Hot Websites May 2006
By Linda Lindroth

Add a spark to your end-of-the-year review with these resources for reading and language arts.

Literature Learning Ladders
www.eduscapes.com/ladders
Wow, what a find! This comprehensive resource of projects and themes uses book-technology connections to focus on reading. Categories include Themes and Literature Circles, Collaborative and Interactive Projects, Literature-based WebQuests, Ladders of Your Own, Newberys & the Net and Caldecott Connections.

Interdisciplinary themes provide lessons and resources for literature circles. Most themes incorporate technology, with websites to support book studies and communicate with other global classrooms about the book. The Literature-based WebQuests are divided by grade level.

Newbery and Caldecott resources offer lessons and units listed by author, title or theme. Connections for medal winners and honor books include author studies and web links related to setting and topics in the book. There are lessons for class projects and even a step-by-step plan for creating your own project.

¡Colorín Colorado!
www.colorincolorado.com
Just in time for your summer parent newsletter – and in English and Spanish! This terrific English language learners (ELL) resource, a Reading Rockets project from WETA, contains tips, activities and information to help Hispanic students learn to read and supports summer review. There are even webcasts for educators and parents – "Assessment of English Language Learners," "English Language Learners in Middle and High School" and "Comprehension: Helping ELLs Grasp the Full Picture."

Olympus W-10-- Tech Spotlight

This tiny (about 5" x 1.2") digital voice recorder with digital camera can be a powerful classroom tool. The built-in 16MB flash memory stores up to three hours of audio in two separate file folders, each holding 100 messages, with a third file that holds 250 photos. Take pictures while audio-recording to fully document an event – a class or school visit or a PD lecture with diagrams. Even create an audio-photo album/slideshow. On/off voice activation makes it even easier to use.

With WAV sound files and JPEG images, the files can be downloaded using the USB interface and Olympus Voice Album software included in the package. The W-10 has a built-in microphone and speaker and comes with earphones, a hand strap and a soft case. Visit www.olympus.com for more information or call 800-622-6372. Win98, 2000, XP; $99.99. Buy Now

Linda K. Lindroth is Technology Editor and Web Coordinator for Teaching K-8. She is also a Technology Resource Teacher in a K-5 computer lab in Lexington, KY.