ICT Tip: An on-line English “pronouncing” dictionary with over 115,000 pre-recorded words, read by a human voice!

This ICT tip could be best applied to the following subjects:

Quick overview: An on-line English Dictionary that contains over 115,000 English words that have been pre-recorded by a real person with a clear sounding voice.

What does it do? Using the Howjsay (www.howsjay.com) website, students type in English words they would like to hear pronounced. If they click on a word and it has a recording associated with it, the word will be colored pink. This means the word can be clicked on and it will instantly be read out loud with the correct pronunciation. As with any other audio ICT application, headphones are recommended if used in a class with multiple students.

How can it be used in the classroom? To help English or Literacy students with their pronunciation. (Source: Tina La Rosa, Galileo Adult Centre, EMSB)

SMARTBoard: Using the Magic Eraser to reveal correct answers in your SMART Notebook presentations

This ICT tip could be best applied to the following subjects:

Quick overview: How to use the “Magic Eraser” technique on the SMARTBoard. Intermediate technique.

How can it be used in the classroom? The Magic Eraser technique allows you or your students to use the SMARTBoard eraser (i.e – the eraser in the pen tray) to reveal hidden text and images within your SMART Notebook lessons, sort of like a lottery scratch card. It’s a great little trick for revealing the correct answers when you’re finished with an activity! How do you use the “Magic Eraser” technique? Watch my video tutorial to find out..

Video Tutorial: To see an on-line video overview of how to use the Magic Eraser technique in your SMART Notebook presentations, click the large play button below:

ICT Tip: Using GeoGebra to construct dynamic geometry, algebra, and calculus equations

This ICT tip could be applied to the following subjects:

Quick overview: GeoGebra (http://www.geogebra.org/cms) is a mathematics software designed for education. It helps teachers or students construct dynamic geometry, algebra, and calculus equations. GeoGebra works great for visual learners who may otherwise have difficulty following along in a math or science class with more traditional teaching approaches. It’s free too!

What does it do? Instead of using a traditional blackboard to teach your students, you would bring a computer connected to a digital projector into your classroom. GeoGebra then allows you to perform constructions with points, vectors, segments, lines, conic sections as well as functions and change them dynamically afterwards. In addition, equations and coordinates can be entered directly. GeoGebra has the ability to deal with variables for numbers, vectors and points, finds derivatives and integrals of functions and offers commands like Root or Extremum.

How can it be used in the classroom? Using GeoGebra, you could create interactive equations and then dynamically change them in front of your students. For example, using GeoGebra you could demonstrate how to construct a right angle triangle. Once the triangle is constructed, you could then dynamically change the relationship between the points. This is accomplished by either entering in different numerical values on the keyboard or moving the points with the mouse along the axes. Modifying these values will immediately cause the triangle to change. Furthermore, you can save any of your GeoGebra examples as a file to use again later in another class or provide printed or electronic copies (see example) for your students to study from.

Additional Resources: If you’d like to get started with tutorials of how to use GeoGebra in your own classroom, I highly recommend you visit the “Math 247 GeoGebra” page at http://tinyurl.com/6×9qrj

Advanced ICT tip: If you are a math or science teacher already using an Interactive Whiteboard (i.e – SMARTBoard) in your classroom, you or your students can take things to a whole new level with GeoGebra. Using GeoGebra on your Interactive Whiteboard will allow you or your students to touch and manipulate the visual math equations with their hands!

Source: Sections of the “Quick overview” and “What does it do?” definitions in this ICT suggestion have been paraphrased from the GeoGebra website.

ICT Tip: The Quizlet site helps students to memorize vocabulary for a wide variety of subjects

This ICT tip could be best applied to the following subjects:

Quick overview: The Quizlet site contains self guided vocabulary exercises (called Quizlets) touching on all subjects from English, French, Math, History, Biology, Science, and so on.. The Quizlet website (http://www.quizlet.com) can be a good resource for multi-level classrooms or for students who are weak in one area and need extra curricular study aids.

What does it do? Each “Quizlet” always follows the same formula by starting with a thematic vocabulary warm up (familiarize) exercise. After the vocabulary warm up, the students are then free to test their knowledge with flash cards, multiple choice, and word games. To see an demonstration of how this works, please see my video tutorial below.

How can it be used in the classroom? The Quizlet can be used to help your students learn autonomously. If desired, students can even create and submit their own “quizlets” activities to the Quizlet site. However, if a “quizlet” is submitted to the site, it is first subject to review by the Quizlet website staff (before it goes on-line) to maintain a certain level of quality control. (Source: Wendy Dawson, Hopetown Adult Education Centre, Eastern Shores School Board)

Video Tutorial: To see an on-line video overview of how the Quizlet site works, click the large play button below: