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Professor Word

3/15/2014

We're all trying to help our students expand their vocabularies, right? I've done the bookmarks, word walls, flashcards, quizzes, and blah, blah, blah. Some methods work better with some students than others, but I think I have found a tool that will work even better because it can be directly related to the SAT (something my students will take in the future and something the high achievers are already thinking about). ProfessorWord is a website that allows you to install the program on your toolbar (mind you, you will need to ensure your toolbar is visible) and it will highlight words that are used on the SAT and ACT exams. It will also allow you to highlight unfamiliar words and it will define them right there for you, so there's no need to open another app or tab to search for a dictionary. I've only begun using ProfessorWord, but I'm sold! I've begun encouraging my students to use it and I am looking forward to ProfessorWord's future plans to include personal vocabulary lists (which won't be as easy to lose as those bookmarks I've been assigning). Below is their YouTube video that will explain just how easy it is to use. If you teach high schoolers, this is something you and your should start using today.
Cheers,
Lesley

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Hemingway

3/9/2014

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I have found a nice way to students to check the clarity and readability of their own writing: http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

This website allows users to add their own writing to the webpage and it will highlight sentences that are too complex and words that are unnecessary. It even gives you a readability grade and may offer some suggestions about how to improve the writing. (Watch the YouTube video below for a brief tutorial.) However, the suggestions aren't always correct and may mean a complete revision of the sentence if you follow the suggestion. Nonetheless, it has been a good tool to use with some of my struggling students so that they can see some of their errors. Mind you, we also talk about the fact that not all of the suggestions are correct (which happens with peer editors, too).

Hemingway is an easy website to use and it can be used on a PC, Mac or an iPad (though there isn't an app that I'm aware of, but you can see the site on the tablet). If you're looking for a way for students to start reviewing their writing, this would be a good tool. Despite my pleas for them to read their own work aloud, I'm sure not everyone does. Because Hemingway is a website that is so visual, I believe that after walking students through the process and explaining the possible defects, it will help highlight the issues present in student writing and encourage them to think deeply about what they are trying to say. Try it out, let me know what you think, and share your successes or ideas.

Cheers,
Lesley

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PaperHelper

3/1/2014

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PaperHelper is FREE for a few days! While I haven't used it before, I did create a practice document and I thought it was quite easy to use. I liked how I could be writing an essay and researching at the same time. You can even create your Works Cited page as you go along because it will save the resources you quote and the resources you use (if you ask it to, that is). It even allows you to set reminders and keep verbal notes with your work and it can interface with DropBox (something I'm sure almost all of you have by now, right?) and Pages. I still need to do some more work with this app, but I am impressed. This could make writing our research papers easier! I'll have to test it out with a class and let you know how we do.
Cheers,
Lesley

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Professor Word

Hemingway

PaperHelper

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