Waubonsee College Transition Students

Help a Good Program get the Funding it Needs!

2010-05-03T10:53:00.002-06:00

Vote everyday until the end of May. Every VOTE counts! Just click on the VOTE bar under the message. You'll need to register the first time, and after just remember to click on VOTE daily. Let's make something good happen for our community.

Judith

Bend it Like a Lab Specialist

2009-06-08T11:51:00.001-06:00

People often comment on the quality of my lab staff. They ask me my secret for getting the best and most talented candidates, and my answer is: flexibility. Yes, I work in an ed-tech environment, but I never consider a person’s background in technology as a key factor in whether I should or shouldn’t hire them. I’ve learned that tech skills can be taught. Indeed, they change so often that even the most highly skilled technicians would be at a loss if they didn’t keep up. Instead, I look for a great teacher who is able to effortlessly share their knowledge with students, and someone who is flexible enough to try out new apps and ideas, without a sense of dread. I’ve also built-in my own openness to new ideas. Whenever we’re faced with a changing set of circumstances, such as a new grant that takes us in a different direction, I open the floor to ideas. How should this be approached? What’s the best and most efficient way of developing the educational plan to effectively teach this new subject area? Which apps would make this content easier for students to access?

A simple example is the development of hotlists for subject areas. We had lists of websites. Lots and lots of lists. My specialists said that while the lists were useful, there were several aspects that they found frustrating. One issue was that students had a difficult time accessing the sites, because the URLs were impossible to type correctly. We found that apps such as Tiny URL would solve that problem, though students still had to type out something to get to the site. Another issue was that it was difficult to add to the printed lists, and we ended up throwing out papers when the lists were updated. Our solution was to switch to a web-based list that could be printed (and updated) as needed, but was unfortunately specific to the computers in our labs. Both of these tools worked, but never offered the usability that we really wanted to have. We tried putting the lists on disks, but those too became outdated pretty quickly.

One day I was reading through the blogs, and found a site called Fliamentality which gave us the ability to create hotlists of websites that we could add to a blog site. Suddenly we had the kind of tool that actually worked for giving students and instructors the access to the academic websites they needed, was available to them wherever they had Internet access, and could be updated and shared immediately by accessing one simple web address. A sample of the Fliamentality hotlists can be seen on our AELC Instructor Blog . These can be organized by area, and a simple click on the name would take students exactly where they should be on the site. Although the other methods worked, this method had the flexibility to adapt as new websites became available. Even though the original lists took a lot of effort to put together, this newer system accomplished the same goal, but in more efficient way. Overnight we switched to the hotlists, and our ability to share the websites increased dramatically.

Change is always difficult, especially in education. Educators are always pressed for time, and change requires effort. You have to learn a new application. You have to take what you previously had (which may still be somewhat effective) and change it to the new format. Often it means tossing out the old ideas, and developing a new system from the ground up. It takes a certain amount of courage to move from the old saw ‘if it isn’t broken why fix it?’ Ed-tech is all about change. What is new and exciting today is old news in six months. You don’t need to change constantly, but you do need to assess constantly, and review new apps and ideas with the idea that they can make your program, or classroom, work better.

2009-06-08T11:42:00.001-06:00

People often comment on the quality of my lab staff. They ask me my secret for getting the best and most talented candidates, and my answer is: flexibility. Yes, I work in an ed-tech environment, but I never consider a person’s background in technology as a key factor in whether I should or shouldn’t hire them. I’ve learned that tech skills can be taught. Indeed, they change so often that even the most highly skilled technicians would be at a loss if they didn’t keep up. Instead, I look for a great teacher who is able to effortlessly share their knowledge with students, and someone who is flexible enough to try out new apps and ideas, without a sense of dread. I’ve also built-in my own openness to new ideas. Whenever we’re faced with a changing set of circumstances, such as a new grant that takes us in a different direction, I open the floor to ideas. How should this be approached? What’s the best and most efficient way of developing the educational plan to effectively teach this new subject area? Which apps would make this easier for students to access?

A simple example is the development of hotlists for subject areas. We had lists of websites. Lots and lots of lists. My specialists said that while the lists were useful, there were several aspects that they found frustrating. One issue was that students had a difficult time accessing the sites, because the URLs were impossible to type correctly. We found that apps such as Tiny URL would solve that problem, though students still had to type out something to get to the site. Another issue was that it was difficult to add to the printed lists, and we ended up throwing out papers when the lists were updated. Our solution was to switch to a web-based list that could be printed (and updated) as needed, but was unfortunately specific to the computers in our labs. Both of these tools worked, but never offered the flexibility that we really wanted to have. We tried putting the lists on disks, but those too became outdated pretty quickly.

