Dictionary.com is a life saving tool for teachers who need a quick definition and pronunciation of a word.
Community Review for Dictionary.com
My Take
My overall opinion of dictionary.com is favorable. I appreciate its many features such as being able to hear the word and seeing it used in context. This application is very user friendly and beneficial to students who struggle with word pronunciation. My ELL students love to,use dictionary.com because they can listen to words being pronounced without fear of embarrassment. They can have it repeated as many times as it takes for them to understand the word and pronounce it correctly. It gives them a sense of independence as they do not need to ask a friend or the teacher how to pronounce a word. Or worse yet, just gloss over it.
How I Use It
I used Dictionary.com in my classroom to help my students gain additional understanding of vocabulary words. My students spend time listening to the word, reading the definition, and seeing the word used in context. We also use the word a day feature. I display the word of the day, and my students work with a partner and their whiteboards to create a paragraph that defines the word. Partners then meet up with other partners in the class and exchange their information. My students are beginning to use some of these words in their writing and don't even realize they are expanding their vocabulary on a daily basis.