Friday, June 10, 2011

A Web Browser Designed for Kids

This is something I think I'll be trying out with my own daughter. It's a web browser designed only to access 'safe' websites. It's made by KidZui and there is the choice of a free version or you can have a membership subscription. The free version gives you reports on what your kids are using the browser for and what sites they are looking at.
The subscription version gives you the same but a bit more detail. It also gives you kids access to more accessories and Zui clothes!! (Think I'll go for the free option)

Anyway, if you want your kids to have access to 800,000 safe websites without having to look over their shoulder the whole time, then this looks like a good choice. Runs on PC and MAC.

Hope you enjoy it.

Best

Nik Peachey Read More..

Bring Your Kids Drawings to Life

I've just been playing around with a really nice site for kids. It's called Shidonni and it is similar to a paint program and allows kids to draw animals etc. The difference with this though is that once they have drawn an animal they then click a button and it comes to life!

There's more though. They can also draw items of food to put in the animal's fridge and draw habitat for it to live in. If that's not enough they can even play games of snakes and ladders with their animal and visit other planets where other students have created their own animals. So it's bit like a paint version of Spore for young kids.
I'm sure their must be loads of educational and language development uses we can put this to, so I'll be getting my thinking hat on. Until then I hope you enjoy getting your kids to create their own animals.


Nik Peachey Read More..

Video Dictionary 2.0

I've just been having a look at Wordia which is a wonderful new dictionary site. The entries are all video clips submitted by ... well anyone!
It's a bit like a YouTube video dictionary. I've just been having a quick browse and I love it. Great site for native and non native speakers of English. Also great collection of different accents. Even a few 'celebrities' thrown in!


Marvelous. Just love it. Read More..

Improve your Vocabulary and send Aid to Children

This is a wondeful idea and looks a little like Free Rice. The idea is that students work through vocabulary tests improving their vocabulary and with every correct answer .25 of a cent is sent to help impoverished children.
Seems like a great way to help epople raise money for a good cause. The level of the vocabulary is quite high, but would be fine for CAE, IELTS or Proficiancy level students, or even native speakers.
A very good cause too, so I hope you can spread the word about this.

Best

Nik Peachey

Related links
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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Free ebooks on elearning

There's a really impressive collection of free ebooks on the eLearning Guild website.

The latest one is Tips for Producing and Managing Flash-based e-Learning Content. In all there are eight ebooks there dating back to 2005 and they are all free to download.

Each book is a collection of tips and they cover topics from choosing the best LMS (learning management system) to tips on beingg an online trainer.

These all look well worth a read.

Best

Nik Read More..

Eco City Game

ElectroCity is an interesting online game designed for education. It's based around the SimsCity principle and users have to try to build a financially viable eco city where all the inhabitants can also be happy.

As I said the game was designed for education and there's a very handy teachers section with some downloadable worksheets. The producer put the level of the game at 7 - 9 year olds, but if you were using this with non English speakers for language development I think you could use it with any aga range and there would still be a good deal of motivation to try it.

There's also a downloadable version of the game for those with slower connections and wonder of wonders there is both a PC and a MAC version. It's quite a small download too ( 1 - 2 Mb). You can find these in the teachers' resources section.

You can also have a look at some of the cities other players have created.

If you register you can also enter your students in a competition to win a prize for the best designed city and students can keep track of how well there city is doing.

This looks like a really handy educational game.

Hope you enjoy it.

Best
Nik Read More..

Monday, May 16, 2011

A Tool for Helping Students Develop More Complex Sentences

A couple of years ago I wrote an activity for students called Extending a Sentence which used a Flash animated website to show how a simple sentence could be elaborated to become rich in detail. The site called Telescopictext had a marvelous sentence which started with 'I made tea' and developed into a full paragraph, just click on the grey words.
I'm glad to say that this site has now been developed so that everyone can create and save their own sentences. Here's my first one and it starts,"Telescopic text is great."

Creating your own text is really easy and if you register you can save the text and get a hyperlink to it. The first thing to do is to go to http://www.telescopictext.org/ and register. Then once you have logged in, click on 'Write'.


You can then start by adding a very short sentence. Then click the 'Start' button.
You can then add more words by slicking on a word, adding more detail and then clicking 'Insert'.
You can keep clicking on words and adding more parts to the sentence. If you click on the small magnifying icon at the bottom right of the screen you will also be able to see the structure of the sentence as it has been developed.


If you click on 'Fold' you'll be able to close the phrase up and then try it out by clicking on the word to expand it again.
When you think the sentence is finished, you just need to click on 'Publish' and after a few quick checks you'll be able to get a URL to share with your students.
Here's the one I just made: I went to class.

