ABE/GED and ESL Websites

ABE/GED and ESL Websites
An Internet Hotlist on Educational Websites

Introduction
A hotlist compilation created for the AELC Workshop 'Deciphering the Maze of Educational Websites' by Judith Sotir, AELC Manager. This Hotlist changes regularly, so check back often for updates.

The Internet Resources

ABE/GED Math, Science, History and Literature Sites

Algebasics - Algebasics is a fine online mathematics instructional resource that takes young and old alike through the basics of algebra. The breadth of the material is divided into sixteen sections, which begin with, 'the basics,' and proceed all the way to a section on applying algebra to real-world situations
Algebra Help - Algebra practice problems
Algebra in Simplest Terms - The Annenberg Foundation provides a total of 26 episodes in this 'Algebra: In Simplest Terms' series that covers such topics as linear relations, the ellipse, rational functions, and geometric sequences. Narrated by Sol Garfunkel, the series uses practical examples as illustrations of various principles and axioms. NOTE: to watch the videos, visitors will need to fill out a free online registration form.
Ask Dr. Math - This is another great area on Math Forum that some teachers may not know about. Let your students that have many questions to ask or those that may be too shy to ask in class skim the archives. (Ask Dr. Math has been around since 1994). The FAQ has answers to classic questions, those that you have probably answered many times. That a great resource for the ever curious, or those that just want to check up on the teacher
Basic Geometry - Math League's Basic Geometry is indeed basic, but useful for GED prep.
Best of History Websites - Best of History Web Sites contains links to over 800 history-related web sites that have been reviewed for quality, accuracy, and usefulness. Included are links to history lesson plans, teacher guides, activities, games, quizzes, and more. Sites with engaging educational content and stimulating and useful multimedia technologies are most likely to be included in these pages; however useful resources and research-oriented sites have been included as well.
CNN Interactive Learning Resources - A major purpose of this Web site is to provide current news stories to students with reading levels that are not high enough to read and understand standard newspaper articles. A variety of interactive learning activities help reinforce and provide greater understanding of what is presented on the screen. Teachers can use the lessons for group activities and students can work at their own pace for individualized learning.
California Mathematics Homepage - The California Mathematics Homepage, is designed especially for mathematics teachers and students in California. The site includes Internet infused lesson plans and examples of how math is used in real-world problems.
Climatic Extremes and Weather Events - 'National Climatic Data Center has developed both national and global data sets that have been used by both government and the private sector to maximize the resource provided by our climate and minimize the risks of climate variability and weather extremes. The Center has a statutory mission to describe the climate of the United States and NCDC acts as the Nation's Scorekeeper regarding the trends and anomalies of weather and climate.'
Conversions - Converts distance, area, weight, speed, temperature and other measurements to or from metric. It even does apples to oranges — click on the 'Fruit' link. http://www.onlineconversion.com — Another very extensive conversion site
Create a Graph - The National Center for Education Statistics created this online tool so that anyone can make an area, bar, pie or line graph and print it out or download the image to a computer or disk. Older students can benefit from the link that shows how graphs can be used in probability. Students will quickly learn the difference between the left X and Y axis when they need to create their own line graphs.
Digital History - Digital History includes a U.S. history textbook; over 400 annotated documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection on deposit at the Pierpont Morgan Library, supplemented by primary sources on slavery, Mexican American and Native American history, and U.S. political, social, and legal history. Succinct essays on the history of film, ethnicity, private life, and technology; and reference resources that include a searchable database of 1,500 annotated links, classroom handouts, chronologies, glossaries, an audio archive including speeches and book talks by historians, and a visual archive with hundreds of historical maps and images.
Economics America - Created by the National Council on Economic Education, this site offers many lessons and activities. One of the lessons, 'Hey, Mom, What's for Breakfast?,' has students investigate breakfast foods and costs associated with those foods. 'Do You Always Own Your Own Private Property?' addresses eminent domain and the rights of property owners. Lessons include links to teacher notes, and the web resources included in lesson plans are carefully chosen.
