Cooperative Play - Race the Game!

My teen students had such fun playing my Zombie Apocalypse game; I have mostly used it for review - with the students producing question banks - but sometimes they just play it for the sake of seeing if they can overcome the game. Seeing them work together so enthusiastically convinced me I just had to expand the cooperative model to another game. One aspect I wanted to work on was the fact that Zombie Apocalypse takes at least 30 minutes to play, and sometimes longer depending on the many variables at play in the game (and so is best suited to one sitting). This time I wanted a game that could fill any time from 5-10 minutes upwards.

I'm happy to say I achieved my aim with Race the Game. In fact, I went one step further and created 4 different versions of the title so we can mix it up a bit as the semester continues.

Overview
The game is simplicity itself, but with that essential element of tension to keep players engaged. It is essentially another review game where - in 3 of the 4 versions - teams get to move forward one space on their track for every correct answer. For every incorrect response, the game gets to proceed along its much shorter track. The goal is to reach the finish line before the game does.
All that's needed are 2 counters (which could be coins, erasers or even bits of paper) and a set of review questions. I prefer to have students produce these as part of their revision, but sometimes I use it to review our word wall terms. If you are looking for stems or examples for your own game, here are some resources to get you started:

• Questions for All Grades from Help Teaching (Choose your level from the left-side menu.)
• Prompts for 'Bloom' Questions
• Quizzes by Category from SoftSchools
• Grammar Quizzes from Activities for ESL Students
• Questions from FunTrivia
• Freebies from TeachersPayTeachers

Cooperative Gaming - Playing Together v Playing Against

A while back, I came across the concept of cooperative gaming through the popular boardgame Pandemic. I thought the idea of having players cooperative rather than compete was brilliant, and getting students to work together toward a common goal much more conducive to positive relationships than traditional boardgames where players are pitched against each other.

Playing is how we learn to behave in life. Practising skills like listening, suggesting, discussing and so on allow us to develop positive relationship skills that have a direct connection to collaboration and teamwork.

Furthermore, when we play cooperatively, we don't just reach a goal but we do so together and this brings its own joy.

So much in school seems to be about competition as students compare scores and grades, go up against each other in sports and strive to be the 'most' in whatever arena they find themselves in. There is an over-preoccupation with 'getting ahead' of others in today's world (IMHO), and cooperative games are a great antidote to this.

A wider aspect of cooperative gaming is the link to sustainability. We have seriously worrying problems to solve at the local, national and global levels and is likely that cooperation - if anything - is the solution: we can achieve much more together than alone.

An interesting fact is that Elinor Ostrom - 2009 Nobel Prize winner - showed through her work that in many cultures across the globe, people work together to preserve the resources necessary for living. This happens without any policies, laws or authorities - it's just makes sense to protect the ecosystem of which you are a part.

While we may be lead to believe that competition is natural, many biologists disagree.  For example, Peter Kropotkin says: “competition . . . is limited in animals to exceptional periods . . . Better conditions are created by the elimination of competition by means of mutual aid and mutual support.” You may also be surprised to learn that the phrase “survival of the fittest” was not coined by Charles Darwin but by Industrialist Herbert Spencer!

All in all, the benefits of cooperative gaming are so numerous that I was sold on promoting them with my students. To this end, I created a game to go with our 'brain' (metacognitive study) unit and used the theme of zombies to
stoke their interest. The first encounter with the concept of the game confused many of my students, but after working out the gameplay, they were off! They now ask regularly if they can play it and we've worked it in as a way to review content toward the end of our units.

UPDATE: Another game I created with my mythology-mad teen son is based on Greek Mythology. I've had my secondary students play it, and they love it. One of them commented that they wished they could buy it and play at home, so I decided to list it for sale. Here's a preview. You can also click on the image below for a bigger image.

If you think you might like to try out cooperative gaming, I really encourage you to do so. While creating your own game definitely takes time and effort, you will undoubtedly find it a most rewarding process enhanced by the delight of your students as they play and realise that truly, 'Together everyone achieves more!'

More Ideas for Task Cards

For related posts, click on the 'Task Cards' label in the right-hand column.

I've been using task cards for a long time now, and I've come to love them. For some reason, students never tire of them and the fact I can get students physically moving as they learn is an additional bonus to the differentiation, student choice and variety they allow for.