I think this is a great tool to use with students.
  • You can put students in pairs with a starter sentence and get them to keep taking it in turns to add parts.
  • You can see which students can create the longest single sentence without any grammar mistakes.
  • You can put in short texts your students have created then get them to edit and make them more interesting.
  • You can create a text with mistakes in and the corrections hidden, then just click to show what the mistakes are. Students can try to predict what the correction will be before you show it.
  • You could create also a create a version with some errors hidden and some visible and students have to decide which one are genuine errors and which are actually correct.
  • You can give students a starter sentence and get them to create short story around it by gradually building up the sentences.
  • You can use 'View Structure' feature to highlight the way the sentence is formed and the different parts of speech etc.
I think Telescopictext is a wonderful tool to use with students either on a data projector / IWB in class or to get them creating sentences at home. I hope you find it useful. Read More..

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Microsoft Small Basic - Simple Programming For Kids


Small-Basic

Small Basic is a simplified version of Microsoft's programming language Visual Basic, suitable for kids and beginners. It includes dozens of lessons and exercises that explain basic programming concepts in detail. 

For any child that has an avid interest in computers, one of the most magical experiences is when they write their first program. Microsoft seeks to introduce that amazing experience to students as well as adults with an impressive new programming tutoring tool called Small Basic.

Small Basic is essentially a "small" version of Microsoft's well known programming language called Visual Basic. Visual Basic itself is anything but basic, so by offering Small Basic, Microsoft can make <span class="fullpost">   </span>inroads with younger students. Small Basic may be a training tool, but it is a powerful enough programming tool so that some users have even created highly functional and intricate games such as board games or even simulations.

However, the real value of this software comes from its use in the classroom or in a home-school setting, where each lesson is laid out by Microsoft in a series of instructional lessons followed by exercises where the student can put what they've learned into practical use.

programming for kids
The Small Basic Application


When the student first download and installs the Small Basic application, it isn't really obvious how the software works. There is no instruction set or directory provided where students can just choose from available commands and functions. Instead, the student must actually work through the lessons and learn each of the functions individually. While this is more time consuming than a more visual tool may be, this lesson-based approach may actually provide better retention of that information.

programming for kids
Lessons and Curriculum


The most impressive thing about Small Basic isn't so much the application itself, but the fact that Microsoft put so much effort into coming up with a high-quality curriculum that consists of dozens of lessons. You can find each lesson under the "Small Basic Curriculum" header in the right navigational bar on the Small Basic website. Ideally, students should work through the lessons, starting from Lesson 1.1 and moving forward.

programming for kids
Slideshow Lessons


Each of the lessons are created as a PowerPoint slideshow presentation, so it's a given that teachers or parents will need PowerPoint available in order to work through each lesson with students. The PowerPoint lessons consist of animated slides that work through explanations of each set of instructions. Every lesson builds upon what the student has already learned in past lessons.

computer programming for kids
A Lesson Slide


Each slide is well designed by Microsoft, and obviously developed by someone with a good understanding of how students learn. The animated nature of each slide will hold the students interest, as actual snippets of code are displayed and the different elements of the sample program are pointed out.

computer programming for kids
Writing Programs in Small Basic


After each lesson, students can then go back to the Small Basic programming environment and put what they've learned into practice. Once they start typing the commands they've learned, helpful tips will pop up on the right side of the screen, showing the student additional information about the function and the many different properties and settings they can use.

computer programming for kids
Autotext


You can even see elements of other Microsoft products appear throughout the Small Basic application. For example, all the student has to do is type a letter, and the program will provide a pop-up box of suggestions of words that the student is probably trying to type. This is particularly useful for when students can't quite remember the full name of a function they wanted to use. All they have to do is type the first few letters and they'll see the function listed in the pop-up box.

kids programming language
Running Test Programs


When the student is finished typing their test programs into the Small Basic application, all they have to do is click the big blue "Run" button in the top menu. Small Basic will switch into "runtime" mode, and the application window will appear, displaying the textbox or images that the student programmed.

kids programming language
Advanced Games


For anyone that thinks Small Basic isn't capable of producing anything of any real value, all you have to do is browse some of the sample programs from the forums. Students often post the results of some of their work there, and you'll find everything from simple mathematical programs, to some impressive advanced game environments like tic tac toe or even a graphical driving simulator. The software is really only limited by the level of creativity and imagination of the student.


Source : http://www.educational-freeware.com/freeware/small-basic.aspx 

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Find Easy to Read Text for Lower Levels

I sometimes wonder why companies continue developing search engines when Google's dominance seems so complete, but every now and then I spot one that has a nice twist and that's the case with Twurdy.
Twurdy is actually based on Google, but it analyses Google results for readability, so it can help you to find more lower level texts for learners without you having to read through every result from Google to see if it's simple enough.


Just type in the topic of the text you need and click on your Twurdy type. You have a choice of three different Twurdy types. The differences are mainly speed (how fast you want your results) vs complexity (how thoroughly you want the results analysed) I would recommend choosing Twurdy with Pop as this will analyse the number of word on the page, length of sentences, number of syllables per word and also the popularity of the words in the text.

Getting more accurate results will save you time in the long run and even using Twurdy Pop isn't so slow.

The results will then be shown colour / shade coded and with a rating. Darker results are more complex texts and the lighter ones are easier. Then you just have to find one that your students will enjoy (or get them to find their own).