One day I was reading through the blogs, and found a site called Fliamentality , which gave us the ability to create hotlists of websites that we could add to a blog site. Suddenly we had the kind of tool that actually worked for giving students and instructors the access to the academic websites they needed, was available to them wherever they had Internet access, and could be updated and shared immediately by accessing one simple web address. A sample of the Fliamentality hotlists can be seen on our AELC Instructor Blog . These can be organized by area, and a simple click on the name would take students exactly where they should be on the site. Although the other methods worked, this method had the flexibility to adapt as new websites became available. Even though the original lists took a lot of effort to put together, this newer system accomplished the same goal, but in more efficient way. Overnight we switched to the hotlists, and our ability to share the websites increased dramatically.

Change is always difficult, especially in education. Educators are always pressed for time, and change requires effort. You have to learn a new application. You have to take what you previously had (which may have been somewhat effective) and change it to the new format. Often it means tossing out the old ideas, and developing a new system from the ground up. It takes courage as well as flexibility to move from the old saw ‘if it isn’t broken why fix it?’ Ed-tech is all about change. What is new and exciting today is old news in six months. You don’t need to change constantly, but you do need to assess constantly, and review new apps and ideas with the idea that they can make your program, or classroom, work better,

2009-06-08T11:18:00.003-06:00

The idea of using social networks in the classroom is still outside the ken of many classroom instructors. Sites such as Facebook , MySpace and Twitter have connotations that many instructors instinctively avoid. They see the pitfalls, but not the value. There are warning flags all over the place. I’ve heard educators say,’ if you allow students to use a site like Twitter in the classroom, students will abuse it and just network with friends’. Sure, always a possibility. But if you allow students Internet access on computers, they can always access sites you don’t want them accessing. It all comes down to the control an instructor has in the classroom. An ineffective instructor with no classroom discipline doesn’t need an access wire to fail. Those are the teachers who would let handwritten notes to be passed around the classroom in the pre-tech days.
We’ve (reluctantly) moved to acceptance of using academic websites in the classroom. Instructors see the value, and students know and like using them. We’ve found the value in YouTube , but have developed Teacher Tube to combat many of the content concerns. Social network sites are still a new frontier. First, instructors are not all that familiar with them. I think every instructor (and parent) should get on the computer and sign up for one or more of the social network sites, if only to know what it is that the kids are doing. One thing is certain, the KIDS are on them, daily, and even hourly. They can access them from classroom computers, or cell phone browsers. I have Facebook and Twitter buttons on my iPhone, so access takes less than a second. Of course they also let me know via email when someone has added something new to my page. It’s all about accessibility, and for kids, it’s like breathing. They just do it. My nephew once said that if he had to go more than a few hours without Facebook he would implode. I honestly believe him.
So how do educators use these tools? Tom Preskett in his article Blogs for Education, Blogs for Yourself mentioned the Write4 website ( http://write4.net/en), which allows one to publish articles, photos, videos etc. without set-ups or logins. Your work is published to your Twitter account. What’s the value? Easy and fast access. You give your students one site (such as your classroom Twitter account), and give them the ability to access these sites wherever and whenever they wish. You simply tell them to follow your Twitter, and they access your Tweets. It’s simple, and effective, because students are there anyway. Will all students actually read your Tweets? No, but not all students will read the homework you assign, or even participate in class discussions. But the point is that students are familiar with social networking, and use it regularly. And as educators, we have to believe that most students want to learn, and want to succeed.
I’ve never been able to understand instructors who believe students want to fail. They may not hang on your every word, but they do listen and know the correlation between work and success. Give them something they can use, and they will pay attention. Will they push the envelope? Of course. But that happens with any age group. Case in point: professional development programs. Put a group of instructors into professional development class and watch them as they stare out the window, play with anything but the prescribed websites on the computer, and even talk and laugh with each other. In a training setting, most professional educators mirror the behavior of their students. The key to success is the same as the key needed to succeed with students: give them something they find useful.

Writing Assistance: Dr.Wicked: Write or Die

2008-11-12T10:31:00.000-06:00

http://lab.drwicked.com/writeordie.html

OK. It's 10:00 the night before your paper is due. You started to write, really, you did, but were distracted by sooooo many other things. Unlike other, more friendly forms of positive reinforcement, this site offers only negative reinforcement. If you stop...well, this is what the site promises will happen:

"Write or Die is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you're fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences.
Negative Reinforcement "strengthens a behavior because a negative condition is stopped or avoided as a consequence of the behavior."

Consequences:

Gentle Mode: A certain amount of time after you stop writing, a box will pop up, gently reminding you to continue writing.

Normal Mode: If you persistently avoid writing, you will be played a most unpleasant sound. The sound will stop if and only if you continue to write.