In a previous post I outlined some ways I've used them but I realised an update was well overdue. So, in no particular order, here are some other ways you can use task cards in your classroom.

Try this!
Give one card to each student to face down on the table. The first student turns over the card, reads it aloud, and each team member takes a turn to respond. When the card has been thoroughly discussed, the next student turns another card over.

Or this!
Give the cards to students who are early-finishers.

Or this!

Give each student one card. If your class has more than 20 students, divide the class into 2 groups so each student within a group has a unique card. Students individually complete their card producing a written response. When done, they partner with another student and swap cards. Repeat the activity. When both students have completed their responses, they then compare and discuss. Repeat the activity until all cards have been explored, or the time limit has been reached.

Or this!
Print off the cards 2 or 4 sets to a page (i.e. 8 or 16 cards to 1 sheet of paper). Give the miniature cards to students to stick into their notebooks and respond beside / under.

Or this!
Use one of the cards as a whole-class starter activity at the beginning of a lesson.

Or this!

Create stations around the room with the different task cards. In partners, students spend a specific time (e.g. 3 minutes) discussing the prompt on the card. When the time has elapsed, they move on to the next station and repeat.

Or this!
Leave a set of cards printed and ready-to-go in case of sickness or absence.

I hope this has given you some ideas, and if you come up with more, do share.

Happy teaching!

Zondle: A Truly 'WOW!' Game Engine

Over the years I've come across some great game generators but as time has gone on, they have either changed to subscription-based models or disappeared. Enter Zondle which promises to always be free. This site allows you to enter questions with over 20 different formats to choose from. Once the questions have been typed in, the site automatically generates 50+ different games to review the knowledge.
After a rapid-fire round of emails with the very helpful Dougi of Zondle Support, I had my class usernames and passwords set up in less than half an hour last night. Today my learners logged on and...well, I've never heard them beg for more learning. After 20 minutes of playing games which tested their 'knowledge' of Shakespeare - we have not yet launched the topic and they have had no direct instruction - they were individually able to give me newly-learned facts simply from their gaming. When I asked if this was really a useful tool for learning, there was a resounding 'Yes!' vote.
What I love about Zondle is that it generates so many engaging activities from so little input. It is a very simple-to-use interface that requires only basic ICT skills and learners as well as teachers can author the activities.
What I have yet to try is the 'Team Play' mode which I've only previewed so far, but it is so slick and professional-looking that it's sure to be great for whole class involvement.
Did I mention that you can use 3rd-party devices for teams to enter their own answers? Or that you can integrate it with your teaching materials? There are so many great features that if the video below doesn't convince you, a visit to the site certainly will. Click here.

ZombieMe: Zombify Yourself

Warning: If you're easily grossed out, look away now!

As I was researching resources for a unit based around 'Horror', I came across ZombieMe which allows you to upload a picture of yourself and then add scars, necrosis and other zombie features to create a picture you can use however you choose. Definitely not one for the younger learners, but with the recent trends in the zombie genre, perhaps this would allow your learners some creativity in the classroom?

Integration:

• Learners could create zombies for their own horror photostory
• Use creations to inspire creative descriptive writing
• Use as a lead-in for Biology lessons looking at decomposition; a zombified teacher will certainly capture their attention!

Festisite: Unleash the Creativity - Mother's Day Cards?

Festisite is an interesting platform for producing some great teaching resources, as well as getting your learners to be creative with texts. You can sign-up using an existing account such as Facebook, so no need to create a separate profile.

Integration:

• Use the money generator to produce customised cash for use in the classroom - maths?
• Personalise cards with pictures for classroom games.
• Create shape texts - how about one like this letter (below) for Mother's Day?

Sumdog: Games for Math Practice

Sumdog offers a wide range of games to practice math in a fun way. There are rewards, competitions and multi-player games to keep even the most reluctant learners engaged. There are portals for teachers, students and parents so it can be used at home too. Teachers can organise students into classes and set specific activities for them to complete.

Integration:

• The ability to create free logins for all your students, without providing e-mail addresses is a bonus for schools not yet using a school-wide email system
• As teachers can choose which skills learners practise, activities can personalise activities and  complement classroom activities 
• Let's face it - what teen would rather do exercises out of a traditional textbook than play interactive games online? It's a winner for motivation and engagement at all levels.

