Discussions

Spellmaster

http://www.spellmaster.com

I thought I'd launch the page with the instructions for Spellmaster. They may come in handy!

This is how I do it!

Inside the Spellmaster folder, after having downloaded everything,

-- create a folder for each different exercise you create (possible names: qwords, spast, family)

-- copy-paste all the Spellmaster gamefiles (jigword2.html, jigword2.swf..., including words.txt) ) into that folder

From now on the only file you will be working is called words.txt. That's where you will insert your data and that's the file that will automatically generate the 4 different types of exercises (jigword, matchword, speedword, wordweb).

-- open the words.txt file and insert your data

-- save it as words.txt

VimP: Do *not* change the name of this file. It stays as words.txt, because it's the folder name that will prevail. In my latest exercise, this is the URL:

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/exs6/qwords/jigword2.html

where qwords is the folder name and jigword2 is one of the 4 types of exercises it creates.

VImP: In the words.txt file, write on the left what will "appear" online on the right; separate both parts by a comma (no spaces) and then write what will appear online on the left.

In my latest exercise on "question words", I have questions and answers that they have to match. In the words.txt file, I wrote the answers on the left and the questions on the right.

Ex: She's from Moldova.,Where is she from?

After you create your data and have it saved, click on the .html folder for each type of exercise and see how it works. Then upload it to your server.

You can take a look at my Spellmaster exercises at

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/activities.htm

On the left you have the name of the software used.

I think that Spellmaster works best with singular word exercises – matching vocab in 2 languages (native and target, masculine-feminine, singular-plural) or infinitive with simple past, for example -, because that's the type of exercise that works with the 4 different types of exercises. I found this when I created the latest Q&A exercise. It wouldn't work with matchword, speedword or wordweb (sentences are too long and will appear as incomplete). On the other hand, jigword only holds so many words in each side, so I had to keep questions as short as possible.

I haven't created anything with sound yet. Maybe I'll give it a try over the weekend. (5Oct06)

Well, I couldn't resist and gave it a try the same day. It's very easy. You only need to follow the procedure in the FAQ section.

With the same data I created three very basic vocabulary exercises about the family, for revision, after we had contextualized it in class a couple of weeks ago.

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/exs6/family-listen/jigsound1.html (drag & drop)

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/exs6/family-listen/listenmatch.html (listen & match)

http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/school/exs6/family-listen/speak1.html (listen & spell)

(Teresa, 20Oct06)

Quia

In the meantime I also tried out sound with Quia and reproduced a listening quiz I gave my 6th graders in class about rooms and parts of the house.

http://www.quia.com/quiz/848441.html

First I recorded each sentence with Audacity in a separate file and gave it a name: houseattic, housebedroom, etc, so they'd all stay together. I uploaded them to the Quia site. And then I chose a Pop-up quiz. To the left of the space for writing a sentence there is a blue "plus" sign which means that you can insert and audio file instead. Just what I wanted! Then I wrote down 4 choices to complete each blank in the listening and... bingo. The kids are enjoying it!

I didn't choose a random order because I gave a certain sequence to the sentences, so, of course, that makes it easier for them every time they do it, since I didn't set a limit for that. I think the listening practice is what's important.

I'm relying more and more on Quia, because it has more and more different types of quizzes together with the possibility of embedding sound and images. I also find it more user-friendly than Hot Potatoes and well worth the annual fee. My two euro cents! :-)

(Teresa, 20Oct06)

Lingual.net

ZimmerTwins

WordChamp

I'm fiddling with WordChamp http://www.wordchamp.com/lingua2/Home.do for my own vocabulary study and plan to introduce it to students soon. Read about it in the readings list and was surprised a site of this quality wasn't featured more prominently. One weakness I see offhand is that I can't make Eng-Eng definitions. It's set up primarily for native English speakers studying other languages, I think. I've created some vocabulary lists for my own Japanese study, a Word of the Day for July to December ("July Word of the Day"...). With the browse function you can find many lists that others created. Thanks for this link! John