Kamikaze Mode: Keep Writing or Your Work Will Unwrite Itself

These consequences will persist until your preset conditions have been met (that is, your time is up or you've written you wordcount goal or both)
This text box is not a word processor, it is not for editing, the way to save is to select all of the text, copy and paste into your own text editor. The idea is to separate the writing process and the editing process as much as possible.
This is aimed at anyone who wants to get writing done. It requires only that you recognize your own tendency towards self-sabotage and be willing to do something about it. If you're sick of saccharine writing advice that no one could honestly follow and you want a real method to getting work done."

Skrbl: Online Interactive Whiteboard

2008-11-12T10:25:00.000-06:00

Here's a great Web 2.0 tool:

http://www.skrbl.com/
Simple and easy online multi user whiteboard, start skrbl, give out your URL & start working together. Sketch, text, share files, upload pictures all in one common shared space. There are no new tools to learn, nothing to download, nothing to install. Brainstorm on our simple whiteboard to start thinking together, everyone sees the same screen, everybody gets on the same page.

Babbel: Learn a New Language

2008-11-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

Learn Spanish, Italian, German or French easily online. Learn vocabulary, situational language , grammar, tutorials and more. http://www.babbel.com/ Requires a short, free signup.
"Learn languages in a playful and intuitive way. Unlike traditional learning methods, our concept is about fun, individual interest and the joy of learning. Join the Babbel community. Babbel's at its best when you're having fun and working together with others. Apply and improve your language knowledge in active conversations with other Babbel users. Learn at your own pace
With Babbel you learn what you want, when you want. No matter what your level is, the system adapts to your learning speed so you can learn on your own, or it gives you guidance to follow.

Quintura: Visual Cloud Search Engine

2008-11-12T10:16:00.000-06:00

http://www.quintura.com/

Quintura takes searching to a new level...up in the clouds. It employs the new cloud technology to provide a more visual search, and also lets you see not just the usual search results, but also any images or videos that are in the selected websites. The images are useful if you need some quick visuals for PowerPoint presentations etc.
It also has an Amazon tab which shows you books available on the subject.

Visual Find Engine
"Visualization becomes the center of user experience replacing antiquated listings and Boolean strings.
While viewing the Quintura Cloud, you can visually navigate and easily refine in order to find relevant information faster and more efficiently!"

Free Computer Skills Training Website

2008-08-25T13:03:00.006-06:00

http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/
This is an excellent Website for developing basic computer skills, with a self-paced learning program. All you need is an Internet connection. There are also excellent sections on Career Development and Workplace Development (things such as preparing for a job, resumes and cover letters etc.).

http://peds2.med.miami.edu/mailman/basic.htm This site also has some good basic PC use information, including terminology.

From the Aurora CO Library Website: (Click on the highlighted words to get links) : http://www.auroralibrary.org/screens/research/topic_guides/computer.html

Great Websites - Computer Basics
Computer Basics - Information
Free Basic Windows Tutorials
NetLingo - Defines terms, explains phrases.
Yahoo! Free Email Account

Great Websites - Keyboarding/Typing Practice
All Touch Typing Tutors - Links to sites (some require registration).
Free Online Typing Course - Requires registration.
Free Touch Typing - No registration.
Learn Keyboarding/Typing
Mr Kent's Typing Tutor
Nimble Fingers
Type Online

Great Websites - Keyboarding/Typing Games
Qwerty Warriors

Great Websites - Using a Mouse
Mouserobics
New User Tutorial - Explains computer basics.

Great Websites - About the Web
Learn to Use Internet Explorer
Good Sites for Surfing the Web

JOTT: Time Management and Calendar

2008-07-31T07:48:00.000-06:00

Time management is an essential skill for students, even after they leave school. Here is a free program that acts as a personal secretary. Finding new 2.0 apps is pretty common, but finding ones I like ( and that fit my 'keep it simple' philosophy) is not as common. This one fills all my criteria.
Jott (http://www.jott.com/) is a utility tool that you might find worthwhile. You can use your cell phone to send emails, create lists, and even add to your Blogs. It will convert your voice to text.If you want to send an email from your cell phone, just call the Jott number and tell it who you want to contact.You need to have recipient names and email addresses or cell numbers (for text messages) already programmed from your computer, but once in, you can use them at any time, anywhere you can use your cell phone.After initial programming, it's easy to use your phone to send a message. I have an iPhone which does everything but cook my dinner (next upgrade?) but I still find this tool useful. I've tried it several times and it sends the info quite clearly. It also adds a link so the person can hear your voice message, in case the text translation is not clear.
It will do the same for leaving posts on a Blog. Say you are no where near a computer and need post a message on your Blog. Call Jott on your cell to the pre-programmed address of your Blog of choice and it will post directly to that Blog, and give the option of listening to your voice as well.Hint: if you post to more than one Blog, make sure you give them unique names.It's also good for reminders (eg: 'dentist appt. at 4 on 6/27/08') and lists (I use it for a shopping list). Do you want to keep track of the latest news or sports scores? Add RSS feed info into your Jott account and it will send that info to your cell phone. It's quick and easy, and fun to do. Try it out!