Word Dynamo: Have Fun Improving Vocabulary!

Word Dynamo is the latest offering from Dictionary.com that allows you to test and expand your vocabulary through a range of fun games. Registering allows you to track your progress and it's also possible to create your own word lists for games and submit them to the public library.

Integration:

• Create word lists for your own topics that learners can access in their own time for revision or learning before tackling a new topic.
• Guide learners toward creating their own word lists for topics so they can have fully personalised games to improve their vocabulary.
• Set up word lists and have a chart displayed in your room to track progress; a visual check may encourage learners to keep up with those ahead.

Bart Simpson Blackboard Generator

I came across this tool while setting up my latest Google Site. It's pretty simple: in their own words, "Write your own message on Bart Simpson's famous chalkboard! The message will be repeated over and over again just like the show!"

From what I can see, the resulting image is hosted on the site, although you may want to download it in case the site ever goes down.

Draw a Stickman 2

It's the holidays so time for a bit of a break. In case you missed the first installation of this adventure, here's my post on the original Stickman.

And now...part 2! If you can't think of an educational use for this, why not just let your learners have a break for 5 minutes, exercise their creativity and spark their imaginations? And of course, you could always take a break yourself...(Go on, click it - you know you want to!)

Be Funky Photo Editor

In the wake of the sad news that Picnik is to be no more, the hunt is on for viable alternatives. There are quite a few photo editors out there, but what I loved about Picnik was the no-registration, easy-to-use interface. Be Funky provides something very similar. As with Picnik there are premium options you can pay for, but the basic free version allows you to be experimental with your uploads and still do an impressive job. Here's a picture that I edited for our reading blog. Click here to visit Be Funky and get creative!

Switcheroo Zoo

Switcheroo Zoo is bound to be a hit with your young learners, but I'm already thinking up ways to use it with my teens. The site contains lots of activities related to animals and their habitats. It's a mine of useful information, but the fun starts in the 'Switch Zoo' where it's possible to create new animals from the composite parts of existing ones. Here's a picture of my 3-minute creation: Bengal Gizard!

• Learners can mix up their own animals and then use the animal facts to write profiles for their creations - let their imaginations soar as they practise their writing skills
• Build a habitat most suitable for the animals met on the site
• Let learners take a guided tour to find out more about the animal kingdom
• Use as part of a larger project where learners create a world using Terragen and then visit this site to populate their planets

Boggle's World / Lantern Fish ESL

"Jobs, Worksheets, and Flashcards for the ESL and TEFL Teacher. The new home for bogglesworld.com"

This site is packed with outstandingly good resources, many of them cross-curricular. While sometimes it can be difficult to locate the best of what's on offer, taking 10 minutes to wander through and discover what's available definitely turns up some gems. If you've got EAL/ESL learners in your classes and you're struggling for materials, there is plenty on here to help you.

Integration:

• The ESL Science section contains a few resources including common language patterns for discussing and writing about scientific exploration
• Learners can find out about oceans and continents with these flashcards, wordsearches and worksheets
• The Writer's Workshop will be of use to teachers from a range of subjects and year groups
• Reported Speech Soccer will help even native speakers perfect their skill of changing direct speech into reported speech
• A Business section is more geared toward preparing learners for business transactions than theory but very useful for role-play and communicative practice in general
• And if none of the above floats your boat, the extensive menu of boardgames can be used 'off the peg' or downloaded and customised for your needs

Jellycam Stop-Motion Maker

Jellycam is a simple program that allows you to make stop-motion animations quickly and easily. The creator says it is a work in progress so there are no fancy effects or anything available yet, but it seems these are in the pipeline. Have a look at the video below which gives a quick intro to the program.

Integration:

• Another tool that can be used for digital storytelling, whether related to literature, history, social studies or any other subject
• Learners and teachers can use this type of media to explain abstract concepts which are more easily understood with objects, pictures, etc rather than just text
• Lots of examples from a (paid) software producer here to inspire your learners in getting started

You might also be interested in SAMAnimation (free version) or Scratch for creating interactive animations. 

