MACHINIMA

After long break, I'm back with very useful and fun content.

A long time, I will take a break from introducing application or program. Today I want to explain MACHINIMA to you.

                     What is that mean Machinima? 

     I guess I can explain briefly. Everybody likes computer games, right? Especially this era, everybody plays digital games from old to young. Of course, I like playing computer games, too. After challenging processes such as studying, teaching, it helps my head to relax. So, in terms of education, how will this information work for us?

     We prepare a project thanks to our teacher Tuncer Can. You can add whatever you want to say in videos background. You can use a lot of video games for that such as; Second Life, Sims City, GTA 5 etc. Just find a place and create your avatar, then take screen video. Lastly, add your own or somebody’s voice back.

    You can teach lots of subjects thanks to this project.  It is both interesting and instructive for children. For example, we created a video with using Second Life and our goal was teaching simple past tense. We spoke about our last holiday.

This is our videos link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1obNNAYA92M&t=233s

Also, you can find lots of video about machinima on youtube. 

See you in the next post.🥰

GET IN TOUCH WITH FLIPGRID

Hello friends, 

Today's topic is FLIPGRID.

           

           You can set up a class online and browse videos as you like. you can then reply to these videos by shooting videos. A useful app that can improve students' speaking skills through online. it is enough for the teacher to establish a class and share the class code with the students. students can upload videos to this class as they wish. very useful application for cooperation and communication. The application is free up to 90 seconds, you need to pay a certain fee for later but in general this time is quite enough for students.

          I've tried this application with my own class before and very nice videos were produced. The app can also help you feel more comfortable in the classroom and strengthen communication between students.

         In addition, this application can be fun for children. They can add different emojis or wear masks on their faces.

        Do you want to try this application without losing any time?


This the the link of Flipgrid : https://info.flipgrid.com/

THE EASIEST WAY TO PREPARE QUESTIONS: HOT POTATOES

HELLO FRIENDS,

          Teachers should always be prepared for the lesson. In this post I will mention about an easy way to prepare worksheet or quizzes for teachers: HOT POTATOES

          Sometimes I find it hard to prepare a paper or an exam for my classes. As a teacher and so intertwined with technology, I discovered a program. The name of the program is Hot Potatoes. 

          Briefly, it is a program where you can prepare classic, multiple choice tests and transfer them on the web. After preparing an application that does not require internet connection. HP software was developed by the University of Victoria. It is a free program. Moreover, you do not need to know extra computer skills for this program. It is quite simple to use.

Some of features:

It consists of 6 parts:

•  Gap Filling (Jcloze)
•  Multiple Choice (Jquiz)
•  Matching Exercise (Jmatch)
•  Creating Meaningful Sentences from Mixed Sentences (Jmix)
•  Puzzle Preparation (JCross)
•  Creating Unit Logic (Jmasher)

How we can use this program?

• First of all you should download the program( you can download from here: https://hotpot.uvic.ca/ ) and setup is quite simple but it can vary according to the computer model.
• Then you should assign a username for yourself 
• Finally you can choose which kind of questions you want to prepare

         Because of New Year's Eve, I prepared a song activity for my primary school students.Also, I prepared a vocabulary test for my secondary school students. But I believe I will use this program even more. You can  add clues and shape them as you like while preparing your questions.You can do a lot of  worksheets that students can use not only in the classroom, but also after class.

Here, there are some examples which I made using this application:

file:///C:/Users/Sude/Desktop/vocabulary%20test1.htm
file:///C:/Users/Sude/Desktop/JINGLE%20BELLS%20LYCRIS.htm

SEE YOU🤹‍♀️

CREATE ANIMATION WITH: POWTOON

Hello Everyone,

       This week I want to mention you about the application: POWTOON

        Powtoon is one of the most frequently used tools recently. Powtoon is a tool that allows you to create an animation using speech bubbles, shapes, images, characters, and more. It is an application with both paid and free sections, but I think the free section is quite enough. I had a lot of fun while using it and it is an extremely easy tool to use.

        Like other programs, it's a good way to explain our lessons differently. A small detail, you can look cool if you use this program in presentations as a student 😊 😊

How to use Powtoon?

• Firstly, you need to open an account
• Then, you should select the sections you are interested in. You can already find a lot of ready-made templates, you can make edits on it, you can choose your characters.
• A tool that can be used in many fields such as advertising, promotion, not just education.

         I've prepared a video about Powtoon. Starting a class with this video can be different and interesting for students.

         Like any other application, how we use it is up to the imagination of the teachers. Using our technology efficiently is very important both for us and for our learning. Using our technology efficiently is very important for us and for our students. Using this app, you can introduce animals in a foreign language if you like or you can teach school stuff or a grammar

 topic. Whatever you want you can teach.

This is the link of Powtoon:  https://www.powtoon.com/home/?

