Final Project

This final project is dedicated to using gaming and technology to learn English in a fun and exciting way outside of the traditional textbook based classroom approach! It's 2019 and our society is not moving any slower. Our educational practices must constantly adapt to the pace of technological innovations just as quickly as our students do. The interactive games in this project are designed to give students access to resources that reinforce the subjects they are learning in class from using smartphones, computers, and tablets either in the classroom (when possible) or at home. Classrooms, such as those at CEIP Juan Ocaña, are already equipped with Internet connection, modern projectors, smart boards, and speaker systems that complement the teacher's usage of the classic blackboard during lessons. However, creatively planned activities through technology and gaming apps would allow teachers to get their students more fully engaged in the learning process. Hopefully it won't be long until our classes are better equipped with useful computer technologies for all the students--not just the teacher--, including not only computers or laptops, but also devices such as tablets. Use of these kinds of technology has the potential to unlock very dynamic learning experiences both inside the classroom and at home, an opportunity that teachers should not casually overlook.

This project will introduce two of my favorite online teaching resources to create fun and interactive games for my students. One is designed to play in the classroom and the other to play at home to continue practicing English outside of the classroom. The topic of this project is vocabulary related to travel, one of my students' most recent topics in class. Such websites add a new dimension to the traditional reading and learning by textbook approach that most teaching curriculums have been following for decades. With this project, I hope to encourage other language assistants and teachers to include different methods of teaching in their lessons, especially new and bold technologically-based learning that matches the fast-paced society we and our students actively participate in on a daily basis. The gaming platforms featured in this project are easily adaptable to all grade levels, from kids to adult learners!

Objectives:

• Improve language learning through the use of modern technology and gaming apps.
• Foster computer and technological literacy and competence.
• Change student perspectives on English as being a dull and boring subject.
• Encourage students to have fun and keep practicing English outside of school in their daily routines.

Online Gaming Platforms:

Kahoot

Quizlet

Basic Materials:

Computers, tablets, or other smart mobile devices

reliable Internet connection

Projector/Screen (Kahoot only)

Lesson Timing:

Timing for these games is flexible, depending on the willingness of the teacher to set aside time in the class and depending on the personal time students decide to take to play the games at home. For Kahoot, the in-class game, the minimum recommended time would be at least 10-15 minutes, 5 of which would be necessary to explain the basic rules to the students. For Quizlet, the at-home platform, students may spend from 5 minutes to an hour or longer playing as long as the teacher provides enough content!

Language Assistant's Role:

The main role of the LA is to prepare the games/content for the students in advance so that the games and activities are active and accessible as soon as the lesson has been introduced in class by the teacher. This way the students can play the games to reinforce their learning and understanding, which also naturally serves as a means of studying for the final exam. It would also be great to provide quick demos in class to spur general interest.

Teacher's Role:

The role of the teacher is make time in the class lesson schedule to introduce the sites and their games to the students. The teacher should also try to encourage students to visit and play the games online at home, perhaps offering an incentive such as extra credit to those who do make an effort. It would be advised not to make the games a mandatory assignment given that it is not always a guarantee that every student has equal access to mobile, computer or Internet technology at home.

Collaboration:

It is essential that the LA and the teacher ensure that the games created mirror the content taught in class. Introducing new content in the games might cause unnecessary confusion or might overwhelm the students, causing them to lose interest. If the LA and teacher present the games to the students positively and enthusiastically as useful and fun at-home activities, the students will be more likely to show interest.

Activities:

In this project, students will have access to two different online gaming platforms that are free to access. In each platform, there are different interactive games that target content comprehension, memory skills, and language skills such as reading, writing, listening and spelling. Specific activities will be explored later in more detail.

Evaluation:

Student evaluation may be performed in two different ways: participation and scores.

1) Participation: Teachers may evaluate students simply by their willingness to try out the games and spend their free time practicing English at home.

2). Scores: Teachers may also evaluate students based on how well they perform in the games. The activities on each platform provide ways to measure learning growth displayed by student scores. It is recommended that these scores aren't taken too seriously as a large percentage of the actual class grades; doing so would cause greater student anxiety and stress.

Students will be able to witness their own progress by looking at their scores after the end of the game. True learning growth will be reflecting in their marks of the actual class exams on the same topic.

