10 Ways to use Technology to Build Vocabulary

An eVoc strategy is an electronic or technology-based strategy that teachers can use to develop students' vocabulary learning and interest in words. As literacy educators, we need to use the tools that 21st-century technologies are available to use.  Vocabulary is also an area where teachers are asking for guidance on instructional approaches, strategies, and material. The purpose of this article is to highlight 10 eVoc strategies that hold promise for improving vocabulary learning in intermediate grades and that employ digital tools and resources that readily available and feasible to implement in today's schools.
What does research tell us abut vocabulary learning?

• For English Learners (EL's), academic language may represent the task of learning a third language. The good news is that we can improve vocabulary to our students. 
•  Direct vocabulary instruction is essential, but research indicates that students with well-developed vocabulary learn many more words indirectly through reading than from instruction. 

Strategies for teaching and learning vocabulary

eVoc strategy 1: Learn from visual displays of word relationships within text.

• Wordle is a free Web application that allows you to create a word Cloud based on the frequency of words in a particular text.

eVoc strategy 2: Take a digital vocabulary field trip

• Teachers can create a digital version of a vocabulary field trip using a free ONLINE PROGRAM called TrackStar (trackstar.4teachers.org).

• eVoc strategy 3: Connect fun and learning with online vocabulary games

• We recommend two sites that offer a variety of activities to engage students in playing with words and word meanings:Vocabulary Games and Vocabulary. Games include crossword puzzles, picture-word matches, word scrambles, and 8 Letters in Search of a Word (a game that can draw you in unexpectedly as you race to create as many words as possible from eight letters within the time limit).

eVoc strategy 4: Have students use media to express vocabulary knowledge This strategy focuses on students' vocabulary representations in multiple modes-writing, audio, graphic, video, and animation.   Students create captions to illustrate their understanding of contribute.Multimedia glossary example of camouflage using a POWERPOINT TEMPLATE

eVoc strategy 5: Take advantage of online word reference tools that are also teaching tools

• Many online word reference tools are also excellent teaching resources. For example, theVisual Thesaurus website complements its fee-based content with free information such as the Behind the Dictionary and Teachers at Work columns and teacher-created themed word lists.

Develop strategic digital readers with "on-demand" vocabulary help
eVoc strategy 6: Support reading and word learning with just-in-time vocabulary reference support
eVoc strategy 7: Use language translators to provide just-in-time help for ELLs

•  You can paste text into the translator field, select the input and output languages, and view the translation (seeBabelfish, Google translator, and Bing Translator). You may also DOWNLOAD a toolbar extension that translates any webpage automatically. 

Expand wide reading and incidental word learning with digital text
eVoc strategy 8: Increase reading volume by reading digital text

• Class libraries, read-alouds, book clubs, and independent reading time during the school day can increase the amount and variety of student reading.

• Time for Kids

• Weekly Reader

• National Geographic Kids

• National Geographic Kids' blogs

• Science News for Kids

eVoc strategy 9: Increase reading volume by listening to digital text with a text-to-speech tool and audio books

• A common concern among EDUCATORS is the readability of websites and Internet content.

eVoc strategy 10: Combine vocabulary learning and social service

•  This final eVoc strategy is a free online vocabulary game, Free Rice that has attracted millions of users, young and old. We believe it offers an opportunity to promote students' engagement with words while contributing to the social good.

This is a link to the article I got all this information from : http://www.readingrockets.org/article/10-ways-use-technology-build-vocabulary

This section highlights two online tools that provide just-in-time support while reading. Students can develop their strategic learning repertoire as they customize their own collection of supports.

• Rather than using print dictionaries or asking the teacher, students can learn to use online dictionaries and thesauri. When they have access to WORD HELP on demand, at the point of need, both monolingual (Reinking & Rickman, 1990) and bilingual (Yoshii, 2006) students tend to use them more often than print references and improve their understanding. Many of these Internet-based tools are free (they vary in difficulty, so try out different applications to determine the best fit for your students).
• Two popular free online dictionaries/thesauri are Reference.com and Merriam-Webster. Tools expressly designed for students include Word Central from Merriam-Webster , Back in School from Dictionary.com, and Yahoo Kids! American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.

Reading widely and deeply is important for vocabulary development and reading comprehension. These two strategies help increase students' volume of reading and, indirectly, their incidental word learning (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2001; Nagy & Herman, 1985).

This article is filled with a ton of fun filled actives.  There is a ton of links and I will be using this in my classroom.  I have used some of the strategies myself in my college years and found that they had value to using them. Wordle.net was a fun way to use vocabulary words or even sight words. At the beginning of the year it would be a great way for the students to get to know their classmates.  They could go on a hunt for familiar traits and when they put them in a wordle.net it forms this beautiful piece of vocabulary.  

I have used National Geographic kids in the labs at my times at Arlington Baptist College.  It was a great too the students loved it. 

The digital vocabulary field trip sounds like it would be exciting. There is a ton of information on this website that can lend itself to great teaching. You just have to use it!