Studyrails: Keeping Students on Track

2008-07-03T08:46:00.003-06:00

Below is an article copied verbatim from Webware.com for a new tool to keep your studies on track. It isn't free, but $10. a month is relatively little to pay if it keeps you from losing all your tuition because you forgot to do the assignments. Time management is an essential life skill and learning it now will serve you well into your future career. This is a beta version which means it is still not a finalized product, but there is enough information here to determine whether or not it will work for you. There is a demo and a free 14 day trial.
http://www.studyrails.com/view/render_page

"Studyrails is a relatively new tool for students who want to get their class schedule and study time synced up. It's mainly a calendaring tool, but thrown in is a mobile reminder service, and a forceful lock-out system that will keep you from slacking off on your computer when you're supposed to be studying.

The core calendar product is one of the more interesting efforts I've seen. After you've plugged in your class schedule, you have the option to schedule in study time. You guesstimate how much time you'll need for each discipline or project and then block out those hours on your calendar. It's a simple drag and drop affair. What's neat here is that it'll automatically divide up your time into little chunks based on how much time you've acknowledged you need to spend per task and when it's due. It's not an exact science, but it's a good start for people who don't know where to begin when they've got a lot of projects stacked up at once.

When it actually comes time to study, you can link up the application to send you reminders on your phone or e-mail in-box. It'll also give you a physical lock-out from using certain applications or Web sites during those times. This list is made by you (or your parent), so unless YouTube is a part of the study plan you'll get a little block on the page that chides you to get back to work.
The service runs $10 a month and has a two week free trial. On a side note, founder of Studyrails, Joshua Loewenstein, and I have no relation.

See also: Motivation management with GradeFix
Related: Quizlet: Flash cards made easy

Studyrails is mostly a calendaring tool, but added is project management and time management tools for slackers. " credit: Webware.com, 7/3/08

Interesting Blogs on Linguistics and Grammar

2008-06-12T10:12:00.001-06:00

GRAMMAR BLOG
http://spandg.blogspot.com/
Grammar Blog approaches language oddities and mishaps with a lighthearted, irreverent tone. Gez Daring, Daniel Gray, and Tom Knowles started this blog as a continuation of the linguistic gibes they shared during their time at the Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, in England. Many posts include photographs of errors spotted in everything from literature to signage, to which the bloggers respond with often snarky corrections. Readers contribute their own photos of spelling errors and mistakes in grammar. While this is primary British English, there are useful and clever references to American English as well. You should enjoy and understand this despite the "other English."
MOTIVATED GRAMMAR
http://motivatedgrammar.wordpress.com/
Motivated Grammar abandons the traditional idea of grammar as a strict set of rules. Gabriel Doyle, graduate student in linguistics at UC, San Diego, rails against linguistic prescription, or the notion that arbitrary but established grammar standards should be closely followed. Each of Mr. Doyle's posts reads like a self-contained grammar lesson, posting a question, discussing the issue, and arriving at a conclusion. You'll enjoy this one!
LANGUAGE LOG
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll
Professors in linguistics, Mark Liberman of the Univ. of Pennsylvania and Geoffrey Pullum of the Univ. of Edinburgh started this blog in 2003. They and other contributors often touch on popular culture and current events in their discussion of language. With multiple posts each day, this blog covers a broad swath of linguistic issues. Translation and the comparison of language are popular topics on this blog, with one series of recent posts debating why English texts are much longer than their Chinese counterparts. Do some scrolling on this one, and you will be sure to find one of great interest which will give you something to really think about and come back for more. All three of these blogs were listed in the BLOG WATCH Section by Lydia Serota in the Wall Street Journal, Monday, June 9, 2008 in Section R16.

Posted by Robin Bosworth

Seven Secrets to Success in English 101

2008-01-24T09:05:00.000-06:00

Seven Secrets to Success in English 101
By Richard Nordquist, About.com
http://grammar.about.com/od/yourwriting/a/freshcomptips.htm

Excellent tips on surviving English 101. There are tabs for Grammar & Composition Words & Sentences and Paragraphs & Essays. Good, solid advice.

Study Curve

2007-12-06T10:56:00.000-06:00

http://studycurve.com/

This is an interesting mix of a social networking environment, expert assistance, tutorials, and subject area focus. It targets middle school through PhD, and puts users together with similarly-minded individuals for ongoing help and collaboration. There is also an Expert Rating System, virtual study groups, and the pairing of business professionals and college professors with students. You can also host a private class forum, posting Q & As and locating classes across the country for collaborative projects. A team team controls all content, display and distribution on the site.