Everyday Math - Numbers, Ratios and Proportions, Factoring, all with unit quizzes, and also some calculators for: Everyday Calculators · 5 functions · Basic · Air Distance · Driving Distance · File Download · Miles-Per-Gallon · Percent · Taxes · Payment · Mortgage
Fear of Physics - As the creators of this website say 'We created this site to be a friendly, non-technical place for you to come and 'play' with the laws of physics for a while.' Middle School and High school students can try the different simulations, including Sound, Making your Jump Shot, and Zero G. Illustrations will appeal to students as something they could accomplish, and the explanations let everyone gain a better understanding of physics.
GED Resources for Adult Educators - Writing | Mathematics | Reading in the Content Areas | Test Taking Strategies Our goal as GED instructors is to provide students with opportunities to become active, critical thinkers who move beyond learning as merely memorization of facts to learning that is knowledge-building. Whether we are teaching a GED course in writing, mathematics, science, social studies or language arts, we must involve learners in synthesizing, evaluating and accommodating new information into their field of knowledge. There are numerous effective teaching strategies to use in the GED classroom.
Geology Link - For anyone who has ever been interested in 'the world's daily geological rumblings,' Geology Link is a 'must see' site. You'll find breaking news on geologic events all over the world, the latest news and discoveries, hot topics, virtual field trips, interactive forums, an image gallery and more. From Worth Publishers, this site has something for everyone.
Geometry Flashcards - Geometry Flashcards...these are basic, but would be a good review or start up point for geometry study.
Great American Speeches - Eighty years worth of great speeches are captured here, as well as some interesting exercises for students of speech and American History. The Critics Corner features Richard Nixon's Checkers' Speech, as well as background information, and links within the speech to explain the context of specific words or terms used in the speech. If you watch excerpts of Presidential speeches on tape, you should have students try Could You Be A Politician, where they get a chance to read from a mock teleprompter while looking honest, sincere, and trustworthy. Some trick! Several more activities to liven up classrooms.
History Matters - Visitors will find three primary sections: Many Pasts, Making Sense of Evidence, and www.history. In Many Pasts, visitors can explore over 1000 primary documents, including photographic images and audio interviews. Making Sense of Evidence provides material on how historians approach resources as they attempt to craft intelligent and erudite narratives. www.history, contains brief reviews of over 800 websites that address various aspects of American history. The site also contains a number of other gems, including Secrets of Great History Teachers, which features interviews with those who impart the knowledge of the ages with wisdom and insight.
History Resource Guide - Originally created by Linda Swanson & Susan Patterson at the International School of Amsterdam as an online version of a paper presented at the Computers and History 95 Conference, this is the first resource any teacher of history and social studies should click to. An outstanding overview with top notch links.
Library of Congress Learning Page - The Library of Congress (LOC) has organized its digitized American Memory collection for educators. The 'Learning Page' helps teachers incorporate the LOC online collections into curriculum. The digital collections are arranged alphabetically by keyword and media type, and are searchable. Materials include activities, special features, and a searchable list of lesson plans that incorporate the photographs, recorded interviews, and other resources that illustrate the political, social, and economic themes in the American experience.
Mad Science Network - Mad Sci Network: allows students to ask experts from Washington University questions in many areas including chemistry, physics, biology, and the Earth.
Map Machine (National Geographic) - Find nearly any place on Earth, and view it by population, climate, and much more. Plus, browse antique maps, find country facts, or plan your next outdoor adventure with our trail maps. Save the maps and return to them later (requires setting a cookie). Also includes Country Profiles (191 independent nations plus U.S. states and Canadian provinces). Use the 'Search and Browse' button to get a site map.
Math Problem Solving - Included are lesson plans and ideas for instructors to teach various math problem solving skills from graphs to algebra and geometry, fractions and percents.
