CALL Site Evaluation

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Web Resource: Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English

Designed as ‘The All-in-One Essential Tool for English Language Learning’, it contains over 40,000 entries. A vocabulary building tool/on-line dictionary resource, it has simple, clear definitions with sample sentences and idioms. The Home page has a ‘Look up a word’ box which appears at the top of every page. The other pages are: Help, About the Dictionary, Suggest-a-Word, Pronunciation Guide, and Activities. The material focuses on helping ELLs build their vocabulary. All language levels can use the ‘Look up a word’ box; however, some of the other activities may be too challenging for beginners. The Suggest-a-Word page promotes user-to-publisher collaboration. If a word is missing it can be submitted with the online template provided, which includes its definitions, sample sentences, cultural notes, and any synonyms. The Activities page consists of crossword puzzles, quizzes, and an activity guide of twenty-two topic-based lessons, with true/false, multiple choices, and fill in the blank exercises. Answer keys to all the activities are provided.

2. EVALUATION

Technological Features: While there are not any delays in starting up or using the program, not all activities can be completed online: In the Activities Page, when opening any of the World Web Crosswords or Challenge Crosswords an ‘Error reading crossword file’ message appears. They can only be printed even though the Help page says they can be done online or printed. The twenty-two topic-based lessons cannot be completed online, either. The authors’ reference to having the hard copy of the book available for these lessons makes this part of the online program dependent on an external resource, and a bit cumbersome. The program has an easy user interface and a simple, clean format. It’s easy to navigate between the pages as they are always visible on the left side of the site. Another design drawback, when typing a word in the ‘Look up a word’ box it must be spelled correctly, which could pose a problem for language learners. While there is not any sound, graphics, or video, intelligent response handling occurs efficiently. Students can view their results after a quiz and can also e-mail the results to their instructor. With a computer and an internet connection, this program can be used inside or outside of the classroom.

Activities (Procedure): All the activities are sufficiently designed. With the primary activity being the dictionary feature, learners can search word meanings and usage to facilitate their language learning. With the range of activities, there’s flexibility in individual, pair, or group work assignments—promoting collaboration. Between the crosswords, quizzes, and the twenty-two topic-based lessons all in the Activities Guide, instructors have a variety of ways to have their students learn and apply vocabulary in fun ways. The nature of the content lends itself to the linguistic focus features of pronunciation, spelling, morphology, syntax, and semantics, depending on which activity in the program is being performed. All the language skills can be used with this resource, especially reading and writing. A relevant sociolinguistic aspect exists particularly with the twenty-two topic-based lessons. For example, Lesson 12, Let’s Go, is about going places; Lesson 17, Quick Assets, centers on personal finances. This resource can supplement or complement a curriculum. For example, if a reading activity has unfamiliar words, learners can research them with this resource. Or if the curriculum lesson is about personal finance targeting verb tense, Lesson 17, Quick Assets can be used to complement it.

If you are teaching how to use a dictionary, this resource could be a lesson in itself. Dictionary usage is presented in a ‘Guide to Skills and Strategies’ near the end of the Activity Guide.

Teacher Fit: In the realm of vocabulary acquisition, this learner-centered online tool is designed to achieve such. Research skills are utilized to acquire word meanings, uses, grammar, and pronunciation. Cognitive development is further enhanced through the activities, sample sentences, and idioms. Currency of today’s lexicon was evident. For example, the word server was explained with a note that more and more today it is used in place of waiter and waitress. Where computers are available, this tool would fit into any course curriculum. It can be used as a warm-up activity, pre-/post-reading activity, or as an activity on its own. Its value to the language learning classroom is vocabulary acquisition and context usage. Reinforcing learned vocabulary along with supplemental lessons and activities are available.

Learner Fit (Design): Learners at all levels of proficiency can use the dictionary word search feature. The other features are more suited to intermediate and advanced level learners. It’s an efficient reference tool for vocabulary and grammar building. Online quizzes are scored when completed. Errors are noted and feedback is provided as the questions are repeated with their correct explanatory answers. The Activity Guide Answer Key also provides corrective feedback. The topic-based crossword puzzles are recall and comprehension activities. Clicking on the ‘Solution’ link of each page provides an answer key. The instructor has flexibility with this program. For example, learners can do a crossword puzzle before or after they’ve been exposed to the topic-based words in it. They can be completed individually or in pairs. The same flexibility can be applied to the Quizzes and the lessons in the Activity Guide. The instructor can use a set of recently researched words as a quiz for recall purposes—perhaps using the word in a sentence or giving the meaning and part of speech.

3. SUMMARY

It’s a good reference tool for vocabulary acquisition/building. The Activities page needs some tweaking to allow an online/offline option—as the Help page indicates. Also, spelling can be difficult when learning L2 vocabulary; therefore, the ‘Look up a word’ box needs to be modified to allow misspellings, in the same way Google does when you type in a word or phrase.

I experimented with the entire program, including taking some of the quizzes. I answered correctly and incorrectly to obtain program feedback. Aside from my recommended improvements, I would use this program and recommend others use it also. It’s an electronic method for vocabulary research. If learners are not comfortable with computers, this is a simple and easy web resource to improve their confidence with such. It is a useful tool for ELLs.