For students used to sites like Facebook and My Space, finding a study buddy seems a good way to expand their technological expertise and assist with coursework as well. Once again, it's a good example of how the process of education is changing, and how the emphasis is changing from straight research and design to collaboration. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Using Microsoft Word

2007-10-31T09:07:00.000-06:00

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line_word.htm

Modules for lessons on using Microsoft Word.

Diagramming Sentences

2007-10-31T09:05:00.000-06:00

http://members.cox.net/teachro/

Do you ever wish you had a site that will help with diagramming sentences? Here it is~!

Math Help

2007-10-31T09:00:00.001-06:00

http://www.mathgoodies.com/students.html

Math Goodies was a pioneer of free math help. Educators from around the world have helped students in our moderated forums since 1999. The site has over 500 pages of math resources for students, educators and parents.There are interactive lessons, puzzles and worksheets you can use at your own pace. Includes Algebra, pre-Algebra and Basic Math.

Gabcast: Audio Podcasting

2007-10-31T08:19:00.000-06:00

I am always looking for new and easy ways to do the things we want to do. Here's a method of creating an audio podcast using only a phone. This is the Gabcast address: (http://www.gabcast.com/) To hear my first Gabcast, go to http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com
Obviously I need practice, but the process was simple. I called in to the 800 number from my office phone, gave them my channel number and password, and then read my script. When I was done, I could listen to it and accept or change it. Then I hit the # sign to upload. I then went to the Gabcast page and found the code to add the script I read to this Blog, copied it to my 'Add a Page Element' and I was done. Here are the steps involved:

Creating Gabcast episodes
Recording your own Gabcast episodes is a breeze!
Signup & Login
signup and login to the website (it's FREE!)
Create a channel
visit your My Account page and create a new channel
Use a phone
call one of the Gabcast access numbers listed on the right side of the page
Record
start gabbing - tell the world what's on your mind!
Publish
publish your recording, either via the phone, or via your My Account page
Tag
tag your episode to make it easier to recognize and to make it searchable!
That's it!
subscribers to your channel will be notified via this website, iTunes, web portals, rss clients, and email.
The Gabcasts are saved into an MP3 format, which can easily be inserted into a PowerPoint if you want.

Describing the process of creating audio podcasts using Gabcast Education / Higher Education http://wccniuesl.blogspot.com/
manage episodes edit channel delete channel

Writing Assistance: Story Squared

2007-09-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

http://www.storysquared.com/ Story Squared

"Want to be creative but don't have the time? Start a story on StorySquared and see where it goes. Friends and family contribute to a story thread that you create. The results can be funny, imaginative, or just plain strange. Try it out now and see! Start your story “Once upon a time…” Send it to the people you want to contribute. You and your friends read the story as it unfolds! "
Above is the lead into this site. It's an interesting tech twist on an old writing technique that would be great for imtermediate and higher level ESL students, and would also obviously work on an online environment. There are public stories that you can add to, or create an entirely new story.

Writing Assistance

2007-07-05T08:20:00.000-06:00

http://www.powa.org/

The Paradigm Online Writing Assistant has help with organizing, writing and editing, along with some specifics on various essay styles. One of the best sections is entitled "Six Problem Areas" which covers topics such as subject-verb agreement, shift in tense, shift in person etc. Each topic is explained, examples are given and there is an accompanying activity. If you are looking for some solid help with writing, this may just be the source.

Computer Tutorials: Online Practice Modules

2007-07-05T08:18:00.000-06:00

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line.htm

Online practice modules for assistance with training on Microsoft Office and other computer skills. Includes things such as PowerPoint Viewer - for those that do not have PPT. Other programs such as Dreamweaver and Webquest are also highlighted. This is an excellent tool for helping you create PowerPoint programs of your own.

NEW Blog Feature: Babel Fish Translator

2007-07-05T08:11:00.000-06:00

If you would prefer to read this Blog in another language, please see the BabelFish Translator widget in the right hand column. Although there are only a limited number of languages supported, the translations appear to be adequate, and should at least give a sense of the posting.

Reading for Careers

2007-07-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

http://www.fodoweb.com/erfora/readtext.asp?txtfile=communications/reading.toc

Educational Resources for Adults has put together a good resource entitled "Reading for Careers" Lessons include:

Lesson 1: What is a Good Reader
Lesson 2: How to Write an Essay
Lesson 3: Proofreading
Lesson 4: Some Hints on Solving Word Problems
Lesson 5: Developing Your Vocabulary
Lesson 6: Using Context Clues
Lesson 7: Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Lesson 8: Vocabulary Skills Review
Lesson 9: Improve Your Comprehension with IDEA POWER
Lesson 10: More IDEA POWER
Lesson 11: Articulate (Summarize) with IDEA POWER
Lesson 12: Review
Lesson 13: Time Your Readings
Lesson 14: Reading Improvement using Reading Drills
Lesson 15: Reading Improvement using Skimming and Scanning

There are also sections on Numercy and Graphs and Charts on this site.

