I want my flashcards please!

Kids in the online classroom: how to survive the transition.

Dear teacher!

The world sucks at the moment, oh yes, it does. Let’s just face it.

If, like me, you have always considered yourself a dinosaur teacher, who adores paper, flashcards, realia, toys, little cards, magic wands, running around, crayons, craft and storytelling and if, like me, you have done your best to stay away from technology in your classroom (well, apart from youtube, perhaps), you are not in the best of moods now.

However, here is some good news. First and foremost, you are a teacher and, I bet you, you are a great teacher. A resourceful teacher, a creative teacher, a dedicated teacher. A teacher who works hard to develop and get better and better and better. A teacher who is greeted with smiles and cheers by the students.

Dear teacher, you are going to be just fine and you are going to rock your lessons even in the virtual world. This is just the beginning of this journey and as we proceed, from week to week and from lesson to lesson, we are going to be getting better and everything that is not perfect (yet) should be considered hiccups and hiccups only. Not the end of the world.

I am not a great expert at teaching online. Not yet. Never wanted to be, either. But I will turn this horrible year into an opportunity to take the bull by the horns and to raise and shine.

Then, eventually, I will be back in my real classroom because this is where I belong. The sooner the better. In the meantime, however, I am just going to share with you some of the things that can be done in our online young learners lessons. Today: flashcards.

Scenario A: you have your own flashcards (from the bookshop, handmade, printed and/or printed and coloured-in from one of the websites).

Yes, yes, we are going to be developing technologically and we will be doing anyway but does it mean that we have to give up on the real flashcards? No, absolutely not. You can still use them while online.

Guessing game: it will have to be you versus the student or the whole class. When you are leading the game, hold the flashcards, as usual, and describe or mime the word. When it is the students’ turn, chose the flashcard without looking and bring it closer to the camera for the students to describe for you. For a more dramatic effect you can also close your eyes😊

Guessing game B: revise all the cards, repeat the more challenging words, too. Put the cards in a box or on the table, without looking at it. Encourage the kids to guess what it is, try guessing yourself, too. After a few seconds, say ‘Let’s check’ and uncover the card. Congratulate the students who guessed it.

Slow reveal: You can still use the funky envelope but your camera is your best friend here. What’s hidden – stays hidden but what slowly emerges from the left of right or top or bottom…is a lot of fun.

Left and right: works in the classroom, works online. Get a flashcard in your left hand, get another one in your right hand. When the hand is up, the students have to say the word.

Topsy-turvy: works in the classroom, works online. Put two flashcards back to back, turn them over in your hands a few times. When the students see the card, they say the word.

I can’t read: get a set of flashcards and a set of word cards (even easier to home-make these). Show the kids the flashcard and put a word card on it. Ask the kids to read the words and tell you if these match. To make it even more challenging and more fun you can create double-sided word cards (a regular word and a scrambled-up word). Put up the flashcard, add the scrambled-up word, ask the kids to read it, write it unscrambled in their notebooks and check immediately.

Scenario B: Your students can print their own flashcards at home

That is the optimal solution because then you can basically play any of the games that you have used so far in the classroom.

My bus is green: everyone colours their own cards and the variety can be used in different games a) to compare the buses  b) to play a guessing game (My secret bus is green)   c) to play a memory game after a few lessons, with the teacher taking notes secretly and then creating a worksheet or just making sentences ‘This bus is green’ ‘It is Max’s bus’

My favourite colours: ask the kids to choose one, two or three favourite colours, foods or words. First teacher, then students in turns, show one of their cards and say ‘I like pizza’. The other students who have chosen the same card, respond ‘Me, too’. Then, the students take turns to make their own sentences. It can also be played with three least favourite words.

Scenario C: The kids don’t have a printer at home

Draw your own: In a typical unit we usually get 8 – 10 words. Setting it all as homework will be a lot of drawing but after the first lesson, the kids can choose three favourite words to draw and during the homework check they will say what they have prepared and describe the words. During the second lesson, they can be asked to create three more words and then three more. This way you will not only guarantee a fun and varied homework and homework check but after the three lessons, each child will have a set of beautiful, personalized cards to play with in class and at home (which at this point in the game is the same place😊

Wordcards: same procedure but much easier to prepare but still, all the games can be played nonetheless. If your students are pre-primary and cannot write yet, you can make letter cards, instead of wordcards and in all the games you can focus on the first letter/sound.

Scenario D: The teacher wants to go high-tech

That solution is actually quite tempting and there are a few ways of going about that.

• Use a pdf version of cards available from British Council https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/flashcards or www.esl-kids
• Make your own pdf with images from clip art
• Make your own animated powerpoint, words appearing and disappearing
• Use quizlet.com. Whatever you create for your classes you can later share with kids and have them practise lots and lots at home
• Use the videos available on youtube to introduce and practice vocabulary, for example English Singsing, Fun Kids English, WOW English TV, Dream English Kids, Maple Leaf Learning
• Use Starters/Movers/Flyers Picture Wordlists. These are beautiful and can be downloaded for free.
• Use the whiteboard and all its options on zoom.us (this will be a separate post, when I either master that option or ask my Teach Tech Guru to write a post).

PS Do take it easy and don’t try to become an online expert overnight. Start with whatever is less complicated, for you and for your students and then raise the level of challenge when everyone is ready for it.

Remember that variety is our favourite word anyway so mix and match! And have fun!

P.S. Everything is going to be alright. Eventually. Tudo vai dar certo. Wszystko będzie dobrze. Все будет хорошо.