Math Training Module: Using the Internet in Support of GED Math Instruction - The purpose of this course is to explore technology-based resources and tools that can be used to bolster the math concepts tested by the GED. While identifying resources and tools is one part of this process, the more important parts are the teacher's ability: to evaluate resources for their usefulness; and to consider how the resources could be used most effectively. This course consists of 5 sessions. The first session provides a general overview of some of the larger issues related to teaching math to adults; the next 4 sessions focus on the topics of: Problem Solving; Geometry, Spatial Sense, and Measurement; Data Analysis, Probability, and Statistics; and Algebra.
National Solar System Exploration - This is NASA's main website for the unmanned exploration of the solar system. The site offers people-friendly information on the planets and bodies in our solar system and the robotic missions sent out to explore these worlds. Their goal is to be an encyclopedic, engaging and up-to-date resource on solar system exploration. If you get lost or want to determine the scope of this massive site, try the site map http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/sitemap/index.cfm Also in Spanish.
Natural History, Earth and Sky - The award winning Earth & Sky radio program presents natural science in a fun and easy-to-understand way. The Web site includes the daily show (transcripts, real audio, and links), searchable archives of past shows, and more.
Online Calculators - Thousands of different types of online calculators for when you need to figure a date on the Aztec calendar or just add two plus two.
Online Flashcards - Online version of flash cards
Project Interactive: Math - Project Interactive consists of Java-based courseware including lesson plans, activities, tools, and a dictionary for exploration of science and mathematics. Each lesson gives prerequisites, preparation instructions, a suggested outline, and alternate outlines. Specific areas include: Number and Operation Concepts; Geometry and Measurement; Function and Algebra Concepts; and Probability and Data Analysis. Take time to explore, it's extensive.
Spanish GED Resources: All areas - Este página de Internet es para brindar al alumno un apoyo para prepararse y estudiar para los cinco exámenes de GED en español; matemáticas, literatura, escritura, ciencias naturales, y ciencias sociales. Los materiales son libros y cursos por Internet diseñados por el gobierno Méxicano en colaboración con varios países Latino-americanos. Uno puede usar los cursos para prepararse para el examen del GED o para obtener su certificado de primaria, secundaria, o bachillerato de México. Los certificados son expedidos por la Secretaría de Educación Pública de México con reconocimiento oficial. Los alumnos que quieran prepararse para el examen de GED en Inglés también pueden utilizar estos materiales.
Teach Vietnam - Echoes From The Wall is a real wealth of resources. Lesson plans may be accessed through the Teachers' Guide link on the Educators page. The curriculum is broken down into six modules: Escalating Involvement in the Vietnam War, Conflict on the Home Front, Those Who Served, The Vietnamese and Vietnam, The Wall as Healer and The Legacy of the Vietnam War. Each module contains a series of activities that may be used individually or as a whole. Lesson plans may be downloaded from the site and printed for educational purposes. Other segments include interactive timelines, first person stories, and much more. Sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
The Math Forum - The Math Forum is a server devoted to all aspects of math and its teaching. Includes classroom materials, online math activities, software, articles, and more.
This Nation Civics - Created by a political science professor, this nation is a guide for students and the voting public, on the US Government. The online textbook starts with an introduction 'Why Government?' which explains some of the roles the government plays in our lives. The library links to many documents, speeches and constitutions of other nations. Under the area marked students, you will find some very tough self-grading quizzes. This has the easiest method to find your elected officials.
University of Arizona Biology Project - This 'interactive online resource for learning biology' from the University of Arizona was designed for high school and college-level biology students. Tutorials, problem sets, activities, and other resources guide learners in biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, human biology, Mendelian genetics, immunology,and molecular biology.
Webmath - Webmath: Several types of practice problems and the chance to e-mail an expert for help.
i-Maths - 1) i-Maths: online, interactive, multimedia math investigations. All i-Maths are built around interactive math applets, and some also include video clips. 2) Internet-Based Lesson Plans: examples of how the Internet can be used to help create effective Standards-based mathematics lessons. 3) Math-lets: math applets you can download and use to explore math and create interactive lessons on your own.

