The Web & Teachers: Working Together

In another education class that I am taking we learned about the importance of students learning new vocabulary words. We also learned that it can be difficult for students to learn new words and that you should vary your strategies for the highest effectiveness. In my search for something on the web I came across a software program that helps students build their vocabulary, which is definitely different than any other vocabulary learning strategy I‘ve ever heard of. It is also a great tool for English language learners, which as well all know isn‘t something that‘s going to end any time soon. I figured that it would also be a very effective tool in preparing for the SAT or ACT and even the FCAT tests that high school students spend hours preparing for as well as giving students a break from the normal monotonous vocabulary/analytical skill building activities. GetAClue software (www.getaclue.com) seems like it would help out a ton in the classroom!


In my classroom I would try to get all my students on the computer, using this program, once every two weeks, if possible. Whether it be a bi-weekly class visit to the computer lab (if I don’t have computers in my class) or a schedule where 5-10 students use the program a day, I think that exposing kids to new vocabulary is very important for reading comprehension as well as testing purposes. This program gives the teacher access to student scores, and the program can also be used in multiple classes with the scores being shown only to class teacher, uses pre and post test information to gauge student progress and improvement, it also helps teachers formulate offline, printer handouts to help study words at home or to create quizzes and tests based on the activities (so teachers can make sure the kids aren’t just going through the motions). You can also create individualized quizzes based on student progress with the program. I would definitely use this tool -- anything to make vocabulary more interesting.


It’s a bit tough for me to talk about a web resource I haven’t really used much that I think I would use in the classroom. But when I was doing my PowerPoint2, I found a site (www.literature-study-online.com) that seems to be a very valuable tool. I’m not sure how wide their database spans but it seems to have a lot of good articles about themes, symbols and underlying meaning in literature and would be a good research tool for any English teacher, especially if the teacher hasn’t read the novel she/he is teaching in a while. It would also be a good resource for students, probably in grades 11 or 12 for research papers, as there are a lot of critical articles.