content (textbook, CD-ROM, web resources, learning objects, publisher materials, etc.)?
• What course components will you include in your online class? For example, lectures, activities, assignments, assessments, etc.
• How will you organize your course material within content areas? By topic? By chapter? By week?
• How will you structure a learning unit or module?
• What format will your online lectures have? Text? Images? PowerPoint? Audio? Video?
• Will you use discussion?
• How will you assess your online students?
• What buttons will you include in the Blackboard course navigation menu?
• How will you simplify the navigation so that students can focus on learning course content, rather than trying to access it?

 These tips helped me tremendously while creating my classes. I have learned a lot from Katie! 

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community
with Social Media

Unit 3: Strengthening
and Encouraging Collaboration

This week, we learned how to use twitter https://twitter.com and Voicethread https://voicethread.com (with doodling https://voicethread.com/howto/overview-of-doodling/)  in the classroom.

I selected Voicethread https://voicethread.com to create a simple activity for my Level 5 class.

Here is the sample:

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community
with Social Media

Unit 2: Tools for
Humanizing your Course  

This week, we learned about screen capturing tools and videos that’s can assist us in enhancing the development of online community.

We reviewed:

1.  Snagit https://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html
2. Jing https://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
3. Camtasia https://www.techsmith.com

I love Jing because it is free and very easy to use! However, it’s a beginner tool so if you are looking to do more in screen capturing, you might want to invest in Camtasia.

I have many ideas of how to create my videos and lessons for my classes!

LOVE IT!!! 

 We also discussed the students’ privacy and we were encouraged to review the FERPA policy for our college. Some suggestions to consider while creating our course are:

• Clearly review the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) policy at you institution and discuss it with your students
• Inform the students about who will have access to their work: projects, essays, etc. For example: only students in the class, students in this and future classes, aides, other instructors, administrators, etc.) 
• Identify the social media tools that will be used in the class. For example, google docs, YouTube videos, etc. and clearly explain how to make them private whenever appropriate.
• And always remember to have clear goals and explain “why” you are using a certain “tool or site”. If possible, share previous students’ samples or comments.

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community 

through Social Media 

Unit 2: Tools for
Humanizing your Course

Using Word Cloud in the ESL Classroom

http://www.wordclouds.com/ 

A free website to generate word clouds! 

“Wordclouds.com is a free online word cloud generator and tag cloud creator. Wordclouds.com works on your PC, Tablet or smartphone. Paste text, upload a document or open an URL to automatically generate a word- or tag cloud. Customize your cloud with shapes, themes, colors and fonts. You can also edit the word list, cloud size and gap size. Wordclouds.com can also generate clickable word clouds with links (image map). When you are satisfied with the result, save the image and share it online."

   Word clouds are graphic representations of words! Use them with your students to practice vocabulary, study synonyms, parts of speech, etc. You can also use them as part of a presentation to discuss an idea and all that relates to it! Use it as an individual or group activity; it only takes about 10 minutes to create one. 

Enjoy!

Online Class 3 @One!

Intro to using Blackboard 

Lesson 1: Introduction to Blackboard

     Even though I have used Blackboard for a couple of years, this week I had the opportunity to learn  basic information about blackboard. I also explored new/more advanced tools that I had not used before, for example, Blackboard Collaborate. I can't wait to use this tool in my classroom and to share ideas with other instructors on how to use it in the ESL Classroom. 

More in week 3... 

Online Class 2 @One!

Building Online Community
with Social Media

Unit 1: Getting Started
in Building Online Community 

This week, I learned the importance of humanizing our online classes. I had to create a 100 word intro with a “selfie” and post to the Discussion Board as an introduction to my classmates. I had never taken and selfie –and that was the last of it… I prefer when someone takes a picture of me, so the blended/online classes I will teach, I will ask a family member or a friend to take my pic! : )

Another activity that I enjoyed was the online game: “two truths and a lie” where you have to reveal the lie at the end of the week –after two or three students have commented on what they think is true or false about you.

This class is using the Learning Management System (LMS) Moodle, so it has been a challenge just learning how to navigate this LMS. I can clearly understand the CA Online Education Initiative which is trying to migrate all the classes to just one LMS across CA --Hello CANVAS! Let's see what MiraCosta College decides this semester. If they select CANVAS as our next LMS, I will have to transfer all the content I am creating.  

Software Review

This week, I started to review software for the lab classes. Even though I constantly review software in the computer lab for our students, I really haven’t had the chance to practice with new software --as a student-- since I took classes in Costa Mesa in 2001 when I was an ESL student. Back in 2001, I learned English with Rosetta Stone and my first grammar book was Fundamentals of English by Betty Azar.

During my sabbatical, I plan to review the following software and book materials for the lab:

• Betty Azar
• Project Success
• Rosetta Stone
• Side by Side
• Top Notch

I also plan to adapt one of these books for my hybrid Level 5 class.

Microsoft Word 2013 Class --Done!

Even though I have taught MS Office suite programs in the past, this was a humbling experience for me and I learned so much! I finally completed all the assignments for the free online class, but it wasn’t easy. The instructions for the quizzes were very wordy and if you didn’t complete the tasks in the order they were asked, you didn’t get credit (or at least not full credit). Therefore, this experience will serve me to write clear and brief instructions for my students.   

Since I had due dates to fulfill (and reminders that if I didn’t complete the assignments on time, I was going to be dropped from the class), I felt the pressure “to do my homework” in a timely manner. After being a student for 22 years in a row (Kindergarten to Grad School), I had taken a long break “off” –12 years! so this pressure wasn’t taken lightly : -) I was finally put back in my students’ shoes and this was another humbling experience.

Overall, I really enjoy this FREE online class and I am looking forward to enrolling in PowerPoint 2013!