When you have done that you press: Done. Your stickman now comes alive and starts walking across the screen. You will recieve a instructions of what to do next. It includes drawing. Everything you draw comes to life on the screen. The instructions are all in English.
You can make it work in different ways. Either the whole class together on a Smart Board/Clever Board or if students have their personal computers those can be used as well.
I used this resource in a grade two class and a grade four. In the fourth grade class the students were really good at English so I could basically let them just try and figure out the instructions with the help from each other or by dictionaries. I was a substitute teacher in that class and it was the last 20 minutes of the day and week and the teacher assistant and I decided to give the kids a "fun" exercise as a reward for acting so nice to each other and me. We also wanted to see if they could be trusted to be "let loose" on their computers.
In the second grade we did this exercise together. I started the clever board and got us onto the website. I let one of the kids, randomly chosen, draw the stickman. She then sat down again and I pressed: "Done." The students laughed happily and were in awe when they saw her stickman walk across the screen.
Sad to say I used a lot of the translating form of education here but we also discuessed and asked questions by every given instruction. We had chosen episode 1 and one of the things you are instructed to draw is a sword. We discussed it then: What does a sword look like? Does one drawn line make a sword? Why? or Why not? The students had a lot of ideas about that. We tried as much as possible to discuss in English. One reply I got was:
"No it can't be a sword." When I asked said student to try to say it in English she said: "Sword or stick?"
A pretty good question and the other students understood that she wondered: "How do you know if it is a sword or a stick?"
The students thoroughly enjoyed it and we used the exercise to learn a few new words as well. Like:
- Sword
- Stick
- Stickman
- Cloud
- Drain
- Bottom of
- Creative
We ran into some problems at one point when the Clever Board decided to go on strike. The interactive pen stopped working. But we could use the computer hooked up to the clever board to draw so it was okay.
Another problem can be kids feeling that it's unfair that they didn't get to draw. But sadly there isn't enough things to draw for everybody. But everyone could suggest things when we discussed and they seemed to have had a lot of fun when doing that. Some of their ideas were very amusing to me and a lot of it sadly got said in Swedish instead of English but they tried.
What made me the happiest though was when a student was instructed to draw a key and asked what a key was. His classmates helped him out. One boy said, in English which made me extra happy: "You open your bike with one!"
I think this webbpage is both fun and can be used as a good tool. But what do you think or do you have suggestions on how to make it an even better learning experience?
ReplyDeleteHi Emma
I loved this! I really like exercises when the children can be a part of producing something.
Even if you don’t draw your own stickman you can take part by giving suggestions what to do with the stickman. I also like the options where you can choose doing it on computers or on a clever board. I think it would be best to make it on a clever board first, if you have that option.
That will give you as a teacher the opportunity to show the whole class what it is about. I wouldn’t let the students draw in front of the entire class because due to my experience the students will think it’s unfair if they don’t get the opportunity to try. Although its great if they can try by themselves afterwards.
I tried by myself to draw a stickman in episode one and two and it was abit difficult to make it “beautiful” but I thought it gave it all a lot of charm! Do you know if it’s always the same topic in episode one and two every time to do it? I tried a couple of times and there is always a box and a key for example in episode one. It would be great if the “stories” changed completely so they could learn new words and sentences! Maybe you can but that I didn’t try as many times….
I think it’s good that you took time and explain some words, so the students could get forward in their stories and drawing. It’s important that they understand so they don’t just draw, even though it’s fun to be creative. I think it’s important to explain the meaning of the exercise because I think there will be a few students that just think its fun and draw a lot of things; maybe a few that they aren’t supposed to.
I like the combination of interaction to each other as well as the creative side! Do you know if they could save for example episode one and show it to the rest of the class when they are done drawing?
Thank you for chairing, I will try this in my class!/
Michaela Bodin
Sadly the episodes doesn't change. I wish they did but they don't and it's sad that they don't. It makes it kind of a one time exercise.
DeleteI see, thats a shame because that would mean you could use it even more! I tried it though with my fourth grade and they loved it!
ReplyDelete