Grammar Ninja

Grammar Ninja is a simple game to test parts of speech. It comes in 3 levels and is a silly, fun way to practise recognition of word classes.

Integration:

• It may not be the longest of games but as it's in 3 levels, cut down on your preparation time with a ready-to-go differentiated starter activity
• Pair this with Kung-Fu punctuation and you could have a real martial arts theme going on in your YL literacy lessons! (You can read about the concept here)

Zimmer Twins Movie Making

Zimmertwins allows you to create movies in literally no more than a few minutes. The twins, Edgar and Eva are joined by their cat (13) and a range of actions, locations, props and facial expressions are available to create your very own animated movie. Soundtracks are automatically included to reflect the mood of the situation. Although talking is not a feature, speech and thought bubbles are available to add on if required. A very intuitive film-making tool that even younger learners will have few problems mastering.

Integration:

• Direct learners to create animations which explain concepts in a topic, whatever your subject
• Encourage collaboration by giving learners the situations and possible actions to storyboard before making their movie
• Use the starters to support learners who struggle for ideas in story creation
• Create your own movies to introduce concepts or topics and embed on your online learning space
• Language learners can create foreign language stories

Share your ideas in the comments section below!

Bitstrips

Bitstrips is a very simple and visually-appealing comic strip creation tool. You can create characters and then place them against a range of backgrounds to start your story. There is a subscription-based school version that offers collaborative features but the standard version is free.

Integration:

• Create your own strips to introduce a topic or place static messages on your VLE, blog, wiki etc.
• Use strips from the gallery as story prompts or create your own
• Learners can explore characters, historical figures, scientific discoveries etc. by creating their own comic strips enacting scenes from literature, history etc.
• Use as an assessment tool where learners creatively demonstrate their understanding of a topic by creating a strip to show what happened / what the character is like / how to solve this problem etc.
• Present Math problems in a visual way as in this example
• English teachers can encourage writers to create multimedia stories using strips to move the story along
• Learners can create characters and stories for the school magazine or newspaper, using episodes to keep their readers coming back for more

Like this? You might also be interested in MakeBeliefComix.com

Brain Nook

"BrainNook is a new online game that helps kids develop Math and English skills while exploring the Earth and playing safely with others.

BrainNook contains over a hundred educational games based on fundamental concepts in Math and English Grammar. The games cover Math concepts ranging from single-digit addition to 3D spatial visualization, and English concepts ranging from building simple sentences to counting syllables. These games are embedded within colorful virtual worlds that children can unlock and explore." BrainNook now has a 'schools' version with additional features useful to educators.

Integration:

• Teachers can create classes of learners, assign tasks and keep track of progress - no more avoiding homework assignments!
• Use the engaging activities for formative assessment in a unit of learning
• Personalised learning - direct learners to work on particular activities according to their individual needs 
• Involve parents by sharing the 'reports' so they can watch as their child progresses

Mingoville English Language Learning

Despite its odd name, Mingoville is a trove of great activities for helping younger learners (and perhaps the young-at-heart) master the English language.
Working their way around Flamingo City, learners will spot engaging activities to help them learn without even realising they're working!
There is a subscription option but with so many free goodies, there really is enough here to keep you busy without handing over a penny.
They say a picture speaks a thousand words so watch the video below to get an overview of what is on offer.

Lyrics Training

This site is good. I mean really, really good. Years ago I remember stopping & starting the tape recorder to transcribe the lyrics in order to create engaging language lessons. LyricsTraining.com takes the hard work out of using modern, popular songs to teach language. If you're not convinced about using songs in the classroom, have a look at this article from iteslj.org. There are songs in various languages so good for the EAL/ESL classroom as well as other language classrooms.

Integration:

• Use the site to find songs fitting in with your current topic or language focus and use as an introductory activity; maximum engagement guaranteed!
• Introduce learners to the site and encourage them to visit on a regular basis; I have found that learners rarely need to be pushed to find out the lyrics of their favourite songs
• The different levels of activities offer differentiation; learners can work their way up from beginner if they are lacking confidence or skills
• Challenge your learners to create their own similar exercises based on the ideas they see on the site
• Use the 'Karaoke' version to get your learners singing along and memorising lots of useful language

Thanks to Martin Nayman for contributing this site to the blog.