General: Test Anxiety Tips

2007-03-23T09:17:00.000-06:00

http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html Some down to earth ideas on dealing with test anxiety for teens and adults. Additional sites on test anxiety:

http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/testanx.htm http://www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett/Help_Screens/Test_Anxiety.htm http://www.uiowa.edu/web/advisingcenter/aac_curr_stu http://thetwocrows.com/ahclem/testanxiety.html

This is a compilation site, which also has a lot of good information about study habits, techniques, financial aid, selecting a college etc. Great site!

Career Passport: Building a Portfolio

2007-03-12T13:46:00.000-06:00

http://www.armadamusic.net/CareerPassport/

Excellent site for developing a Career Passport or portfolio. Good self assessment for skills areas.
Myers-Briggs Personality Test
Holland Career Test
Princeton Review Career Quiz
Suggested Careers
Career Map: Get There
Short Term Calendar
Preparing - Building My Portfolio
Basic Arithmetic
Pre-Algebra Geometry
Reading Competency
Writing Assessment
Writing Competency
Interviewing Competency
Basic Computer Skills
Desktop Publishing Spreadsheets
Internet Skills

Podcasts for Listening Skills

2007-03-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

http://www.eslpod.com/They have instructional podcasts on a variety of topics. Each cast has the audio but also the script that a student can follow along with.
http://a4esl.org/p/More ESL podcasts with transcripts.
www.englishcaster.com
Podcast lessons for learners of Englishpronunciation memory games: http://www.manythings.org/ac/http://www.esl-lab.com/pron2.htm http://evaeaston.com/pr/a-v-ae-quiz.html http://www.albany.edu/~jy0507/call/home.html
http://www.manythings.org/pp/index.htmlAmerican English Pronunciation Practice
http://international.ouc.bc.ca/Pronunciation Practice: Okanagan University College
http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/index.htm English Club's Pronunciation (many links)

ABC of Academic Writing and ABC of Essays

2007-03-12T12:47:00.000-06:00

http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/study/gloess.htm

Good information on writing, and covers a lot of categories.

Study Skills: Writing Techniques

2007-03-12T12:30:00.000-06:00

http://www.how-to-study.com/Writing%20Techniques.htm

Welcome to how-to-study.com. Please use the free study skills, study strategies, and study tips on this site. We update our content, so check back often for valuable new study aids. Click on any topic below to learn about it.
Home
Preparing to Study
Taking Notes in Class
Learning Styles
A Strategy for Reading Textbooks
A Strategy for Reading Novels
Good Listening In Class
Solving Math Word Problems
Using Reference Sources
Spelling Long Words
Essay Tests
Test Anxiety
Using Abbreviations
Study Groups
Metaphors
Click Here to Contact Us
A Strategy for Taking Tests
Reading Comprehension
Remembering Information
Building Vocabulary
Writing a Research Paper
Making an Oral Presentation
Managing Time
Word Identification Strategy
Writing Techniques
Flexible Reading
Common Prefixes
Multiple-Choice Tests
Similes
Procrastination

IPL Website: Research and Writing

2007-03-12T12:22:00.000-06:00

http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/

Quick Tips for the Panic-Stricken

Step by Step Research & Writing
Why the Step by Step Approach?
Step 1 - Getting Started - preparing for the assignment and getting ready to choose a topic
Step 2 - Discovering and Choosing a Topic - reading to become informed
Step 3 - Looking for and Forming a Focus - exploring your topic
Step 4 - Gathering Information - which clarifies and supports your focus
Step 5 - Preparing to Write - analyzing and organizing your information and forming a thesis statement
Step 6 - Writing the Paper - writing, revising and finalizing

Info Search
Where's the Information?
Learning to Research in the Library
Learning to Research on the Web
Skills for Online Searching
Information Found—and Not Found—on the Web
Search Strategy: Getting a Broad Overview of a Subject
Search Strategy: Finding Specific Information

Guide to Writing a Basic Essay

2007-03-12T12:18:00.000-06:00

http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/

Quite a comprehensive site taking you through the process of writing an essay from choosing a topic through finish. Includes samples.

Teacher Tap: Mathematics

2007-03-12T12:05:00.000-06:00

http://eduscapes.com/tap/tapmath.html
Great math information, including charts and graphs. Many websites, choose and click on the ones that interest you.

S.O.S. Math Skills for Adults: Complete Site

2007-03-12T12:02:00.000-06:00

http://www.sosmath.com/

S.O.S. MATHematics is your free resource for math review material from Algebra to Differential Equations!
The perfect study site for high school, college students and adult learners. Get help to do your homework, refresh your memory, prepare for a test, ....
Browse our more than 2,500 Math pages filled with short and easy-to-understand explanations. Click on one of the following subject areas: Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Differential Equations, Complex Variables, Matrix Algebra, or Mathematical Tables.