GOODBY 🤸‍♀️

LOOK AT MY BOARD!!

Hello Again👋,

           I've talked about a lot of applications so far. I wrote about how to make them more useful and effective in language classes. The name of our application is PADLET

           As I mentioned before, these applications are not specifically designed for language teaching. Practices that may be useful in language learning through the use of teachers. Applications that may be useful in language learning by teachers' use. In this way, children will learn willingly not forced.

           Today I'm going to tell you about the Padlet. Its main purpose is not language learning, of course. You can use this application every area in your lives. It is an application that I strongly recommend especially for the collaboration environment. This time, the producers are not teachers, producers are students.

           Briefly, think of your boards in your classes, we can hang whatever we want to that boards, right? Consider the same thing but in a virtual environment. Padlet, which is also a product of web 2, will make language learning fun and creative with the children. The Padlet has all kinds of images, schema types etc., but you can also add something. It is a great application that can be applied in every lesson. Nowadays, almost, every home has internet connection. So why not we use it with the kids. Children can enter the boards you created with the board code, they can make edits, or do it in the classroom at the same time. In my opinion, middle school, high school students are more appropriate, but of course for primary school students can be more useful if used with pictures.

          I started by choosing the subject of animals because I usually teach primary school students. I divided the animals according to their habitats. Students can write, add photograph according to animals’ habitats.

           For high school students, they can write the characteristics of the countries on the world  map. In short, you can do what you want. It is an application I recommend. I am very excited to prepare more boards and use them with my students as soon as possible.

How can we us Padlet?

• It is very simple to use, firstly, you should sign up
• Then you should create a board, its subject is up to you. 😊
• You should share this board’s code with your students, in that way they can add something to boards

This is the link of padlet: https://tr.padlet.com/

Also, this is one of the boards of mine, you can check  it: https://padlet.com/sude_gnduz99/sdd47vtxrfd8 


SEE YOU UNTIL NEXT TIME  👩‍🏫

ARE YOU READY TO BE A WRITER?

HELLO EVEYONE,

          Do you like to read and write? Do you help someone who is interested with this? This week, I'll write about something for you: STORYBIRD

         Storybird is a free book creation site. Its native language is English, but it is very easy to use and is a useful educational tool especially for language teachers such as Turkish, English and German. Students can read books which they created; write their own books, stories and poems. Many aspects of the application are free.

          According to me, reading books is very important for language learning. In this way, students can improve their vocabulary skills and improve their reading skills in a different language. It is a very easy to use this application. One of the best things is that you can use it in any age group. It can be diversified with simple sentences for elementary school students and more difficult sentences for secondary school students.

What we can do with this app?

• We can give homework as a group or individually.
• Comments from students can encourage them. Students who are talented in writing can advance on this subject.
• Students can create their own libraries.

How can we use it?

• You must first become a member. There are three types of membership: student, teacher and classic
• As a teacher, you can become a member and open a class and add your students to the class you have opened. In addition, parents can follow up with their children from the parent section.
• Then, you can create your own stories with create section, or you can read somebody' stories with read section.
•  There are many ready-made templates to create a story. you can choose any of these templates and start writing your story, poem or comic book.

This is the link of Storybird:  https://storybird.com/

Also, this is the one of my stories' link:

 https://storybird.com/picture-book/sister-sister-where-are-you--0

(Especially, I prepared this story for primary school students.)

 

Are we raedy to find the writers among us? 🕶📜✏🖋

Have a nice day, see you in the next post.💃

COMICS WITH PIXTON

          Hello to everyone from the first post of the year. 

🎄🎅🎆First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR.🎆🎅🎄

This year, I'll mention you one of my favorite apps: PIXTON

         Pixton, in particular, is an app that elementary and middle school students can love. The easiest way to prepare cartoons for your students. Cartoons and comics attract to many children' attention. So why not bring cartoons to our classes?

       With Pixton you can create characters, create backgrounds where you can write the story of your characters, and create a comic book with different screen designs. You can contact other teachers and examine their cartoons.

Let's see what we can do together with this application.

• You can design comics.
• Describe a concept or idea in a concise way
• You can tell a story with words and pictures
• You can combine characters with emotions
• You can draw a film script

        Pixton is a program that can be edited in many ways. You can change the emotions and movements of the characters. Of course, the subject is still up to the imagination of teachers. Teachers can also use this program with their students. With Pixton, you can open a class and add students to that class. You can decide on speech bubbles and articles as you like. 

        This is my really favorite app. Especially my primary school students loved this practice. They all joined the class more enthusiastically than before. It is a very useful program for establishing sentences and communicating especially in a foreign language. I really recommend it.

• Firstly, you should sign up
• Then set up your classes and add your students.
• What you want to produce is up to you.

This is the link of Pixton:  https://edu.pixton.com/

And this is the link to one of my comics https://share.pixton.com/pfr4eja