Helpful Tips and Tools for Middle and High School English Class

Tina Tow - Shades Mountain Christian School

This post is written for  a very gifted and inspired English teacher. Tina Tow you rock! Thank you for shining your light, your faith, and your compassionate friendship in my direction. Thank you for always reminding me to live in the moment :) 

Interactive Challenges to Improve: Grammar, Vocabulary and Writing Skills

Quill provides free writing, grammar, and vocabulary activities to middle and high school students.

Vocabulary.com, the quickest, most intelligent way to improve your vocabulary.

Grammar Instruction with Attitude. Includes detailed terms, interactive exercises, handouts, PowerPoints, videos, and more!

Bright Hub! Making review games fun and interactive.

PIXTON Comic Creator lets students unleash their creativity and design storyboards that encourage critical analysis, collaboration and real world connections.

5 Useful Tips and Helpful Apps
for GREAT Writing

G - Grab their attention with original word choices.
World Wide Words

• Careful word choice can transform a mediocre writer into a better one or make a dull subject seem engaging. Word choice is an important part of any type of writing–especially content writing. Selecting precise words will help you increase the impact you create on your audience

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R - Resources need to be vetted and peer reviewed.
Purdue Owl Lab

• Mrs. Tow has a favorite!  These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers. Resources also include help on writing academic proposals for presentation, journal articles and books. 

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E - Engage a global audience through publishing.
Enter to Win

• Publishing your writing fosters and promotes global connections, encourages collaboration, strengthens self-confidence, rewards interest, and promotes a use of personalized voice and choice in writing.
  

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A - A+ writers understand the need for clarity.
Hemingway Can Help 

• Editing is one of the most important parts of writing, but it's hard to know where to start sometimes. Hemingway is a web app that highlights hard to read sentences, adverbs, complicated phrases, and passive voice so you can make your writing more clear
  

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T -Technology is the stage to showcase success.
Tech Tools for Interactive Presentations

• Web 2.0 tools are a great way to record and share your research, main idea, reflection and final presentation. Move beyond powerpoint to actively engage your audience.