A Look at the ELL Channel (Part III of III): Feature Enhancements and Reference Tools

Written by: Amanda Barton
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

The previous two blog entries explored nT’s ELL Channel, specifically the two pathways — ELL Skill Development and Multicultural Pavilion –- as well as the goals of these two pathways and the content they offer. Now, let’s take a look at the Feature Enhancements and the ELL Reference Tools.

Regular users of nT are probably familiar with the Feature Enhancements and the ways in which they can facilitate one’s search for online materials. The Refinement Menu, for example can help students find sites suitable for their reading levels by filtering according to the Readability Score. The Refinement Menu can also help users find audio and video content that benefit ELL students by linking language with sounds and visuals. To read more about the Refinement Menus and how they can help you find specific types of content suitable for your ELL students, click here. To read more about nT’s Readability Scores and how they can enhance the searching experience for both ELL teachers and students, click here.

The Dictionary Hot Key, which allows you to grab the definition of a word within a website, can also translate English words into other languages, further enhancing an ELL student’s understanding of a new or unfamiliar word. Furthermore, this tool encourages students to use advanced resources as part of their learning and research experiences, as they will be less intimidated by “big” words. To learn more about the Dictionary Hot Key, and how it can improve your ELL students’ web experiences, click here.

Last but not least, nT offers a large collection of useful reference tools for ELL students and teachers. While in the ELL channel, click the “References” link on the right and you’ll be taken to a page of language dictionaries, translations tools, encyclopedias, atlases, quote collections, calculators, online museums, government sites, collections of images and sounds, and more. Be sure to check out the collection of LOGOS dictionaries, where you can find children’s dictionaries, verb conjugation, anagram, and crossword tools, glossaries, and a forum.

Click here to go to the Elementary ELL Reference Tools.

Click here to go to the Middle School ELL Reference Tools.

Click here to go to the High School ELL Reference Tools.

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Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 Training