4. PRODUCER DETAILS

http://nhd.heinle.com/Home.aspx

My Quickshare

Reading Prompt 10 reply

Richardson shared several interesting ways to use Flickr as a fun way to learn in the language learning classroom. Similar to the model of J. Goodall’s camp in Africa, a flower or vegetable garden in a student’s backyard would be one idea. This would include using the annotation tool to identify the different features of the garden. Or creating a Flickr photo of a flower and using the annotation tool to describe the different parts of the flower, including its stem. Another idea I might use with my adult ELLs is to take a poem or any short text and link Flickr photos to tagable words. This could be done in pairs or groups to promote interaction and collaboration. And…it could be a learning tool for increased vocabulary acquisition as well. Richardson barely scratched the surface on using Flickr in the classroom.

Kern’s discussion of electronic literacies fascinated me. Sociocultural context of CALL does shape the nature of online teaching and learning. Electronic literacies seem to be a by-product of CALL. After re-reading the concept of textual identity from Lam’s research of Chinese students, I see their development of new identities not only from their online usage and discourse. Escapism from their government-run state that subverts individualism is likely at work here, too. The internet has come to serve as a mask for their self-expression. Many people in our country and around the world have also developed textual identities online (for various reasons), and teachers (and parents) need to be aware of such. Psychologist perspective is needed to further research this phenomenon of textual identity. Moving on, Multimodal texts are excellent learning tools, largely due to the logics involved. Digital storytelling, as with our final projects, involves using various modalities to compose a product. I think learners need a certain degree of L2 composition knowledge and experience before venturing into multimedia authoring. Going full circle, multimedia authoring can further enhance their off-line literacy skills. While I’m not sure about the identity construction angle of internet literacies, online learning can be beneficial to SLLs. More qualitative research and longitudinal studies involving Chapelle’s suggested research teams is definitely needed. Pedagogically, smart decisions about how to integrate electronic literacies into a curriculum is essential toward fully developing L2 literacy. I don’t think traditional classroom literacy teaching is sufficient today.

Additional posting #3

Our Texas Bluebonnets

It's that time of year again, and I've been hearing talk on the local news and just in general about the legality of picking Bluebonnets. The myth is it is illegal to pick'em. The truth is no, it's not illegal. I was researching this online, through my RSS feed and otherwise, and came across an "official" article on it, which I've added below. So, for those of you that enjoy getting out to see the Bluebonnet fields and for those of you new to this area, enjoy this season! After their absence last spring due to the drought, they are a welcome sight, once again!

© 2000-2010 Texas Department of Public Safety.
Each Texas springtime brings flowers to fields and roadsides and a question to the minds of nature lovers - is it really illegal to pick bluebonnets?
The answer is no - there is no law against picking our State Flower. However, there are laws against criminal trespass so make sure you're not on private property when you stop to take your annual kids-in-the-bluebonnets photo.
There are laws against damaging or destroying rights-of-way and government property -so pick a few flowers, but don't dig up clumps of them and don't drive your vehicle into the midst of them. Remember, Mother Nature and in many cases, your fellow Texans, scattered wildflower seeds along medians and roadways so that everyone could enjoy spring flowers.
For the safety of yourself and others, as well as to limit your ticketability:

There are laws against impeding traffic - so be careful about slowing down to enjoy the view. Pick areas with light traffic conditions for stopping.

Signal before leaving or entering the roadway.

Park off the roadway (off of improved shoulders), parallel to the road in the direction of traffic, on the same side of the roadway that the flowers are on. Don't walk or run across lanes of traffic to get to the flowers.

Obey signs that prohibit parking on a particular stretch of roadway.

And remember that in addition to a ticket, snakes and fire ants also could put more blue in your day than you bargained for.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_information/pr032602.htm

Additional Posting #2

Top 10 Low Pass Flybys of All Time



Check out number 3! The guy has nerves of steel. Blame all this flying stuff on Wilbur and Orville Wright! Some 20 plus years ago while stationed at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, having won a recognition program, I received an "F-16 Incentive Ride", in the back seat of one. The takeoff was just as low and fast as the low passes in the video. It was amazing to say the least!

Additional Posting #1

King George is coming home...

If you're a huge country-western music fan, King George/El Rey is finishing up his annual tour here in San Antonio on May 1st. If you don't listen to country music you might ask "Who is King George/El Rey?" He's GEORGE STRAIT...the king of country music...with over 57 number 1 hits! Reba, LeeAnn Womack, and the Randy Rogers Band will peform as well. It'll be a great, fantastic, Wrangler wearing, boot stompin' concert for sure! Yes, I'm going...got great seats...and yes I'm excited! This'll be my fifth time seeing King George and second time seeing Reba! First time for LeeAnn...love her great voice...she can do a ballad!

You Tube video "Gotta Keep Reading" w/comments

I came across this You Tube video when I heard on the news a middle school did a video to promote reading using a very recent mega hit pop song. Ocoee Middle School in Florida did a parody of the Black Eyed Peas mega hit "I Gotta Feeling". Apparently the school got the idea after hearing the Black Eyed Peas sing their song on Oprah's recent kickoff to her new TV season. In what's called a Flash Mob Dance the audience participates in the singing of the song. Back to the school, they changed the title of the song to "Gotta Keep Reading", with the melody being "Gotta keep reading cuz’ this book's gonna’ be a good book." They do a great version of the Flash Mob Dance. Their version of the song mentions ideas like "turn off the TV", "collaborate", "graduate", "reading...smart", "entertained" "feed your brain", etc. This is a really neat video...it's about kids using multimedia to promote reading to other kids (viewers of the video). It's about collaboration, inspiration, and teamwork. Brilliant idea and it's fun to watch! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did...