There are many online resources available to help you organize websites around a particular topic or skill, build a class website or create interactive exercises that you can upload to your own program website. Here are a few sample resources to help you begin experimenting and choosing which format best fits the needs of your ABE program or teaching situation.
Teacher Web
http://teacherweb.com
Teacher Web allows teachers to set up a website for their classroom. This website is not free ($25/year). It provides teachers with website templates, graphics, clip art, and sample lessons.
Minnetonka ABE Web
ESL Computer Class Web
Citizenship Web
Trackstar
http://trackstar.4teachers.org
Trackstar is a website which helps instructors organize websites (URLs) to use in lessons.
Things you can do using Trackstar:
- Create your own online lessons (tracks) by filling out a simple form.
- Look at the database of other online tracks.
- Modify someone else's tracks to meet your needs.
Nima's Track
Scott's Track
Karin's Track
Positive features of Trackstar:
- It's free online space to organize your own website.
- It's user friendly.
- Keeps your students on task at the proper website.
- You can revise your lessons at any time.
Hot Potatoes
http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/hotpot
weather jmix file
weather htm file
Hot Potatoes is user friendly shareware that is free for non-profit organizations. This software lets you create 6 types of language exercises that you can use online with your learners. You create the content of the exercises, so it matches your curriculum and your learners' needs. Students can practice English from the Internet at home or in the class lab.
The templates for these exercises are called JMix, JMatch, JCloze, JCross, JQuiz, and JBC. The Masher puts the exercises together.
Here are some examples of exercises created by Minnesota ABE educators using Hot Potatoes software:
Charles Carrera from the Marshall ABE Program. http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/student_lessons1.htm
Puzzlemaker
http://www.puzzlemaker.com
Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers and students. You can create and print customized word search, crossword and math puzzles using your word lists.
Quia
Quia is an online, subscription-based service (a teacher account costs $49/year) that allows you to create interactive exercises of a variety of types, such as cloze, matching, jumbled words, and hangman. Quia allows you to upload audio and image files to use in your exercises. With Quia you can also make quizzes and class web pages where you can organize your exercises. All Quia's features make use of simple templates, so users can create professional-looking exercises without programming or html skills.
Here are some examples of Quia exercises for adult ESL learners:
Building Signs Easy Quiz: http://www.quia.com/quiz/678006.html
US Coins Exercise: http://www.quia.com/cz/66920.html
Daily Activities Exercise: http://www.quia.com/cz/100334.html
Reading Graphs Quiz: http://www.quia.com/quiz/837075.html
Low Literacy CASAS Sight Words Game: http://www.quia.com/rr/111381.html
Past Tense Practice Exercises: http://www.quia.com/jg/342650.html
Remember to check the MLC educational technology training calendar to see if there are any workshops coming up that you'd like to attend. | 
