This week I came across two activities that saved me hours of prep time, made my classes lots of fun, and gave the kids a huge amount of practice.

Recently I am not a lot on Social Media.   So it doesn't happen without coincidence that I see something and it is "JUST WHAT I NEED".  

This week was a week like that.

Both I came across on "Maple Leaf Learning Club", so let me introduce:

The first one is a card game, you can order on Amazon, and it is called:

READY SET EIGO CARD GAME
Instead of me explaining it, here is the video of how to play it, by the inventor Timothy Hill, himself playing it with his students.

The images are so beautiful and 'clear', the kids loved them, and didn't want to stop playing.  I would say, there are many other things you can do with these cards, and you can get even more speaking practice into it.

What I did for example is:

Each kid kept the cards they discarded.  In the end when the game was finished, each player made the sentences with their cards again, for example.

'This bus is blue' 
'A frog can jump.'
etc

The second activity is not a game, but a super hilarious tool for teacher to practice Phonics.
I really really wanted something like this for ages.  And I think every teacher who is teaching phonics is craving for something like this.  
It is such a simple idea, and we have all made some tools like these ourselves to get the kids practice, but I find it so much hassle and stuff to carry around in that old style way.

So, here is the app    This here is a Google Play link, but you get it for iOS devices as well on the app store.

Big shout out to 'The Maple Leaf Learning Club'.  So cool ideas here.  And of course I also highly recommend the other card games, like 'Ho Ho Ho'  'Faster than', 'Spooky Speedy'.
​Check it out!


And here is the video explanation for the app, but this is only for 3 letter words, while the app I am talking about has consonant blends AND AND AND :
Magic e  !!!!!!!

A few months ago I have been sharing some templates of Jamboards.

I learned about Jamboard from Esther Park, in last years DTT conference.

Thanks  a lot for trying them.  It seems like especially the Demon Slayer one was a big hit with teachers and students, at least here in Japan.

Today I got the question, why do I use Jamboard to create worksheets, instead of Pages (I am a MAC user).

In Jamboard I can create a worksheet in under 3 minutes.
It stays in my Google library as long as I want, and I CAN, if I WANT, use it interactively.
but I CAN also create a pdf file and print it as a worksheet.

It is super easy, and this way I can tailor the worksheets so that they suit my classes, my kids, level and interest wise.

I hate doing the same lesson twice.  I think it is unnatural, so, even if I am teaching the same structures in two same aged and leveled classes, the flow and often the material I use is pretty different.  
Why would I use Micky Mouse in a class that is into Minions, for example.

So, instead of adjusting my classes to the worksheets I have, I adjust the worksheets to the classes.  Easy!


Here a few examples of some simple stuff I made 5 minutes before class.  I am not exaggerating with the time here, so you will of course notice that they are absolutely MINIMALISTIC!  Bare with me there.  If you are more into beauty and design, of course you can spend more time and make them more beautiful, but I am happy to keep it simple and have the kids add inspiration and color!!!
​

If you are using Jamboard already, it would be great if you could share ONE idea how!

If you aren't and would like to know how to use it, LIKE this post or leave a comment.

Have a great day!
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30 years ago I learned Indonesian Language.
I really really liked it, but I only got good, when I travelled over the islands for almost 3 months.  It was amazing how easy it was to communicate without any textbook or dictionary.  It is such a simple beautiful language.
However, after those three month in 1991 I never ever went there anymore, nor did I meet anyone from Indonesia I could have talked to, nor did I continue studying.

Result:

I forgot!  At least I thought I had forgotten!

Until I met this app!!!

​

I started to play, to figure out wether I should suggest the app to my students.

I am not a 'Gamer' at all.

However, this got me!  Within 2 weeks of playing I was able to talk for 5 minutes about myself in Indonesian.  And those 2 weeks were something like, 15 minutes game (FUN!)/day.  No cramming of vocab or studying of grammar.

This was 2019, and obviously with Corona and all that went on I didn't touch the app for more than 1.5 years again, until 3 days ago.

And, surprise, surprise, I am basically where I stopped after just 2 days (30 minutes) of playing.

What about Duo lingo is so good and what can we learn from it as teachers?

It starts very simple, it gives you some words and pictures to choose from, and it does it in a way, that you hardly can mistake.
Then it goes into sentences,
sometimes you have to listen and write,
sometimes you have to listen and choose the words you have heard from a list, 
sometimes  you have to translate into English 
and sometimes you have to translate from English into the language you are learning.

But whichever the task is, there are tiny hints, that help you getting it correct and feeling motivated, without really realizing there was a hint.
One  example the word in a sentence that has to come first starts with a capital letter.

Getting 10 correct in a row, and even harder sentences perfect is a confidence booster and makes us wanting to go on.  
While we see those easy sentences again and again and again, with different slightly new words, we remember the sentence patterns and grammar, without noticing, and this way we improve and can suddenly get along without any crutches.

Isn't this what we should do with our students?
Instead of giving them new grammar patterns and new expressions, and expecting that they memorize them, repeat and repeat without them really noticing that things are repeated because the content is so engaging, and then when they really got it, move on to something slightly new and different.

And here you can see me play and showing you what I mean with 'crutches'

​Which language are you going to try?

Selfcare has been a hot topic already before COVID hit, but this year there are more requests than ever.  So, a few thoughts in Episode 2 of MAC Radio. 

​

I'm going to start something new.

A little radio of mine.

Every Monday, here!

As I was so late the last two times, a little bonus this month.

One of our favorite games for teenagers:

Word Wolf.

​It is super super easy!

This is again a game that can be played in person OR online, OR for homework through video apps, for example Flipgrid.
​
All it needs is to:

1)   Introduce (or review):  'Where are you from?'  'I'm from...+country/region names)'

2) Then I go on a tour with my students, through the house.  This is why ONLINE is much better than in person, obviously it will be chaotic to take dozens of kids through your house.
Show kids all kinds of things, for example the tomatoes in your fridge, and ask 'Where is it from?'>>check the label, and be surprised about facts you yourself didn't know so far.

3)  Have kids introduce items and their origin for homework in a video.
You will be surprised what they find.  Parents will be surprised and love it.

4)  If kids can write, or should practice writing, have them take a photo or draw a picture of the item and write the introduction.

IT is May, yes, and 
(I KNOW I AM LATE)😉

The new school year started in April, and with 3 new classes and 20 new students at once I was a bit overwhelmed remembering names of kids and parents and linking it all together.
Anyway, here we go for our game of the month, and it is 
​

but of course you can play it in person, and I think it actually was created go that.  I enjoy this game much more On Line, though!

I guess all of you know the Mafia game.

In Japan it has been all around even down to low grade Elementary classes.  Teachers played it in Japanese classes or Moral education classes, in many variations.

I have not had too much success in my in person classes, just because kids were just too obvious in one and the same space.  Now ONLINE it is much easier, so I gave this version from Erika Peplinski a try and my students love it.

There is a lot of listening and talking involved, yet it is so easy to personalize, so kids are really intrigued.
And, it doesn't cost a penny! 

Enjoy, and let me know how it goes.


Oh, and on a site note, you can now use the RSS button on  the right, to make sure you get updates on my blog.  More soon.