2+Innovative+Web+Tools+for+Teaching+English+by+Emrullah


 * Storybird “A new literacy tool for a new generation” **

Storybird is a service that uses collaborative storytelling to connect kids and. Two (or more) people create a Storybird in a round robin fashion by writing their own text and inserting pictures. They then have the option of sharing their Storybird privately or publicly on the network. The final product can be printed, watched on screen, played with like a toy, or shared through a worldwide library. Storybird is also a simple publishing platform for writers and artists that it allows them to experiment, publish their stories, and connect with their fans.

It is easy to use Storybird. Someone starts a Storybird by writing a few words or grabbing a few images. Then the other person takes a turn, adding more words and pictures. In as little as one or two turns they can finish and share a Storybird. It’s that easy. And they can do it sitting side-by-side or across the country from each other.

There are lots of benefits of Storybird. It promotes imagination, literacy, and self-confidence. Kids who play with words and pictures early in life tend to score higher in cognitive and aptitude tests later on. They read and draw more, and are better able to understand concepts and ideas. Plus, they become comfortable with the act of creation: turning nothing into something. In an idea-based society, that’s a key advantage. The most important aspect of Storybird is that it free and will always be free!

In just one year, over 45,000 schools from K–12 chose Storybird to inspire students to write and read better. In terms of teaching English, there are many feedbacks by teachers who have used it. Here are some comments:

“Creating books on Storybird and then commenting on other's stories is a great way to build a class writing community.”

“Simple to use and endlessly extendable.”

“The best creative writing tool/resource for teachers that I have come across.”

“The best writing website for kids. Fresh and innovative.”

“Start the year with beautiful collaborative storytelling. Storybird is one of my favorite all time web tools.”


 * The top five reasons teachers tell us they love Storybird: **

The gorgeous illustrations inspire students to write. The more they write, the more they read. It's an addictive, virtuous cycle.
 * 1. Inspirational **

Making Storybirds is easy. Students focus on writing as a result, not clicking. Teachers, in turn, can focus on teaching.
 * 2. Simple **

Students can share and comment on each other's work, bolstering confidence and skill, within a private and safe environment.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Social **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stories can be embedded on blogs, shared via email, downloaded, and printed, gifted — even turned into a class fundraiser.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Shareable **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Storybird exudes care and craftsmanship, from the art to the interface. Everything works so that your work is everything.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. It Just Works **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Here is the Storybird:** [|www.storybird.com]

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Color Vowel Chart “A Visual Tool for Teaching English Pronunciation” **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Color Vowel Chart represents the vowel sounds used in American English. The name of each color features the vowel sound it represents. For example, "green" is the high front vowel /iy/, as found in the words "tree" and "leaf"). Similarly, "blue" represents the high back vowel /uw/, as found in the words "clue" and "soon." In this way, each color serves both as a key word and a visual cue for a specific vowel sound. Instead of having to write a phonetic symbol or refer to a key word that is difficult to remember, teachers and students can simply refer to the “color” of the vowel sound in question. Here’s an example taken from the classroom:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student: How do you say this word? [Pointing to the word “frighten” in a text] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teacher: “Frighten” [saying the word, with obvious stress on the first syllable].So, what color is “frighten”? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student: [who has already been introduced to the Color Vowel Chart] Um … white. So… “Frighten.” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teacher: That’s right. “Frighten.” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Student: Frighten, white, white, frighten… [Returns to the learning activity]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because the key words are all related (that is, they are all color words), the student and the teacher have an easy-to-remember reference word for each vowel sound—much easier than memorizing unrelated words or memorizing phonetic symbols. This is especially convenient when the focus of the lesson is something other than pronunciation; during a reading lesson, for example, students often ask about the pronunciation of words. The Color Vowel Chart helps address students' pronunciation questions without detracting from the larger focus of the lesson.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Color Vowel Chart enables teachers and learners to talk easily and accurately about the vowel sounds of English. Young language learners and native speakers too benefit from the meaningful use of color and the absence of additional terminology (such as the misleading reference to ‘long’ and ‘short’ vowels) as they learn to recognize relationships between how words sound and how words are spelled.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is important to start with the understanding that every English word has exactly one primary stress. The word "potato," for example, has three syllables, but it's the second syllable that receives the primarly stress: poTAto. Students coming from languages with more "even" stress (known as syllable-timed languages) may not hear the primary stress and therefore not produce it. By identifying a word's "color" (the vowel quality of the stressed syllable), we're helping students focus on the very important concept of stress in English pronunciation. (The word "poTAto" is therefore gray.)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The question is now that why they don’t use phonetic symbols. Phonetic symbols are great for linguists, but often unnecessarily confusing for students and difficult to talk about. Plus, they add another layer of complexity to an already challenging vowel system that students need to learn. The use of colors and words together are a simple yet powerful mnemonic according to them.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The basic shape of the chart, an upside-down trapezoid, refers to the traditional linguistic vowel chart, which in turn represents the vocal tract. In practical terms, the shape of the chart represents the vowel sounds according to how they are produced as a combination of jaw and tongue positioning. The two diphthongs, WHITE and TURQUOISE, were placed on either side of the main chart because they fit there nicely.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Here is the The Color Vowel Chart:** []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">EMRULLAH YASİN ÇİFTÇİ