Hi Karen, this idea is starting to interest me in terms of a concept of "broadbanding information". Basically a spell checker and gramma tool that can be set to about 3 levels of English. Use this tool to do the first pass at simplifying a text (or even upgrading it).. Concept is outlined here<http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2005/06/22/broadbanding-information-part-2/>. Hope one day that OpenOffice developers will pick this up, as it would be a very handy tool for education.
On 11/3/07, Karen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Thanks. I've looked at Simple English Wiktionary. The approach is > perfect, but the problem is that it is very sparse. Of 10 "sample" > words I looked up in various pd or open dictionaries, only 2 of the 10 > were even listed in the Simple English Wiktionary. There are > definitely some synergies between these two projects, though the needs > of primary native English speaking students are somewhat different > than general English language learners I think. > > On Nov 1, 8:36 pm, "Leigh Blackall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > not sure if this relates or is useful but here goes anyway: > > > > Simple English Wikipedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · * > > Learn more about citing > > Wikipedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_Wikipedia> > > * · > > Jump to: navigation< > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#column-one>, > > search < > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#searchInput> > > [image: Favicon of > > Wikipedia]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wikipedia-favicon.png > >Simple > > English Wikipedia > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wikipedia-logo-simple.png> > > URL<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Resource_Locator> > http://simple.wikipedia.org/ Commercial? No Type of site Internet > > encyclopedia project< > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_encyclopedia_project> > > Registration Optional Available > > language<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_language> > > (s) Basic English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English> Owner > Wikimedia > > Foundation <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation> Created > by > > > > *Simple English Wikipedia* is an > > English<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language>edition of the > > Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia> > > encyclopedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia>, > > written in Basic English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_English>. > The > > site's stated aim is to be useful for children, those learning > > English< > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_learning_and_teaching> > > ,[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_note-0> > those > > wanting to know basic information about a topic (not in > > depth),[2]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_note-1 > >and > > those who are partially literate in English. It also intends to serve > > as > > a basis for translating articles to other > > Wikipedias.[3]< > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_note-2> > > > > Many articles are shorter than their English > > Wikipedia<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia>counterparts. > > > > On July 26 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_26>, > > 2006<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006>, > > the Simple English Wikipedia reached 10,000 articles. As of August > > 24<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_24>, > > 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007>, it has more than 18,000 > articles, > > over 50,000 pages and over 11,000 registered users. > > > > [edit< > http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simple_English_Wikipedia&ac...> > > ] References > > > > 1. *^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_ref-0 > >*Lim, > > Daryl. (January 30, 2007) Digital > > Life <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Press_Holdings>. > *Vandals > > beware:Wikipedia, the free-to-edit online encyclopaedia, doesn't > maintain > > itself. <http://derekbaby.spaces.live.com/>* Section: Digital Life - > > Internet. (writing "Terence: You improve your reading and writing > skills, > > too." and "Ding Xiang became an administrator of the Simple English > > Wikipedia in November last year.") > > 2. *^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_ref-1 > >*Blakely, > > Rhys. (March 24, 2007) The > > Times <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Times>. *The week on the > > web.< > http://www.newsint-archive.co.uk/pages/S.asp?pubsel=TIM&SrchText=Simp...> > > * Section: Home news; Page 36. (writing, "Spin doctors: Amateur > > scientists rushed to edit the entry for "Earth" on Simple English > Wikipedia, > > the version of the online encyclopedia "written in simple English for > easy > > reading". "The Earth spins like a basketball on Dennis Rodman's > finger," an > > early version read. Obviously not simple enough, it was altered to: > "The > > Earth spins (that means it turns around itself) ..." > > simple.wikipedia.org"). > > 3. *^ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_English_Wikipedia#_ref-2>* > > Wikipedia:Simple > > English Wikipedia< > http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Simple_English_Wikipedia>(from > > the Simple English Wikipedia), retrieved on November > > 17 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_17>, > > 2006<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006> > > . > > > > [edit< > http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Simple_English_Wikipedia&ac...> > > ] External link > > > > - Simple English Wikipedia main page <http://simple.wikipedia.org/> > > > > On 11/2/07, Erik Moeller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 11/1/07, Karen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > I am working on starting up a collaboration an open kids simple > > > > dictionary. In doing so, I've looked at what is already available in > > > > terms of free dictionaries (See > > >http://www.k12opened.com/blog/archives/43 > > > > and > > >http://www.k12opened.com/wiki/index.php/Dictionary#Kids_Simple_Dictio. > .. > > > ), > > > > but there does not seem to be anything available for primary aged > > > > students. > > > > > Hello Karen, > > > > > besides WikiEducator, I'm involved with a project called OmegaWiki. > > > It's a special wiki software developed by a non-profit organization to > > > maintain structured data like dictionaries in a more systematic way. > > > One of our content projects is the dictionary for the "One Laptop Per > > > Child" project: > > > > >http://www.omegawiki.org/OLPC_Children%27s_Dictionary > > >http://www.omegawiki.org/OLPC_Children%27s_Dictionary/Lists_of_terms > > > > > If you want, I can get you in touch with the people who are > > > coordinating this initiative. :-) > > > -- > > > Toward Peace, Love & Progress: > > > Erik > > > > > DISCLAIMER: This message does not represent an official position of > > > the Wikimedia Foundation or its Board of Trustees. > > > > -- > > -- > > Leigh Blackall > > +64(0)21736539 > > skype - leigh_blackall > > SL - Leroy Goalposthttp://learnonline.wordpress.com > > > > > -- -- Leigh Blackall +64(0)21736539 skype - leigh_blackall SL - Leroy Goalpost http://learnonline.wordpress.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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