Things to Point out on the Web

Hi Folks-

Just had a few links I wanted to point out to you.

First of all, I wanted to correct myself; I had previously mentioned the CASLPA Spring Newsletter but had thought that the link would not work for non-members.  Actually, CASLPA generously makes this interactive and beautiful magazine open to all, and you should check it out. This edition focuses on technology and features some great articles by some of my favorite #slpeeps.  I again am very grateful to CASLPA for including me and highlighting SpeechTechie in this magazine.

Anyone watch the Royal Wedding?  It didn't really strike me that this could be a language development context until I saw Kevin Cummins' Slideshare on the topic.  Kevin uses Slideshare to present links and and guide students through language-enhancing lessons.  In this case, the lesson links students to an interactive audio-animated version of Cinderella and online coverage of the recent event.  It then prompts them to (and tells how to) make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the events.  Such an activity generates great descriptive and story-based language, as well as promoting awareness of world events.  Check out Kevin's other Slideshare lessons here. Thanks to EdGalaxy for pointing this resource out.

Larry Ferlazzo describes an excellent lesson- "Back to the Screen"- that would be wonderful and motivating, especially for older students.  Larry (if you don't follow his blog, I recommend it) is an EPIC online presence and ESL/ELL teacher, and his approaches and contexts therefore have a lot of overlap with SLPs.  "Back to the Screen" is basically a barrier task in which one student watches and describes an action-packed movie clip as the other faces away from the screen.  The two then switch roles and, later, work to piece together a summary of the entire scene.  Larry even provides video clips that you can use for this narrative-enhancing activity!  I could see using this lesson again and again with different clips, and perhaps a consistent story map, to build students' pragmatic and storytelling skills.

Finally, I just wanted to point out two links of mine that are posts published elsewhere.  Over at ADVANCE I have moved on from describing SLP applications of Google Tools to focusing on Literature-Based Therapy in a series I am calling "Book It!" Here you can see posts on Lane Smith's wonderful It's a Book as well as a Robert Munch author study. Also, over on the Mindwing Blog, we wrapped up Autism Awareness Month with a post on one of my favorite tools, The Incredible 5-Point Scale, with gibes perfectly with narrative intervention strategies.

Have a wonderful week!