S.O.S. Math Skills for Adults: Fractions

2007-03-12T12:01:00.000-06:00

http://www.sosmath.com/algebra/fraction/frac1/frac1.html

This SOS math review is targeted toward those individuals who have forgotten what they once knew about fractions. You may need the entire review or just portions of the review. Fractions for Adults is divided into several categories with accompanying examples and problems. The SOS menu will direct you according to your needs or performance. At any time you can go back to the most recent menu by clicking on the phrase Menu Back at the bottom of your screen.One of the largest obstacles to success in any situation that involves the use of fractions is loss of memory. Most individuals were introduced to fractions in grade school and have long since forgotten how to use them. If you have not used fraction in your daily life, you are probably a little rusty. Don't despair! With this quick review, you can once again be a whiz at fractions.

PBS Literacy Link: Workplace Essential Skills

2007-03-12T11:50:00.000-06:00

main page: http://litlink.ket.org

Good skills lessons based on employment skills. Requires a free registration.

Workplace Essential Skills
Lessons
Orientation program
Orientation: Making It WorkThis 30-minute video program is a student orientation to the course. Learn how to use the different components of the Workplace Essential Skills series to improve your skills and opportunities.
Employment:
Finding a jobPlanning to Work
Matching Skills and Jobs
Applying for Jobs
Resumes, Tests, and Choices
Interviewing

Ready for Work
Workplace Safety
Learning at Work
Communication & Writing: Communication Skills
The Language of Work
Communicating with Co-Workers and Supervisors
Working Together
Communication & Writing: Writing skillsA Process for Writing
Supplying Information: Directions, Forms, and Charts
Writing Memos and Letters
Reading
Reading for a Purpose
Finding What You Need: Following Directions
Reading Reports and Manuals
Math
Number Sense
Solving Problems
Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
Measurements and Trends and Predictions

Pronunciation Practice, Chat

2007-02-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

www.englishbaby.com/lessons/index.php

Learn American English, including slang. Meet other ESL students.

Pronunciation Practice

2007-02-15T14:15:00.000-06:00

www.evaeaston.com/pr/home.html

Authentic American pronunciation, including alphabet.

Pronunciation Practice

2007-02-15T14:11:00.000-06:00

http://www.englishclub.com

Grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading, writing and ESL jokes.

English Grammar Secrets

2007-02-15T09:59:00.000-06:00

http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/index.html

This is a good site for remedial grammar, including:

Present Continuous
Present Simple
Present Simple or Continuous
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Simple or Continuous
Irregular Verbs
Present Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect or Past Simple
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Past Review 1
Past Review 2
The Future - Going to
The Future - Will
Will or Going to
The Future - present forms
Will - other uses
Shall
The Imperative
The Passive
The -ing form
Can
Could
May/Might
Should
Should 2
Must /Have to
Zero Conditional
First Conditional
Second Conditional
Third Conditional
Wish
Had better
Used to
Questions 1
Questions 2
Question tags
Reported speech
Reported speech 2
Suppose
Suppose 2
Have something done
Should have
Can have / could have

Authors also have Web sites on the following topics: English Listening lessons
English Phrasal Verbs
English for Human Resources
English for Presentations
Business English Language

Advanced Composition

2007-02-15T09:49:00.000-06:00

http://eslbee.com

This site contains advanced composition skills practed for non-native speakers.

HOW TO WRITE ACADEMIC ESSAYS: Academic Essays (Introduction), Giving Instructions Essays, Cause-Effect Essays, Comparison-Contrast Essays, Persuasion Essays, Test of Written English (TWE) Essays
STUDENTS' ESSAYS: Giving Instructions, Cause/Effect, Comparison/Contrast, Persuasion LOCAL ASPECTS - GRAMMAR + QUIZZES: Sentences, Adjective Clauses, Appositives, Subject-Verb Agreement, Verb Tenses, Topic Sentences , Parallel Structure

EFLNet

2007-02-15T09:46:00.000-06:00

http://www.eflnet.com

This is a very comprehensive site for grammar and includes phrasal verbs, vocabulary and listening skills practice. Highly recommended.

grammar
phrasal verbs
vocabulary
links
listening (advanced)
reading (advanced)

Business English Exercises

2007-02-15T09:44:00.000-06:00

www.better-english.com/exerciselist.html

For those students looking to improve their higher level English skills, this site offers assistance with writing and grammar as used in business.