ESL/IEI Websites

African Voices - From the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, this site explores Africa's past and the history of the land and people. Topics presented in themes are about various forms of the wealth, working and living in Africa; more themes will be added in the coming months. History looks at Mali, the slave trade, colonialism and more.
Analyze Characters: Julius Caesar - Developed by a teacher (Joel Littauer), his instructional unit for 10th grade English classes includes a teacher's guide and online activities. Four student activities that focus on analyzing/discussing a character in a written composition, discussing how characters move the plot of a drama forward, speculating on leadership skills, and searching for alternatives to violence in government leadership changeovers.
Authentic News for ESL/ABE - Several new stories are presented each week at different levels with wonderful links. News articles can be viewed chronologically or by specific themes. These selections include a great variety of pre-reading activities to enhance vocabulary and overall comprehension and discussion questions with answers included. Listening is also available.
Auto ESL English - GRAMMAR IDIOMS MISTAKES PHRASAL VERBS VOCABULARY WRITING also, flash cards and other interesting lessons
Awesome Stories - Much primary web content is buried and hard to find. AwesomeStories.com takes relevant source material from archives, libraries, museums and institutions and presents it within the context of clear, concise, entertaining stories on a broad range of subjects. Coverage includes Flicks, Famous Trials, History, Biography, Religion, Disasters, LawBuzz. Short chapters and lots of links to external sources will help keep students interested. Flash-based and non-Flash versions available
Better English/Business English - Business English language lessons English grammar lessons Business English vocabulary, idioms and phrasal verb lessons Human Resources English Phrasal verb lessons Listening Lessons
Celebration of Women Writers - Women writers throughout history have written almost every imaginable type of work: novels, poems, letters, biographies, travel books, religious commentaries, histories, economic and scientific works. All too often, works by women, and resources about women writers, are hard to find.
Common Errors in English - Students and teachers will enjoy browsing Professor Paul Brians' alphabetically sorted list of common errors in English. The page also links to non-errors, commonly misspelled words, suggestions, and more.
Dave's ESL Cafe - Dave's ESL Cafe is for ESL/EFL students and teachers from around the world. Includes a Search Page, Quiz Center, Help Center, Idea Page, Graffiti Wall, Question Page, and more!
Directory of ESL Resources - ERIC and the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education have put together this resource listing websites for bilingual education. Easy to navigate, resources are searchable, or browsable by Most Popular, Curriculum and Instruction, and Resource Type.
EFL Net - grammar phrasal verbs vocabulary links listening (advanced) reading (advanced)
ESL : Listening and Dictation - This is an interesting site created by a teacher that uses sound clips from movies to help students with listening and dictation skills. The clip is played, and the words are listed. The student places the words in order. Movies include: Forrest Gump, Dead Poet’s Society, Apollo Xlll and others. Beginning selections include the words for students to place in order, and advanced sections require students to type in the words they hear. There is an online check feature and hints for students as well.
ESL Cyber Listening Lab - This website provides a multimedia experience for those seeking to learn the English language. The focus on the site is most definitely on developing users' listening skills, and it provides dozens of helpful audio features that quizzes students on topics such as renting an apartment, understanding credit cards, and making doctor's appointments. Along with these more practical skills, another section of quizzes deals with subjects that students might encounter in other situations, such as the TOEFL or more advanced conversations.
ESL Gold - This site's primary materials are thematically organized into categories such as 'Speaking,' 'Reading,' 'Listening,' and 'Writing.' Within each of these sections, visitors can take a look through topical resources that compartmentalize different more digestible themes, such as 'Topics for Writing' or 'Organizing and Composing.' Visitors can also find materials for beginning, intermediate, or advanced level students.
ESL Headquarters - What a selection of handouts! You can download worksheets, flashcards and articles as well as create your own. They would like to have you register, but the site is free.
ESL Online Exercises and Reading Passages - This hotlist links to good resources created for older students to test reading comprehension. You can find quizzes, online activities and other helpful materials that are well-organized and easy to navigate.
ESL Resource Center - LESSONS & EXERCISES RESOURCES & LINKS INFORMATION & TOOLS Grammar For ESL Students, Clocks, Converters & Calculators, Reading & Writing, Teachers' Treasury, Games & Diversions, Vocabulary & Idioms, Reference Shelf, Discovery Trail, Spelling News, INTERLINK Teacher Sites Pronunciation, Listening, Worthwhile Websites, INTERLINK Sites
English Exercises Online - This site, developed by a teacher from Belgium, offers online and worksheet activities for English language learners. Lessons incorporate activities with teaching tips. When activities have Dutch/English next to them in parentheses, that means it is in Dutch, to be translated into English. However, most exercises are in English and help to prepare students for the general work force.
English Gateway - High Intermediate to Advanced level: This is a mixed free and for purchase site. The section entitled 'Practice for Free' has good collacations and idioms sections, and there are online quizzes for students to test their skills. I like the current aspect of this (idioms in the news, current events),but this is more for advanced students and upper level IEI. There are also Student and Instructor Blogs which are quite useful with teaching ideas and lesson plans. ' English Gateway offers online vocabulary lessons for intermediate and advanced ESL students. Designed for self-study or classroom use, our lessons include: completely original authentic stories or articles useful English expressions including idioms, phrasal verbs and collocations with clear definitions and examples professional audio practice exercises relevant cultural information Our goal is to help you learn to 'talk the talk’ – understand and communicate the way North Americans really do.'
English Grammar Online - This is a German site, but has excellent English grammar exercises, writing, vocabuary, study tips, business English and even news stories.
English Page - Weekly Lesson Grammar Book Vocabulary Verb Tenses Conditionals Modals Gerunds Prepositions Mini-tutorials Irregular Verbs Reading Room Listening Lounge
English Town Exercises - Improve your English with online English courses, chat rooms, games, international Pen Pal Club, meeting areas, and ESL/EFL lesson plans. There is a fee for English School, but other resources and activities are free.
Fonetiks - Are you learning a new language and hope to someday sound like a native speaker? Use Fonetiks.org to help with pronunciation. Spanish, French (and French Canadian), German (and Swiss German), Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese (Romanji), Indonesian, and Thai language pronunciations are listed. For English learners, American, British, Australian, Canadian, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh accents are available.
Gutenberg Library - Spectacular collection of 16,000 public-domain books, including all of Shakespeare, 'Moby-Dick,' 'Aesop's Fables' and numerous religious texts.
Portals of the World - This is a starting point for studying other countries. Learn about the culture, economy, geography, government, history, languages, politics, religions, and other aspects of more than 150 nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Find links to authoritative, in-depth information selected by area specialists and other staff at the Library of Congress. (Library of Congress)
Practical Money Skills for Life - PracticalMoneySkills.com is a free Web site designed to help educators, parents and students practice better money management for life. Resources for students with special needs are also available
The Reading Matrix - The Reading Matrix, was designed to create a place where both teachers and other interested persons could come together to find resources about reading and writing. Most of the resources are geared towards the language needs of ESL and international students, but there is really something for everyone. The Archives are a good place to start, as users will have the opportunity to look through subject-oriented resources for English-language learners that range from dictionaries, grammar quizzes, and speaking and listening practice.
Verb Conjugation - Conjugates verbs in 142 languages, including some that are extinct.

