| Skill | Name | LINK | Context | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | ||||
| TED Talks | LINK | Secondary – adult | Academic content. Transcripts available. Downloadable videos and audio | |
| VoiceThread | LINK | All | Create, share, and comment on images, presentations, videos, audio files, documents, and PDFs, using microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio-file upload. Free, but account required. | |
| Voices of America English | LINK | All | Can choose “Let’s Learn English” videos to work on specific pronunciations, or can watch/listen to current events. | |
| GoNoodle | LINK | All | Dance videos and instructions for students to follow along and get moving! | |
| Listenwise | LINK | All | Narrated and audio stories with comprehension questions to work on listening skills. | |
| Speaking | ||||
| Vocaroo | LINK | All | Very easy voice recording. No account required. | |
| ChatterPix | LINK | All | App. Easily make pictures talk | |
| Voki | LINK | All | Create your own speaking avatar. | |
| Audacity | LINK | All | Open-source cross-platform sound recording program. Can be used for voice recording. | |
| VoiceThread | LINK | All | Create, share, and comment on images, presentations, videos, audio files, documents, and PDFs, using microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio-file upload. Free, but account required. | |
| Online Voice Recorder | LINK | Easy and free way to quickly record your own voice and share audio with others. | ||
| Reading | ||||
| Story Line Online | LINK | PreK-Middle | Famous actors read famous books. No account required. | |
| Newsela | LINK | All | News service that scales authentic articles to yru learner’s lexile levels. Includes | |
| Readtheory | LINK | All | Personalized reading comprehension exercises for students.Student led, independent. Program will adjust difficulty based on students’ responses and interactions. | |
| Storybooks Canada | LINK | All | Multiple languages available. Low level readers with high visual support, simplified sentences, and audio readings attached. | |
| ESL Literacy Readers (Bow Valley College) | LINK | Made for adult, but could work for any | Low level readers with high visual support, simplified sentences, and audio readings attached. | |
| ReadWorks | LINK | K-12 | Leveled reading passages about a variety of topics. | |
| CommonLit | LINK | K-12 | Leveled reading passages about a variety of topics from diverse perspectives. | |
| Unite for Literacy | LINK | Elementary, Middle School | Ebooks with audio in English or Spanish and written translation in many languages. | |
| Epic! | LINK | Elementary | Ebooks about a variety of subjects, visually presented. Free access until June 30th. | |
| Actively Learn | LINK | All | Text and videos for ELA, SS, and Science with comprehension questions and data tracking. Free until end of school year. | |
| Starfall | LINK | Early Elementary | Kids games, movies, books, K-3. | |
| Hennepin County Library | LINK | All | Check out ebooks and get a temporary ecard for those who live in Hennepin County. | |
| Writing | ||||
| Google Docs | LINK | All | Shareable documents online. | |
| PB Works | LINK | All | Allows online writing collaboration, like Google Docs, but without being Google. Aesthetically pleasing, relatively easy to use. Free educational account available. | |
| Really Great Reading Letter Tile Playground | LINK | Elementary | Use letter tiles to spell out words. Can use a variety of grammar foci (consonants, prefix/suffix, etc.) | |
| Padlet | LINK | All | Create websites in an interactive, collaborative platform. | |
| ReadWriteThink | LINK | All | A variety of writing activities for students to try. | |
| Assessments | ||||
| EDpuzzle | LINK | Higher Ed | Tool for embedding quizzes into videos | |
| Socrative | LINK | Secondary– Up | Assessment, including team competitions | |
| Kahoot | LINK | Any | Quick assessment. No download. | |
| Nearpod | LINK | Middle school – up | Platform for creating and broadcasting interactive lessons with quizzes. | |
| Wordwall | LINK | All | Create quizzes that are interactive or printable. | |
| Pear Deck | LINK | All | Use with Google Slides to make interactive assessments. | |
| Quizzizz | LINK | All | Free tools to teach and learn anything, on any device, in‑person or remotely. | |
| Other | ||||
| Somali Language Tech Help | Tutorials for Technology (in Somali) | LINK | All | Helpful for explaining how to use and download different technology for distance learning. All in Somali. |
| Videos | BrainPOP ELL | LINK | Any | Leveled content focused on language development. Highly visual videos. Request free access. |
| Flash cards | Quizlet | LINK | Any | Online flashcards. Can be freely shared. Premium account has quizzing and competition options. |
| Flash cards | Boom Cards | LINK | Any | Free during crisis. Self-grading exercises that are gamified for students and provide data to teachers. |
| Flash cards | Tiny Cards | LINK | Any | Can create your own deck, or use those from other users. Picture flashcards supported. |
| Presentations | PowToon | LINK | Secondary | Animated presentations |
| QR codes | QR Code Generator | LINK | All | Easily create a QR code for students to scan. No account required. |
| Screencasting | Screencastomatic | LINK | All | Create screencasts. Free with voiceover/narration, but a paid account is required to capture computer audio. |
| Screencasting | Screencastify | LINK | All | Create screencasts. Extension in Chrome. |
| Screencasting | Open Broadcaster Software | LINK | All | Open and free resource for recording/screencasting and livestreaming. |
| Pictionary | Skribbl | LINK | All | Easy to use Pictionary for a group t |
| Teleconferencing | Zoom | LINK/ | All | Easy teleconferencing. Free account is limited to 45 minutes per call. Contact MinneTESOL to use our paid account. |
| Teleconferencing | Google Meet | LINK | All | Embedded in Google Classroom, students can click a link to hop onto video meeting. |
| Platform | Seesaw | LINK | All | Students use creative tools to take pictures, draw, record videos and more to capture learning in a portfolio. Teachers find or create activities to share with students. |
| Math | XtraMath | LINK | Elementary | Math fact fluency program. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. |
| Math | Illustrated Math Dictionary | LINK | All | Visually defines complex math terms with examples. |
| History/Science | Smithsonian | LINK | All | Vast array of resources to explore on many topics. A lot of rich language. |
| Non-instructional materials | ||||
| COVID-19 | COVID-19 RECURSOS PARA MINESOTANXS INDOCUMENTADXS | LINK | COVID 19 materials in Spanish | |
| COVID-19 | CLUES Coronavirus Resource Center | LINK | Compilation of resources available for families as a result of COVID-19. Mainly for immigrants/refugees. Also informational text (Eng/Span) about COVID-19. | |
| Networking | WIDA Educator Exchange | LINK/ | Facebook group for ELL educators looking to share resources and network | |
| Ideas on teaching ELLs | Colorin Colorado’s ELL Educator Group | LINK | Great resource to get ideas and opinions about ELL instruction from around the country. | |
| Communication / Interpretation | TalkingPoints App | LINK | For communicating with families in home language. Free during crisis. | |
| Communication / Interpretation | Google Translate | LINK | For communicating with families in home language. | |
| Communication / Interpretation | Google Voice | LINK | For communicating with families in home language (via text). | |
| Tips | Larry Ferlazzo | LINK | Great tips and ideas for distance learning with ELLs. Blog on EdWeek. | |
| Tips | Regional Centers of Excellence | LINK | Compilation (much like this one) of ideas and best practices for Distance Learning with ELLs. | |
| Coloring Sheets | Ricardo Levins Morales | LINK | Local artist with free coloring pages centered around themes to help students deal with emotions during the pandemic. | |
| Tips | Home Learning Tips | LINK | Highly recommended article to help parents supporting student learning at home | |