College Terminology

2007-01-30T11:30:00.000-06:00

Provides definitions for words and phrases that are particular to the college world.

http://collegeprep.okstate.edu/homepages.nsf/toc/chp02_1

New Citizenship Test Trial

2007-01-24T16:55:00.000-06:00

FYI: A new U.S. Citizenship test is currently being tried out in 10 randomly chosen cities by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlike the current test being used everywhere else, this test does have some questions with more than one correct answer. The Chicago Trib had an article about this on Dec. 1, 2006 and offered a complete list of the 144 possible questions with answers on its website. Why, this change? Complaining that the current U.S. citizenship test only measured rote facts that future citizens should know, the federal government wanted to design a new format to assure that immigrants understood American values and concepts. Immigration officials typically ask citizenship applicants to answer up to 20 civics questions from the possible 96 currently used. The new test has 144 possible questions. Give it a try by going to: www.chicagotribune.com/citizen

Posted by Robin Bosworth, AELC Specialist

TOEFL Test Information

2007-01-24T16:52:00.000-06:00

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=69c0197a484f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

Complete TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test information, and has practice tests and sample questions.

COMPASS Test Information

2007-01-24T16:51:00.000-06:00

http://www.act.org/compass/index.html

COMPASS test information. This is the home site for the test.

COMPASS Test Information

2007-01-24T16:49:00.000-06:00

http://www.tntech.edu/adp/aapp.html

Includes the purpose behind the test and who is required to take it.

Numeration, operations and reasoning

2007-01-24T16:44:00.000-06:00

http://regentsprep.org/regents/math/math-a.cfm

Includes measurement, reasoning, numeration, critical thinking skills, rounding numbers and other skills needed. Includes an interactive review activity done in PowerPoint.

PurpleMath: Beginning to Advanced Algebra

2007-01-24T16:42:00.000-06:00

http://www.purplemath.com/modules/index.htm

Includes solving word problems and study skill techniques

Math.com: World of Math Online

2007-01-24T16:41:00.000-06:00

http://www.math.com/

Fractions, decimals, exponents and square roots

Geometry Solutions

2007-01-24T16:38:00.000-06:00

http://gomath.com/

Triangle
Equilateral Triangle
Right Triangle
Parallelogram
Trapezoid
Rectangle
Square Rhombus Regular N-gon
Sphere
Cube Cuboid Pyramid
Rectangular

Math Games and Study Tips

2007-01-24T16:37:00.000-06:00

http://www.coolmath.com/home.htm Math games, skills and study tips.

Interactive Math Skills

2007-01-24T16:36:00.000-06:00

http://aplusmath.com/

Improve your math skills interactively. Includes flash cards and drills.

SOS Math

2007-01-24T16:33:00.001-06:00

http://www.sosmath.com/

Covers many of the higher mathematics skills, with short and easy-to-understand explanations.
Algebra Trigonometry Calculus Differential Equations Complex Variables Matrix Algebra Tables

Mathematics Tests and Practice Drills

2007-01-24T16:29:00.000-06:00

http://www.saab.org/mathdrills/md.cgi

Factoring Polynomials
Problems on distance, speed and time
Percentage Word Problems
LCM and GCD Problems
Work Completion Problems
Roots of Polynomials
Linear Equations
MATHCOUNTS Drills
Fraction Attack
Fraction Calculator
ArithmAttack

Basic to Advanced Math Practice

2007-01-24T16:28:00.000-06:00

http://www.math.com/students/practice.html

· Basic Math
· Everyday Math
· Pre-Algebra
· Geometry
· Algebra
· Trigonometry
· Statistics
· Calculus
· Advanced Topics
· Others

COMPASS Practice Tests

2007-01-24T16:26:00.000-06:00

http://www.testprepreview.com/compass_practice.htm

Has free practice tests that cover all the categories on the COMPASS test.

ESL Vocabulary Podcasts

2007-01-24T16:24:00.000-06:00

http://digitalchalk.libsyn.com/ These podcasts offer lists of English vocabulary words to learn and pronounce.

Current World News in Slow and Clear English

2007-01-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

http://esl.podomatic.com/

A great site that allows you to listen to English at 80% speed, using a vocabulary of only 1500 words. Good for listening and learning the correct speech patterns used by Americans.

Listen and Repeat: Jokes in English

2007-01-24T16:10:00.000-06:00

http://www.manythings.org/jokes/

Did you ever wonder why Americans think some jokes are really funny? This site will give you some jokes that you can tell, and practice your listening and speaking skills.

CK's Listen and Repeat English

2007-01-24T16:05:00.000-06:00

http://www.manythings.org/repeat/

Listen and Repeat to Learn Verb Conjugation and Pronunciation

Commonly Used Irregular Verbs
Adjectives for People
English Useful Expressions

Welcome!

2007-01-24T15:51:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the new Waubonsee Community College Transitions Blog...that is set up for students transitioning from the Adult Education program to regular college credit courses. This blog will have websites and podcasts that can help you with preparing for the COMPASS test.