Twurdy is a great tool that can save you a lot of time if you are looking for authentic texts to use with lower level students. You could even let them find their own texts to replace the ones in your course book.

I hope it's useful for you.

Best

Nik Peachey Read More..

www.PetpetPark.com - Play Petpet Park Online Games

Petpet Park (www.PetpetPark.com) is a web-based virtual world for kids to play games online. At Petpet Park, you can create your own Petpet profile, explore and meet friends, collect items, and more.

You should play games and perform jobs to earn Park Points to do some shopping in one of the Park shops! You can buy food, clothes, and supplies from different shops. And these items can customise Read More..

Real time collaboration

I've just spotted this really nice real time collaboration tool called Twiddla. It's a free tool which doesn't involve any downloading or installing any software.

It allows real time collaboration through voice, or text chat and has a shared white board space which all users can annotate, drag pictures or text onto etc.

You can browse through websites upload documents and images to work on collaboratively or just use a blank background as a white board space to write or draw on.

There's a live sandbox so you can go in and try the real thing without registering.
If you do register you can then have either a public space or a private space that you invite selective people along to.
This looks really ideal for delivering synchronous distance learning sessions.

Hope you find it useful

Nik Read More..

English Online

Please forgive more than a hint of self promotion (Well I am a blogger so what can you expect?) in this posting. I've recently written an Action Research Toolkit, aimed mainly at language teachers, but it may well be of use to teachers in other disciplines too, which has now been published on a pretty impressive new British Council website in China.

The action research toolkit is split into various components with articles on a possible research cycle, planning research as well as suggestions for how to use video and audio recordings in your research, how to design questionnaires and even some downloadable tasks and tip sheets.

You can download the complete kit from here

The Toolkit is part of the British Council in China's English Online site which has been designed with sections for both teachers and learners.

The section for teachers has some pretty handy tools like a flashcard archive , some video footage from inside the classroom (which is always useful and often hard to find) as well as a photo library for teachers to use.

What I like best about the site though is that it's one of the British Council's bravest attempts to really build a site that is very 'Web 2.0'. They have really tried to take on board and encourage the building of a sense of ownership and community within the site's user base.

Registered users can create their own blogs, get involved in forums and vote, comment on and rate the content.

I think this is a bold step forward for the British Council and a site that's well worth checking out whether you are based in China or not.


Best

Nik Read More..

Football vocabulary

This is a great free online game called GoalUnited. It isn't designed for education at all but I'm sure anyone who is keen on developing their English and has an interest in football would enjoy it and get a lot of vocabulary and reading practice from it.


The game is played in a similar manner to the popular Football manager computer game and each player builds up a team and plays against other teams online.

As I said it's free. It is available to play in other languages too so make sure your students choose to play it in the language they want to learn rather than the one they already speak.

I'm not really a football fan myself so I haven't really spent time with this, but for students that are, I'm sure it could be very motivational.

English version is here
To choose from other languages try here

Hope you enjoy it.

Best

Nik Read More..

Vocabulary and rice

This is a great site for revising vocabulary (at a higher level) and helping to donate food to the UN World Food Program. There is an audio of a word and students have to choose the correct synonym (there's a choice of four). For every correct answer Free Rice donates 20 grains of rice.


The site also rates the level of your vocabulary and sneds you more difficult questions if you are getting the answers.

Great vocabulary building and a worthy charity all in one.
I found it pretty addictive. Try it at Free Rice

Best
Nik Read More..

New game: Lost numbers


We have made a game. It is aimed at Primary School children. It's a very simple game and try to make Maths a little more fun. It has three level: add, subtractions and multiply. Click here to play. Read More..

New game: Vedoque cars


A new game and this time is not for learning. We are on holidays and it's only for fun. A classic game with cars and three Grand Prix to win and becoming the new World Champion. Let's play! Read More..

New game: Colours Vedoque


We have a new educational game: Click here to play. The colours are the subject of the new activities. This game is designed for Nursery and it can be used by 3 years old children, although, with some activities, they may need assistance.
As before, we have mixed activities where you make use of the mouse and the use of the arrow keys on the keyboard. These activities will help with the understanding and learning of the layout of space: up, down, left and right.
Also, we have designed the game, so it prevents the appearance of the typical Flash menu when the right button of the mouse is clicked accidentally.
Some of the sounds are from The Freesound Project and some images from OpenClipArt.
Read More..

New game: Move the mouse!!


This game is made for small children so they can start using the computer at an early age. It focuses on three basic techniques using the mouse: point, click and drag. We have designed four activities for each technique with some hidden surprises to be discovered. It is recommended for children from 2 years old with the help of their parents or teachers. So, let's get started! Click here to play. Read More..

New educational game: Maths hide-and-seek


This is a new game where the Vedoques love to hide. But don't worry! They are leaving us clues to find them. The Vedoques are behind the correct answer.
We have three different activities. The first one works with adding numbers, the second one with the times tables and the third one, you use subtractions. To make it more interesting and encourage children, they can win our Vedoque Olympic Medals. If you can complete twenty sums without any mistakes you will win a gold medal. If you make up to 3 mistakes, you will get a silver medal and up to 4 mistakes, a bronze one. You can choose the level of difficulty on the front page of the game. There are 2 levels, in the easier level (6-8 years old), the sums are made with numbers from 1 to 10, in the harder one (8-11 years old) the sums are made with numbers from 10 to 100. Click here to play Read More..

