APP ALERT!! PDF to Speech

     I downloaded this app yesterday because it sinks with your gmail account in seconds so all your documents on Google Drive are ready to be listened to.

     It doesn't do abbreviations very well and like all speech to pdf apps,  it trips over difficult words.  I would not strongly suggest it for ESL students, but I would for ESL teachers because our ears are naturally trained to listen for mistakes in grammar. The read along as it goes ability is really great.  So it's a great tool for editing students' essays in the car, on the bus, or on a break between classes.  Yes, it's not perfect, but it's FREE and it does what it says.  Download it yourself from Google Play and share.

Best,
#mr.ford

Engrade or Moodle?

So, during a conversation I had this past weekend with a fellow ESL teacher, the question was brought up as to which was better for teaching online, "Engrade or Moodle?" I told the teacher that they both are AWESOME online tools for educators, and though they may seem similar, they are very different in application. Engrade is an extremely popular and user friendly online gradebook that allows students, parents, teachers and administration to keep track of student grades, attendance, progress, and assignments. Inside Engrade you can assign wikkis, lessons, and rubrics. Thought Engrade is an online gradebook, it is not an online course management system-Moodle is.

Under Moodle, a teacher is able to do similar features to Engrade, but take it a few steps further with the ability to submit homework and tests online.  Moodle is designed similar to blackboard and webct. These online platofrms are designed specificaly for online courses. Though you too can assign a test in Engrade, you are limited to simple 'choose the correct letter' quizzes.  Moodle allows different testing formats such as T/F,poll and paragraph questions.  There is also the assignment hand in feature, which allows students to hand in their homework/classwork into Moodle versus students sending thier work to your personal or school email. If you are familiar with taking online college courses, then you should recognize the huge differences between an online gradebook and a CMS.

In closing, I believe that Moodle is more suited for having your own online course. Engrade is very popular and similar to Moodle, however, Engrade is not suited as a course management system for individual use or promotion. .#mr.ford