Constitution and Civics (ABE/GED and ESL)

America's Story - America's Story: Using a story-like format, you will be taken back in time and shown things you never heard or saw before. Consisting mostly of primary source materials; there are letters, diaries, records, tapes, films, sheet music, maps, prints, photographs and digital materials. Examples of content include: what Abraham Lincoln had in his pockets on the night he was assassinated; stories about Buffalo Bill Cody and his 'Wild West' show; the heroism of Harriet Tubman; the music of jazz great Duke Ellington; inventions of Thomas Edison; film of an early break-dancer from 1898; and more.
Civic Education Volume - The Civic Education volume is designed specifically for language teachers who are turning toward content-based instruction to promote content learning and language learning in their classes. Through the exploration of topics related to civic education, language teachers can help their students master English and simultaneously become more knowledgeable citizens of the world. The combination of improved language skills and increased knowledge can enhance students' studies, work, and ability to become more active and conscientious participants in their communities.
Core Documents of U.S. Democracy - 'Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications is being made available for free, permanent, public access via GPO Access.'
ESL Civics - Learn EL Civics with great pictures and easy words. Just click on a picture to start a lesson or activity. The following EL Civics units are now available: Statue of Liberty, Washington, D.C., American Bald Eagle, and Gateway Arch. English Language Civics provides an easy way to learn about American history, geography, and culture. New lessons, worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, and videos are added to elcivics.com almost every week. Free lessons for students and teachers.
ESL Civics Curriculum Framework - ESL CIVICS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK and INS questions, Pennsylvania Good information regarding History, Constitution and INS questions from the International Institute of Erie
ESL Civics: U.S. Citizenship Lesson Plans - Competency levels of lesson plans on U.S. Citizenship
ESL, GED and ESL Civics Resources - Gateway for Adult Education resources, including ESL, GED and ESL Civics
Freedom: A History of the U.S. - A sixteen-part series about the 'freedom' that draws countless human beings from around the world to America, as well as the chief obstacles to American freedom. There are short videos from the original broadcasts: a menu of episodes (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/menu.html) tools and activites including interactive games and quizzes (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/tools/index.html), a special section for teachers (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/teachers/index.html) an image browser (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/tools/search_ph.html)
Library of ESL Lesson Plans, NC - A library of ESL lesson plans developed by CC in North Carolina. Includes lessons and resources for ESL, especially ESL Civics
Literacy.org ESL Civics Link - The goal of this two-year project was to provide materials that help teachers increase their knowledge and skills for: teaching adults, teaching cross-cultural awareness, teaching English to speakers of other languages, and integrating English literacy instruction and civics education. The topics of the ESL/Civics units are: Meeting Learners' Needs and Goals Teaching approaches in ESL Integrating Civics and English Literacy Teaching a Citizenship Preparation Class Exploring the Meaning of Citizenship Orientation Building Cross-Cultural Awareness Using the Internet in the Classroom

