Fun, professional and caring
I would love to learn more ways to be fun in classes. I have a very relaxed atmosphere and more fun added would be a great asset.
Jennifer,
I use them a lot in my classes with the same results you are achieving. In fact my students actually look forward to review time because of the games.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I love to use tv games show formats for reviews the classes love it!
Tammy,
I use role playing in my classes as well with the same results. The students really get into these mini-plays of how personnel act and interact in different situations. Plus, they are fun for the students to do. I guess they are all frustrated actors. Thanks for sharing your experiences with role playing with us. I know this information will be of help to other instructors.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I have had the same experience with role play in many of my classes. I have students in the insurance class act out seens in a medical office with each one in the group play their chosen role( Patient Doctor, Medical Asst, Secretary Ect.) The idea seemed strange at first to the students but the word spread qucikly on campus and when I introduced it to other classes student said they wondered if they woould get to do it because their cohort member had talked about how fun the experience was.
Audrey,
Thanks for sharing these strategies. They do sound like a lot of fun with learning occurring throughout the process.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
There are so many ways you can add fun and alternative ways to learn. I play what is known as the "fly swatter game" you have two students each one has a fly swatter. You use this game for terms/definitions. You write the terms/definitions on the board in no organized manner and another student calls out the word or definition and the first student to swat the word or definition with the swatter gets the point. I also have a game I use called "snowball fight" each student has to come up with three good questions for whatever topic we are covering on a piece of paper and each student wads it into a ball, and when I count to three they throw them all over the room and then have to pick one up, and answer the questions to the best of their ability. This definitly helps creat a relaxed fun atmosphere for everyone.
This is a very unique idea! If you're creative the possibilities are endless of what you could come up with.
MICHELLE,
Use games and role playing to engage the students. For example, last week I put my students into groups of 4 and gave them 15 minutes to come up with a method to show how to make a peanut butter and banana sandwich. They had 5 minutes to share the information with us. They could sing the steps, show the steps, act out the steps, draw the steps, even have a contest to complete the steps. The bottom line the sandwich had to be completed and be correct. (One group created a contest between famous chefs -- Bobby Flay and Paula Dean -very funny). Keep in mind my course is not a culinary arts course it is a communication course. The point was how to use different methods to communicate clearly and effectively.
Just let your creatively run wild and you will come up with ideas for how you can have fun in the class while moving the students forward in the content.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
