English Language Arts

Below is a list of tools that can be used in the Language Arts clasrroms.

Brainstorming with online concept makers.

• Next time you introduce methods of brainstorming before your students write research papers or fictional stories, have them use some cool online concept map makers.  If you don't have all the computers in your classroom that you need for everybody to do one, but plan on concept mapping as a class then use your projector to create a concept map together.
• Here is a great beginning concept map maker.
• bubbl.us
•  Cacoo.
• Your students can also brainstorm ideas about scientific research they will be doing for your class using sticky notes.  Here are some excellent sticky note sites.
• Edistorm
• PrimaryWall

Instant feedback tools

• Have you ever wondered whether your students truly understood what you just read with them?  Try using some online quiz or poll makers that will allow you to display a question and give a chance for all of your students to take part in the answer.  Get instant feedback as to what they understand about what you just read or discussed.
• Here are some tools for you to try.
• Socrative tutorials
• One
• Two
• Three
• Four
• Yappr
•  Mentimeter 

Journal writing tools

• Journal writing is big in the Language Arts classroom.  I remember during my 8th grade year, Mrs. Farr had us keep a journal for pretty much every day we had her class.  I would have loved to use great tools such as this.
• Penzu

Research tools

• Researching tools have come a long way from just reading reference books in the library.  Here is a tool to gather quick information that just might help a student decide on a research topic for him/her.
• Qwiki
• Let your students use online MLA style bibliography makers.  They are quite accurate.
• EasyBib

Timeline Tools

• I remember a time in Ms. Cunningham's classroom where we had to map out the life of Shakespeare.  Well in the technology age there are great tools that will allow you to create historical time lines in a very slick manner that will allow a teacher to assess whether the student learned the concept.
• Timeline Tools
• TimeToast
• TimerRime

Study helps

• At this time studying needs to be more engaging than just going home and reading the teacher's notes.  Kids are picking up information at higher rates by playing interactive study games.  
• Study tools
• Jeopardy
• Study Stack more than just a flashcard maker
• BrainFlips are dynamic and visual flashcards.

Publish Books Online

• Have you ever felt like some of your students would be great authors, or you yourself have written an excellent book, but not sure how to get it out there?  You really don't have to find big name publishing companies to publish a book anymore.  
• Online Publishing Tools
• MyEbook
• Carnegie My Story

Using Word Cloud Generators

• How often have you as a language teacher mentioned to your students that then shouldn't keep using the same words in their writings; rather they should try synonyms or variants of the word.  Using word cloud generators are great to visually demonstrate which words are used too often or not enough.
• Here is a great word cloud generator.
• Tagul
  

Presentation Tools

• Most science classrooms are going to give an assignment where students will present material in the form of experiments, powerpoints, or just talking points.  Here is a list presentations using posters that can be completed online and many now are even dynamic and can included video, images, text, animation, and sound.
• Glogster.

Creative Juices

• In this category I think I will add websites and tools that allow students to creatively write or somehow tell a story that to a student is important. 
• Kerpoof

Creative Writing

• In this section I will be listing any sites that help promote creative writing. 
• Scholastic Story Starters