New Game: Maths Farm


The game is aimed at Primary School children. It's a very simple game and try to make Maths a little more fun. It has three level: Sum (1 to 10), Sum (1 to 100) and Multiply. The player must click on the animal with the correct answer. Click here to play.
In the Spanish version, this game has been played over 200.000 times this year, according to Google Analytics and StatCounter.
We hope you will find it fun and leave your suggestions in the comments section.

Read More..

Vedoque Holidays: a Paint Game

Our first game in English. It is designed for drawing and painting using some tools a bit different from the usual ones. We think kids at Nursery and Primary levels would find this game very interesting. Even older people can spend some fun time painting with the symmetrical tools. Click here to play.
The game consists of 3 different activities:
• Colour: In this activity you can colour in the "Vedoques" as you like. Also you can print them, in case you prefer to do it on paper.
• Paint: This is "Windows Paint" with a little difference. You can paint with geometrical and circulars tools, and other ones a bit more unusual. You can also print your masterpieces.
• Dots: You can reveal the hidden picture connecting all the numbers in the correct order.
We hope you will find it fun and leave your suggestions in the comments section. Read More..

Hello world

At last, our blog in English. We are the developers of www.vedoque.com and in our page, we publish free educational games and other material suitable for all ages. At the moment, we run a Spanish blog, where we explain how we made the game, what is its educational aim and which ages the game is target to.
In the near future we plan to produce and develop our games and design our website in English and Spanish. But for now, the games are only in Spanish. Some of them contain small explanations in Spanish but they are easy enough for students or your children to try them out. So, why don't you test these games out, in which the main characters are called "Vedoques" (pronounced beh-doc-kes in English), strange beings that nobody knows where they came from:
  • La Granja Matemática (Math Farm). The game is aimed at Primary School children. The player must click on the animal with the correct answer.
  • El escondite (Hide-and-seek). As with the previous game. The player has to click on the correct answer of the sum in order to find Vedoques. You can select the appropriate level in the main page.
In following posts, we will show you other useful games and also publish our first game in English. Any feedback welcome.
(Thanks to Anuska for the translation)
Read More..

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

www.Kissesenfamilia.com - Hershey's Kisses Family Night Instant Win Game

Visit www.Kissesenfamilia.com now and follow the instructions to enter the Hershey's Kisses Family Night Instant Win Game, you could have a chance to win a $7,500 grand cash prize or one of one hundred instant-Win prizes ($100.00 Best Buy Gift Card).

The game begins on 4/25/2011 and ends on 6/5/2011. ONLY OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES RESIDING IN THE 50 UNITED STATES, DISTRICT OF Read More..

www.Letssummer.com - Food Should Taste Good Let's Summer Instant Win Game

If you obtained a seven-digit code from the top right corner of your bag of Food Should Taste Good Brand All Natural Chips, You can now go to the website www.Letssummer.com to enter your code to take part in the Food Should Taste Good Let's Summer Instant Win Game. You could have a chance to win a Weber Q 100 gas grill, Flip video camera, or any of their other cool prizes!

The game begins 5/1/11 Read More..

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

www.Reunitemprize.com - M&M's Reunite M Instant Win Game

If you purchased a specially-marked M&M’S® Brand product and found the text “CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve reunited the M&M’S® Brand Characters!” on the inner wrapper, it means that you are a winner of the M&M's Reunite M Instant Win Game.

Then you need to call 877-WEREUNITE and follow the instructions to verify your eligibility and enter the 15-digit code shown on the inside of your Wrapper. If you Read More..

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

www.Chargelanding.com - Verizon Wireless Samsung Droid Charge Sweepstakes

Want to have a Samsung Droid Charge? Now you can go to the website www.Chargelanding.com to take part in the Verizon Wireless Samsung Droid Charge Sweepstakes & Scavenger Hunt for your chance to win a free device.

How to win:

1. Follow @Droidlanding on Twitter and follow M.Chargelanding.com on your smartphone.

2. Share your findings via Twitter and/or Facebook.

3. Return to Chargelanding.com Read More..

Monday, April 25, 2011

www.Mythirtyone.com - Login Your Thirty One Account

Are you a consultant of Thirty-One Gifts? Would you like to manage your Thirty One Account online? If yes, you can now go to the website www.Mythirtyone.com and login your account with your Consultant ID and password.

Thirty-One Consultant is a life-changing career for women. It's a network of sisters with a passion to celebrate, encourage and reward other women and themselves. You can earn Read More..

Sunday, April 24, 2011

www.Myloweslife.com - Lowe's Employee Online Services

www.Myloweslife.com is a website created by Lowe's Company to offers online services to all Lowe's employees.

