Session+4

[|vocabulary tool #1]

="4.1 21st Century Vocabulary Terms" + Definitions after use of Vocabulary.com = Really, only a rather feeble understanding, if that:

__ Widget __ Some sort of trick, metaphor for gadget, to help complete some task? n. a device or control that is very useful for a particular job With regards to technology the examples using the word include:

Seattle Times Jul 8, 2010 Forbes Jun 15, 2010
 * It's really fun to watch videos on it, read Facebook status updates from little on-screen "**widgets**," check e-mails and poke around online.
 * Google bought Slide, a company that makes graphical **widgets** that can be used on social sites like Facebook. Forbes Aug 11, 2010
 * You can take advantage of much of this functionality by using freely available **widgets** or plug-ins.

__** Unfortunately, I still have not internalized this word and its meaning. **__

__ Embed __ To place within

Radioplayer is **embedded** onto each radio station's website as a pop-up player. The Guardian Mar 31, 2011

adj. enclosed firmly in a surrounding mass “found pebbles **embedded** in the silt” “stone containing many **embedded** fossils” “peach and plum seeds **embedded** in a sweet edible pulp” Synonyms:[|enclosed]closed in or surrounded or included within

adj. inserted as an integral part of a surrounding whole
“confused by the **embedded** Latin quotations” “an **embedded** subordinate clause” Synonyms:[|integrated]formed into a whole or introduced into another entity

__ Embed code __ Some code necessary to embed information within a text or page? I was not able to find Embed code exactly. . . Cpmputer Code popped up and I added that to my list. computer code

n. (computer science) the symbolic arrangement of data or instructions in a computer program or the set of such instructions
__ Link __ A way to bridge or connect, like getting links to our group members for the virtual notebooks?

Before it was the universal word for traveling around the Internet, //link// was just a connection or a device that connects things, like the //links// in a chain. n. (computing) an instruction that connects one part of a program or an element on a list to another program or list Types:[|hyperlink]a link from a hypertext file to another location or file; typically activated by clicking on a highlighted word or icon at a particular location on the screen Type of:[|command], [|instruction], [|program line], [|statement](computer science) a line of code written as part of a computer program __ URL __ A web address? n. the address of a web page on the world wide web Synonyms:[|uniform resource locator], [|universal resource locator]Type of:[|address], [|computer address], [|reference](computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored __ Upload __ To copy internet information?

v. transfer a file or program to a central computer from a smaller computer or a computer at a remote location Antonyms:[|download]transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location Type of:[|transfer]move from one place to another

__ Download __ To copy and then paste information from one site to another?

When you've got files on one computer that you need to transfer onto another, you'll need to //download// or copy the data onto a portable drive to move it. Back before the internet brought the world to our fingers, the word //download// was used mainly to describe the process of copying files or data from one computer to another. But these days, you can download or copy, just about anything from the internet — from music to movies to books. Another thing you can download, if you aren't careful, is a virus, so be wary before you go transferring all kinds of files to your computer.

v. transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location
Antonyms:[|upload]transfer a file or program to a central computer from a smaller computer or a computer at a remote location Type of:[|transfer]move from one place to another

__ Search engine __ I believe these are the internet offereings like Mozilla or Google or Yahoo that allow for internet searches/live searches for information or websites?

n. a computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet) Examples:[|Google]a widely used search engine that uses text-matching techniques to find web pages that are important and relevant to a user's search [|Yahoo]a widely used search engine for the web that finds information, news, images, products, finance [|Ask Jeeves]a widely used search engine accepting plain English questions or phrases or terms Type of:[|computer program], [|computer programme], [|program], [|programme](computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute

__ Web 2.0 __ Is it the latest offerings from the Web as if what was offered at the Web's beginnings is so much more advanced and/or connected it now has the designation of being a whole new or the next generation of the Web?

n. computer network consisting of a collection of internet sites that offer text and graphics and sound and animation resources through the hypertext transfer protocol Synonyms:[|World Wide Web], [|WWW]Type of:[|computer network](computer science) a network of computers Joshua-Michéle Ross will discuss social media architecture at **Web** 2.0 Expo New York 2011, being held Oct. 10-13 in New York City. Forbes Jun 27, 2011