Instructor Websites

AELC Instructor Blog - The Blog created for WCC Adult Education instructors. Check out the column on the right for links to more sites, upcoming workshops, hotlists and more.
Alta Vista Translation Services - Submit text or a URL for a webpage and this tool will translate it from English to Spanish or Spanish to English with the click of the mouse! Grammar and accent marks are not perfect but a surprisingly understandable translation appears. Also translates from English to French, Portuguese, German, or Italian.
EL Civics Lessons and Quizzes - Welcome EL Civics students! Click on a picture to start an EL Civics lesson. Enjoy employment, emergencies, American history and government, or California. You can also take a picture tour of Washington, D.C. or Catalina Island. Great pictures, simple sentences, and fun lessons make learning English fast and easy. Free EL Civics worksheets, activities, powerpoint presentations, and crossword puzzles are available. Nicely marked by levels starting at 'easy'
ESL Civics Online Course for ESL Instructors - EL/Civics Online (English Literacy and Civics Education) is a four-part series of online courses to prepare ESL instructors and volunteers to integrate U.S. History, U.S. Government, Civic Engagement, and the Naturalization Process into adult ESL classes. Teachers who complete these courses will learn strategies to further their students’ knowledge about the United States along with increased English language acquisition.
ESL Interchange Textbook Online - The website for the Interchange series has additional practice activities for every unit in every book. These activities cover grammar, vocabulary and content with both audio and reading activities. If a student needs additional practice in any area of the textbook, this is a great resource.
ESL Teacher Handouts, Grammar Worksheets & Printables - Free English grammar and vocabulary worksheets and printable handouts, for English language and English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and instructors to use in the classroom or other teaching environment.
ESL/Civics Webquest -- Professional Development for Instructors - The field of adult education is chronically underfunded and understaffed, particularly in the area of ESL/Civics professional development. As with most adult education professionals, ESL/Civics teachers rely primarily on inservice professional development to better their teaching skills and knowledge. This webquest is an inservice professional development tool. The goal of the webquest is to be a useful inquiry model to help ESL/Civics teachers expand their professional expertise and knowledge, and teach their adult learners about the Bill of Rights in partial preparation for the INS citizenship test. After completing the webquest, you will not only have much more Bill of Rights knowledge and many more resources at your fingertips, but you will also have several lesson plans to share and utilize directly in your classrooms.
Educator's Reference Desk - Educator's Reference Desk (formerly AskERIC) provides access to the resources you've come to depend on for over a decade. The U.S. Department of Education discontinued the AskERIC service in 2003, however, you still have access to the resources. Through The Educator's Reference Desk (http://www.eduref.org) you can access AskERIC's 2,000+ lesson plans, 3,000+ links to online education information, and 200+ question archive responses. While the question answer service will no longer be active, The Educator's Reference Desk provides a search interface to the ERIC Database, providing access to over one million bibliographic records on educational research, theory, and practice.
Filamentality - Filamentality creates a ‘hotlist’ of sites that you can post on the Web. This site also helps you create Webquest sites.
Free Online Translation Services - The amount and quality of free translation may vary from site to site. These sites are commerical sites that are providing free language translation as a means of trying to get your business. We are recognizing them because of their free offers. Please be aware of the limitations of automatic translation. These systems will never provide a 100% accurate translation of your text. The links provided are to free resources
Gabcast - an audio podcast creation tool. VERY easy to use, and completed gabcasts can be added to blogs and wikis using the site generated code.
Google Earth - Using Google's satellite imagery-based mapping, Google Earth creates a 3D model of the entire planet that lets you grab, spin and zoom down into any place on Earth. Different versions offer tools for measuring, drawing, saving, printing, and GPS device support. You can use Google Earth demos to get your students excited about geography, and use different Google Earth layers to study economics, demographics, and transportation in specific contexts. Requires downloading software to your hard drive.
HTTrack Website Copier - This site will copy a website and save it to your hard drive. You do not need access to the Internet to use the copied site. The name of the file to copy is httrack-3.41-3 After you've copied to your desktop, click it to install. You can then delete the installer you copied previously. Click maximum mining depth (# of Web pages to copy). Web sites can be very large. Try to use '1' or '2'. Put the copied file on a memory stick (key drive) and copy it to your classroom computers.
