Today, I’d like to brief introduce how to use this software. Firstly, you have to link up to the net and create an account, and I believe this is a disadvantage for this software, which may cause inconvenience sometime. For example, when the internet cannot be connected, the process of classes will be disturbed.
When you click the “Resources” (as below), you can find several templates for different purposes, including tools, timers
If you think you have no idea about how to use these templates, please don’t feel worried about that, because each template has its own demo and instructions, which will help you design your own class aids. If you still find any difficulties while using it, you could ask questions at the “Activity” page (as below), and some colleague will help you.
After you finished your edit, you can save your works in your account, and when you log in, you can find it under the page of “My Saves”. So it is very convenient and helpful, right?
Now, I want to introduce some tools that I prefer. The first one can help the teacher organise
Student Group
This tool can help you divide your students into groups randomly or manually. After you design the group, you can save it, which will be used for later. The benefit of this tool is that can provide students chance to work with different pupils, and this is important for improving their communication skills, which is necessary for a language class.
You may find the instruction on the left of the edit page (as below).
Now I type a group of students’ name into it. Then I choose to save and use it again in the future (as below).
You can create groups according to your need now. I’d like to create five groups randomly, and then I press the green button “CREATE THE GTOUPS”. Magic happens! The name of the students has been painted in different co lours
Very easy going! You may also change the font of names to meet your need. If you hope to keep this group list, you can snapshot by clicking the green camera button (as below).
Order Sorter
This is also one of my favourite
So, let me introduce how to use this tool. At the beginning, you should tap a title of this task (as below).
And then you need to click the triangle button at the bottom. Now you’ll find several options, and click the “ADD PANEL”. You type sentences into panels, when you finish it press the green square, then the panel will appear on the showing place (as below). At once you can duplicate this action, until you end up adding all the sentences you want.
It’s time to set your design into teaching. Similar to the student group, you can find this new aid in “My Saves”. When you unfold it, you will find the sentences have been disordered, and you may ask your students to reorder them in a good manner.
Your pupils may want to know if they have found the correct answer, you can add the check button into it. You can find it after you click the options button at the bottom (as below). At the top right corner, there is a “CHECK BUTTON” switch bar. When you slide the blue piece into the right side, the check button will appear on the top. When the students completed the task, they can press this button to find out if they are in good order. If you feel unhappy about the font, you can change it as well.
This software is very interesting and usable. If the designer can allow users to download their design, it will be more convenient. In addition, I hope that the designer can allow teachers to share their task to the students, which can be used as homework. Because in China, the size of a class is usually around 25-40, although the software is interactive, some of the students may still have no opportunity to participate in. So I think if it can be accessed by every student, it will be more practical. Owing to the nice design of this software, I believe it is very suitable for young learners, this can stimulate their motivations for learning. All the same, one negative aspect should not be neglected. Because of the lovely user interface, I’m afraid that the students, particularly the young apprentices, may get distracted by it; in other words, the users may pay more attention on the amusement part, rather than the content and the knowledge the teachers want to pass.