By logging onto this system, enter your Sales number and Password. Then you can learn the benefits information including medical plan, dental care, life insurance, personal accident insurance, disability coverage plan, and more.

If you are a former Lowe's employee, you can't be able Read More..

Friday, April 22, 2011

www.Tastepoints.com - Redeem Your Miller Lite Taste Points Codes

If you found a Taste Points code printed on or inside a specially-marked package of Miller Lite or on a specially-marked bottle of Miller Lite, you can now go to the website www.Tastepoints.com and follow the instructions to submit your code and enter the Miller Lite Make Summer Count Sweepstakes for your chance to win th great prizes, including Miller Lite Beverage Rafts, Miller Lite Mini Read More..

Thursday, April 21, 2011

36 Tools to Digitise Coursebook Activities

Over the last few years, I have often heard teachers commenting that they would like to use more technology with their students, but they have to cover the materials in the coursebook. So, I started thinking about ways we could use technology to quickly and simply convert coursebook activities to something more interactive on the web.

I've created this document which shows 36 different ways we can use web based tools to enhance the things we do in the classroom and make students homework options more interesting and communicative. This document was used to support my presentation at IATEFL Brighton and you can see the presentation slides at: 36Tools for Digitising Your Coursebook

36 Tools for Digitising your ELT Course Book

I hope you find these useful and I hope to find the time soon to develop this document and add more detail and more examples. Until then please feel free to add comments and suggestions below and share ideas that you have for digitising coursebook materials.

Related links:
Best

Nik Peachey Read More..

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

www.Pearsonsuccessnet.com - Pearson SuccessNet System

www.Pearsonsuccessnet.com is the official website of Pearson SuccessNet, a powerful web application delivering best online curriculum for teachers and students.

If you want to enjoy the features of the SuccessNet, you'll need to register first. You should have your valid access code to Register. If you don't have one, ask your teachers or school managers for help.

Download the PDF guide of Read More..

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

www.Fastfivefullyloaded.com - Fast Five Instant Win Sweepstakes

Waiting for the film Fast Five? You can now go to the website www.Fastfivefullyloaded.com to take part in the Fast Five Instant Win Sweepstakes for your chance to win a chance to win a $2,500 check or a  Xbox 360 250 GB console with Kinect. You could also have a chance to win $50 iTunes Gift Cards, $10 Amazon.com Gift Cards and $10 Fandango Bucks Gift Cards.

The sweepstakes begins on March 9, Read More..

Monday, April 18, 2011

Poptropica Wimpy Wonderland Walkthrough

Are you looking for the walkthrough for the Wimpy Wonderland, 18th island in Poptropica? If yes, you've come to the right place. Here I will give you a full guide of this island.

In the Wimpy Wonderland island island, you mission is to help Greg Heffley find his brother Manny before his mom gets home from work. The island is based on Jeff Kinney's book series "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". All the Read More..

Sunday, April 17, 2011

www.Amcsuspecttracker.com - AMC's The Killing Suspect Tracker Sweepstakes

Are you a fan of AMC's The Killing? If yes, go to the website www.Amcsuspecttracker.com now and choose your suspect, you can enter their weekly sweepstakes for your chance to win an Apple iPad!

How to enter: From 3/25/11 to 6/19/11, visit the provided link and follow the links and instructions to complete all required information on the registration form(s), select an answer to the multiple Read More..

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Must Escape: The Sewer Walkthrough

Your mission of Must Escape: The Sewer: You were walking down the street late at night and you fell into the sewer. Now you must escape the sewer.



Play Must Escape: The Sewer online from here:
http://www.flonga.com/play/must-escape-the-sewer.htm

Must Escape: The Sewer Walkthrough:

- Take the map on the wall
- Left, grab a skateboard
- Right 4 times, put the skateboard underneath the barrel Read More..

Bustabrain 2 Walkthrough

Bustabrain 2 is the second Bustabrain sequel, an entertaining game of Tom "Ninjadoodle". Your mission is to resolve many puzzles and complete the 30 new levels with few clicks.

Play Bustabrain 2 online from here:

http://www.ninjadoodle.com/bustabrain-2/

Bustabrain 2 walkthrough level 1-30:

Level 1. drag the man to the moon

Level 2. hold down the mouse on until the pirate ninja Level 3. Read More..

Saturday, April 9, 2011

www.Hrsaccount.com/boscovs - Boscovs Credit Card Online Services

Have a Boscovs Credit Card? Want to manage your card online? Just go to the website www.Hrsaccount.com/boscovs and register your card, then you can take advantage of these great services:

•View your statement online
•Pay your bill online
•View account balance, recent transaction history, amount due, due dates and more

So what are you waiting for? Check out  www.Hrsaccount.com/boscovs and Read More..

Friday, April 8, 2011

www.Transformerscybersweeps.com - Transformers 16 Weeks of Cyber Sweepstakes

A real fun of Transformers? You can't miss the Transformers 16 Weeks of Cyber Sweepstakes. Now go to the website www.Transformerscybersweeps.com on your computer and follow the instructions to complete a registration form, then you could  have a chance to win a trip to the “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” premiere in TBD, “Transformers” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” on Blu-ray DVD, or Read More..

