Building+Background+Knowledge+Web+2.0

Building Background Knowledge with Web 2.0 Tools What if instead of reading the text first, and then seek comprehension, the students spend a considerable amount of time (sometimes whole class periods) using visual and collaborative media to front-load before we read the text? By using these strategies you could also FLIP the classroom assignment, so that the majority of the front-loading is done before your students come to class to read the text.

Use these ideas to active prior knowledge, connect to prior learning, provide a visual, provide experiences with content, and introduce pre-reading vocabulary using Web 2.0 Tools.

Visual Front-loading Programs:

Discovery sites to compliment instruction: Images: [|Wonderopolis] [|Library of Congress] Videos: [|Discovery Education] [|School Tube]

Marqueed : Before reading The Mystery of the Mary Celeste: We used an actual ship passenger list, photos of passengers, and other primary sources to study before reading the book.



Voice Thread:The students record their thoughts about each picture in small groups or individually. This allows more students to practice speaking and listening in the discussion and can be used as a reference for later discussion while reading the text.

[|GlogsterEdu:]allows you to create multimedia pages for units or lessons. To connect learning to previous lessons, simply open the glogster you used in that lesson or unit to refresh their memories and help them make those connections.

**Collaborative Conversations** [|Skype] connects classrooms to... well, anyone with a Skype account. Skype with other classrooms in the next city, state, country, or even continent! Skype with professionals, experts, community leaders, and celebrities! [|Skype in the Classroom] is a way to connect with other classrooms. Use Collaborative pre-reading essential questions: I wonder, I think... [|Edmodo.com] [|My Big Campus] Beyond the Classroom: Go global on content: [|ibook Field-trips] [|Virtual Field-trips] [|Webcam]


 * Pre-reading Graphic Organizers**

[| Read, Think, Write] [| Bubbl.us]

Fun Ideas to enhance instruction: [|Blabberize] – creates talking images – add a photo, create a mouth that opens and closes as the audio plays, add audio [|http://blabberize.com/view/id/158927] (this link is an example of a Lyndon B. Johnson Blabberize created by a student)

[|Tagxedo] – similar to wordle, but better in that the word clouds can take the shape of an image (think someone’s face or an animal or a flag…)

Resources:

Many ideas from Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model