ICCB Excellence in Adult Education Website - Welcome to Excellence in Adult Education. This dynamic website is designed for Adult Education and Family Literacy teachers to use for both professional and personal development. Please look around the site and discover the vast amount of resources at your disposal to help with the teaching and learning process. Explore the articles and blogs and the rich cutting edge ideas that they hold Explore the Calendar of Events and find professional development that is right for you Use the discussion forum to talk to the authors and fellow educators from across the world This website changes often with new articles, blog entries and discussion all the time, so check back often. Illinois Community College Board
Identity Theft Resource Page - From the Identity Theft Resource Center's homepage, visitors can access victim information guides, learn about recent (and some 'classic') consumer scams. A great deal of this information is tailored specifically for different audiences, such as law enforcement and children. One area that may be particularly helpful is the 'In the Workplace' section. Here, visitors can learn how to avoid identity theft in the workplace, and also browse through a list of prevention tips.
Job Smart - Designed by the Bay Area Public libraries to serve Northern California, this site is also useful to those located in other parts of the world. Covers resumes, salaries, career guides, job ads, counseling, and more.
MIT Open Source - A free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. OCW supports MIT's mission to advance knowledge and education, and serve the world in the 21st century. It is true to MIT's values of excellence, innovation, and leadership. MIT OCW: is a publication of MIT course materials, does not require any registration, is not a degree-granting or certificate-granting activity, and does not provide access to MIT faculty
Online Civics Exercises and Readings - Good variety of materials that explore: Elections Government History Taxes The election materials are from 2000, but the crossword puzzle is still relevant. High Intermediate to Advanced students. The election comic strips are a good way to introduce new vocabulary pertaining to the subject. There are word searches and crossword puzzles, along with information on American historical figures, the government process and even taxes. Quite a bit of information on this site.
PBS TeacherSource - Another great resource from PBS, TeacherSource contains over 3000 free lesson plans and activities that you can search by subject, grade level, keyword, or format. Subjects are Arts & Literature, Health & Fitness, Math, Science and Social Studies. Some lessons align with National Standards, some are accompanied by video clips.
Parlo: Translation Website and Language Resources - 'Language, Culture, Life' is the motto for Parlo, a language web site that currently features English, Spanish, and French language resources. Register (right now it's free) and Parlo gives you access to vocabulary and lessons, as well as articles and discussion boards. Your locker tells you lessons you've already covered, articles you've read and music you've heard. This site would appeal to teachers looking to supplement classroom materials and anyone interested in exploring a new language.
PuzzleMaker Website - This site lets you create your own mazes, word searches, crosswords, number blocks, math squares, and more. All you do is enter information and click the 'Create' button, wait a few seconds, then print your customized puzzle.
Quizlet: Online Flashcards - Study vocabulary or almost anything Create your own flashcards - sign up free Share flashcards with your friends View the quick guide or watch the video tour This site has a lot of prepared flash cards ready to use with your students, or you can create your own. Areas include languages and vocabulary, standardized tests, general curriculum and professions and trades.
Smithsonian Website - offers more than 1,200 education resources aligned with standards of learning in every state. Enter your state in the search engine to find lessons, exhibits, photos, art work, and research on the Apollo missions, U.S. presidents, marine science, minerals and gems, money, shape-note singing, spiders and snakes, and more. (Smithsonian Institution)
Teaching Civics in a Multi-Level ESL Class - Describing the process of writing a curriculum for teaching ESL Civics along with an example of how it was used in a multi-level class, this article illustrates a practical approach to curriculum development and the value of it.
Teaching Tips - The Teaching and Learning Center at University of Lincoln Nebraska features this current catalog of suggestions for college teachers who are looking for fresh ways of creating the best possible environment for learning. The UNL Learning Center also features a newsletter, teaching initiatives, and Internet resources.
The Interactive Guide to Learning Disabilities - LD OnLine offers information and ideas about learning disabilities. Features include the ABCs of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder, audio clips from experts, artwork and essays by children with learning differences, research findings, bullletin boards, a resource guide, and in-depth information on dyslexia, ADD, and more.
Tiny URL - Creates shortened URLS (under 30 characters) out of long URLs
Translation Services - Nice selection of free translation engines.