I believe I understand the idea of the Web, but I was unable to find Web 2.0 on vocabulary.com; I might try another sources

="**Session 4.2 Vocabulary.com**"=

WIDGET
 * DEFINITION FROM VOCABULARY.COM **
 * n. something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known **
 * Synonyms: **** [|doodad], [|doohickey], [|doojigger], [|gimmick], [|gismo], [|gizmo], [|gubbins], [|thingamabob], [|thingamajig], [|thingmabob], [|thingmajig], [|thingumabob], [|thingumajig], [|thingummy], [|whatchamacallit], [|whatchamacallum], [|whatsis] **** Type of: **** [|stuff] **** miscellaneous unspecified objects **

** n. a device or control that is very useful for a particular job **
Synonyms:[|appliance], [|contraption], [|contrivance], [|convenience], [|gadget], [|gismo], [|gizmo]Types:show 4 types...hide 4 types...[|gadgetry]appliances collectively [|gimbal]an appliance that allows an object (such as a ship's compass) to remain horizontal even as its support tips [|injector]a contrivance for injecting (e.g., water into the boiler of a steam engine or particles into an accelerator etc.) [|mod con]modern convenience; the appliances and conveniences characteristic of a modern house Type of:[|device]an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose

Why might students and teachers find Vocabulary.com more useful than using a dictionary or glossary? Vocabulary.com is its own little adventure. The student can hear the word, get a definition by part/s of speech, enjoy a healthy list of synonyms, see how the word is used, create an individual file of all the words from a particular book or unit available for before, during, and after reading. The usage examples are by categories like sports, tech, business, arts/culture, and more. I find this fascinating because I could click to multiple screens of examples. I also enjoyed the link to the VisualThesaurus which was rich with options but at this moment did not want to get involved with a free trial or another purchase. There are multiple ways to become familiar with a new word on this site and students might find out much more about a word here than in a dictionary or a glossary which provides the briefest definition for the word within a limited context.

What type of student might benefit from the use Vocabulary.com? Students who feel comfortable relying on technology would benefit and enjoy using Vocabulary.Com. Students who are phobic about books or who are truly curious and like to investigate about any new topic would also enjoy this site. Students who need extra help, extra methods for learning new words, who have stronger visual skills, or who want to be able to quickly record and conversely access information will also benefit from the use of Vocabulary.Com. I do want to note that I picked Widget to look up because I didn't truly appreciate the meaning of the word; after looking through the site and the tech examples, sadly, I still don't own the word. I was intrigued that the word had so many uses. I did add it to my list. So I wonder if soon I will understand the meaning precisely.

I had to try several times to sign up for Vocabulary.Com and switched to my Malden email address, which worked. I have not been able to get the sound to work and have tried multiple times, although the sound feature on the Merriam Webster site works fine. Lastly, I have tried and will continue trying, but I cannot save the PrintScreen version of the Widget page despite following the directions – which I despise doing and which is oh so totally necessary for this workshop.

**Accessing info. for 4.4 and 4.5 have both resulted in an error page message. I will try again Sunday.**
="Session 4.4, Using Word Sift"=

Two vocabulary tools I have selected: (Re: Vocabulary Web 2.0 tools) [|www.wordcentral.com]

[|www.visualthesaurus.com][|vocbulary tool #2]

Practice using Word Sift:

[|www.wordsift.com]

="4.3 Word Sift Screenshot"=




 * 1) 1 - Word Sift would be an effective pre-reading strategy for a number of reasons. It makes certain terms visually dominant and thus triggers a pre-reading cognizance for students as pre-reading guide questions do. The element of size also alerts students to the key terms and concerns of the text. The fact that students can play with and manipulate the way the Word Sift if formatted also seems valuable in helping them appreciate the soon to be read text. The fact that the videos, images, and explanations of individual words within the Word Sift are available will intrigue tech savvy students to better understand terms that are unfamiliar and to make connections and gain foundational appreciation with definitions and contexts from familiar words to the unfamiliar. The visual thesaurus is one of my favorite inclusions.


