Power Typing

http://powertyping.com/

Area : Writing with computers
Rate : ★★★★★
Target : All the students
(Not for very young who can't use a computer)

PowerTyping is an online free typing tutor for Qwerty,US standard 101 keyboard and Dvorak keyboard, the US alternative ANSI standard keyboard.
This typing tutor offers free online typing games with other things.
This tutorial is designed to teach, develop and practice, step by step, typing skills. Separate lessons are written for Dvorak and Qwerty. One should go through lessons in sequence because they rehearse keys already learned as they add new ones. Instructions for hand positioning over a keyboard are included in lessons.

Check out the educational typing games. Some are enhanced with music. The most popular typing game is the Barracuda and its less graphical version the BarracudaS. Then there are the Foggies a typing game without boundaries.

Help barracuda keep its river clean. Type words into the box as they appear floating down the river. Barracuda will knock them out. It is a loosing battle and river will grow darker as barracuda slowly looses. When barracuda starts gaining, the river will get bluer.


The Alphabetic Rain typing game focuses on letters. The Falling Words challenges a typist with words or numbers. The latest game The Jibe practices random letters or numbers.




The latest game The Jibe which is my favirite practices random letters or numbers.
You are on the quest for 7 golden eggs. First, you must paint a ghost boat to sail across strange waters. Then, conquer a monster, and finally a golden egg is within reach.
Match three rectangles with the same letters/color vertically or horizontally. Strive to clear the stage to trigger change in number of letters per rectangle. There is an extra bonus for each change.
How to Play is easy.
Select level. Level 1 is the easiest.
Select letters or numbers.
Click "START" button.
Click with the mouse on the white input box and type into it letters appearing in a vertically moving rectangle. When typed correctly, the rectangle will move horizontally in a row and stop.
Align 3 rectangles with the same letters/colors next to each other vertically or horizontally. When aligned, they disappear, and points are added.
Typing text correctly on the way "up" gains extra "1" point.
Aligning rectangles with more letters generates more points.
The game ends when any row is full, or 7 eggs are gained.
Clearing the stage down to 6 rectangles triggers change in number of letters displayed. Such change is awarded bonus points.
Bonus is also awarded for moving from one venture to another.
Selections can be change during the game. Click on a new selection and back on the white typing area to bring a focus back on it. You can go to higher or lower level, or you can change letters to numbers or the other way around. The new selection will take an effect when number of letters is changed from maximum to minimum for that level. Meaning, continue clearing the stage, and the change will eventually take an effect.



Your student can learn and practice typing and also they can learn the words used for it. Let's get two bird with a stone.

1)Appropriate models : it can be good for leveling learners.

2)Explicit instruction emphasizing genre and language : If computer typing is one of the genre, it provides very explicit instruction about it.

3)Interactive help and feedback : There is not help but activities and the computer will provide impromtu feedback for learners.

4)Evaluation : Leaners can see their score.

5)Developing strategies for writing : They should know how to type most easily.

How to use?

There can be the time when you should teach English to your students with computers. In information age, computer is very important material, so we have to teach them how to write in English by typing. Are you agree with me? Then use this web sites. There are many game to develop your students' typing skills. Let them take their own time to practice their typing skills in-class or out-of-class.

Battle Learning

http://www.battlelearning.com/Home/HomeMain.aspx

Area : All (but usually speaking)
Rate : ★★★★
Target : Middle school students

It is not a free web site except one game.
That's why the rate is not perfect.
But I think they are well-constructed for learning English.


http://www.blogger.com/www.battlelearning.com/Game/announcer/englishannouncer

This is only one free game, English Announcer.
It usually focuse on speaking, but you can choose other area to learn and practice.
A player has an avatar who want to be an announcer. So she can learn English with a player in campus and do many things that can attract enough students' interests.

You can choose area you want to study.
For each area, there are various type of learning and levels of them are well-formed.




Learning speaking with your avatar!





In this game, there are well-formed 41 study types and 959 lessons!
And social networking game will motivate your students.

I think it will be effective for girls who like visual images.
It is a kind of roll-playing game, so they can compare each other.
This good web game will introduce your students into the virtual world and in there, they can learn and study English with fun.


1)Learner fit :
Students can access upclass level when they complete lowclass levels.
2)Explicit teaching :
How to do it is appeared explicitly but not that easy because there is so many mini games in this game. So for some students, it can be felt complecated. And those activities help the learners focus on particular sentences, not sounds. And it is well organized to help preteach and develop follow-up activities.
3)Interaction with the computer :
There is obviously interaction with not only the computer but also other learners. The interaction allow learners to speak in their own voice and the language of the interactions provide interesting and useful material for learners to use in other activities.
4)Evaluation and visual feedback :
It provide accurate evaluation and feedback to learners about the correctness of their responses and provide understandable visual feedback.
5)Strategy development :
This web guide learners in developing strategies that will help them find and use technology for oral language outside of the class.
How to use?
It is well-programmed web site. So you don't have to do it in class. But just little instruction for it will be a great help to them. Because it is kind of complicated to use. Give them explanation kindly and encourage them to join the game. This game especially for girls will be loved. And their English ability can be developed with fun. And they can compete with their friends. And dress their avatars up. Isn't it interesting? Doesn't it sound great?