Strengthen Vocabulary Learning with Gaming and Text Messaging!

The same group (Locamoda) that developed one of my favorite resources Wiffiti, has also developed Jumbli. Jumbli is a billboard (it really is in Times Square) with letters on it. Jumbli asks viewers (anyone can play it is free) to participate in a game of super-scrabble.

This is how it works; view the letters, and come up with the most "complex" word in the English language. Then send a text messagew with the word to 87884. Your word will instantly appear on the Jumbli billboard in Times Square, along with anyone else's words that have been added. Each word is given a difficulty score. Jumbli also works from anywhere in the world (they have an international number that you can text to). The letters are continously changing, so it allows students to continue to concentrate on developing new words. It currently does not seem to accept words in non-English languages. The game lasts a few minutes (great for an activity after a test or quiz to keep students learning but not bothering others). When the game is over (it starts and stops continiously) the winning words will appear. If the students do not know the words, it is an opportunity to learn the new words. I have also noticed that the Jumbli board is monitored (no offense language is posted), and it recognizes "pretend" words. If a students posts made up words or inapproprite words, they receive a text back that it will not be posted.

Text Message Motivation for Teens at Boost Up

I recently came across a site called Boostup. The purpose of the site is to help motivate teens to graduate high school who are struggling because of various adversities. It is set up so anyone can send a boost to one of the teens through a variety of digital resources, one option being a text message. I think this is a good example of a positive use of student's digital "toys" in order to help others. Boostup turns the cell phone into a service device, a way to reach out and help others. Schools could set up "help lines" and "mentorship" programs via text messaging with the aid of resources such as Wiffiti (private interactive text messaging board that could be monitored) or Textmarks (create keywords for students and their mentors for private conversations or public displays of motivation and good wishes).

Text messaging could also be set up by teachers/schools as a way to reinforce positive behavior. For example when a student wins awards, solves a difficult problem, or just have a good day in school, the teacher could send out a text message highlighting the child's accomplishment to family, friends, and even commnity members on an approved list. In turn those who receive the text message could send a congratulatory message to the student---creating a positive reinforcment/boost campaign. This might be just what some struggling students need!

Text Messaging Shakespeare!

An 11th grade English teacher Inez Brown is encouraging students to use text messaging to build their knowledge about Shakespeare. The students are using text messaging (in groups so not all students need to have a cell phone) to summarize and answer critical thinking questions (each text is 140 words or less) about Richard III. Since the students can only use 140 words or less, they need to consider how they word their answers and think of only the most important or profound pieces of the reading.

Using a tool like Wiffiti or Polleverywhere's Open Polls would be a nice addition to this text messaging assignment. Students could see all of their text messages immediately on the open boards. And a discussion could ensue.




Image retrieved from Phil Romans

No need for "clickers" when you have a cell phone!

I have written before about trying to find a way for basic cell phones to replace the expensive classroom performance systems (CPS). Last week I posted about Wiffiti, an instant brainstorming tool that uses cell phones like CPS clickers. Now, I have found another web2.0 that works in the same fashion as a CPS tool. It is called Polleverywhere. Polleverywhere is a site where you can create instant mobile polls. The polls utilize text messaging, so you get a text message number to "vote" for your selected answer (similar to the American Idol text message polling). Anyone can create an account and get 100 free instant poll responses (after 100 you must pay for them, so keep your polls to the first 100 people). Fantastic! So teachers can project the poll results graph (which includes the text message numbers for the different poll options) in the front of the class. Then students can take out their cell phones and text their option. Students will be able to instantly see the poll results on Polleverywhere. You can also embed polls into a PowerPoint presentation (they will automatically be updated as long as you have Internet service) and the results can be exported (for students studying statistics and graphical illustrations this may be useful). Finally, if students do not have cell phones they could vote online.

Polleverywhere could be a great "ice breaker" activity to find out what students know about a topic. For example, the teacher could post a concept such as "photosynthesis" and include four different definition options. The students could text their definition choice to the instant poll. Then after seeing the results, the teacher could ask the students to turn to the person on their right and "defend" their definition choice in the poll. Ten minutes later the teacher could ask them to complete the poll again with their cell phones to see if their "discussion" with their classmates caused any changes in their definition selection.

I've posted a "Poll everywhere" poll here (Polleverywhere does not really have an embed option yet so I "forced" it into my blog), please feel free to text your answers. The question is "Would you use cell phones in your classroom for teaching and learning?
Text 1035 to 41411 Not in my classroom, but maybe for homework
Text 1033 to 41411 Yes!
Text 1032 to 41411 No, never

Wiffiti--Brainstorming from Cell Phones

I have a new favorite brainstorming tool. Wiffiti! The best part of this tool is that students can brainstorm from their cell phones to a live screen on the web. Since students already text message almost continuously throughout any day, now they can use it for an educational purpose! There are a lot of fantastic teacher "controls" for Wiffiti such as "approving" messages before they are posted or not allowing content with inappropriate words. You can also keep the screen private or share it with the world! I love this tool. Although I imagine that there are a lot of applications for this tool in the classroom, one of the best is brainstorming. A teacher who would like their students to brainstorm some ideas can set up a Wiffiti screen (free of course), then tell students (for homework or in class) to text a special code to the general Wiffiti # (25622), along with their brainstorming idea. It will automatically (or the teacher can set it up to approve the messages before they are posted) post to the Wiffiti screen that the teacher set up. The screen is live so this could be done in class (if teachers are comfortable with cell phones in the classroom) at the spur-of-the-moment or for homework.

Another nice application of Wiffiti in schools is for "story telling." For example if students take a field trip to a local museum, they could text their observations, notes or what they learned during their field trip to the class Wiffiti screen and then back in class they could discuss their experiences. Wiffiti also works with Flickr (therefore the background images on Wiffiti could come from Flickr and since Flickr has a mobile option, students could also post their images from their field trip to Flickr and select one as the background for the class Wiffiti screen.

Feel free to try my screen by texting @kolb07 to 25622 and after you text "@kolb07" put a space and a message, it should automatically show up when the screen refreshes.