I have used both the crossword and word search in my class.The students are excited enough if the Instructor is also excited enough/ I have found that if you do a time word search it also creates more challenge.
Students respond to competition and the enthusaism of their teachers. Thank you for sharing your creative teaching approaches.
I utilize crossword puzzles and the students states "It helps".
Tanya, it is nice to receive feedback from your learners that let you know you are teaching in a way that works with them. Checking in at intervals can offer you valuable insight.
Well, it is amazing how a room of adults will become very quiet when given a word search.
I found a free word search maker on a web site. I give it to the class. After they find all the words in the puzzle, then I ask them to look up and define all of the words. Then I tell them that this is their study guide for tomorrow's quiz. They learn a lot this way.
I have created bingo games too. I teach Medical Coding. So I have one for almost every class. The students love it and it is a great way to review before an exam.
Is is indeed amazing...and a wonderful strategy to drive their studying for quizzes. It is also a bonus that you found free word search software. Keep striving to make your classes interactive and you will see great results in your endeavors. Good luck in all you do!
Once you have created great tools, it is easy to use them in all your classes.
Here is how I have played Bingo with my students. From the chapter or using their index (flash cards) I have the students fill in their own Bingo card and I or student would call out the terms or definitions and the student must mark what is called. As each is being called the caller has to write on white board to confirm the Bingo called in the end.
I feel all the activities like puzzles and woedsearches are great tools for getting students to learn medical terminology .
Tina, having the students make their own bingo card is a great way to make all the cards different, and confirming each on the white board a good system of evaluation by the learners.
I agree they are great reinforcement and review of areas of need for students and a fun way to do it.
I like the idea of using what was covered in a specific game as the content for the next class quiz. I give a short quiz almost every class at the very beginning of class. If you are not in your seat at the time the class is posted to begin, you do not get to take that day's quiz. That alone is a motivator to get students to class.
I too often hear, "you can't expect us to know everything in the chapter", yes it is overwhelming and I have tired to narrow it down but then feel like I am "dummy-ing it down" or spoon-feeding.
I will try this new approach.
Many students have never attended the type of school a career school is. They expect to be spoon fed and to forget everything after they take a test. Learning a career involves learning consequence of action and learning to think. That is a new concept for many of them, so keep giving them responsibility for knowing the chapter material, in the long run they will be grateful.
Thank you Michele. I am struggling with "am I being too tough" vs "I would have just done it when I was at a state university". So remembering the long term goal of the profession will help me stay firm!
Getting students to actively participate keeps the momentum alive. They interact, interact, and interact. I'm going to try some of the games from the examples in this module. I am definately going to allow students to make crossword puzzles and word searches for competing teams.
As you begin to have students create review tools such as crosswords abs wordsearches to challenge their peers, you will see them learning the content and defending the answers
they have created. This requires a higher level of thinking then memorization.
I have used crossword puzzles as pop quizzes before, to help students that need hands on help with particular areas of studies and it seems to help.
It does help because it is a fun and low stress way to learn.
