Wow, I can’t believe how much stuff I’ve got done over the last couple of days, lots of exciting new things coming up!
Today was newsletter day. The game of the month is a very cool way of combing lots of different themes together to come up with things like “Can Baby Monkey eat noodles?” which I don’t know about you, but always sounds quite impressive to me!
Actually it can get even better if you teach the word “really” e.g. Can Baby Monkey really drink tea?
And for those of you who’ve joined Genki English in the last 6 months there’s a great surprise for you. Well it applies to everyone else as well, but you guys already have it all: CD Vol. 10 songs for free. But hurry, it won’t last forever!
I’m really looking forward to the software to these songs! =D
I was going to ask if anyone needed the software… looks like I won’t be taking another holiday for a while! 😉
Well, if nothing else it’d be super useful for the Halloween songs.
Maybe since this is a “seasonal special” – would it be nice to have some “special” games for the software? I’m not what you could logistically do though. Maybe a digital version of the word search or something? I don’t know – just a passing thought!
Last year teaching around halloween and Christmas was so special because of these new songs. I do not want to wish the year away, however I cannot wait to start singing them again!!
I too am waiting for the software. Singing is fantastic but it is just so much more when the software is there!!
Halloween and CHristmas will be even better this year!
Flossy is quite right! What are you doing bringing out wintery stuff now?! Up here, it feels like the snow has only just melted away! I don’t want to think about next winter yet! 🙂
Seriously though, I agree with Julian-K – some new special games would be great. Could you not work out a way to play a game like the review one above on the computer? Kids respond to a random question by clicking on an image which either gives them points or reveal some kind of monster. Just thinking out loud here, which makes a change from not thinking at all!
Software. Definitely. Please!
By the way, a group of 2nd years performed Baby Monkey it’s Summer for the parents – a total hit. Thanks.
This week is the last full week at school here in Lower Austria. School finishes tomorrow. Which means I’ve completed my first full year in the Austrian academic system. It looks like I’ll be returning in September (not necessarily an automatic assumption under the present contractual rules…). I’m compiling a list of subjects I had to teach which I couldn’t Genki – Autumn being one of them! This was a theme which lasted 2-3 weeks at school and which I struggled with re. boredom factor. Just in case you are feeling extra creative… :-))
I tried the review game and it worked very well! I used them for a review of the Superhero, Eat-drink-dance, and days of the week. I used the little post-it notes you find in the gum bottles – they are supposed to be used when you throw your gum away. I wrote 0 and Xs and put them on the flashcards. Then after students chose a card, I just change the post it and put it back on the board. It was a big hit and there was a lot of practice and repetition. Thank you, Richard, for the fun game!
Winter? Not yet!
Software? Yes Please!!!!!!!!
I’m hoping to try this game next week, to try & spice up the tedious Eigo Note ‘I can…’ unit.
I’ve also been using those useful little post-it gum disposal papers when playing these kind of games. I think I wrote about the ‘caterpillar’ game on the forum before. I sometimes add in points (+ and -) written on those notes to liven up the game further. The kids get in quite a frenzy!
Well, I slipped this game into the lesson today. It was a great success!
I used the Eigo Note phrases (play the guitar etc) and added in a whole load of GE picture cards too. They were amused to see those, as they are far more fun than Eigo Note pictures.
We ran through the phrases again, checking they knew which verbs to use with the new ideas and then I revealed Baby Monkey and Genkiman. I don’t know how you do it, Richard – as everyone else has said, they were an instant huge hit!
We played the game pretty much as you suggest, but I had to put a limit on the amount of times they could send the opponent back down a stage. It was quite disturbing really; the boys especially seemed to take more pleasure in pushing the girls (Baby Monkey) back down than actually progressing up themselves. Not sure what this says, psychologically-wise!
Anyway, everybody got to ask a question at least twice and had a great time!
For the last few minutes of the lesson they went back into Eigo Note where they had to draw a picture of what they can and can’t do. I was amused to see that a few boys drew Genkiman flying! (Unfortunately, for the ‘can’t section, and there wasn’t time to go into all that stuff about planes.)
Yes, this was a success in all my classes as well. One class just insisted on bringing everyone down so I added a new rule. You can choose to go up 2 levels or bring another team down one. This pushed the game alone fine.