FilmArobics - give your movies a workout

Activities, vocab, notes and comprehension questions

https://www.filmarobics.com/

Pick the language you are teaching, browse the featured films, and order a lesson package. ($29.95) Each film is broken into 10 to 15 minute segments. The teacher can show the segment and use the activities, vocab lists, cultural notes and comprehension questions that come with the package.

"FilmArobics started in 1994 as a challenge to two teachers who received a French film without subtitles, "Cyrano de Bergerac." Judy Sugarman and Nan Ward broke up the movie into 10-15 minute segments so they fit into class periods and created plans that addressed all learning styles."

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Cleaning up webpages - Reader and Readability

Just show me the text!

Reader View in Safari on iOS devices strips webpages of everything except text and images. On a mobile device, tap the icon on the left side of the address bar to see a white page with black text plus a button for controlling text size; tap it again to return to the original page. (Safari lets you know when Reader View is available for a page by flashing a quick "Reader View Available" message as a website is loading.) On a laptop or desktop, the full Safari app offers the same functionality, with the plus that printing or projecting is much easier for a class to read.

Some webpages don't allow Reader View; in that case, the Readability Bookmarklet could be the answer. Simply drag the bookmarklet to your address bar to use it. (There are also instructions for an iOS install.)

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An independent reading strategy for encouraging students

Book Bistro and independent reading

[LINK to article in EBSCO]

Article in JAAL (Use school ID and PW for home access)

"[...] Book Bistro is an independent reading strategy for encouraging students to read books on their own, bring books to class for a scheduled event, and linger over books in a café atmosphere. Book Bistro uses fiction and nonfiction in [a] relaxed atmosphere. Most teachers add ambience to the once-per-month event by bringing in tablecloths, candles, or centerpieces for the tables and arranging for light refreshments. Students arrive with a self-selected book they have recently read and are prepared to share it with a small group of students...."

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Let your teachers know about new EBSCO magazine issues

Send your staff personalized updates

http://support.ebsco.com/training/flash_videos/journal_alerts/journal_alerts.html

Want to send staff members a monthly alert to any one of the Scholastic magazines in EBSCO? Watch the video tutorial to learn the steps. You'll need to create an account on the EBSCO server for yourself, and then generate an alert for a staff member you think could use the resource. (Try setting an alert up for yourself first so you can see how it works.) Every month, EBSCO will send out an email with a clickable table of contents of the new issue.

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TumbleBookCloud- Audiobooks!

Audio versions of popular teen and classic titles

http://www.tumblebookcloud.com/ViewByCover.aspx?categoryID=101&subcategoryID=285

"TumbleBookCloud is an online collection of ebooks and read-along chapter books, graphic novels, educational videos, and audio books! All books are available with unlimited access, all the time, from any device with an internet connection."

There is a good selection of Shakespeare plays and some recent YA titles. Animal Farm and 1984 are also among the selections. (Note: titles are aimed at high school readers.)

(You will need to use your school ID and PW for home access.)

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