Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Firearcher]

I frankly don't know what category to place this in but since it relates to my job I am putting it here.


In my classes I play a game called BAAM. The kids love it and you all have probably seen it and played it. I have copied this and made many games from it.

Here is my question/rant/complaint/plea for help!

I can have a perfectly good BAAM game (BAAM is a PPT Game) that works well and if I make a direct copy (To clarify Click Copy & Paste) of this game, and then change the spellings of a few words here and there it messes up the entire game.

Some slides do not appear despite being there and others appear twice and 1 always reveals the answer before the question. Despite my not making one single change to the background workings of the file - it simply will not work/play properly.

If I check the codes and make sure they are identical to the slides that do work they still don't work. Nothing works. It has me baffled as to why simply copying and pasting messes up this file.

If I cut and paste a slide dropping it into another position on the file, instead of being slide 4, I make it slide #6 for example, it will fixthis slide and mess up 1 radom slide somewhere else in the file. It could be anywhere.



Has anyone else had this problem and if so how to fix it?????

[beckett]

Go to waygook and download some other generic type 'bamm' game. You can find loads on that website. I personally try to use them sparingly as I don't think they are very useful for students. Usually one kid answers a question in a group while the other groups sit around and talk to each other in korean.

[CentralCali]

I'm using the Jeopardy game from www.superteachertools.com and sometimes the Baam game. The first one conveniently tracks the scores for you.

[ddeubel]

Sorry you are being driven crazy! I invented this game to make sure that many students would pay attention and at least get some language input for learning.

I think you should download the mini or medium length games and also probably should be using an updated template (I'm just guessing at what you are using). Explanations on how to change slides and use + games - http://bit.ly/HZP2Dn

I really recommend keeping score with play money. At the end students count their money to get the winner. Here's some on this page.
http://community.eflclassroom.com/page/teachers-toolbox

I invented an even more popular game Top 5 - might be of interest http://bit.ly/HoLj0w Also a paper version available. Kind of like family feud.

[YTMND]

This has been your ESL ddeubel plug.

[ddeubel]

[withnail]

I like Fling The Teacher from Ddeubel's site, but when you create your own game by downloading the program and customizing, for some reason when you project it....it comes up much smaller on the monitor than the 'already created' games! I'd love to know how to fix this...

[chickenpie]

I like the Baam games etc...but I can't help thinking we are cheating our students and ourselves with it. No real learning is taking place, only repetition of what another student tells a lower level student.

Strange how the baam game has never taken off in the international world of communicative learning.......

Great for teachers.

Great for students.

Bad for learning.

[ddeubel]

Hi withnail,

Are you sure you are playing the generated .swf file in a browser after creation? It should be as large as your browser window.

Chickenpie,

Just like anything else - textbooks, flashcards, worksheets, these kinds of games like BAAM can be effective or not so. We cheat our students if we use them incorrectly or too much but the thing itself is not in and of itself, SLA evil.

I think the best way to use BAAM games and others like them, in the classroom are two fold.

1. As review or reward. (see the mini versions of BAAM for this)
2. As something students create and design. When students create the game, they learn so much English and when the game is played, it really fosters class spirit and a proper constructivist approach to instruction with the accent off the teacher and onto the students.

DD
http://eflclassroom.com

[Firearcher]

I have the older version of BAAM and if I change the writing on one single slide it messes up the game. makes no sense. Some slides appear twice and others never appear.

I cannot figure out how to fix this

[ddeubel]

I finally got around to making a tutorial/screencast showing how you can very easily/simply change the slides so BAAM will appear on a new number and students won't be able to avoid them.

http://bit.ly/I5zeKy

Hopefully this helps someone out.

David