Diversity in Learning & Achievement:

The ultimate goal of this project is primarily to address the fact that there are many types of learners, each who learn better in specific environments and who thrive performing in certain learning activities over others. Sometimes sitting in class and reading an English textbook is not enough support. By providing these online learning games, we are widening both student and teacher resources and opportunities to succeed in English and other subjects.

After clicking on "Create new", you must fill in some basic information about your new Kahoot. You can upload an image and even cite your sources. Other great features include changing the language and the audience, depending on what kind of students or subject you're focusing on. After this, you have to click the button at the top that says "ok, go."

Now it's time to create your questions!

In a Kahoot, you can add as many questions as you'd like to make longer or shorter games for your students.

You may offer students up to four possible answers to the question. The time limit allows the teacher to set how much time students are allowed to think and select their answers. The Award points features allows the teacher to decide if students get to compete for points, which can be used later for evaluation and progress checking. Don't forget to check the correct answer!

I created a Kahoot about travel vocabulary with 10 questions using content from the students' English book. When I finished, I simply had to click "Save" in the top right corner.

Once you've clicked "save", you'll see a screen like this! Now you're ready to play with your students!

If you need to go back and edit your work, no problem! If not, you can preview your work, play it, or share it! Once you're ready to play with your students in class, all you need to do is follow a few easy steps.

First, make sure your projector is ready and connected to the screen. Click the "Play it" button.

Step 5: Teacher, click "Start!"

The Kahoot has begun and will look like this.

Why choose Kahoot?

I think Kahoot is a great online interactive tool to get students excited about learning English.

• It offers an attractive and simple-to-use interface for both teachers and students.
• The concept is simple: students are well familiar with multiple-choice style questions.
• It can be played in singles or in groups, depending on the resources of the school.
• It infuses fun and friendly competition into the learning process.
• It allows students and teachers to measure student progress through a simple point system.
• It's quick for teachers to set up a Kahoot and for students to join one.
• Kahoots are played quickly and don't have to take up the whole class time.

Here's a shareable link to play my Travel Kahoot! Enjoy!

https://create.kahoot.it/k/f6f8e394-9bcf-4443-8265-769708872a00

Gaming Platform #2: Quizlet

Quizlet is an amazing website that students can use at home to practice studying what they have learned in English class. On this interactive site, there are several activities to choose from to practice various language skills like reading, listening, and writing. Teachers/language assistants must sign up with an email to create a Quizlet account. It is free to join, like Kahoot.

In order to play Quizlet at home, students will need:

• a computer/tablet/mobile device
• Internet connection

For teachers, when signed in, you must click "Create " at the top of the page to start a new project.

Once you click "Create", you can start making a new study set for your students. Insert the title and the learning content you wish your students to study. In my study set, I continued with the same travel vocabulary unit used in my Kahoot. I entered vocabulary terms and their definitions. You may add as many cards as you like, and you can add images or audio recordings to the cards as well. I created five standard cards. When you finish, click "Create".

After you've finished, a screen like this will appear. Here you get to see all the types of activities that your students can do with the content you've uploaded. Some of my favorite activities include: flashcards, spell, match, and gravity.

Here's the link to my Quizlet Study Page on Travel Vocabulary! https://quizlet.com/_60zizv

Why choose Quizlet?

Quizlet is a fun interactive site that allows students to independently focus on certain study tasks at home or at school, as long as they have access to a computer or other mobile device.

• It targets diverse language skills.
• It offers various kinds of activities.
• It's free for everyone.
• It has a simple and easy-to-use interface.
• It encourages students to be proactive independent learners at home.
• It fosters student digital competence.
• It gives opportunities for students to monitor their own progress.
• It's easy for teachers to create study sets and invite their students.
• Some activities allow students to take their time while others challenge them to think faster.

Quick Summary

This final project was aimed to explore two different online gaming platforms, Kahoot and Quizlet, and how they can be used both inside and outside of the classroom to promote exciting, interactive technology-based learning. While both of my games were focused on the subject of English and the topic of travel, the reality is that such sites can be used for any subject or topic. Our students are growing up in a society in which advanced technology is a norm; our pedagogical practices should aim to take advantage of the practical resources of our modern reality. Teachers need to become open to changing traditional approaches of primarily textbook-based learning and recognize that technology is a powerful tool that can be utilized to create dynamic and engaging learning atmospheres. Simple sites like Kahoot and Quizlet are a great start! I hope this project will be useful for any new language assistants and renewing assistants. Good luck and have a wonderful academic year!