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Www.lightandfit.com - DANNON Get Light & Fit Together Game Sweepstakes

Www.lightandfit.com is the online place to take part in DANNON Get Light & Fit Together Game Sweepstakes. Enter now for your chance to win!   How To Enter: From 4/4/2011 to 6/27/2011, go to the website www.lightandfit.com or www.facebook.com/lightandfit, click on the tab and follow the instructions provided to register.   Sweepstakes Prizes: (2) Grand Prizes: A three day/two night trip to New Read More..

Www.cartridgeworld.com/green - Cartridge World Go Green, Win Green Sweepstakes

Www.cartridgeworld.com/green is the online place to take part in Cartridge World Go Green, Win Green Sweepstakes. Enter now for your chance to win!   How To Enter: From April 1, 2011 to April 30, 2011, go to the website www.cartridgeworld.com/green and complete the online registration form as required.   Sweepstakes Prizes: There will be one $10,000 cash prize awarded.   Learn more from Read More..

Www.americanidol.com/ford/challenge - Ford Music Video Challenge

Www.americanidol.com/ford/challenge is the online place to take part in Ford Music Video Challenge. Enter now for your chance to win!   How To Enter: From 3/10/2011 to 5/19/2011, go to the website www.americanidol.com/ford/challenge, follow the directions to play the game and identify an object in that Period's video, complete the online entry form with the required contact information, and Read More..

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

www.Chase.com/giftcard - Manage Your Chase Gift Card Online

Receive a Chase Gift Card or purchase a new Chase Gift Card? Want to access your card account to check your balance? It's simple. Just go to the website www.Chase.com/giftcard and enter your card number, last 4 of phone and 3-digit code found on the back of your card, then you can access your account. You can view your card statements, view your purchase activity and pay your bills online.

Read More..

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Gold.accountnow.com/activate - Activate Your Account Now Gold Visa Prepaid Card

If you have received a new Account Now Gold Visa Prepaid Card, you should now go to the website http://gold.accountnow.com/activate to activate your card online. Just follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation process, then you can start enjoy the great card.

Benefits of Account Now Gold Visa Prepaid Card:

Free direct deposit
Free bill pay
Free credit builder
$0 monthly fee
Read More..

Saturday, April 2, 2011

www.T-mobile.com/prepaidactivation - Activate your Prepaid phone

Buy a Prepaid phone from T-mobile? Want to activate your phone online? It's simple. Just go to the website www.T-mobile.com/prepaidactivation and follow the the step-by-step instructions to complete the activation process.

To activate online, you will need to enter information from the following items:
• Activation card—11-12 digit activation code on the activation card provided with your Read More..

Poptropica Cryptids Island Walkthrough

Looking for the walkthrough for Poptropica Cryptids Island? You've come to the right place. Here I will give the full written walkthrough and video walkthrough to help you beat the Cryptids Island.

In this new island quest, you are part of a challenge to prove the existence of cryptids. You'll go on a search for many mysterious creatures including the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot. Here is the Read More..

www.Springcelebrationsweepstakes.com - Spring Celebration Sweepstakes

It's spring time. Now go to the website www.Springcelebrationsweepstakes.com and follow the instructions to enter the Spring Celebration Sweepstakes, then you could have a chance to win one of eight digital cameras or a Grand Prize Family Vacation for 4 to Universal Orlando Resort!

The sweepstakes ends 4/29/11. Only open to legal residents of 48 contiguous U.S./D.C., 18 yrs. & older.

Learn Read More..

www.Perfectkcup.com - Green Mountain Coffee Perfect K-Cup Sweepstakes

From April 1, 2011 to March, 31, 2013, go to the website www.Perfectkcup.com and follow the instructions to complete the entry form of Green Mountain Coffee Perfect K-Cup Sweepstakes, then you could have a chance to win a twelve month Signature Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup Portion Pack Tour, one of Twenty-Four Keurig Brewers or one of Seven Hundred Thirty-One Green Mountain Coffee Regular Variety Read More..

Friday, April 1, 2011

www.Gordons.accountonline.com - Gordons Credit Card Account Online

Have a Gordons Credit Card issued by Citi Bank? You can go to the website www.Gordons.accountonline.com to register your card and access your card account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any computer.

With the online system, you can view your account activity, make a payment, request a credit limit increase, and more.

Please note, if you have not accessed your account information in the past Read More..

www.Pinger.com/textfree - Pinger Text Free Service Online

Have a Android phone and want to text FREE to any US carrier from your computer? It's simple. Just go to the website www.Pinger.com/textfree and follow the on-screen instructions to type in your username and password to use it.

To let the service work, you need to install the latest version of Adobe Flash. If you can't load the page rightly, please contact Pinger customer service for help.

Read More..

Onlineaccess.mycreditcard.cc/goodys - Goody's Family Clothing Credit Card Online

Do you have a Goody's Family Clothing Credit Card? Do you want to manage your card account anytime? If yes, you can now go to the website https://Onlineaccess.mycreditcard.cc/goodys to register your card and start enjoying the online services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Withthe system, you Can:
View your statements online
Pay your bills
View and print your past statements
View Read More..