 * 1) 2 - For students who struggle with reading, the alternate arrangements of text should help them appreciate that reading and vocabulary are tamable and manageable. For students who are easily distracted, they can be distracted in a constructive manner and hopefully take their attention to areas that will help them explain unfamiliar words or take short detours that will bring them back forearmed for the reading to come. I would think that for students who are verbally talented this is a fabulous site as well as for students who struggle and are visual learners this would also be refreshing and enlightening. For those who find words and reading hateful, it might trigger a perseverance and determination to succeed or it might be deadening overkill?

I NEED TO WORK ON SCREENSHOTS - I tried it with another text, the first 3 parragraphs of Alice Walker's "The Flowers." I did this, but monkeyed around and realized, I really haven't perfected this skill.

Yet, water is extremely important to the story and the theme of rebirth and survival which the wordshift helps explain.




 * 4.5 __Using E-Vocabulary Strategies__**

Do you think the tools that you selected would be effective in your class? Actually, I found both tools helpful in providing definitions, parts of speech, pronunciation practice, and more. Interestingly, Wordcentral seemed much more elementary and the Virtual Thesaurus much more suitable for secondary students. The Wordcentral site was simplified while the Virtual Thesaurus provided better visual keys and instant pronunciation. I am curious about the cost of buying this program because you only get so many free visits; I am also curious about whether my purchase would be available to students or whether the school has this website.

How would you use these tools in your class? Be specific so that you can share this with others in your department or school next year. Actually, between the two sites all students could be easily engaged; the easier site would be helpful for ESL or Sped students while the more gifted and capable students could gain from the wider opportunities available on the other. I liked using one specific short story to direct my practice of vocabulary definition searches because I discovered that the word meanings and the visual thesaurus could also be used to help point students towards major concerns within the text.

The vocabulary strategies will help students understand the role of word choice on the author's part and help them build bigger vocabularies. Both sites allow for a powerful degree of individualization within the same diverse classroom and introduce students to a whole new way of connecting to words, to the internet, and to life long learning.


 * 4.6 __Additional Resources__**==Useful vocabulary building options:==

http://historymalden.wikispaces.com/E-Vocabulary

edit/revise your definitions in a different color font on your virtual notebook in order to give you the best possible definition for your personal use.
Widget – n. a tool on the web which takes web applications (like videos, interactive activities, marked up documents, etc.) and places that application on your personal page (for this course we’ll be using wikispaces). You can find the tool for widgets once you hit edit. The icon is on the editing toolbar and is in the shape of a little TV. http://www.wikispaces.com/Widgets

Embed – v. to put a widget into your wikispace page. Here’s a link that explains how to embed a video(we’ll be teaching you how to embed a variety of items in a later lesson, but this gives you a good idea what embedding is): http://collaborationnation.wikispaces.com/How+to+embed+a+video

Embed code – n. the code which you will need to find on the website of origin which you will need to plug into the widget editor in order for your widget to appear on your wikispace page. Often times this will be obvious on a webpage (youtube has button underneath every video which says “embed”). Other times it might be tougher to locate, being accessed through a button that says “Share” or some other variant.

Link – n. a connection made between two websites where simply clicking on a bit of (usually blue) text takes you to a relevant, yet different website or page within a website. v. To insert this bit of text into a website (like your wikispace page) so that others can get to another page or website quickly and easily)

URL: n. the internet address of any website or page you go to. Literally the Uniform Resource Locator, it allows your computer to access information from a specific location on another computer which will give you the information for that website. You’re using it right now!

Upload: n. transfer data that is put onto a website or page from your computer : to transfer data or programs, usually from a peripheral computer to a central, often remote, computer, like the server for wikispaces. You’ll be uploading lots of data to your wikispace page

Download: n. A transfer of data from another computer on to your own, for instance music that is taken from the internet and put into a media player. v. to transfer or copy data from one computer to another, or to a disk or peripheral device, or be transferred or copied in this way

Search engine: n. a website which seeks out other websites which contain relevant information based upon search parameters entered into the engine. Most popular search engines are Google and Bing

Web 2.0: n. a use of the world wide web as a means to allow all computers to operate as both users and creators in which digital media is both produced and used collaboratively. This is in contrast to users being given information in which they only view the information, becoming much more passive in their activity.