TOEFL Test Preparation

4Tests Practice TOEFL Tests - Practice test for TOEFL
Free English Practice for the TOEFL iBT - Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking sections, as well as general information
Free TOEFL Practice - The objective of this online TOEFL guide is to give you free interactive examples of TOEFL test questions, and to explain the purpose and layout of the test. We have also added links below to some English schools around the world that offer TOEFL preparation courses. Good luck with the test! About The Computer-Based TOEFL Test 1. Purpose of the TOEFL Test 2. The CBT TOEFL Test 3. Scoring 4. Number of Questions and Time to Complete the Test 5. How often can I take the computer-based TOEFL test 6. List of possible TOEFL writing section topics
Free TOEFL Preparation - FREE TOEFL iBT Sample Questions — ETS is providing free TOEFL iBT sample questions so that you can review the types of questions and content that are on the actual test and become more familiar with how the TOEFL iBT is structured and formatted. Take the TOEFL iBT Tour — The tour explains the purpose of the test, the fact that it measures all 4 English-language skills (which you will need in the classroom and on campus), the convenience of online registration, the availability of official test preparation materials, the efficient score reporting methods and much more. The TOEFL iBT Sampler has sample questions that are free when you register for the TOEFL iBT. You can access the free sample questions from the 'view order' link on your online profile. The Sampler has interactive Reading and Listening questions, and sample responses to Writing and Speaking questions. You can take the Sampler only once. TOEFL iBT Tips (PDF) helps test takers understand the TOEFL iBT and prepare for it. You will find information on the new test format, types of questions, scores, frequently asked questions and more.
TOEFL Prep Tests - Online grammar and additional tests to help study
TOEFL Test Practice - Self-Assessment Modules: Basic Grammar Intermediate Grammar Advanced Grammar Basic Reading Comprehension Reading for the Main Idea Advanced Reading Comprehension Sentence Correction Sentence Correction 2 Writing Review
Test Magic! TOEFL Test Preparation - Includes: On-line TOEFL Tests Structure, Reading Learn TOEFL Grammar Verbs, Clauses TOEFL FAQs How much is it?, Where can I take the TOEFL? TOEFL Explanations 1998 TOEFL Kit , 1997 TOEFL Book TOEFL Essays FREE TOEFL Test Questions E-mail TOEFL Questions TOEFL Listening Info TOEFL Reference Lists Irregular Verbs, Prepositions, Inversion
Wikipedia Information on the TOEFL - Overview of the test and history

Workplace and Computer Skills

Basic Computer Skills - A free website that has basic computer skills training and also information on Workplace Development and Career Development (resumes. cover letters, interview skills etc.)
Math Skills for the Workplace - A good overview of the differences between teaching math and teaching math for the workplace. Math in the workplace by Ellen McDevitt.

Content by jsotir, jsotir@waubonsee.edu
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listeducatiojs2.html
Last revised Tue Mar 24 8:23:39 US/Pacific 2009