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Comparing and conditionals - The facts about countries.

Last week I saw IfItWereMyHome and instantly thought that it would be a useful resource to get students making meaningful 2nd Conditional sentences based on real information, but a closer look shows that the site has much more potential than just that.
By clicking on 'Country Comparison' the site detects your home country. You can then click on any of the country names below to get statistical comparisons between your own country and the one you have selected.
The comparisons are actually colour rated according to whether they are viewed as negative, positive or neutral aspects.
If you click at the end of each comparison you can also get more information about the facts being presented.

At the bottom of the page there is voting button where you can choose which of the two countries you would prefer to live in.

Once you click to choose the country you would prefer you can leave a comment to say why and also read other comments.

Here are some ways I think you could use this site with students.
  • Get them to find a country they would prefer to live in and ask them to find 5 reasons to justify.
  • Get students to find a country they would NOT prefer to live in and ask them to justify.
  • Select two countries and ask students to choose one to live in and justify their choice.
  • Ask students to look at the colour rating of the facts and see if the agree with the positive / negative rating of the facts.
  • Ask them to compare a number of different countries and find out which is the most environmentally sound / destructive.
  • Ask students to compare a number of countries and find out which has the best quality of life (They will need to decide what the criteria are for this).
  • Ask students to decide which of the facts displayed would influence their choice of country most.
  • Ask students to look at the facts that are compared and decide which important facts they feel are missing.
  • Ask students to look at some of the comments about the countries and decide - which they agree with / disagree with, which they think are ridiculous.
  • Ask students to compare their country to a number of others then post a comment or ask a questions about each country.
  • Get students to find the comments about their own country and respond to one of them ( in a polite way)
  • Ask students to look at the site and try to decide who constructed it and why.
  • Ask students to look at the facts about their country and decide if they think they are accurate.
I hope you find IfItWereMyHome and these activities useful. If you think of any other activities you could use the site for ,please post them in the comments.

Related links:
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Nik Peachey Read More..

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

www.CartoonNetwork.com/win - Hasbro Star Wars Vehicle Sweepstakes

Do you want to command an entire Star Wars fleet? Now you have the chance. Go to www.CartoonNetwork.com/win, enter your email address, and you will have a chance to win 25 Hasbro Star Wars: The Clone Wars Vehicles, including Huge Turbo Tank, Clone Trooper, speeder bike, Anakin's Jedi Starfighter, and more.

The sweepstakes begins at 7:00 a.m. PT on 3/28/11 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on 4/10/11. Read More..

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

www.Dovemensweeps.com - Dove Men+Care Sweepstakes

Want to get a free ticket to the 2012 NCAA Men's Final Four? If yes, you can go to the website www.Dovemensweeps.com and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Dove Men+Care Sweepstakes entry form for your chance to win a ticket to the March Madness.

The sweepstakes ends 4/14/2011. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older Read More..

Monday, March 21, 2011

www.Ohfsbenefitaccess.com - OptumHealth Financial Services Benefits Online

Are you a participant of OptumHealth Financial Services? If yes, you can go to the website www.Ohfsbenefitaccess.com to access your account online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can view the enrollment and payment status, change address, view claim activity, and more. 

Need help, please contact your Account Manager.

The system is also available for the Plan Sponsor. Learn more from Read More..

Thursday, March 17, 2011

www.Upsetoftheday.com - Yahoo Sports Upset of the Day Sweepstakes

Predict the biggest upset online at the website www.Upsetoftheday.com every game day through Sunday, March 27, you could have a chance to win a $10,000 visa debit card or 1 of 24 $1,500 Best Buy gift cards! Plus, three 3D TVs will be given away EVERY GAME DAY just for submitting your guess!

You may receive one entry into the applicable Daily Entry Period per day and up to eight entries for the Read More..

Monday, March 14, 2011

www.Cartoonnetwork.com/luckycharms - Cartoon Network Lucky Charms Vacation Sweepstakes

If you would like to enter the Cartoon Network Lucky Charms Vacation Sweepstakes, check out the website www.Cartoonnetwork.com/luckycharms and submit your email address to fill out the entry form. You could have a chance to win a four days/ three nights trip to Orlando, Florida and One Thousand Dollars.

The sweepstakes ends March 31, 2011. No purchase necessary. LIMIT: one (1) entry per person Read More..

www.Catchacon.com - Breakout Kings Catch a Con Sweepstakes

Now go to the website www.Catchacon.com and enter the Breakout Kings Catch a Con Sweepstakes, then you could have a chance to win up to $2,500 cash.

How to win:

Step 1: Track Cons 
There are virtual cons on the loose in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco. Checkout the map below to track down cons (including T-Bag from Prison Break) in your local area. In Read More..

Sunday, March 13, 2011

www.PCH.com/w70 - PCH Win $5,000 a Week for Life

PCH is looking for 50 cash winners. If you receive a PCH W-70 notice letter, you should go to the website www.PCH.com/w70 right now and follow the entry instructions using the authorization code assigned to you, then you could be one of them to win a $5,000.00 A-Week-For-Life SuperPrize or a $50.00 prize. 

All entries received by 11:59 P.M., ET on 9/6/2011. So hurry up and hope good luck for you Read More..

Friday, March 11, 2011

www.Hrsaccount.com/bostonstore - HSBC Bostonstore Credit Card Online

Have a Bostonstore Credit Card? Want to manage your card online? It's simple! Go to the website www.Hrsaccount.com/bostonstore and enroll your card, then you can access your card account online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an Internet-access computer. With the system, you can pay your bill, view your account balance, view your statement, and more.

So what are you waiting for? Click here Read More..

Monday, February 28, 2011

Create a Web Based Song Activity in Minutes

Back in December 2010 I wrote an article about how you could use Batlyrics, a site which combined Song videos and lyrics, as a corpus to find examples of grammar or vocabulary you wanted your students to focus on: 'Lyrics and Video and Grammar - Song as Corpus'

Since writing this article I've spotted another useful feature of the site, and that is the addition of an embed code button.

This is really helpful, because now it means that you can select the song you want to use, copy the embed code and then embed it into your own web page or blog and write your activity around it.
This is particularly easy if you use the Posterous blogging platform, as all you need to do is copy and paste the embed code into and email, add a title and instructions and post it off to post@posterous.com.


A few seconds later you should get a message back with a link to your published activity. Then you just share the link with your students.
So now you can create quick online song based activities within just a few minutes. I hope you find Batlyrics useful.

Related links:
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Nik Peachey Read More..

Thursday, February 24, 2011

www.Rolluptherimtowin.com - Roll Up The Rim To Win with Tim Hortons

If you purchased specially marked Tim Hortons medium, large or extra large size hot drink take-out contest cups recently, you can now go to the website www.rolluptherimtowin.com to play the RRRoll Up Roulette to win a $25 TIM CARD or even the daily Grand Prize of FREE COFFEE FOR A YEAR!

The contest begins February 21, 2011 and ends on March 20, 2011. Only one win per person and/or per e-mail Read More..

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

www.Buddigread4fun.com - The Buddig eReader Giveaway

Want to have a Barnes & Noble Nook eReader? If yes, go to the website www.Buddigread4fun.com and follow the instructions to enter the Buddig eReader Giveaway for your chance to win a NOOKcolor eReader. Plus a VTech animated V.Reader for Kids, and a $150 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

Just Peel off the green sticker found on your Buddig Original or Deli-Cuts package to reveal your 10-digit promo Read More..

www.Cabelas.com/sweeps - Cabela's Fifty Years Fifty Trucks Sweepstakes

Now thru 12/31/2011, every purchase you make from Cabela's will give you an entry for a chance to win one of 50 Chevy Trucks. Plus one of 50 Firearms, Binoculars, Coleman Camping Packages, Visa Gift cards, and more.

How to win: Go to the website www.Cabelas.com/sweeps and click on the "Enter Now" button to start. You will need a Cabela’s receipt or packing slip code to receive your entry.

Read More..

Monday, February 21, 2011

www.Hrsaccount.com/herbergers - Herbergers Credit Card Online Sevices

Are you a cardholder of Herbergers Credit Card issued by HSBC? If yes, you can now go to the website www.Hrsaccount.com/herbergers to manage your card account online. You can pay your bill, view your statement, account balance, amount due and due dates, and recent transaction history online from here.

To enjoy the online services, you should enroll your card first. Just follow the on-screen Read More..

Friday, February 18, 2011

Google Spaces for Language Learning

I was never a great fan of Google Wave. It arrived with a real wave of hype and disappeared just as quickly, but it seems that many of the 'gadgets' designed to work with Wave have survived and can now be used independently within a service called Google Shared Spaces.


There are lots of these small gadgets so I decide to have a look at some and see if they had any potential for use in language learning.

Here are examples of some of the more useful ones.

Wave Tube
Here you can add a Video from YouTube to a page and students can watch it and leave comments or ask questions using the chat box on the left.
Try this one: http://goo.gl/AXEFY


Yes/ No / Maybe
This is a simple gadget for creating single question polls that your students can then answer and add comments to.
Try this one: http://goo.gl/UQvGz


yourBrainstormer
This is a nice brainstorming gadget that enables you to create mind maps around a topic. Students can actually vote for or against the elements they like too.
Try this one: http://goo.gl/StD9e



Listy
This is a nice tool for creating 'to do' lists. Anyone can add to the list of things to do and then tick them off as they are done.
Try this one: http://goo.gl/UVbjU


Magnetic Fridge Poetry
This is a nice tool for creating jumbled text activities. You just add your text when you create your board and then students can drag the words around wherever they want them.
Try this one: http://goo.gl/nCigp


These are just a few of the interactions you can create with the Shared Spaces. There are lots more, so why not try a few out, feel free to play with the ones I've created and let me know which ones work for you.

Related links:

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Nik Peachey Read More..